Fat bikes are becoming considerably popular among people as an alternative to off-road mountain biking for their unique features, abilities, and versatility on varied terrains. Given the large size, one of the things that at least came to my mind was – can fat bikes climb uphill?
For the most part, fat bikes can climb uphill because of their wide tyres, low gearing, and excellent traction on various loose and slippery surfaces like sand and snow, as well as on steep hills. It makes your riding experience more smooth and comfortable, since it allows you to easily cross over obstacles while reducing bumps and vibrations..
Let us consider some pros and cons of climbing uphill with a fat bike.
Why Are Fat Bikes Good For Climbing Uphill?
#1: Fat Bikes Are Perfect For Riding Through Various Terrain
Fat bikes have wider tyres, which means that there is extra ground contact. It helps to provide better traction, which is very important for a smooth uphill climb.
They are excellent on terrain such as loose sand and snow since they can roll over obstacles easily and efficiently.
In technical terrain with obstacles such as roots, potholes, and wood, the wide, large tyres help provide better grip and stability, and the bike is able to cross small objects and obstacles with ease.
The wide tyres evenly distribute the rider’s weight, the bike’s weight, and the gear’s weight over a larger surface area, which helps reduce ground pressure and prevents it from sinking into mud, sand, or snow.
#2: Reduced Tyre Pressure Helps Make The Ride More Smooth.
One of the most important aspects of a fat bike’s performance is its tyre pressure, which is determined by the terrain you are riding on.
Fat tyres can be run at very low pressure (5-8 PSI), allowing them to bounce over obstacles like rocks, tree branches, and ice.
If the rims strike the ground too often, it can damage the soft tyres. High pressure can reduce stability and increase the bouncing of the bikes, and if the tyres are too hard, it will reduce traction. Since the bike is running at low pressure, the rims won’t easily hit the ground, reducing damage. Moreover, since most tyres are tubeless, pinch flats are not an issue either.
Their ability to ride at low pressure also allows them to increase traction, allowing for more ground contact and smoothing out objects. This becomes more important while riding on slippery surfaces.
Since the tyres conform to the objects on the ground and do not get entangled or bounce off them, riding at low pressure improves ride quality by decreasing bumps and vibrations. Since it absorbs more shock, it provides better stability and reduces fatigue during the ride, making the ride more smooth and comfortable.
Pro tip: Keep a regular check on the tyre pressure of your fat bike using a tyre gauge and a pump since excessively low pressure can result in sluggish performance and reduced efficiency of the bike.
#3 Low Gear Provides Better Stability.
Fat bikes have very low gears to help riders start at the lowest, slowest speed, helping to maintain steady, consistent pedalling. It reduces fatigue as well as helps the rider tackle technical terrain, including steep hills.
#4 Fat Bikes Provide An Exciting Riding Experience All Year Round!
You might have to store away your mountain bike or road bike in during winters (unless you follow the instructions in this article). On the other hand, you can ride throughout the year including winters too with a fat bike!
Since fat bikes are designed to ride on surfaces like sand and snow, in most cases, they offer the ability to ride year round, which means the season doesn’t have to stop you from biking. A fat bike, because of its wide tyres and better traction, will help you ride in snow without slipping, as well as provide better stability and momentum.
Reasons Why Riding A Fat Bike Uphill May Be Challenging
With all the advantages and comfort a fat bike provides, it might seem worth investing in. But despite the ease and comfort it provides, it makes your riding experience inefficient, slower and tiring, and you would be making more efforts than your friends with a mountain bike to cross the same trails.
#1: Fat Bikes Can Be Exhausting For Longer Rides.
- Since the tyres are wide and run at lower pressure, they tend to deform more than the average tyre as they come in contact with the ground- this increases friction, making the riding experience a bit slower than on any other bike, say MTBs which may be more suited for long distance touring.
- The weight of the bike determines how much energy you spend riding it. While the lightest mountain bike weighs only 22 lbs (10 kg) and on average around 22–30 lbs (10-14 kg), a mid-range fat bike’s weight ranges from 33 to 40 lbs (15-18 kg), with the lightest carbon fibre bike being 30 lbs (roughly 14 kg)
- It gets harder to tackle technical terrain since the steering gets less responsive because of the heavier tyres.
#2: Fat Bikers May Develop Knee Or Hip Pain.
You ride a fat bike in an upright position, making it easier for the back, neck, and shoulders, but it might cause knee or hip pain for some riders.
To ride, your feet and legs need to be wide, i.e., the pedals need to be far apart, just as when you ride a horse, as determined by the Q factor of the bike.
The Q factor (quack factor) affects how far apart the rider’s legs are while riding the bike. It is the distance between points where the pedals are attached to the crank arms, measured parallel to the bottom bracket axle (the tread of the crankset).
You can hurt your knees and hips if your bike has a high Q factor and you’re susceptible/already have pain in those areas. In the case of a fat bike, the Q factor is between 190 and 230 mm, whereas it is 175–185 mm for a typical mountain bike. So, nowadays, designers manufacture fat bikes with a Q factor between 175 and 185 mm, as preferred by many.
#3: Fat Bikes Are Great For Beginners But Don’t Teach You Any Technical Skills.
Fat bikes provide greater stability and better momentum. Since wheels provide better grip and traction, you can easily navigate technical terrain by smoothly going over objects rather than bouncing off them.
Fat bikes are slower and have a low top speed, making them more stable and easier to ride. This allows you to go over obstacles since it gives you time to prepare for each object that you might be going over. Since the speed is slower, even if you fall, it won’t hurt you more, which should instill confidence in you as a beginner. This makes fat bikes ideal for off-road beginners, including children.
But it is important to remember that it provides ease of riding but teaches you very little technical skill. You can easily lumber over objects, which makes riding efficient, but you don’t learn any skills or navigational techniques as a rider.
#4 Reduced Downhill Performance
Although they are great at going uphill, they are not that efficient going downhill when compared to a traditional mountain bike. The extra weight and heavy mass of the bike make it difficult to go downhill and make it less efficient. It makes steering more challenging and difficult to control since the bike is less agile.
Skilled riders, although can navigate this technical terrain, need to keep in mind the goal and the terrain they are riding for. Fat bikes are not the best option for riders who wish to ride on well-trodded trails or who wish to ride faster.
Other Factors To Keep In Mind About Fat Bikes
- Finding parts is difficult: Since the size of all parts, including the tyres, is unusual and big, you might find it difficult to replace the hub, bottom bracket, or rims if they get damaged.
- Limited Models: Since fat bikes are a bit niche in the cycling world still, manufacturers offer very limited fat bikes as well as tyre options.
- Fewer Gears: Some fat bikes have only 1 gear because of the already wide Q factor, so adding 2-3 chain rings would make it even wider. Even if the fat bike has gears, it’ll likely have a single chainring with a 10/11/12 speed cassette (i.e: no more than 10-12 gears). MTBs on the other hand, will have WAY more gears because they usually come with 2 chainrings.
- Costly: To avoid weight, the fat bike material must be strong but light, and the specialised material parts make the bike more expensive when compared to a mountain bike. So, a decent fat bike can cost around 1800–2200 dollars on average, although entry-level fat bikes start at 500 dollars.
FAQs
Can we add fat tyres to a normal bike?
Fat bikes usually have 4-inch or larger tyres, making them wide and heavy. So, although you can put a conventional bike tyre on the fat bike, the other way around is not possible since there won’t be enough space.
Do Fat Bikes need suspension?
Most fat bikes do not have suspension as they already have wide tyres for maximum ground contact, traction, and grip. One may add suspension for rough trails, however a rigid-framed fat bike is lighter and usually sufficient for off-roading.
Are fat bikes harder to pedal?
Fat bikes are comparably heavier as compared to non-fat bikes. It can make pedalling more difficult, requiring more energy to pedal, especially uphill. Increased rolling resistance and additional rotating mass make it more difficult to accelerate as well as slow down.
Do fat bikes go fast?
Generally speaking, running on a fat bike is about 10% slower than riding a typical road bike, as experienced riders say. They are designed to provide better traction and stability and are not designed to be the fastest in the market.