Fat bikes have boomed in Europe, and their popularity is also growing in Japan. The reason many people want fat bikes is simply because they are fun. You can't help but smile after riding a fat bike. If you need a simple bike that you can just get on and ride in any condition, a fat bike is the perfect choice.

In this article, I will explain all the details about fat bikes. Knowing about all the parts equipped on a fat bike will surely help you avoid mistakes when buying one.

What is the difference between a fat bike and a mountain bike?

Perhaps many people consider them to be the same, but there are differences. What are they? The main difference is that fat bikes have wider tires than standard mountain bikes. This simple answer, however, misses a whole mountain of complexity. Fat bike tires are generally considered to be over 3.8 inches wide. To accommodate tires of this width, changes need to be made to the frame and fork. To support very wide tires, the wheel rims and hubs must be much wider. This is because the wheels need to be very stiff to hold the extra tire weight.

Quick release axle sizes are different.

Original fat bikes came with a standard 135mm rear end with quick release axles. As the market expanded, new hub and axle standards came to the forefront. Generally, fat bike rear hubs will be 170mm or 197mm wide.

The standard width for mountain bike rims is 21mm. For fat bikes, the rim width increases by up to 90mm, so if you want to run a 5-inch wide tire, you need that extra width. To accommodate these tires, rims, and wider hubs, the rear end had to be made longer.

These longer rear ends make fat bikes more stable, even when riding on uneven terrain or flying downhill. Changes to the rear end also led to changes around the bottom bracket area.

To allow for chainstay clearance and maintain stiffness, the bottom bracket shell had to be wider. The bottom bracket on fat bikes then grew from 73mm wide to 100mm wide, and now some are even 120mm wide.

Fat bike fork sizes are different.

The fork also needs to undergo this process. The front hub of a standard mountain bike is 100mm wide. Fat bikes jumped to 135mm, and now you can find bikes with 150mm width. These changes in width make fat bikes feel much stiffer than their initial appearance suggests. One of the geometry changes you'll probably notice when riding a fat bike is that they are not as slack as modern trail bikes. The reason for this is that fat bikes aren't just for bombing downhill. Maybe you need to traverse bogs, swamps, snow, or sand on one. A slack bike would not be fun to ride in these environments.

How to choose a fat bike

When choosing the best fat bike for you, it's good to keep all the following points in mind:

・Weight

・Intended use

・Price

Weight

You can't escape the weight. Fat bikes will be heavier than standard mountain bikes. All that extra width in the parts adds to the bike's weight. Many fat bikes are made of steel, and some are made of aluminum. Steel will be the heaviest, but for many, it looks good. Aluminum will be a little lighter but will tend to fail with repeated knocks.

Because of this, fat bikes are made from carbon fiber. Carbon fiber fat bikes can be much lighter than you expect. They also have a fantastic ride quality, and carbon can last almost indefinitely—a great way to protect the value of your purchase.

Intended use

As with most genres of bikes, it's worth considering how you'll ride the bike. If you just want to ride along the beach, there's no reason to buy a full suspension fat bike. If you want to ride along the beach, in snow, and other traditional areas where fat bikes were ridden, then look at our Black Knight or Golden Knight models.

The Black Knight and Golden Knight models are two examples of classic fat bikes that come straight out of the factory door. These two models will help you get into bike packing, and the more you ride them, the more you'll find they are capable of more than just all-terrain use. If you need a fat bike that nods to trail riding, then check out our upgraded Black Knight model, which is a great pedaling bike for uphill sections while still allowing you to go faster downhill.

If you want even more speed, we have a true trail full-suspension fat bike based on our SN04 frameset. Our full-suspension fat bikes can ride downhill faster than you might have imagined for a fat bike, but they can also traverse terrain that other full-suspension mountain bikes can't handle.

Fat bike price

Because fat bikes use specialized parts, they typically come at a higher price than regular mountain bike components. At ICAN, we have worked hard to keep fat bike specific parts affordable. Our parts are made from high-quality carbon and supplied directly to you, yet our prices are comparable to many entry-level steel or aluminum parts from other brands.

We also leverage our tremendous experience with carbon to ensure you pay for the quality you need in carbon parts, not for gimmicks. All our parts exceed what they do and should still leave you with a comfortably full wallet.

What size fat bike do you need?

Sizing for fat bikes works much the same as sizing for standard mountain bikes. If you are planning bikepacking or big expeditions, and you are on the cusp of a size, unlike a normal bike where we would suggest going down, we suggest going up.

The extra length will give you more space for bags and luggage, and also provide you with stability. Maintaining some stability after a long day in the saddle, or on a multi-day trip, is not something to be knocked. Having a bike that wants to keep you upright can be a godsend.