Need help deciding which Fat tire bike to buy

laurawho7 said:

Sorry new to fat tire bike shopping, what is "slacker" that you mention?

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It's something that some people feel you need because the bike industry has been pushing it for many years now, making people think that before the year 2020, we were endo-ing bicycles everywhere.

IME, head tube angle (slackness) is pretty far down the list on things that give you control and prevent you from doing endos. Fat-bikes generally won't reach the same speeds as regular bikes in technical terrain, so the high speed stability isn't really needed. Wide bars, short stems, large wheel diameter (which fat-bikes naturally have), dropper posts and weight shift (moving your butt back) are FAR more important to avoiding endos than a degree or two of difference on the front fork. The head tube angle thing is blown way out of proportion.

Most people are endoing because they let the front wheel go sideways in technical terrain, which abruptly stops the bike and launches the rider, or they fail to move their weight backwards when the front wheel is going over a bump (I'd say that one is more rare these days even, it's more about the first one). This is one reason why wider bars are nicer on fat-bikes particularly, because the wheels are larger with more mass, so wider bars give you a little more control and ability to hold that big wheel straight in bumpy terrain. That's what keeps you from endoing.

I'm not advocating for 72 degrees, but this is blown way way out of proportion and there are more important things if it's endos you are trying to avoid.

I hate the bikesdirect.com marketing BS, but I ended up buying the Night Train Bullet. Last year it was 2K for the all GX version. Now it is $300 more, but I notice it also has a sooner ship date than the SX, which is sooner than the Fezzari... I'd go with the GX if you go Night Train. I added pedals, and changed the handlebar for a wider slightly taller one. No other modifications were needed. The value for the money is good. Calling them out for using crappy spec parts on low end bikes is a little silly, IMO. Instead call them out for their crappy marketing practices. There are zero crappy low end parts on this bike. I'm even still running the grips and seat it came with.

For $700 less than the fezzari in GX spec, you get a nice Bluto, and a few oz heavier frame. If you are considering summer riding on our typical Maine trails, the Night Train is aimed at you. The fezzari is aimed at a weight weenie who will only ride in winter, IMO (nothing wrong with that). Comparing the two, the fork only adds 1/2" to the standover, so that's probably not an issue. I would and did get the Night Train Bullet Pro. I happily leave my other bikes in storage and ride my fat bike year round because it is my most fun bike. I've been riding fat bikes since before they were a thing but I just got the suspension fork last year and it makes a world of difference in the summer. Even if you turn out not to be a fat bike in the summer kind of person, consider that you might still take it when the ground is soft after a rain, because it floats over moderate mud and doesn't do trail damage.

Some folks want a Fatbike for winter only (like me) and that type of use favors a rigid fork, wider tires, a steeper head angle, 26” rims (for some) etc.

For folks like you that want the bike to be a great all season machine some of the answers can be a little different. Things I would look for

- light weight is better IMO. Fat bikes are basically XC machines and XC likes to be light. I would look try and keep the components light where it makes sense. Everyone has a different idea of that, but the frame is the one thing you cant upgrade. Keep in mind tires and forks for Fatbikes are pretty heavy. Only so much you can do there.

- I like a narrow Q factor (how wide the space between pedals is). This makes the bike feel more like a regular mountain bike, but it comes with a drawback in maximum tire width.

- The Bluto is good for snow, but for summer you might want a Mastodon fork. Far more subtle and rigid than the Blutoi, I’m told. But it is heavier.

- SRAM GX is not light, but it works great. Same is true of Shimano SLX

- For all season riding a lot of folks prefer 27.5” rims. It’s not a huge difference in height ( tire to axle) and there’s a more limited tire choice, but they roll faster in the summer. I would go 27.5” for summer use If I didn’t need a lot of float for winter use. If you need more float, I would go 26”. At your weight, you might want the float for winter.

- So many opinions on droppers. Ive had a bunch, KS in winter was fine, Bike Yoke worked on 2 bikes, SRAM AXS is king. My winter bike has a Reverb going on it. We will see how that works out. But you do need a dropper.

- In the winter a steeper head angle (lots of YouTube videos can explain this concept) works fine. You aren’t headed down huge hills and you want more of your weight over the front end to ensure the tire has traction.

Historically XC bikes had steeper head angles (with longer stems to put weight on the4 front end to aid in climbing). That is changing and we see the influence with “Downcountry” bikes. Though I would not call those bikes slack, they are just slacker than they were.

I would go slacker than steeper if I wanted my fatbike to be used all summer too. But what is slack these days? Fatbikes are not as slack as other bikes. But they are getting slacker.

OTSO VOYTEK
Head Angle 69
Seat Tube Angle 73

SALSA
(This is a racier bike at least historically it is thought to be)
Head Angle 68.56
Seat Tube Angle 73

ROCKY MOUNTAIN BLIZZARD
(The new model is much more slack.
It matches the current Downcountry darling the Transition Spur, so its made to climb and descend
and takes 5” wide tires)
Head Angle 66
Seat Tube Angle 74

RSD MAYOR
(These are not available in carbon, but have gotten slacker with this new version. It’s pretty close to the new Blizzard, so this might show where future bikes are headed)
Head Angle 67
Seat Tube Angle 74
__

FEZZARI KINGS PEAK
Head Angle 69.8
Seat Tube Angle 73


The bike you’re looking at is pretty close to the top two and those are considered racier” bikes by many, soI think it might be a great summer ride.

The Rocky Mountian might end up being a similar cost, so you might consider that if you’re waiting for a bike anyway.

There are so many good bikes out ther right now, so get the one you can get and go ride

I have a custom Night Train. It's one of the few frames that you can run a 203mm Q with a 4.8 tire and I also put a 2 degree slacker headset on it. It's mainly my winter bike but I've been hitting the singletrack with it lately.