i am 71 years old....started riding bicycles a lot when i got out of the army in 1971....10 speeders, 12 speeders, going through numerous bicycles....bought my first fat tire e bike in 2020....main reason for such purchase was stability, less wobbliness, more confidence in different types of terrain....can't believe at one time i rode on 2 inch tires with 90 psi
about 15-20 years ago, when i was young. all my friends used 2-2.2" tires, meanwhile i always put as massive of a tire as possible, usually 2.5-2.6" because i wanted, more comfort, more grip, and longer lasting tire, all of which a larger tire does. nowadays, i personally think anything larger then 4" is just silly. but most of what i run is around 3.0" tires, i find it to be the best balance between comfort, grip, and steering feel/ sharpness.
Can't use public transit here with fat tires. If you can't fit your bike on the bus bike rack you are out of luck. They also limit the weight to 55lbs. With my 1.75" eBike rated tires my bike weighs less than 55lbs (21Ah battery) and comes with a 1,500/2,500 watt mid-drive motor. It allows me to take transit into the city (60 miles) and then get on my bike. I usually ride it with only 1 or zero pedal assist. But when I am in a hurry, or it is starting to rain, I can take it up to almost 45mph...cough, cough, off-road of course, or use the torque on steep hills. Just love climbing hills I would normally have to push the bike up like I was on flat land. I'm closing in on 65 and after putting over 200,000 miles on road and mountain bikes over the decades all over North America I won't apologize to anyone for going eBike. I feel like a kid again.
I love my fat tire eBike!!!! And yes, I just turned 62 and really like that softer ride, plus the ability to go on trails and gravel roads. The assist can eliminate the extra burden of fat tires and extra weight so mitigate the stress on riders. Although, in all honesty about 80% of the miles I put on my bike is with zero assist. Makes for quite an aerobic exercise machine!
I go on trails are gravel roads all the time. On normal mtb tires. The extra burden of weight and rolling resistance is paid for in reduced range and speed.
I hope you are in better condition than I am at 63. I can barely walk. I also cannot pedal, which is why I am interested in an ebike. But these fat tire ones just won't cut it. I need something I can get puncture resistant tubes for. Where I live flats from thorns are a VERY common occurrence, and in my condition I cannot fix a flat tire on a 60+ pound ebike.
Hey@@geraldscott4302, look up the product Flat Out. I saw a comparison review and that stuff did great. It's much better than Slime and some of the other products out there. And yes, one can ride these bikes without peddling. My view on that is one can still get outside. A benefit in itself!
Fat tires are an absolute nightmare in AZ. We have thorns called goatheads. Everytime you go for a ride you WILL get a flat, if you are using standard tubes. Back when I was able to ride a regualr bicycle, they had regular bicycle sized tires, like 26x1.75. And you could get puncture resistant tubes for them that were literally FOUR TIMES thicker than normal tubes. Then you could put sealer in those tubes, and because the tubes were so thick, number one, they were more difficult to puncture, and number two, if one did get punctured, being so thick, they had a lot of surface area between the inner surface and outer surface so that the sealer could get in there and plug up tiny thorn punctures. On paper thin tubes, there is nothing for the sealer to seal against. And guess what? No puncture resistant tubes for fat tire bikes. Just the ones about as thick as a typical Walmart shopping bag. I watched a video of a guy puncturing one of those tire/tubes with a wooden toothpick. It went right through. To make matters worse, none of the bikes seen to come with a centerstand, so you have no way to get a wheel off the bike to replace the tube. You can't just flip a 60 pound+ bike upside down, and if it's the rear tire, you have the motor and all the wiring to deal with. I wish someone would make an ebike designed for actual real world use, where flat tires happen on a regular basis.
Tucson here. I stuck Tannus tire inserts into my mountain bike with 2.5 inch Maxxis Minion tires and haven't had a flat in 3 years. About a week ago, I did the same thing for my 20x3.3 tired on my Radrunner 2 ebike. With so much protection, you're pretty much a rolling tank. Especially since Tannus gives you run flat capabilities.
What I would like to see is Honda SuperCub tires and wheels available for E-bikes. SuperCubs are super common, so parts are less expensive, and are built to handle weight of an E-bike. Plus the tires last thousands of mile more.
Besides the weight factor, the nobby treads and the lower tire pressure that increases rolling resistance, affect the speed and thus the distance that you get out of your battery. I would like to see you put 2.4”X27.5” tires (45 p.s.i.)and wheels on your fat tire bike and compare your bike’s speed, acceleration and endurance to the bike equipped with fat tires and wheels. I’ll bet that you see quite a difference.
Exactly. This what alot of ebike manufacturers miss I think. So, they pack on some super large tires and cover up the lack of efficiency with more power. Not to mention, they use some super heavy frame that resembles and old motorcycle. Why won't these manufacturers instead build an ebike with skinnier tires like a 2.25 that is fast rolling on a lighter weight steel frame. My old hub drive bike was being run on 1.95 slicks with higher psi was able to get to 39 mph easily without pedaling and I would have plenty of mileage on a 52v 17.5ah battery.
@@BFBMTb nobody cares fat tire bike would still be loved and sell.. it's like some ppl drive these gas guzzlers(hummer,V8,massive SUV) and some ppl drivers economy cars it all depends on your preference and what you like..
Thank you for covering a topic that never gets answered. My local bike store and one manufacturer simply ignore the pros and cons question or politely respond without answering it. I own two eBikes. The latest has 2.35 inch tires. Until finding your videos, I never learned if a fat tire (4 inch) eBike would be a useful investment.
Why , yes I am over 60 with a fat tire bike. Great video. Always good info coming from Bolton E Bikes. The two of you work well together. Keep up the good work.
She comes off as having a really fun personality. Only video I’ve seen her in. If she’s still there you should include her in more videos. Sending prayers your way for a speedy recovery. Hope you’re able to do what you love again soon.
Another advantage that you don't hear often is fat tires don't have loss of air pressure as readily due to higher volume of air. I have a hybrid bike that the runs the tires around 70 pounds, but they need air added around once a month to maintain a reasonable amount of air pressure for proper comfort and usability. Fat tire bikes can go several months before you need to add air in them for proper comfort and usability.
Prety much any soft walled pressure vessel will leak air as it slowly gets through pores and gaps. The rate of leakage is proportional to the pressure, this is why space suits run rich on O2, so they can run the pressure lower yet still get the same O2 the astronaut needs. Lower pressure tubes still loose air over time but not nearly as fast as high pressure ones. While yes higher volume means each molecule of air lost is a lower % of the whole and thus has less impact on the PSI its also the fact that fewer are escaping over the same time period.
I got a fat tire e-bike to ride an abandoned railroad, which is now an ATV trail. A regular mountain bike couldn't handle the crappy gravel/sand/pebble surface.
I’ve watched several of your videos. Thanks for the good info! Would you consider making a video about putting road/street tires on a fat tire ebike? I live in the city so I don’t need knobby tires but would like to know the do’s and don’ts before making the switch. Thanks!
Please compare the mileage Same bike Same rider Same distance/route 27.5 X 3 vs Fat tires Maybe save time and just do 10 miles on each and then measure remaining battery juice!!! PS Sondors could never figure out the right replacement motor for my MXS ? But Bolton had the exact clutch and Boom!!! Thanks
Good video today. I am in the age group where I do like comfort and I like agility too. That's a great idea of having 2 sets of wheels if you have a mid drive motor. Thanks Kyle and "Vanna".
I am 37 years old. I just bought a fat tire ebike from a brand called span. I got the v1 model and I love it! It had more power than I thought it would. Being that my knees are not what they use to be when I biked on a normal mountain bike, this was a welcome alternative as it isn't as hard to climb hills and just generally easier to use.
Old guy here. I rode motorcycles my entire life. eBikes are the same as a motorcycle: choose for the kind of riding / surfaces you want to ride. Mostly asphalt? Skinny tires, slicks, and high pressure. And they go fast (watch the Tour de France guys!). Off-road? Fat tires, knobbies, and low pressure. Both have a lot of makes and models. Both have cruisers and "sport" bikes. Older folks tend to cruisers (think Harley Davidson, BMW, etc.). Bags and comfortable seats and slower speeds. Younger folks tend to "Liter Bikes" (think Honda Repsol, Ducati, etc.). No baggage, not much comfort, but high speeds. Gist: eBikes are pretty much the same as motorcycles. Do you want to cruise around and go off-road or ride a high horsepower "race replica" and look like a motogp rider?
Hub drive is the smart way to go if you dont have alot of hills or mountains, less wear on the gears and chain. It saves money upfront and in the long run with maintenance I think. If you have some disposable income and a old bicycle I would definitely look at one of the many mid drive conversion kits.
Funny, ebike specs are so similar now a days, 750 or 500 watt batteries, 48v batteries, 15+ amp hours, hydraulic brakes, etc..that the thing that attracted me to my ebike was that it had 27.5 X 3” tires, and not those unsightly 26 X 4” monster tires that most people don’t even need on their bikes.🤷🏼♂️
I hate them. We just got a teslica which has normal size tires. We love it. The bike is really for my wife, so I am looking for one for me. It's a sea of mindless fat out there. I don't want that crap.
I got my first ebike recently, it's fat tired and I wasn't aware just, how, big, they were. I genuinely got the bike because from just watching vids on youtube, it didn't seem that big. Turns out all the guys reviewing had at least 6 inches of height on me and the camera really didn't make the tires look that big. I really figured my bike would blend in and not really draw attention- so MAYBE it'd be less likely to be watched & stolen. Nearly every time I go out on an errand or bike ride, someone stops me to talk about the bike. That's not even bragging, I don't want this haha. I saw a bunch of people recently talking about fat tires on a thread saying they're just a fad and not good but, IDK they feel nice to me.
And 66 years old and in the market for a 20-in wheel step through e-bike and about all of these come with a 4 inch fat tire. I'm amazed there is not an option to get the 3-in fat tire for these types of bikes. Why is that?
The Answer Is: Because the Marketeers have convinced buyers that they give a softer ride, which is false. My 2.4" tires are inflated to the max for less rolling resistance and they are defeintely not soft and do not contribute to a more comfortable ride. Just about any tire with a size range of 1.5" can be run at 85% inflation if you really think you need a "softer" ride. Adjust the shocks for a better ride. Keep the air up for a faster ride. I rather suspect that the real reasonn they seem to all come with "fat" tires is because people think they look cool and hip. The only actual need for these donuts is for off road use. Anyone who has commuted - sreiuously commuted - knows that skinnier tires save energy, both in pedaling and when using the battery. Reduction in rolling mass is the number two thing ANY cyclist should be concerned about, if one is concerned at all. The number One thing is : does my ass hurt?
Totally. I think fat tire bikes have appeal for two groups of people; those who want a Harley-Davidson Road Glide but can't afford one. And those who already have a Harley Road Glide but want to bike with the grandkids. I do know this. No matter how many amp hours your battery has, whether your motor & controller have an overpriced German appliance name, at some point you're going to find yourself pedaling that monster, or trying to stuff it in the back of a Civic...
You will lose a LOT of battery power, and that's no "theory". All other factors being equal your balloon tires will make you slower. Less range, less speed, more weight. If you want a "luxurious" ride, get shocks. I hate marketers.
My eBike I built on a full suspension frame, and the suspension handles pretty much everything that the tires don't. Currently, this bike is using ths stock 2.35" knob tread tires that it came with, inflated to the rated 50PSI. When these tires wear down, I have a set of tires in mind to replace them, going for 1.75" rain tread/semi-slicks on the front and 1.75" knobbies on the rear. Given my use case is primarily onnsmooth pavement, this should give me generally more traction compared to knobby tires. One thing this video failed to mention, is the contact patch and how the pressure and tire size affects it, and in turn affects traction and rolling resistance. But that's getting into a bit too much of the technical side of things, so I understand why it may have been breezed over for the more easily understandable argument of weight.
Fat tires is a North American thing; they are rare in places like Europe where bikes are less a recreational item and more transportation. It has been my observation that people who ride non-pedelec e-bikes tend to not pedal very often, relying on the throttle a large portion of the time.
I always wondered who started this fat tire bike thing but when I first saw them in key west I fell in love with them and decided I have to get one..today I owned a fat tire ebike and boy this bike is so much fun to ride that I don't even drive my car much plus I'm saving on gas too😆
Your both nuts, I love that. I’m 65 yrs old and my “ fat tire “ ebike is my only transportation. Fat tires makes it easier for me to pull my trailer for shopping and my kayak. Gotta have fat tires!
I'm 5'3" and I REALLY want a fat tire ebike but the ones I can afford (cheaper bikes) are all too tall for me to sit on the saddle whilst putting both of my feet on the ground when stopped. I hate jumping off of the saddle or leaning way over when stopped. Is that something that folks get use to? If I'm riding this thing on rugged terrain will it be better if I can put my feet on the ground while seated?
@@mbiraside I was more concerned about saddle height rather than crossbar height. HOWEVER, I DID just buy an ecotric fatty and the seat DOES go low enough for me to touch the ground with both feet while seated. SO, while I'm learning to ride this thing without getting bucked off (it's got crazy power) I can keep my seat low and when I get use to it all, I'll try raising my seat so I can get more leg extension...and thus ride like an actual adult! LOL.
Yep good ol' Surly! I discovered the Pugsley way back in '07 or so when I was wanting (and got!) their Long Haul Trucker for touring, and knew someday I'd have to try that. Then back in 2014 or so, I bought a generic fat tire bike while living in Guangzhou, and half of the fun was hearing the reactions of the locals to my giant "monster truck" bike
I just got my Wallke h9 AWD 40Ah for $1,699 I never have gotten below 88 percent change so far in the 3 days I’ve had it then…both my tires went flat from goatheads now I’m waiting a week for flat out to arrive to fix them
How cool. I’m 60 and I bought a Sondors Smart Step last October after my hip replacement, I now have over 1200 miles on it and Getting ready to place an order on the Lectric 2.0 as a second bike to take when I travel. I love my E bike it’s gotten me up off of the couch and peddling around the central coast of California. Keep riding Ben and thank you for your service.
Back in (at least) the '50s or '60s, some bikes had what were called "balloon tires". How wide were they? Were they just over-sized tires on regular rims (e.g. 1.75"), or were the rims wider too?
I really enjoyed your new co-hostess! She asked the questions I was asking myself and she got a cute and irreverent personality. I hope you have her around more on your videos, particulalrly your riding segments. I appreciate your dynamo segments but those seem a bit slow or even dry, at times. I know she would liven them up, assuming she can stay awake - I doubt they woukd be to her liking. Smart girl, certainly more aware than my previous students - I hope you keep her around!
Nice Vanna White impressions! Comfort? That was not even on my mind when I got mine. I got fat tires so I could do gravel and mountain bike trails with roots and rocks! I think e-bikes are a good fit because they offset the rolling resistance and weight of fat tires.
Mountain trails, roots and rocks then you want a thinner 2 inch tire not a fat tire! Why do you think they are called ebikes with fat tires and ebikes with thinner tires are called mountain ebikes.
Two and one eigth inches wide is the traditional American baloon tire.In 59 they came out with middle weight at one and three quarters of an inch wide.The origional beach cruser can not ride on sand.
Unrelated to your video, but how do you tell what size motor you have? By the voltage? Is there a stamp on the motor? I just bought a bike that advertised a 350 watt motor. It has a 48 volt battery that is fully charged but it pulls like a 250 watt motor. (not getting the job done) TIA
i tend to think of anything 3 inches + as a fat tire. my bike has 20x4 tires on it. i also have a schwinn manta ray with a 20x4.25 on the back and a 16? x 3 on the front.
Do you think China's focus on fat tires for budget bikes is part of the fad? I think the biggest negative of fat tires are their performance on paved surfaces, many tires will catch pavement imperfections and can make paved riding downright unsafe. I would bet most people with suspension would enjoy the riding experience of the narrower tires better. I appreciate the content!
This is useful to know, since I’m trying to decide HOW FAT I want my tires to be. If I’m looking at bikes in the lower-ish price range, Rad Power Bikes & Blix appeal to me w/ their designs & features. There are other brands I like, but offhand, I’m more familiar w/ the offerings of these two brands. Do I go w/ the fatter tires of Rad bikes, or should I opt for the slimmer city-friendly tires from the Blix line? 🤔 I want to use my e-bike as a car replacement, so cargo-hauling will be one of the functions it performs. If I need to haul about 100 lbs. of cargo, do I need the stability that fatter tires confer, or are narrower tires still plenty adequate if a trailer is attached to it, since it offsets some of the load w/ its own set of tires?
I have a Rad Rover 5 with fat tires. Rad Power Cycles calls them 26" x 4" but they are not. I looked at the sidewall and saw that they are, in fact, 100-90/22 . I then put a tape measure across the rim and yes they are 22" rims. I asked Rad Cycles about this and they insist that they are 26" x4". WTF? I am mainly interested in alternative tire choices but there appear to be none . Does any other maker use this bizarre tire size? Are there alternative tires?
Rolling on 700C x 42s on my e-bike currently, and they feel a bit fat compared to what I'm used to. I suppose someday when I get old, I will need that extra cushioning to insulate me from the pavement, but when that day comes, I will probably just get a Harley-Davidson Road Glide and hang up my bicycle shoes. Fortunately, I'm only sixty-seven, so I've got quite a while to enjoy riding a bicycle that feels like a bicycle.
Wait, wait... so my 3 inch tires are not fat tires? What are they then, just "big boned"? Never really got a definition, but they are certainly not svelte.
Adding Jeralee to the video is a MAJOR improvement. It’s fun to see what appears to be a run&gun shot video with personality. However I sure you had out takes and practiced, just a little. Thanks Jeralee. You were great,
OK I recently bought a Qualisports Nemo. And based on its admittedly small 16” tires what I found is while they aren’t necessarily fat they aren’t normal tire width and certainly not skinny. So is there a designation for the tire that isn’t normal width or skinny butt not fat as well? Also as a side note they advertised this ebike as weighing 30 lbs. As I remember they use to advertise it was 35 !bs? If this is true what did they do to reduce the weight?
A perfect rim size is 27.5in x 35mm. It will be optimal to accept wide and plus MTB tires giving you a wide XC, trail, mud, downhill options to choose from. You get better options for puncture resistance and so on. I trail ride in soft conditions and use schwalbe hans dampf 27x2.8 inch. In all depends where you are riding and research before buying expensive mtb tires. For me the large 4inch tires are just big lead balloons and get poked easily. In sand and snow they are perfect for it. Trail riding with thorns, sharp rocks, and sticky mud and water. Not so good. A 26x4 tires circumference measures the same as a 29er with tires and give you that top speed. It would drop your pedals closer to the ground switching to a 27.5 rim. I wish more mid drive and hub bike builders would bring in the 27.5x35 wheel set.
As someone who grew up bicycle touring, I'd rather see e-bikes focus on light high-strength frame, with narrower lighter wheels. It seems like these days there is a race of diminishing returns between heavier inelegant frame design to clumsily keep up with the disproportionally increasing weight of the batteries that have to push all that unnecessarily heavy frame weight around. What is needed is a touring sector for e-bikes that has lighter stronger frames, lighter wheels with reduced rolling resistance, and batteries that can genuinely push-assist that around for about 200 miles. There isn't anything like that today, yet there should be. Frankly, I'm not even sure what the market is for e-bikes today other than commuters, or people who basically want a moped. I want something I can pedal CONTINUOUSLY, like a bike for a good 100 miles or more per day.
I don't know, can someone explain this to me, every E-Bike that has fat tires falls into sizes that are different than what this video is referring too? I see only sizes advertised as 4X20 4X 24 and 4X26, but I also see 3X20 as also being popular with Fat Tire E-Bikes I feel like the info in the first couple of minutes is off somehow,
I always wondered by ebikes have fat tires. If comfort is what a person is after, it's much better to get a full suspension amd use standard tires. Much more efficiency and most likely faster.
cost. fat tyres and cheap steel frame much cheaper than decent suspension set up and lightweight Al or C frame. THIS is why ebikes have fat tyres. Thinner tyres would be massively more efficient and give much better range.
Unfortunately, fat tires were not for me. They're really are niche tires for specific uses (Snow, Sand, Mud, etc), other than these applications, they're just dead weight, less efficient, and noisy tires on pavement. I hope that these fat tires won't become the default but the way I see it, most e-bikes (even direct from China) already has fat tires, during my search I can only see like 2 ebikes out of ten has 1.95 to 2.0 inch tires and the remaining are just fat tires. It's sad the manufacturers now go for fat tires just for the "me too" hype.
I believe Sondors launched their first crowd funding campaign in February of 2015. They may have beat them to the punch slightly. I also don't believe they were first, just the cheapest at the time at $499 + shipping. I bought 2 of them at the time.
4 inch tires won't fit on the bike racks of Los Angeles buses. I would love to buy from you, but I'm not going to buy a bike with a wheel set I will never use.
The bike racks on local ferries around Seattle don't accept tire widths greater than 2.1 inches. And I disagree that fit tires are more comfortable. I think fat tires are dumb and I want more ebikes with skinny tires.
Ahmem, preach on and spread the word... I agree 100% I think fat tires have a place, but only if you are a desert rat because let's be honest, snow is hell on batteries and who wants the extra weight stealing from the bikes range?
Oh yeah, well like that's your opinion man but it looks like fat tires bikes are here to stay when you electrify them regular size tires don't really make alot of sense and they will soon make things wider to compensate for them.
@@swiveler1973 - Of course regular tires don't make sense on a bicycle. That's why you see nothing but fat tires in the Tour de France or any cyclocross event... Oh wait, no, actually you don't. In fact, there is only one e-bike market where fat tired bikes have the prominence they do - the U.S., with their viagra-fueled need for anything bloated, wasteful and inefficient.
I have an ebc model c and I did not buy the suspension forks, big mistake. I’ve had lots of bikes and never had or wanted suspension forks, but now I’m riding 20+ mph most of the time and it’s suuuuuper bumpy. I’ve had things bounce out of the front basket and hit the road many times, its a problem. I wish they would either make the suspension forks standard or highly recommend them unless you live where the roads and sidewalks have no bumps, or you never intend to go above assist level 1. Anyway, I’ve reduced the tire pressure for a little relief but a fat tire with just 20 lbs of air would be even better.
OK Flat out, I DO NOT LIKE FAT TIRES! I am in your demographic at 71. I am disabled due to cancer and chemo. I own 3 e-bikes and ride nearly every day. But, not your average rider. I was a cat 1 rider in the 10 speed boom of the 70's. Picked up Mt bikes in the 80's. Built my own MTB park in the 90's. I have owned 2 fat tire bikes. They feel horrible on pavement. They under steer or over steer because the wide patch of contact is going slower on the inside than outside. They were NOT good on single track. Weight, pathetic climbing and are slow and drain your energy being the problems. I'd take a decent 2.3" MTB tire any day, and that goes for an e-bike too. My e-mtb is a 27.5 Plus and it sucks. It's clumsy on the trail compared to a smaller tire, no snap or agility at all. Because most of my riding these days in on pavement and rail trails I am using gravel and urban tires in the 40-50mm range. They feel good on pavement, spin up reasonably and do not drain the battery like fat tires do. So the point about "You got power so it does not mater" is BS. I'm doing 50-70 miles at a time on my e-bikes. A drain of 10% on the battery means I could not do that, even with my dual battery system. So, think about people like me and give me a better choice or I will never be buying a BOLTON.
I love your co-host. She's so pretty and charming. And Bolton, I love your videos, by the way. They tend to frequently come up in different facebook groups as topics of conversation. Good stuff.
@@Area13ebikes Yep, it's certainly shared around. And one of your videos influenced me, and I decided to use both Tannus and FlatOut for my fat tires. I feel like I'm riding a tank now. So happy.
I'd consider anything over 2 inches wide a fat tire. I have tried 4 in fat tires though and tested it on gravel and was not impressed. I think it's best use might be as you mentioned in the video as something for sand or snow. I rode a fully shocked (front and rear) fat tire e-bike down a large-gravel path, (the gravels were similar to what is used for railroad grading), and frankly, I'd never do that again. Even with the fat tires and shocks, the frame was bouncing around so hard, one of the screws on the kickstand loosened and fell out. Needless to say, once the kickstand started hinge bouncing on the gravels, and I looked back, I was not going to try and find that screw. All I wanted to do is get back on a real road surface. So IMO: dump the shocks and other fat tire garbage builders add to e-bikes. They need to make them more for road use. A 2 inch tire, or even traditional mountain bike tire, should be enough for most multi-terrain surfaces.
I think a lot of the emphasis on adding heavy shocks and springs and such to bicycle frames is silly. Ever since they started adding those in the 1980's to mountain bikes, I thought it was unnecessary, although I admit I never did trail riding, I was always a road rider. Maybe trail riders might find it useful. For road riding though, the ONLY thing that really matters is what shock or vibration is sent through the seat, and that can be dealt with at the seat itself. Traditional damping methods are inadequate IMO, and I haven't really seen very good shock systems for seats, which is why I eventually built my own seat, which is way better than putting all those heavy shocks on the frame. Even handlebar vibration is easy to deal with when riding as one can lean back on the seat and just balance the handlebars with a light touch which won't transmit much shock. Front fork damping could be done without adding much weight though, just ditch the piston forks and place smaller damping handlebar offsets, I think they are already made.
Another very informative video, thank you. I would love to see a 6-8 inch slick on the rear of a fat tire bike.😁. Can you suggest a 30-35 v controller for a cheetah, would it be possible to swap in one? I’m not a pro on ebikes, it seems to me that the 22v that comes stock on the cheetah is not fully utilizing the power of the 750w motor, I’m hoping you can help out.
One of the biggest things for me is that fat tires make transitioning surfaces easier and more stable. Such as transitioning from the road to a sidewalk, a fat tire can mold over inconsistent surfaces better and making transitions easier and safer in my opinion.
Your hypothesis is in fact correct. The science of the construction of fatter tires is that they cover more surface area. By enlarge, that additional surface area combined with the particular tread that only fat tires can provide, combined with the softer riding experience - you will in fact make safer transitions from one surface to another. Nice work! You get an A+
@Jeremy Greenlund... It's actually not the FAT issue but the knobby tires that would create the swamp of bees buzzing noise; I had really knobby tires on my non electric mountain bikes and they were noisy too. Meanwhile, I have also seen fat tire electric bikes being ridden courteously slow on bike trails to be very quiet.
I changed from knobby to street tires (chaoyang sand storm) ... super quiet now more grip in corners on the street and still good enough for a gravel road no buzzing bees anymore 😂
i am 71 years old....started riding bicycles a lot when i got out of the army in 1971....10 speeders, 12 speeders, going through numerous bicycles....bought my first fat tire e bike in 2020....main reason for such purchase was stability, less wobbliness, more confidence in different types of terrain....can't believe at one time i rode on 2 inch tires with 90 psi
I'm almost 66, daily rider of my ebike. I plan on riding into my 80s. 🪬.
@@Mark-qv4bn i am now 73....after this going on a ride to the grocery store...keep that technology coming....i ride rad because i am rad....woo hoo
Yup I remember those skinny ass tires I had a 13 speed green Peugeot bike and I thought I was a bad ass...
about 15-20 years ago, when i was young. all my friends used 2-2.2" tires, meanwhile i always put as massive of a tire as possible, usually 2.5-2.6" because i wanted, more comfort, more grip, and longer lasting tire, all of which a larger tire does.
nowadays, i personally think anything larger then 4" is just silly. but most of what i run is around 3.0" tires, i find it to be the best balance between comfort, grip, and steering feel/ sharpness.
4" is silly
It's exciting to see the proliferation of many different types of E-Bikes. More competition is good for consumers.
Can't use public transit here with fat tires. If you can't fit your bike on the bus bike rack you are out of luck. They also limit the weight to 55lbs. With my 1.75" eBike rated tires my bike weighs less than 55lbs (21Ah battery) and comes with a 1,500/2,500 watt mid-drive motor. It allows me to take transit into the city (60 miles) and then get on my bike. I usually ride it with only 1 or zero pedal assist. But when I am in a hurry, or it is starting to rain, I can take it up to almost 45mph...cough, cough, off-road of course, or use the torque on steep hills. Just love climbing hills I would normally have to push the bike up like I was on flat land. I'm closing in on 65 and after putting over 200,000 miles on road and mountain bikes over the decades all over North America I won't apologize to anyone for going eBike. I feel like a kid again.
I love my fat tire eBike!!!! And yes, I just turned 62 and really like that softer ride, plus the ability to go on trails and gravel roads. The assist can eliminate the extra burden of fat tires and extra weight so mitigate the stress on riders.
Although, in all honesty about 80% of the miles I put on my bike is with zero assist. Makes for quite an aerobic exercise machine!
I go on trails are gravel roads all the time. On normal mtb tires. The extra burden of weight and rolling resistance is paid for in reduced range and speed.
I hope you are in better condition than I am at 63. I can barely walk. I also cannot pedal, which is why I am interested in an ebike. But these fat tire ones just won't cut it. I need something I can get puncture resistant tubes for. Where I live flats from thorns are a VERY common occurrence, and in my condition I cannot fix a flat tire on a 60+ pound ebike.
Hey@@geraldscott4302, look up the product Flat Out. I saw a comparison review and that stuff did great. It's much better than Slime and some of the other products out there.
And yes, one can ride these bikes without peddling. My view on that is one can still get outside. A benefit in itself!
Fat tires are an absolute nightmare in AZ. We have thorns called goatheads. Everytime you go for a ride you WILL get a flat, if you are using standard tubes. Back when I was able to ride a regualr bicycle, they had regular bicycle sized tires, like 26x1.75. And you could get puncture resistant tubes for them that were literally FOUR TIMES thicker than normal tubes. Then you could put sealer in those tubes, and because the tubes were so thick, number one, they were more difficult to puncture, and number two, if one did get punctured, being so thick, they had a lot of surface area between the inner surface and outer surface so that the sealer could get in there and plug up tiny thorn punctures. On paper thin tubes, there is nothing for the sealer to seal against. And guess what? No puncture resistant tubes for fat tire bikes. Just the ones about as thick as a typical Walmart shopping bag. I watched a video of a guy puncturing one of those tire/tubes with a wooden toothpick. It went right through. To make matters worse, none of the bikes seen to come with a centerstand, so you have no way to get a wheel off the bike to replace the tube. You can't just flip a 60 pound+ bike upside down, and if it's the rear tire, you have the motor and all the wiring to deal with. I wish someone would make an ebike designed for actual real world use, where flat tires happen on a regular basis.
Tucson here.
I stuck Tannus tire inserts into my mountain bike with 2.5 inch Maxxis Minion tires and haven't had a flat in 3 years. About a week ago, I did the same thing for my 20x3.3 tired on my Radrunner 2 ebike. With so much protection, you're pretty much a rolling tank. Especially since Tannus gives you run flat capabilities.
What I would like to see is Honda SuperCub tires and wheels available for E-bikes. SuperCubs are super common, so parts are less expensive, and are built to handle weight of an E-bike. Plus the tires last thousands of mile more.
You guys have good on-screen chemistry and your videos are fun to watch. Good content too. Thanks for sharing them.
Glad you like them!
Besides the weight factor, the nobby treads and the lower tire pressure that increases rolling resistance, affect the speed and thus the distance that you get out of your battery. I would like to see you put 2.4”X27.5” tires (45 p.s.i.)and wheels on your fat tire bike and compare your bike’s speed, acceleration and endurance to the bike equipped with fat tires and wheels. I’ll bet that you see quite a difference.
Exactly. This what alot of ebike manufacturers miss I think. So, they pack on some super large tires and cover up the lack of efficiency with more power. Not to mention, they use some super heavy frame that resembles and old motorcycle. Why won't these manufacturers instead build an ebike with skinnier tires like a 2.25 that is fast rolling on a lighter weight steel frame. My old hub drive bike was being run on 1.95 slicks with higher psi was able to get to 39 mph easily without pedaling and I would have plenty of mileage on a 52v 17.5ah battery.
@@BFBMTb nobody cares fat tire bike would still be loved and sell.. it's like some ppl drive these gas guzzlers(hummer,V8,massive SUV) and some ppl drivers economy cars it all depends on your preference and what you like..
@@BFBMTb I think alot of ebike riders want to ride down fire trails and dirt roads - thus the fat tyres
@@JSFofWT Yet when it comes to actual cyclocross, there's a hard vacuum when it comes to fat tires.
@@47f0 I'm not sure what that has to do with anything.
Fat bike tyres are about comfort (and grip) - not speed
Thank you for covering a topic that never gets answered. My local bike store and one manufacturer simply ignore the pros and cons question or politely respond without answering it. I own two eBikes. The latest has 2.35 inch tires. Until finding your videos, I never learned if a fat tire (4 inch) eBike would be a useful investment.
Why , yes I am over 60 with a fat tire bike. Great video. Always good info coming from Bolton E Bikes. The two of you work well together. Keep up the good work.
She comes off as having a really fun personality. Only video I’ve seen her in. If she’s still there you should include her in more videos.
Sending prayers your way for a speedy recovery. Hope you’re able to do what you love again soon.
Another advantage that you don't hear often is fat tires don't have loss of air pressure as readily due to higher volume of air. I have a hybrid bike that the runs the tires around 70 pounds, but they need air added around once a month to maintain a reasonable amount of air pressure for proper comfort and usability. Fat tire bikes can go several months before you need to add air in them for proper comfort and usability.
Good point, never consciously noticed but now that you mention it ....... - ditto my plus sized tires vs narrow slicks.
Prety much any soft walled pressure vessel will leak air as it slowly gets through pores and gaps. The rate of leakage is proportional to the pressure, this is why space suits run rich on O2, so they can run the pressure lower yet still get the same O2 the astronaut needs. Lower pressure tubes still loose air over time but not nearly as fast as high pressure ones. While yes higher volume means each molecule of air lost is a lower % of the whole and thus has less impact on the PSI its also the fact that fewer are escaping over the same time period.
Fats SUCK
I talked to the Bolton customer service and had such a great experience. (I had questions about the Lancer mid drive) Super nice and very helpful.
I got a fat tire e-bike to ride an abandoned railroad, which is now an ATV trail. A regular mountain bike couldn't handle the crappy gravel/sand/pebble surface.
I’ve watched several of your videos. Thanks for the good info! Would you consider making a video about putting road/street tires on a fat tire ebike? I live in the city so I don’t need knobby tires but would like to know the do’s and don’ts before making the switch. Thanks!
Also talk about tire pressure on street tires
Yes. My question exactly. I want to replace 16x2" with 16x1.25" Marathons.
Yes! I am thinking about doing this exact thing on my e-bike. It would be great seeing a professional speak on the subject first.
Does YOUR Ebike have fat tires?
Please compare the mileage
Same bike
Same rider
Same distance/route
27.5 X 3 vs Fat tires
Maybe save time and just do 10 miles on each and then measure remaining battery juice!!! PS Sondors could never figure out the right replacement motor for my MXS ? But Bolton had the exact clutch and Boom!!! Thanks
No
Fun change up to go from the fat to the 3”🤙🏼
Unfortunately, my ebike is still a figment of my imagination.
ofc, 4 inches jumbo jims
Good video today. I am in the age group where I do like comfort and I like agility too. That's a great idea of having 2 sets of wheels if you have a mid drive motor. Thanks Kyle and "Vanna".
I am 37 years old. I just bought a fat tire ebike from a brand called span. I got the v1 model and I love it! It had more power than I thought it would. Being that my knees are not what they use to be when I biked on a normal mountain bike, this was a welcome alternative as it isn't as hard to climb hills and just generally easier to use.
Old guy here. I rode motorcycles my entire life. eBikes are the same as a motorcycle: choose for the kind of riding / surfaces you want to ride. Mostly asphalt? Skinny tires, slicks, and high pressure. And they go fast (watch the Tour de France guys!). Off-road? Fat tires, knobbies, and low pressure.
Both have a lot of makes and models. Both have cruisers and "sport" bikes. Older folks tend to cruisers (think Harley Davidson, BMW, etc.). Bags and comfortable seats and slower speeds. Younger folks tend to "Liter Bikes" (think Honda Repsol, Ducati, etc.). No baggage, not much comfort, but high speeds.
Gist: eBikes are pretty much the same as motorcycles. Do you want to cruise around and go off-road or ride a high horsepower "race replica" and look like a motogp rider?
Great vid. I didn’t know that bit about the wheel swap. Might’ve reversed my decision on hub drive. Jeralee’s humor makes for a great co- host, btw
Hub drive is the smart way to go if you dont have alot of hills or mountains, less wear on the gears and chain. It saves money upfront and in the long run with maintenance I think. If you have some disposable income and a old bicycle I would definitely look at one of the many mid drive conversion kits.
So all these years of trail riding and what I actually needed was beach ball tires?
I don't think so.
Thanks for posting - this gave me a lot of info about what might interest me in terms of both an ebike and a fat bike
Funny, ebike specs are so similar now a days, 750 or 500 watt batteries, 48v batteries, 15+ amp hours, hydraulic brakes, etc..that the thing that attracted me to my ebike was that it had 27.5 X 3” tires, and not those unsightly 26 X 4” monster tires that most people don’t even need on their bikes.🤷🏼♂️
I hate them. We just got a teslica which has normal size tires. We love it. The bike is really for my wife, so I am looking for one for me. It's a sea of mindless fat out there. I don't want that crap.
@@BillOweninOttawa- Said the young nerd👍
I got my first ebike recently, it's fat tired and I wasn't aware just, how, big, they were.
I genuinely got the bike because from just watching vids on youtube, it didn't seem that big. Turns out all the guys reviewing had at least 6 inches of height on me and the camera really didn't make the tires look that big.
I really figured my bike would blend in and not really draw attention- so MAYBE it'd be less likely to be watched & stolen.
Nearly every time I go out on an errand or bike ride, someone stops me to talk about the bike. That's not even bragging, I don't want this haha.
I saw a bunch of people recently talking about fat tires on a thread saying they're just a fad and not good but, IDK they feel nice to me.
And 66 years old and in the market for a 20-in wheel step through e-bike and about all of these come with a 4 inch fat tire. I'm amazed there is not an option to get the 3-in fat tire for these types of bikes. Why is that?
The Answer Is: Because the Marketeers have convinced buyers that they give a softer ride, which is false. My 2.4" tires are inflated to the max for less rolling resistance and they are defeintely not soft and do not contribute to a more comfortable ride. Just about any tire with a size range of 1.5" can be run at 85% inflation if you really think you need a "softer" ride.
Adjust the shocks for a better ride. Keep the air up for a faster ride.
I rather suspect that the real reasonn they seem to all come with "fat" tires is because people think they look cool and hip.
The only actual need for these donuts is for off road use. Anyone who has commuted - sreiuously commuted - knows that skinnier tires save energy, both in pedaling and when using the battery. Reduction in rolling mass is the number two thing ANY cyclist should be concerned about, if one is concerned at all. The number One thing is : does my ass hurt?
Every word that you just said.
Totally. I think fat tire bikes have appeal for two groups of people; those who want a Harley-Davidson Road Glide but can't afford one. And those who already have a Harley Road Glide but want to bike with the grandkids.
I do know this. No matter how many amp hours your battery has, whether your motor & controller have an overpriced German appliance name, at some point you're going to find yourself pedaling that monster, or trying to stuff it in the back of a Civic...
Great video and thanks for the information! I think you two work well together making for a pleasant video. Keep up the good work!
You will lose a LOT of battery power, and that's no "theory". All other factors being equal your balloon tires will make you slower. Less range, less speed, more weight. If you want a "luxurious" ride, get shocks.
I hate marketers.
My eBike I built on a full suspension frame, and the suspension handles pretty much everything that the tires don't. Currently, this bike is using ths stock 2.35" knob tread tires that it came with, inflated to the rated 50PSI. When these tires wear down, I have a set of tires in mind to replace them, going for 1.75" rain tread/semi-slicks on the front and 1.75" knobbies on the rear. Given my use case is primarily onnsmooth pavement, this should give me generally more traction compared to knobby tires.
One thing this video failed to mention, is the contact patch and how the pressure and tire size affects it, and in turn affects traction and rolling resistance. But that's getting into a bit too much of the technical side of things, so I understand why it may have been breezed over for the more easily understandable argument of weight.
I thought the fat tire started on beaches with the beach cruiser, that's where I first started seeing them back in the day.
Fat tires is a North American thing; they are rare in places like Europe where bikes are less a recreational item and more transportation. It has been my observation that people who ride non-pedelec e-bikes tend to not pedal very often, relying on the throttle a large portion of the time.
I always wondered who started this fat tire bike thing but when I first saw them in key west I fell in love with them and decided I have to get one..today I owned a fat tire ebike and boy this bike is so much fun to ride that I don't even drive my car much plus I'm saving on gas too😆
Your both nuts, I love that. I’m 65 yrs old and my “ fat tire “ ebike is my only transportation. Fat tires makes it easier for me to pull my trailer for shopping and my kayak. Gotta have fat tires!
Yay to having fun and fat tires!
My e bike has semi-fat , also called pleasingly plump, tires.
I'm 5'3" and I REALLY want a fat tire ebike but the ones I can afford (cheaper bikes) are all too tall for me to sit on the saddle whilst putting both of my feet on the ground when stopped. I hate jumping off of the saddle or leaning way over when stopped. Is that something that folks get use to? If I'm riding this thing on rugged terrain will it be better if I can put my feet on the ground while seated?
Try looking at step thru bikes
@@mbiraside I was more concerned about saddle height rather than crossbar height. HOWEVER, I DID just buy an ecotric fatty and the seat DOES go low enough for me to touch the ground with both feet while seated. SO, while I'm learning to ride this thing without getting bucked off (it's got crazy power) I can keep my seat low and when I get use to it all, I'll try raising my seat so I can get more leg extension...and thus ride like an actual adult! LOL.
Actually most ebikes are designed for short people ...
really hard to find one sized properly for a full grown adult.
More videos with Jeralee! She's a sweetheart!
Definitely!
Nah she annoyed me, less from her
Give her more time to develop a stile in fronts of a camera… As is she was fine.
Yep good ol' Surly! I discovered the Pugsley way back in '07 or so when I was wanting (and got!) their Long Haul Trucker for touring, and knew someday I'd have to try that.
Then back in 2014 or so, I bought a generic fat tire bike while living in Guangzhou, and half of the fun was hearing the reactions of the locals to my giant "monster truck" bike
I just got my Wallke h9 AWD 40Ah for $1,699 I never have gotten below 88 percent change so far in the 3 days I’ve had it then…both my tires went flat from goatheads now I’m waiting a week for flat out to arrive to fix them
Not as Lean, still as Mean, always a Marine... age 59 here I bought an Lectric ebike step thru 2.0 and absolutely love it
How cool. I’m 60 and I bought a Sondors Smart Step last October after my hip replacement, I now have over 1200 miles on it and Getting ready to place an order on the Lectric 2.0 as a second bike to take when I travel. I love my E bike it’s gotten me up off of the couch and peddling around the central coast of California. Keep riding Ben and thank you for your service.
Back in (at least) the '50s or '60s, some bikes had what were called "balloon tires". How wide were they? Were they just over-sized tires on regular rims (e.g. 1.75"), or were the rims wider too?
I really enjoyed your new co-hostess! She asked the questions I was asking myself and she got a cute and irreverent personality. I hope you have her around more on your videos, particulalrly your riding segments. I appreciate your dynamo segments but those seem a bit slow or even dry, at times. I know she would liven them up, assuming she can stay awake - I doubt they woukd be to her liking. Smart girl, certainly more aware than my previous students - I hope you keep her around!
I'm 68 yrs old and have a RadRover Step-Thru 5 and love my 4" tires!
Very informative. Thanks. 😊
Nice Vanna White impressions! Comfort? That was not even on my mind when I got mine. I got fat tires so I could do gravel and mountain bike trails with roots and rocks! I think e-bikes are a good fit because they offset the rolling resistance and weight of fat tires.
Mountain trails, roots and rocks then you want a thinner 2 inch tire not a fat tire! Why do you think they are called ebikes with fat tires and ebikes with thinner tires are called mountain ebikes.
Two and one eigth inches wide is the traditional American baloon tire.In 59 they came out with middle weight at one and three quarters of an inch wide.The origional beach cruser can not ride on sand.
Unrelated to your video, but how do you tell what size motor you have? By the voltage? Is there a stamp on the motor? I just bought a bike that advertised a 350 watt motor. It has a 48 volt battery that is fully charged but it pulls like a 250 watt motor. (not getting the job done) TIA
See if you can upgrade the controller.
Thanks for the fun video!!
Thanks for the video 😁 65 and love being able to get out & ride again! 👏👏
Our pleasure!
What is the weight difference between a 3 inch 27 (wheel and tire) and the 4 inch?
.5987653
i tend to think of anything 3 inches + as a fat tire. my bike has 20x4 tires on it. i also have a schwinn manta ray with a 20x4.25 on the back and a 16? x 3 on the front.
So if you have a Fat-Tire bike like the "Fox Bat", what is the narrowest street tire that one can mount on those existing rims (3.5 inch) ?
Do you think China's focus on fat tires for budget bikes is part of the fad? I think the biggest negative of fat tires are their performance on paved surfaces, many tires will catch pavement imperfections and can make paved riding downright unsafe. I would bet most people with suspension would enjoy the riding experience of the narrower tires better. I appreciate the content!
This is useful to know, since I’m trying to decide HOW FAT I want my tires to be.
If I’m looking at bikes in the lower-ish price range, Rad Power Bikes & Blix appeal to me w/ their designs & features. There are other brands I like, but offhand, I’m more familiar w/ the offerings of these two brands. Do I go w/ the fatter tires of Rad bikes, or should I opt for the slimmer city-friendly tires from the Blix line? 🤔
I want to use my e-bike as a car replacement, so cargo-hauling will be one of the functions it performs. If I need to haul about 100 lbs. of cargo, do I need the stability that fatter tires confer, or are narrower tires still plenty adequate if a trailer is attached to it, since it offsets some of the load w/ its own set of tires?
I have a Rad Rover 5 with fat tires. Rad Power Cycles calls them 26" x 4" but they are not. I looked at the sidewall and saw that they are, in fact, 100-90/22 . I then put a tape measure across the rim and yes they are 22" rims. I asked Rad Cycles about this and they insist that they are 26" x4". WTF? I am mainly interested in alternative tire choices but there appear to be none . Does any other maker use this bizarre tire size? Are there alternative tires?
The radrover has 26x4 tires. 26 is not the rim diameter. Any tire labeled 26x4 will fit. Look closer at your sidewall.
Rolling on 700C x 42s on my e-bike currently, and they feel a bit fat compared to what I'm used to.
I suppose someday when I get old, I will need that extra cushioning to insulate me from the pavement, but when that day comes, I will probably just get a Harley-Davidson Road Glide and hang up my bicycle shoes.
Fortunately, I'm only sixty-seven, so I've got quite a while to enjoy riding a bicycle that feels like a bicycle.
What do the sizes on rims and tires mean? For instance, I have 26x4 tires, rims measure 23"d x100mm wide and the tires are 29" tall.
Wait, wait... so my 3 inch tires are not fat tires? What are they then, just "big boned"?
Never really got a definition, but they are certainly not svelte.
Adding Jeralee to the video is a MAJOR improvement.
It’s fun to see what appears to be a run&gun shot video with personality.
However I sure you had out takes and practiced, just a little.
Thanks Jeralee. You were great,
We will let her know. Thank you so much for watching!
OK I recently bought a Qualisports Nemo. And based on its admittedly small 16” tires what I found is while they aren’t necessarily fat they aren’t normal tire width and certainly not skinny. So is there a designation for the tire that isn’t normal width or skinny butt not fat as well? Also as a side note they advertised this ebike as weighing 30 lbs. As I remember they use to advertise it was 35 !bs? If this is true what did they do to reduce the weight?
Are these less likely to go flat after hitting something on the road? Ebike flats are a real headache to deal with
Good one. Hit all the important points. Fat bikes are sooo versatile.
They are pretty amazing!
Good info and no disrespect but what kind of beer are you drinking? Just Kidding! Thanks for the excellent videos. I have learned a lot!!!
Root beer - always
A perfect rim size is 27.5in x 35mm. It will be optimal to accept wide and plus MTB tires giving you a wide XC, trail, mud, downhill options to choose from. You get better options for puncture resistance and so on. I trail ride in soft conditions and use schwalbe hans dampf 27x2.8 inch. In all depends where you are riding and research before buying expensive mtb tires. For me the large 4inch tires are just big lead balloons and get poked easily. In sand and snow they are perfect for it. Trail riding with thorns, sharp rocks, and sticky mud and water. Not so good. A 26x4 tires circumference measures the same as a 29er with tires and give you that top speed. It would drop your pedals closer to the ground switching to a 27.5 rim. I wish more mid drive and hub bike builders would bring in the 27.5x35 wheel set.
As someone who grew up bicycle touring, I'd rather see e-bikes focus on light high-strength frame, with narrower lighter wheels. It seems like these days there is a race of diminishing returns between heavier inelegant frame design to clumsily keep up with the disproportionally increasing weight of the batteries that have to push all that unnecessarily heavy frame weight around. What is needed is a touring sector for e-bikes that has lighter stronger frames, lighter wheels with reduced rolling resistance, and batteries that can genuinely push-assist that around for about 200 miles. There isn't anything like that today, yet there should be. Frankly, I'm not even sure what the market is for e-bikes today other than commuters, or people who basically want a moped. I want something I can pedal CONTINUOUSLY, like a bike for a good 100 miles or more per day.
I enjoy your videos. I wish I could buy one of your bikes, but I'm not patient enough to order and wait. Maybe someday these crazy times will end.
I don't know, can someone explain this to me, every E-Bike that has fat tires falls into sizes that are different than what this video is referring too?
I see only sizes advertised as 4X20 4X 24 and 4X26, but I also see 3X20 as also being popular with Fat Tire E-Bikes
I feel like the info in the first couple of minutes is off somehow,
I always wondered by ebikes have fat tires. If comfort is what a person is after, it's much better to get a full suspension amd use standard tires. Much more efficiency and most likely faster.
cost. fat tyres and cheap steel frame much cheaper than decent suspension set up and lightweight Al or C frame. THIS is why ebikes have fat tyres. Thinner tyres would be massively more efficient and give much better range.
Fat tires are pretentious 2.8 inch is as wide as i would go except for the beach.
Unfortunately, fat tires were not for me. They're really are niche tires for specific uses (Snow, Sand, Mud, etc), other than these applications, they're just dead weight, less efficient, and noisy tires on pavement. I hope that these fat tires won't become the default but the way I see it, most e-bikes (even direct from China) already has fat tires, during my search I can only see like 2 ebikes out of ten has 1.95 to 2.0 inch tires and the remaining are just fat tires. It's sad the manufacturers now go for fat tires just for the "me too" hype.
You are correct!
Amen.
my fatty runs quiet (changed from knobby to street tires)
Is there a company you are aware of that sold fat tire ebikes before the introduction of the original RadRover?
I believe Sondors launched their first crowd funding campaign in February of 2015. They may have beat them to the punch slightly. I also don't believe they were first, just the cheapest at the time at $499 + shipping. I bought 2 of them at the time.
I want a 26" tire ebike with 2" tires. Can you help with that?
4 inch tires won't fit on the bike racks of Los Angeles buses. I would love to buy from you, but I'm not going to buy a bike with a wheel set I will never use.
Whaen are you getting the parralel batt cons?
soon my dear XCLBR soon
The bike racks on local ferries around Seattle don't accept tire widths greater than 2.1 inches. And I disagree that fit tires are more comfortable. I think fat tires are dumb and I want more ebikes with skinny tires.
Ahmem, preach on and spread the word... I agree 100% I think fat tires have a place, but only if you are a desert rat because let's be honest, snow is hell on batteries and who wants the extra weight stealing from the bikes range?
Oh yeah, well like that's your opinion man but it looks like fat tires bikes are here to stay when you electrify them regular size tires don't really make alot of sense and they will soon make things wider to compensate for them.
Don’t be “dumb”.
@@swiveler1973 - Of course regular tires don't make sense on a bicycle. That's why you see nothing but fat tires in the Tour de France or any cyclocross event...
Oh wait, no, actually you don't. In fact, there is only one e-bike market where fat tired bikes have the prominence they do - the U.S., with their viagra-fueled need for anything bloated, wasteful and inefficient.
Does the extra 27.5 wheels come with the rotors?
Yes they do.
Greeting from Malaysia!
I'm 49. Haven't had any e bike yet. But I do rent an e bike for my daily work of delivering food in the city of Kuala Lumpur.
Sounds great!
Amazing video.
You gained a new sub.
Awesome, thank you!
Always wondered what the purpose and function of fat tires and now we know. Thanks for the education!👍😁
Thanks for watching! We're glad it was helpful
I have an ebc model c and I did not buy the suspension forks, big mistake. I’ve had lots of bikes and never had or wanted suspension forks, but now I’m riding 20+ mph most of the time and it’s suuuuuper bumpy. I’ve had things bounce out of the front basket and hit the road many times, its a problem. I wish they would either make the suspension forks standard or highly recommend them unless you live where the roads and sidewalks have no bumps, or you never intend to go above assist level 1. Anyway, I’ve reduced the tire pressure for a little relief but a fat tire with just 20 lbs of air would be even better.
I love my Sondors fat tire with 750w bafang motor. Thanks for the awesome videos!
Ironically it's the fat tires that have stopped me from buying one.
who, what, when, where, why, and how.. (good video as always)
Yeah, I recall walking into a local bike shop, and being floored by the look of the fat tire Surly bikes ! But, gee they were expensive.
OK Flat out, I DO NOT LIKE FAT TIRES! I am in your demographic at 71. I am disabled due to cancer and chemo. I own 3 e-bikes and ride nearly every day. But, not your average rider. I was a cat 1 rider in the 10 speed boom of the 70's. Picked up Mt bikes in the 80's. Built my own MTB park in the 90's. I have owned 2 fat tire bikes. They feel horrible on pavement. They under steer or over steer because the wide patch of contact is going slower on the inside than outside. They were NOT good on single track. Weight, pathetic climbing and are slow and drain your energy being the problems. I'd take a decent 2.3" MTB tire any day, and that goes for an e-bike too. My e-mtb is a 27.5 Plus and it sucks. It's clumsy on the trail compared to a smaller tire, no snap or agility at all. Because most of my riding these days in on pavement and rail trails I am using gravel and urban tires in the 40-50mm range. They feel good on pavement, spin up reasonably and do not drain the battery like fat tires do. So the point about "You got power so it does not mater" is BS. I'm doing 50-70 miles at a time on my e-bikes. A drain of 10% on the battery means I could not do that, even with my dual battery system. So, think about people like me and give me a better choice or I will never be buying a BOLTON.
Awesome review i 100 percent agree. Only downside is loss of power which is why perfect match on e bikes. NO DOWNSIDE Love my Bolton E bike
My sister had a bike with 4” wide tires back in the early 60’s!
I love your co-host. She's so pretty and charming. And Bolton, I love your videos, by the way. They tend to frequently come up in different facebook groups as topics of conversation. Good stuff.
Good to hear! I'm glad the information is getting passed around.
@@Area13ebikes Yep, it's certainly shared around. And one of your videos influenced me, and I decided to use both Tannus and FlatOut for my fat tires. I feel like I'm riding a tank now. So happy.
I'd consider anything over 2 inches wide a fat tire. I have tried 4 in fat tires though and tested it on gravel and was not impressed. I think it's best use might be as you mentioned in the video as something for sand or snow. I rode a fully shocked (front and rear) fat tire e-bike down a large-gravel path, (the gravels were similar to what is used for railroad grading), and frankly, I'd never do that again. Even with the fat tires and shocks, the frame was bouncing around so hard, one of the screws on the kickstand loosened and fell out. Needless to say, once the kickstand started hinge bouncing on the gravels, and I looked back, I was not going to try and find that screw. All I wanted to do is get back on a real road surface. So IMO: dump the shocks and other fat tire garbage builders add to e-bikes. They need to make them more for road use. A 2 inch tire, or even traditional mountain bike tire, should be enough for most multi-terrain surfaces.
I think a lot of the emphasis on adding heavy shocks and springs and such to bicycle frames is silly. Ever since they started adding those in the 1980's to mountain bikes, I thought it was unnecessary, although I admit I never did trail riding, I was always a road rider. Maybe trail riders might find it useful. For road riding though, the ONLY thing that really matters is what shock or vibration is sent through the seat, and that can be dealt with at the seat itself. Traditional damping methods are inadequate IMO, and I haven't really seen very good shock systems for seats, which is why I eventually built my own seat, which is way better than putting all those heavy shocks on the frame. Even handlebar vibration is easy to deal with when riding as one can lean back on the seat and just balance the handlebars with a light touch which won't transmit much shock. Front fork damping could be done without adding much weight though, just ditch the piston forks and place smaller damping handlebar offsets, I think they are already made.
Another very informative video, thank you. I would love to see a 6-8 inch slick on the rear of a fat tire bike.😁. Can you suggest a 30-35 v controller for a cheetah, would it be possible to swap in one? I’m not a pro on ebikes, it seems to me that the 22v that comes stock on the cheetah is not fully utilizing the power of the 750w motor, I’m hoping you can help out.
6 to 8 lol
"quick release front, quick release behind making it really easy to s... teal..." - just say'in.
cute co-host and great fat tire ebike info!
One of the biggest things for me is that fat tires make transitioning surfaces easier and more stable. Such as transitioning from the road to a sidewalk, a fat tire can mold over inconsistent surfaces better and making transitions easier and safer in my opinion.
Your hypothesis is in fact correct. The science of the construction of fatter tires is that they cover more surface area. By enlarge, that additional surface area combined with the particular tread that only fat tires can provide, combined with the softer riding experience - you will in fact make safer transitions from one surface to another. Nice work! You get an A+
You make great videos, very helpful. Thanks a bunch, please keep it up.
Dang-it! I thought this was going to be about riding ebikes while drinking my favorite beer, Fat Tire! JK, Great Video!
Your 3" option bike is perfect for me.
Fat tire bikes are not bike rack friendly for buses with racks.
Don't fat tires also work more of a gyroscope type set up
I believe the larger diameter, the better gyro stability my 26 by 4 is super stable
A con that I notice most is they are louder especially on pavement.
Are you trying to sneak up on people on your ebike again?
@Jeremy Greenlund... It's actually not the FAT issue but the knobby tires that would create the swamp of bees buzzing noise; I had really knobby tires on my non electric mountain bikes and they were noisy too. Meanwhile, I have also seen fat tire electric bikes being ridden courteously slow on bike trails to be very quiet.
I changed from knobby to street tires (chaoyang sand storm) ... super quiet now
more grip in corners on the street and still good enough for a gravel road
no buzzing bees anymore 😂
Great info..
Glad it was helpful!