Mountain bike vs fat bike: What's the difference?!

[@brazilianfernie]

I ride my fat bike year round on all terrain. I prefer it over my hardtail mtb. I’m way more confident in the gnar on my fat bike and it’s so much FUN

[@MTBTravelReview]

Awesome 👏🏼👏🏼

[@Desperado070]

Same lol, even beat racing bikes on the normal road with it 😂 20 vs their 5/10 kilo

[@Bertie..]

I just got a Surly Ice Cream Truck, having a blast on the trails. Enjoying it more than my 29r trail bike. I was surprised how nimble and climbs like a goat. 10lbs heavier but not an issue. Looking forward to the snow but in the meantime will continue on the hard pack .

[@MTBTravelReview]

Gotta have a quiver for all conditions! Well played.

[@xochiltrodriguez428]

I was looking at Surly too.

[@dullbrass]

Love my Trek Farley. I ride it all year round and it's all I want from a bike. It's got 27.5" wheels and I typically ride it with around 14 psi. You can't compare it to an enduro or downhill bike, obviously. For me it is like a gravel or XC bike and I wouldn't give it up for one of those. Dropper posts are not for getting on and off the bike, but for faster/safer downhill riding ;)

[@MTBTravelReview]

Definitely more comparably to gravel or XC I’m general, but I know guys that ride far bikes on DH terrain. Pretty wild! And you are correct, a dropper posts main intention is to move the seat out of the way for a lower center of gravity while descending, but that is not their only use. ;-)

[@fpvx3922]

@@MTBTravelReview Yeah you are right, it probably also depends on what you are doing, going downhill on soggy ground feels a lot safer with the fat bike and I can go faster than I would on a normal bike. Uphill or many slight corners it is not so good, but also not as bad. I think it is better than its reputation.

[@pokeygravityryder]

Your image of the wheel size has it wrong. The size refers to the rim size. So a 27.5” Fatbike running 4” tires will have a larger OD than a 29” running 2” tires

[@MTBTravelReview]

Thank you for the correction

[@testing3166]

I think my 27.5 x 4.5 are close to 31 inches

[@aaronskarlupka7104]

@@testing3166 i have 27.5x4.3 and i measure them at about 31" as well.

[@lennylink8772]

Which one will dampen the vibration the most? If you installed a shock stop suspension stem would it dampen it further? (I have nerve damage in my arms and need the least amount of vibration through the handle bars)

[@MTBTravelReview]

Fat bike with big low pressure tires and front suspension will have the highest dampening affect.

[@getcleanlv]

Hey I have a fat bike but don't ride in the snow what tires would u recommend cause it a tank to ride on asphalt like to go faster what tire would u recommend I get for t h e fat bike I have 26x4.9

[@MTBTravelReview]

I’d ask a local shop

[@leonardothefabulous3490]

Suggest: when talking about specific-physical elements of the/a bike, show close ups all of them-like you did with tire "width" and studs. And, explain terms; I've been riding for over 50 years and have never heard the terms, "Travel," or "Dropper."

[@MTBTravelReview]

Thank you for the suggestion. Dropper is certainly a newer term, but surprised you haven’t heard of travel.

[@leonardothefabulous3490]

You are welcome for the suggestion. May I now ask for the answers to the questions?

[@matthewlramsey]

My daughter is turning 10… she’s on a 24+ Cannondale Cujo. I ride local trails on a 140/130 trail bike (Stumpy) and have plenty of travel - lots of climbing. Looking at my daughters next bike, should I consider a fat tire riding vs a hardtail? She’s 70ish lbs and will be in an Adult XS frame size. Looking at 27.5 hardtails, probably can’t go north of 7-800 used, thinking the fat bike may be better than a cheap heavy fork? Thanks!

[@MTBTravelReview]

I wouldn’t not recommend going with a fat bike in this instance. A fat bike is heavier and more cumbersome due to the large tires, so it will likely make riding less enjoyable for her. Hard tail is your best beat, IMO. You can definitely find some worth riding for her in your price range, and if she keeps riding you’ll have to upgrade the bike soon as she grows more anyway.

[@testing3166]

I bought my 10 year old daughter a fatbike. She crushes on it and there is so much grip I don't have to worry about her crashing.

[@Pillokun]

The issue is, that modern mountainbikes are pretty much a dirtbike(motorcycle) without the engine if we look how "progressive" the geo has become, it is just a matter of time when mountainbikes also will go down in wheel size and up in tyre size more akin of "fatbikes". After all we are milked slowly by the bike industry so there is for sure dirtbike wheel/tyres waiting for us to be the next best thing in MTB :P

[@MTBTravelReview]

I disagree. Wheel sizes are only getting bigger, not smaller, and a tire the size of a dirtbike will never be on a mountain bike. It would never make sense.

[@Pillokun]

@@MTBTravelReview we are almost there, the "norm is way over 2.4" and the bikes with plus tires are also avaible. why do you think we are using tubeless and wider tires, to get more traction and grip. It is a natural progression seeing how close MTB are already to dirtbikes and if you wanna go faster having more air volume is a key and the rim there for must shrink.

[@MTBTravelReview]

@@Pillokun I understand your thought process, but tires can only get so big on a mountain bike because they don’t have an engine to help manage the weight. Fat tires only make sense on fat bikes, given there purpose. You will never seen those tires sizes on a mountain bike.

[@wasatchadventures8947]

They’re not even CLOSE to dirtbikes in quality of components or performance. I’m a dirtbiker, former mtb.

[@ErkiKurvits]

Had a Cube fatbike first, with 26x4.8 wheels. Bought it first just purely cause it felt different and I like to not go with the masses. Thay was Alu bike. After it went to quarantee case, got me thinking about trying out carbon. Yeah, it made a hole to the purse, but difference was huge. Now I have Trek Farley 9.6, carbon bike. All year round, I commute to work, I train, I just wonder around, it suits just for all that. Plus it is for me a ton or 2 pure fun, so yeah... once you got the Fat, you never look back💪💥. Keep riding🤘

[@MTBTravelReview]

Thanks for sharing! Cheers man

[@fpvx3922]

If your fatbike is slower than maybe you are doing something wrong? When I ride mine here in the mountains it may take a bit to get it rolling, but once it rolls, there is no stopping it, there is always traction which means I can ride no problem where regular MTB struggles. It can jump, it can do salto, you can go uphill well due to the traction... it is definitely my funbike :D

[@MTBTravelReview]

Glad you love it! Any bike that is fun for you is good with me. That said, a fat bike will always be slower than my 29er, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.

[@ChebTV102]

Great

[@ajpratt3954]

Couple stem spacers there

[@MTBTravelReview]

Can’t experiment if I chop her down!

[@another3997]

To me, neither are really proper all terrain bikes. Such a bike should be the equivalent of a Landrover Defender or similar. It should be rideable anywhere, but aim for slow speed stability. Sand, mud, snow and gravel require your weight to be toward the back for traction, plus big wheels, a higher, more upright position to better balance at low speeds on difficult terrain, and to stop your front wheel digging in. Plus big ground clearance, a bash guard for riding over rocks and logs, disc or sealed drum brakes, ultra low gears and big tyres. 🙂

[@MTBTravelReview]

Are we still talking about bikes? Lol

[@c.s.4273]

Fatbikes are pure fun! Never enjoyed riding more!

[@MTBTravelReview]

Huck ya!

[@testing3166]

I own every type of bike. Honestly the fatbike is the most fun for me.

[@MTBTravelReview]

Love to hear it!

[@GelMibson-u2y]

Fat biking on groomers is the dream.

[@MTBTravelReview]

That it is!!

[@Chasemtb2392]

Mtb r better

[@another3997]

You should preface your comment with something akin to "In my opinion". You can't lump all MTBs together and say they're automatically better, because MTBs come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, prices and intended use cases. So do fat bikes. Ride the bike that suits your personal needs the best, whatever type it may be.

[@tl924]

You guys need to take your pedantic mountain bike snob hats off for a second and explain how fat bikes can be good for just weekend riders who want to ride regular forest single tracks. Like my wife, shes a bit clumsy and a fat bike is alot easier for her to trail ride than a skinny fast mountain bike.

[@MTBTravelReview]

Pedantic? Bahaha. I’m glad you found that a fat bike suits your wife, but I wouldn’t personally recommend a fat bike for a beginner who wants to ride mellow XC. Fat bikes are heavy, slow, and can make mountain biking cumbersome for new riders, IMO. My girlfriend is a clumsy beginner and she is slowly learning to love a 29er. Recommendation: don’t start a comment with an insult. It’s unbecoming.

[@wordreet]

Fat is better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MTBTravelReview]

That’s a lot of exclamation points! 🤣

[@wordreet]

@@MTBTravelReview Well exclaxactly!