CanadianBiker32

What are the average price ranges for fat bikes?
I like to get a starter one , and just play around in snowy trails.
can i get one for $500 possible?

hyegeek

Walmart sells one for $200. After that, the least expensive I've seen are around $800 and they go up from there.

Used prices don't seem to be much lower than new, though I've heard speculation that that should change this year.

mtndragon

I would not go below $695...
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/fat-bikes.htm

fotooutdoors

There are rumors of another sub-$300 offering from Mongoose coming in about 2 weeks that should be a significant upgrade from the current Mongoose Beast ($200 offering). https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/new...ay-897692.html Apparently one of the posters on the thread works for Mongoose, so there is some legitimacy. The drawbacks are it is freewheel-based, one-size-fits-all (at least that is what it sounds like) and likely comes with crappy tires. The last point is shared by most fatbikes that are sub-$1500. In short, depending on your size, it may work out for your purposes.

memnoch_proxy

I've seen a neighbor with one of these and he had the rim re-spoked with a Mercedes electric motor hub.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mongoos...-Bike/22861845

memnoch_proxy

And this article on fat-bike is interesting...https://fat-bike.com/2013/04/is-the-w...ally-that-bad/

jrickards

In $CAD, the Norco Bigfoot is $1500 and the Kona WO is $1800, both of which I would consider to be reasonable bikes from reasonable brands. Other than the Walmart, I haven't seen anything cheaper than the Norco.

fotooutdoors

Nope, not the same thing. There is a new model coming out that is geared and dsic-braked. I hear the beast is a bit of a bear...errr...beast. IE, not a great commuter or even a great snow bike because of its geometry, more of a cruiser (though perhaps a fun bike).

jrickards

What about the geometry would make a bike a good/bad snow bike?

fotooutdoors

Bad: too far crank forward. This keeps you from shifting fore/aft to handle front wash-out vs rear spin-out. It also is inefficient in getting power to the cranks, since you are working more parallel (rather than perpendicular) to gravity. Take crank-forward geometry to an extreme, and you have a recumbent. Most 'bent riders will tell you that climbing is very slow, which is largely due to the fact that you can't stand on the pedals (or with a beach cruiser, it is harder to stand on the pedals). Likewise, 'bents are not the most conducive for mountain biking because you can't shift weight distribution. For a cruiser bike, the weight distribution is harder to shift because you need to stand up before you can move forward or back.

I have only a tiny bit of experience on a fat bike, but have a decent amount of snow & ice biking time, so take what I say with a grain of salt. That said, I would assume that the same basic principles apply whether your tires are 2.25" or 4" wide. IE: control and power (the latter which partially dictates the former) are pretty important.

amazer98

Check out this new $899 private label FatBike offering from a bike shop in Minnesota-- Here's a link to a positive review from the GearJunkie website: https://gearjunkie.com/framed-fat-bike

fietsbob

Sun has a nice combo NuVinci CVR hub and disc brakes

though may be only is Shops , so no online link... LBS here sells them

heres the kick back 2 speed https://www.sunbicycles.com/product_d...AT&cl1=CRUISER

jrickards

There is an article on GearJunkies about Fat Bikes on a budget: https://gearjunkie.com/budget-fat-bikes

sknhgy 

These quotes are from a review of the Walmart bike. They concern me. Why get a bike that doesn't fit the bill?

" this bike is quite difficult to power down a snow-covered trail. "
" If you’re going to use the Beast in true fat-bike scenarios — in snow, beaches and sand, or for rolling over big things in your way on dirt — the Walmart bike is gonna disappoint. "

bhc

Wait for that geared fatbike that Walmart will be offering soon if you want to go that route. It is supposed to have a geometry more suited for trails. And with gears it will be easier to pedal.