A fatbike (also called fat bike , fat tire , fat-tire bike , or snow bike ) is an off-road bicycle built to accommodate oversized tyres, typically 3.8 in (97 mm) or larger and rims 2.16 in (55 mm) or wider, designed for low ground pressure to allow riding on soft, unstable terrain, such as snow, sand, bogs and mud. Fatbikes are built around frames with wide forks and stays to accommodate the space required to fit these wide rims and tires. The wide tires can be used with inflation pressures as low as 34 kPa; 0.34 bar (5 psi) to allow for a smooth ride over rough obstacles. A rating of 55–69 kPa; 0.55–0.69 bar (8–10 psi) is suitable for most riders. Fatbikes were developed for use in snow or sand, but are capable of traversing diverse terrain types including snow, sand, desert, bogs, mud, pavement, or traditional mountain biking trails.
37-501: Early versions of fat-tired bikes were probably built as long ago as the early 1900s but modern versions were not developed until the 1980s. An early example is the custom three-wheeled in-line longtail-style bike with fat tires, designed by French cyclist Jean Naud in 1980 for desert travel. He rode it from Zinder in Niger to Tamanrasset in Algeria, and later rode a similar bike in 1986 across
74-470: A 76–102 cm (30–40 in) long platform, basket, or box located low, in front of the handlebars. The term "bakfiets" (which literally means "box bike" in Dutch; plural is "bakfietsen") is the Dutch word for cargo bikes in general. Bakfiets has traditionally mainly been used to refer to cargo tricycles with two front wheels, while the term Deense bakfiets ("Danish cargo bike") is sometimes used to describe
111-469: A Baker's bike, although this style of cargo bike was popular with a wide variety of trades during the first half of the 20th century, particularly in the United Kingdom . Typically, they would have a basket or storage box mounted within a framework which was fixed to the frame (not the forks) of the bike. Often, they would also feature a sign advertising the business concerned, which would be attached within
148-470: A bike-brand conglomerate, with a focus on biking in climates with cold winters. In 2021, Quality Bicycle Products employed over 600 people. Salsa has bike frames made in Asia out of aluminum , carbon fiber , titanium , and chromoly steel . They have several bike touring bicycles, fat tire bikes, bikepacking bikes, and gravel bikes, as well as full-suspension mountain bikes. Some Salsa frames are equipped with
185-682: A box between the two front wheels. Other varieties include a platform, basket etc. instead of the box, the loading area between two rear wheels (delta-fashion), small-wheel two-wheelers loading both back and front. An occasional four-wheeler can also be seen, especially within a plant, warehouse or the like, where demands on stability and loading capacity are higher than on range. Many models are now available with an electric assist which can make them more useful for longer distances or for varied terrain, i.e. not flat cities, amongst other reasons, such as feeling more confident riding in car traffic due to faster acceleration from stopping. Also referred to as
222-532: A fatbike to the South Pole, but made it only a quarter of the way before he had to turn around. Maria Leijerstam became the first to cycle to the South Pole, across the South Pole Traverse road on a tricycle with fatbike tires. On 21 January 2014, Daniel P. Burton became the first person to ride a bike across Antarctica to the South Pole, starting at Hercules Inlet and biking 1,247 km (775 mi) to
259-482: A longtail bike in 1998. The growing popularity of Xtracycle inspired the Kona Ute, launched for the 2008 season. Surly were asked by Xtracycle to build a complete Xtracycle-compatible frameset; the result was the 'Big Dummy', first released for the 2008 season. The chromoly frameset is designed for 660 mm (26 in) wheels. Buyers have the choice of frameset alone or complete bicycle. In 2008 Xtracycle documented
296-544: A record on the Iditarod Trail in the 2000 race to Nome. Surly Bikes released the Pugsley frame in 2005 and began producing Large Marge 65 mm (2.6 in) rims and Endomorph 3.8-inch (97 mm) tires in 2006. The Pugsley frame, rim, and tire offering made fatbikes commercially available in local bike shops worldwide. The Pugsley bikes also featured the offset wheel and frame build. Fatback Bikes came online in 2007 adding
333-637: A sense of the word ' truck ' predating the automobile. Cargo bike designs include a cargo area consisting of an open or enclosed box, a flat platform, or a wire basket, usually mounted over one or both wheels, low behind the front wheel , or between parallel wheels at either the front or rear of the vehicle. The frame , drivetrain and wheels must be constructed to handle loads larger than those on an ordinary bicycle. The first cargo bikes were used by tradesmen to deliver mail, bread and milk amongst other things. Early cargo bikes were heavy-duty standard bicycles, with heavy carriers at front or rear, sometimes with
370-546: A smaller front wheel to accommodate a large front carrier. During the early part of the 20th century these were commonly used by tradesmen for local deliveries. In the UK this style is still sometimes known as a butcher's bike or delibike , although the Post Office have by far the largest fleet. With the domination of the internal combustion engine in the industrialized countries after World War II, cargo bikes became less popular. In
407-512: Is a two-wheeled bicycle or motorcycle taxi, originally in East Africa . Boda Boda is also the name of Yuba Bicycles compact cargo bike introduced in 2012. A cargo bicycle that converts into a stroller. Three wheels are used when the bike is in a stroller configuration, and two wheels are used when it is in a bike configuration with the cargo in front of the cyclist. This cargo bike can carry up to 100 lbs (45.4 kg). The stroller bike won
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#1733104370966444-493: Is a two-wheeled vehicle similar to a scooter used in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is made of wood, and used for transporting cargo. Cycle rickshaws and other cargo tricycles are used for short range transport of both people and goods while tricycles with boxes or platforms are used to transport goods. A cargo tricycle with an open or flat platform might be used for low value goods or for trips where
481-521: Is about half the capacity of a small panel van . The weight capacity of tricycles is limited by available human power and the permitted power of electric assist by law . Salsa Cycles Salsa Cycles is an American bicycle brand based in Bloomington, Minnesota . The company produces touring , mountain , road, and gravel bicycles, as well as bicycle components. The Salsa Cycles brand, along with its sister brands Surly Bikes and All-City Cycles,
518-510: Is owned by the Bloomington-based Quality Bicycle Products . The Salsa brand is widely recognized by winter biking enthusiasts in cold climates. Ross Shafer founded Salsa Cycles in the early 1980s. The company initially focused on producing bicycle frames and custom stems . In 1997, the brand was acquired by Minnesota-based Quality Bicycle Products , which transitioned from a wholesale bike-parts distributor to
555-461: The 20th century . They are referred to variously depending on the number of wheels — typically two, three , or four — and by their specific use. Adjectives used to describe the tasks to which the bicycles , dicycles , tricycles, or quadracycles are put include cargo cycles (bi- / tri- / etc.), freight cycles , box cycles (due to the luggage carrier 's shape), carrier cycles , and so on. Sometimes they are also called cycletrucks , which uses
592-601: The LongTail as an open-source standard. This has helped individuals to build longtail bikes themselves such as the Xtravois. There is a sub-class of longtail bicycles referred to as midtails. As their name implies, they are not quite as long as a longtail, but can still often carry at least one if not two children. The distinction between both is not clear and there are longer tailed bikes sold as midtail, while shorter are categorized as longtail. The chukudu (or chikudu, cbokoudou)
629-626: The 1,000-mile (1,600 km) length of the Iditarod Trail . Simultaneously, in New Mexico, Ray Molina had commissioned Remolino 3.1 in (79 mm) rims, 3.5 in (89 mm) tires, and frames to fit them. He wanted the bikes for his guided tour business in the soft sands of the Mexican and Southwest arroyos and dunes. Mark Gronewald, owner of Wildfire Designs Bicycles in Palmer, Alaska, met Molina at
666-633: The 1999 Interbike convention in Las Vegas and rode one of Molina's prototypes at demo days. In late 1999, Gronewald and another Alaskan frame builder, John Evingson, collaborated to design and build several bikes using Molina's rims and tires. Gronewald and Evingson then began producing their own separate lines of fat-tired bikes in 2000. Rims and tires were imported to Alaska where Wildfire and Evingson began making small, handmade production runs and custom-ordered frames built around Remolino 80 mm (3.1 in) rims and 3.5-inch (89 mm) tires. Gronewald coined
703-512: The Gold Award at the Eurobike exhibition in 2018 as a special-purpose bike. The long john bicycle is a cargo bike with the cargo area in front of the rider and some linkage connecting the steering to the front wheel, "linkage steering". Capacity is usually about 100 kg (220 lb). A traditional long john will have a smaller front wheel and a 58 or 66 cm (23 or 26 in) rear wheel, plus
740-542: The Long John style of bicycle. Vintage long johns are becoming collectible. The last known manufacturer to still produce the original long john is Monark . The history of long john bicycles is traced to Denmark c. 1923 . The Smith & Co. Company (SCO - founded by Ivar Smith and Robert Jacobsen in Odense, Denmark 17 October 1894) was the inventor and the first to build this type of cargo bicycle. The first Long-John
777-573: The Sahara using prototype fat tires from Michelin. In the late 1980s, Alaskan frame builders began experimenting with custom components and configurations designed to achieve a large contact patch of tire on snow. Steve Baker, with Icycle Bicycles in Anchorage, was welding together two rims and even three rims and built several special frames and forks that could accommodate two or three tires together. In 1989, Dan Bull, Mark Frise, Roger Cowles and Les Matz, rode
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#1733104370966814-869: The Snow Bike Festival, the annual Global Fatbike Summit (since 2012), the Fatbike Birkie race which is part of the Great Lakes Fatbike Series (2014–2015 season: 8 races held across 3 states), the US Open Fatbike Beach Championships (inaugural, 2015), the USA Cycling Fat Bike National Championship (inaugural, 2015), the Ontario-based Substance Projects OnFatbikeSeries (OFBS), the 45Nrth Fatbike Triple Crown race series and
851-485: The South Pole on a carbon fiber Borealis Yampa fatbike with 4.8 in (120 mm) wide tires. Popular fatbiking destinations are predominantly found in the northern latitudes of the United States , Canada , and some Nordic countries. Cargo bike#Longtail bicycle There have been many human powered vehicles designed and constructed specifically for transporting loads since their earliest appearance in
888-775: The UK Fatbike Championships (inaugural, 2013). The Iditarod Trail Invitational (formerly known as Iditabike and Iditasport Extreme and Iditasport Impossible) race in Alaska has grown into an international event offering an extreme 130-mile (210 km), 350-mile (560 km) and 1,000-mile (1,600 km) distances. The event spurred the creation of many other winter ultra events in the United States, Canada and Europe that are accepted qualifiers to get into this Invitational. A number of extreme expeditions have also been made on fatbikes. In December 2012 Eric Larsen attempted to ride
925-685: The carbon Corvus fatbike. Another Alaskan brand 9:zero:7 joined in 2010 also offering a carbon fatbike. Other bike manufacturers have also entered the fatbike market recently including Trek, with the Farley, Salsa with the Beargrease and Mukluk, and Specialized with the Fatboy and On=One with the Fatty. Others followed since 2014 Rocky Mountain, Felt, Kona, Pivot and many more. Since 2014, Dorel Sports has utilized their Mongoose brand to make fatbikes even more accessible to
962-542: The cargo box for protection from the elements, making a warm and inviting space for children to enjoy the ride. Longtails have a longer frame wheelbase at the rear compared to a standard bicycle. The extended rear facilitates use as a cargo bike or carrying multiple or adult passengers compared with shorter bicycles. They tend to handle more like regular bikes than cargo bikes with linkage steering. Xtracycle developed their first longtail product, their Free Radical, which attaches to an existing 'donor' bicycle to make it
999-480: The cost of the bicycle and requires an on-board battery. Cargo bikes are used in a variety of settings: In Amsterdam and Copenhagen , cargo bikes are extremely popular. In Amsterdam many residents simply fit large front carriers to sturdy city bicycles. There is also a broad variety of specially made cargo bikes including low-loading two-wheelers with extended wheelbases, bicycles with small front wheels to fit huge front carriers, tadpole-type three-wheelers with
1036-508: The general public, with models such as the Beast, Dolomite, Hitch, and Malus selling for around $ 250, considerably less than their higher-priced predecessors. Until approximately 2012, the TommiSea company of Virginia Beach built fat bikes for use on beach sand. As the popularity of fatbikes has expanded, fatbike specific events (races, race series, tours, and festivals) have emerged. Examples include
1073-513: The main triangle of the bicycle frame. The Schwinn Cycle Truck, produced in the USA between 1939 and 1967, also employed the same basket to frame arrangement. A porteur bicycle has the rack on the front, and can carry as much as 50 kg (110 lb) that way. The cycle truck refers to a type of cargo bike with a smaller front wheel than rear, typically 66 cm (26 in) rear and 51 cm (20 in) front. A boda-boda (or bodaboda)
1110-550: The offset wheel and frame build. Other early versions of the fatbike were normal mountain bikes equipped with SnowCat rims, created by Simon Rakower of All-Weather Sports in Fairbanks, Alaska, in the early 1990s; or with multiple tires seated on two or three standard rims that had been welded or pinned together. Rakower was involved with technical support aspects of the Iditabike (later IditaSport) race, which started in 1987. Since 2002
1147-456: The race continued on the same trail under the name Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI). Rakower started hand making extra wide rims for participants by welding two rims together and cutting off the middle ridge known as the snowcat rims 44 mm (1.7 in). S. Rakower produced those rims from 1991 through 1999. Many riders on the Iditarod Trail used a Geax tire with the snow cat rim. Enthusiasts would cut and sew tire-carcasses together to maximize
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1184-403: The rest of the world, however, they continued to be manufactured and heavily used. In the 2000s, ecologically minded designers and small-scale manufacturers initiated a revival of the cargo bike manufacturing sector. Some cargo bike makers and users use power assist motors to complement the power of the cyclist. Power assist can increase the payload and range of cargo bikes, but also increases
1221-407: The rider is always with the goods. A fabric cover can be added to provide weather protection. Tricycles can also be fitted with a lockable weatherproof box, usually of aluminium construction, for valuable goods and where the rider has to leave the vehicle. Cargo tricycles can typically carry 100–300 kilograms (220–660 lb) of cargo and have capacity of 1 m (35 cu ft) or more, which
1258-457: The size of the tire and utilize all the available space between the seat stays and chain stays; this tire and rim combination would maximize the bicycle's footprint, increasing flotation on winter trails. Soon after, Rakower decided to design a 44 mm (1.7 in) rim from scratch and had it produced. SnowCats revolutionized winter cycling, as they could be fitted to nearly any commercially available mountain bike. Mike Curiak from Colorado set
1295-414: The trademark "Fat Bike" in 2001 and used it as the model name for his bikes. Gronewald initially worked with Palmer Machinery for welding and later contracted frame building to Mike DeSalvo at DeSalvo Cycles of Ashland, Oregon. Gronewald continued to sell his original fatbikes until 2011. Gronewald's design featured an 18 mm (0.71 in) offset wheel and frame built to allow full range gearing, since he
1332-474: Was presented to the public at the Wembley World Fair & Exhibition in 1924. This style of bicycle is useful for carrying cargo, including children, and can function as a car replacement for many families. It is possible to install a carseat in the box to for babies, and when children get older, they are often seated on a small bench and clipped in with a 3- or 5-point harness. Canopies can be affixed to
1369-691: Was using standard hubs and bottom brackets available at the time. Wildfire and Evingson bikes were used in the Iditarod Trail races beginning in 2000. Also that year, Mike Curiak from Colorado set a record on the Iditarod Trail in the IditaSport Extreme race to Nome on a modified Marin bike with Remolino rims and tires. Surly Bikes released the Pugsley frame, in 2005, and began producing Large Marge 65 mm (2.6 in) rims and Endomorph 3.8-inch (97 mm) tires in 2006. The Pugsley frame, rim and tire offerings made fatbikes commercially available in local bike shops worldwide. The Pugsley bikes also featured
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