Fat bikes news and reviews

A niche idea a few short years ago, fat bikes are now poised to become a legitimate market segment, with a growing number of companies catering to riders who enjoy the comfort, traction and sense of adventure that comes with tyre widths of 3.8in or more.

Fat bikes trace their origins back to several Alaskan frame-builders, though it was a pair of Minnesota-based bicycle companies, Surly and Salsa Cycles, who brought fat bikes to the masses.

Surly led the charge by introducing the first mass-produced fat bike, the Pugsley, in 2005. Since then, fat bikes have continued to gain popularity and can now be found in the line-ups of many mainstream companies such as Specialized, Trek, Kona and Canyon.