Another Monday, another fat bike – but this time from a brand that likes to do things a little differently. This is the Trans-Fat, and it’s the first time you’ll find such a machine holding the Ibis brand name. It’s probably the only positive thing you’ll ever hear with the words trans fat included, too.
Available as a complete build with an XT 1x transmission and RockShox Bluto suspension fork for US$5,099, the Trans-Fat is already being shipped in small numbers. Clever cross-compatibility also means owners of Ibis’s current Tranny 29er can adapt their bikes to accept wide rubber thanks to a US$699 kit.
The carbon Trans-Fat frame may look familiar, and that’s because half of it is. Yep, the front end of it is actually identical to the company’s existing Tranny 29er and so gets Ibis’s unique ‘slot machine’ adjustable rear triangle system. This system, which allows for chainstay adjustment for singlespeed setups, means the frame can be separated into two sections with the removal of just two bolts.
The wider, 177mm x 12mm rear end is available to owners of Ibis' current Tranny 29er as part of a US$699 conversion kit
This construction is also what makes the aforementioned fat conversion possible for existing Tranny 29er owners. As well as the new, 177x12mm rear end, geometry and clearances have to be altered for the 4in wide rubber the Trans-Fat is rated for, this has been achieved by adding a 3mm crown race up front, and fitting adaptors to run a 100mm BSA bottom bracket.
The Trans Fat is available in three sizes, from 19in for a rider of 5ft 4in / 163cm all the way up to the 21in frame, which Ibis says is good for a rider of 6ft 6in / 198cm tall.
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