Electric Fat Bike Interest In UK?

[trex]

@Lumos what would you say about a fat bike that weighs about 22kgs, equiped with 100mm air shock fork, 500W motor, 15Ah battery and costs under £1,000?

 

[Lumos]

@Lumos what would you say about a fat bike that weighs about 22kgs, equiped with 100mm air shock fork, 500W motor, 15Ah battery and costs under £1,000?

I guess I paid three times that but I do not enjoy the feel of the speed sensor so that I do not ride it. Thus it is not so much about the price but about the overall bike. Even if my bike cost £1000 I would not do it again; the motor and its control is the one area where I cannot compromise.

 

[trex]

Would you want to use it if it has a rear wheel motor and a bottom bracket torque sensor?

 

[hoppy]

I think by far the best power and speed control is a right hand twist grip.

 

[Lumos]

I think by far the best power and speed control is a right hand twist grip.

I had a twist grip and really did not like it; I now have a thumb throttle on the left hand side and it is better but I personally do not like using it. It makes it more like riding on something as opposed to riding a bike. You are just hanging on whilst it hauls you up. I have the twist grip for the nuvinci on the right.

 

[Lumos]

Would you want to use it if it has a rear wheel motor and a bottom bracket torque sensor?

If it had a torque sensor that was as good as my Bosch then it would be worlds better. It just does not encourage effort as all your work is dwarfed by the huge power of the Bafang all coming in as soon as you move the pedals.

 

[trex]

thank you lumos for answering my questions. Lastly, do you think it's important to have a good suspension fork on a fat bike?

 

[Lumos]

It is a great

thank you lumos for answering my questions. Lastly, do you think it's important to have a good suspension fork on a fat bike?

It is a great question, if you are going to be cycling on rocks no bigger than 6cm you can manage without, by having the tyre absorb the impact. For everything else you are just getting pummelled. If I swap my Haibike with the Lectric during an off road section it makes me realise how the big Fox forks on the AMT Pro really just hide all the terrain from you. In fact I cannot believe I still have people who are happy to ride with me. Now there are times on broad, loose very fast trails where the Haibike is as skittish as anything as the loose moves under the Hans Dampf tyres. I can go down the same stretch on the Fatty at 30mph and it is as solid as tarmac. In colorado everyone comments on the fat bike and mine gets just about no attention. In England my trails are not as loose and the suspension may be slightly less important but if there was a good fork option then I would recommend it.

 

[EddiePJ]

thank you lumos for answering my questions. Lastly, do you think it's important to have a good suspension fork on a fat bike?

I suspect that you already know the answer to that one. Unless personal choice dictates, I would say that any off road bike benefits from quality air suspension. In the case of a fat bike, the standard being Rockshox Bluto Solo Air. But you aren't going to get a fat bike for 1k with those forks, so whatever is fitted, and however it is worded, the forks on a 1k bike won't sadly be of such good quality.

Reading about, a watching reviews of fat bikes, it appears that they get a thumbs up for level and slight inclines, but get a thumbs down for anything downhill related, as the steering head angle is steep, so meaning that you are already half way to falling off. Lumos, how does that fit in with your own experience of them? (I need to try one for a few weeks)

And on the subject of fat bikes. I see that KTM get a mention in the Bike Radar top 5 fat bikes.

edit.. One thing is for sure about fat bikes, I can't see how one could ever be a main daily and only ride. My opinion, albeit having not ridden one, so perhaps I shouldn't judge, is that there are potentially too many compromises in both terrain use, practicality and weight. Fine as a second toy, but nothing more. A very limited market.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I think that they might have a use as a serious working tool on the farm in NZ. They are of no use here in the Basque country unless you want to ride in the snow in the Baztan valley for example. Maybe in the Landes and up into Vendée for riding on the long sandy beaches? Onroad useless IMHO and the tyres make so much noise!

 

[Lumos]

We are in the Gers but also no real need for a fat bike. In fact even though it is so rural this is where I do my least off road. Poor maps marking the equivalent of footpaths, lots of angry dogs means I tend to stick to the delightful tiny roads. You do have some of the world's finest beaches just north of you of course.