I have long considered using a fat bike for my winter bike commute. But I determined over the years that it wasn’t quite right for me. It could never beat my chosen perfect winter bike, a rust-resistant, studded-tire, aluminum-framed, internal-geared, skinny-tired commuter bike. But the growth of electric fat bikes has me wondering if that pedal-assist motor is what will push this bike onto the top of my winter favorites list?
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Learn more about electric fat bike, winter commuting by watching the video:
A video about my perfect winter bike: https://youtu.be/kaATVeQ9mc4
Why I don’t use a fat bike: https://youtu.be/Sb_eR8Mwr6M
Some facts about electric fat bikes
Fat bikes aren’t really for commuting, but can be used more for having fun in deep snow. If you have an area that has a half meter of snow where you need to pass through, then a fat bike might make more sense to use. Here’s a few answers to some questions that you might have about using an electric fat bike for urban winter commuting.
Are fat bikes good for commuting?
Fat bikes aren’t great for commuting because of their heavy, knobby tires that have high rolling resistance.
They also usually ran 1×10 or 1×11 and going 2x often reduces the tire size. So, if you decide to run more gears, such as a bike that’s only going to ride on smooth surfaces and grades, you’ll restrict tire size some.
Can you ride a fat bike in the snow?
Technically, fat bikes are better for riding in the snow, but can make it harder to go through powder than while using skinnier tires. This is because you have to move more snow out of your way with fatter tires.
How deep of snow can you ride a fat bike in?
Anything below 6 inches of snow is relatively easy to handle with most fat bikes. Once the snow starts to get higher than 6 inches, it requires more precaution. And even possibly a change in your bike set up. Fat bikes can handle snow much better than any other type of bike out there.
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