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  1. I would seriously consider Northrock XC00. Exceptionally well made, hydro aluminum frame. Altus drivetrain system, 4.0 tires, 160m disc brakes. I ride all season, this is well made! Much better quality frame and components compared to the Mongoose.

  2. I was pretty excited when you listed weights for each bike. Really disappointed when you didn’t list them for the Beargrease:(

  3. Try North Rock XC00 made by Giant, aluminum frame, tektro mechanical disk brakes, Altus 1×7, kendal 4in tyres, and 35 pounds for less than $400. Actually, I paid only $200 plus tax in an end of summer discount sale at Costco. Latest upgrade cassette 11-34T 7 speed, orig. 14-28T 🙂

      1. This article says it was just updated in February, yet the Framed 1.2 is virtually unavailable for purchase. What gives?

  4. Your thoughts on a e-fat tire? I’ve heard going with the fat tire, no need for full suspension?
    Do they make such a thing?

  5. Hi, I am going to be getting a giant momentum have you checked them out? I am getting a demo from the LBS so I am getting a pretty sweet deal. What do think? Thanks.

    1. Yeah I have! (You mean Giant’s Momentum sub-brand, right? Which model?) Giant is excellent, I think you’re gonna be really happy with it.

  6. Hey All. I am 65 and have been riding outside all summer in Minnesota on my perfectly comfortable REI Novara “Fiona.” I love it. However, I want to break into outside riding and the snow here is beautiful! Can someone please help me with these questions since I seem to be spinning my wheels? (hahah)

    What I am looking for;
    1. fat tire, not so heavy I cannot lift it onto my bike rack. 35 would be tops. I rode a carbon in Duluth that was 18# but it was so expensive.
    2. want to sit more upright since my back appreciates this position more.
    3. don’t want to ride through deep snow–just on light snow covered paths, trails in the woods and on the Minneapolis Greenway which is usually plowed somewhat.
    4. don’t want to kill myself just making the wheels turn around–want something that isn’t a humongous effort to get rolling and then keep rolling.
    5. would spend up to $1000. looking at the Minnesota, the Ice Cream Truck (pretty heavy for me) (found a sale in Plymouth) and ECR.

    Please help. The more days that go by with me riding a stationary bike inside the worse my mood is.
    really grateful.
    Mary Ann

    1. Hi Mary Ann,

      Well under 35 pounds for below $1k is a tall order, but the Gravity is right around that weight (less if you pick a small frame) and it would probably meet your needs. The Framed is a great choice too.

      And don’t fret, they are way easier to pedal than they look! I hope that helps.

  7. Thanks for the informative review. My wife wants to explore what the fat bikes are all about. We have been riding mountain bikes for many years but don’t do any serious terrain. I have seen many fat bikes in the trails of New England where we live. If we purchased fat bikes, they would most likely become our primary bikes. We also ride hard roads and paved trails on occasion. Our intent is to take the new bikes with us in our RV when we retire next year. We expect to be in a wide variety of terrain all over the country. With all of that said, would you recommend fat bikes as our primary, or should we stick with a more traditional mountain bike with + size tires?

    1. Hi Dave! Fat bikes excel riding on snow, sand, gravel, grass, stuff like that. Trails too, though they’re not suited to serious downhill. You definitely could replace your mountain bikes with them, but you’ll sacrifice having suspension parts and a bit of agility. Do you have a bike shop nearby where you could do a test ride?

  8. Thank you for a much needed set of reviews on these less expensive models.

    Please include the weight of the Minnesota, the Louis Garneau (what is “well under 40 lbs?”) and the Mongoose Dolomite.

    1. Hi Larry, you’re very welcome.

      The Minnesota is listed at 34 pounds 8oz. but that’ll be for the smallest frame. Medium is roughly 37 pounds. The Louis Garneau is 35lbs for a medium frame, and the Mongoose Dolomite is 48lbs.

  9. Another thing to look for is a used bike.
    I searched for about 7 months and finally found one for $400
    The seller mistakenly advertised it as 24″ wheels and size Small.
    I looked closely at the pictures and enailed him to confirm. He wrote back and I could tell he had no clue about bike sizes.
    Turned out to be 26×4.6 rims/tires….a 17.5″ frame or Medium.
    2017 Specialized Fatboy SE in charcoal/black
    It rides like new but is speckled in scratches all over.
    I took a jiffy marker and colored them in haha
    So i got my fat bike and for less than i figured.
    He was asking $400 and i offered him $380 and he was not having it. So, $400 it was!
    Cant beat that.
    And, no it is not stolen. I ran the serial number thru my local police. I also checked all bike forums locally to see if anyone had messaged about 1 being stoled. Its clean and clear.
    The buyer ran into a wad of money and when it was dissapearing he sold the bike to recoupe some funds.
    Iike a lottery winner after 10 years haha

  10. I recently saw a fat bike on a TV show riden by a very heavy girl.i am 5′ and 250lbs. I live in North east Ohio so the weather for a fat bike is perfect. However to get back on a bike is scary for me. Would this bike benefit me as far as my size and height? I don’t want to throw down a ton of money on something I can’t ride. Also what about that little seat? Thank you

    1. Hi Stacey, your weight won’t be a problem, but at your height even a small bike is gonna be tricky. My wife is around your height, it’s tough to find something that fits. I’d suggest going with something like the SE F@E in the small frame size, dropping the seatpost as low as it will go, and seeing how it goes. If you find it too big, I reckon you can easily re-sell it in Ohio! 🙂

    2. I would also recommend researching protective undergarments with padding to protect bones and joints that could take a hit. Accidents happen.
      Unfortunately most of the selections are designed for slimmer, competitive riders, but there are other options such as motorcycle jackets and pants.
      And you can get creative and customize parts on your own.
      I am fit for my age, but I don’t want any broken bones at 67.
      I don’t dress out like a football player, but depending on the situation, I will wear minimal protection.

  11. Check out the SIKK UFO, They are the Original Custom Fat Cruiser , I looked at the sooul and the frames are poor design, The front tubes are fat and the rear are skimpy not to mention that are way overpriced , The Sikk 3 speed was in the $400 range with the Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub ,

    1. Fat tire bikes are cool! I own a Sikk UFO 7 speed with the cut out wheels, it’s hot rod satin black with red wheels! I added some goodies to it and it’s a great bike! I got it for 475.00 shipped, not a bad price! I want to add a jockey rat rod style shifter on it for side shifting, lots of cool ideas! I added some soma polished billet bullet led lights out back and a leather bag on the ape hanger bars along with a red skull mounted to the neck where the reflector once was! I also changed the pedals to Bike Nashbar black pedals and some ODI Rogue locking grips!

  12. hi i have seen a few cheaper fat bikes on ebay for £99 i was wondering what you think about these as they are from china and do you think they are worth buying?

  13. I am also looking at Motobecame ie. Bullseye monster and Boris X-9. How do they stack up with aforementioned Fat Bikes?

  14. I chose the Raw Black Soul Stomper from Soul Beach Cruisers. The Stomper has one heck of an attitude and still manages to be graceful in its designs. With its teardrop? shaped top and down tubes, mean stiff front forks(throw the traditional oval top part of the fork out the window) and just everything the bike’s design offers I was stopped in my tracks when I saw my bike. It’s a perfect financial compromise between something like a Surly and a Mongoose. At $699 for the single speed Raw Black Stomper I couldn’t be more satisfied.

  15. Hi, thanks for the review. I’ve been looking at the kawasaki sumo… I’ve seen mixed reviews on amazon for it. And, found the gmc Yukon… Any thoughts on that one? Appreciate your help.

    1. Hi Alex, they’re similar. I haven’t been super impressed with GMC’s other models in the past. I wouldn’t be too deterred by the mixed reviews. Really the only major deterrent (and complaint in the reviews) is the weight, and the GMC actually weighs more.

  16. I appreciate your list of affordable fat bikes. I am currently in the market and in addition to those mentioned, I am also considering the motobecane and the charge cooker maxi.

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