Market: Fatbikes seem to be unstoppable rolling from their niche existence towards the mainstream. While the fat tires have been enjoying ever-increasing popularity, especially in the USA, they seem to have finally arrived on this side of the pond, at the latest with the Eurobike.
Fat bikes have been on everyone's lips ever since the Surly company brought the trend for thick tires to Germany in 2012 with their Pugsley from the USA. The idiosyncratic look alone, which admittedly takes some getting used to, of the bikes with tires up to 4,8” wide polarizes.
Until now, fat bikes have tended to be an outsider on the German and European market. This could change decisively with the 2015 season. In the portfolio of almost every manufacturer there is at least one fat bike for the coming year. It doesn't matter whether it's KTM with the Fatrat, Bulls with the Monster or Canyon with their Dude – one thing is certain: fat bikes are pushing into the European market with all their might.
Not surprisingly, Salsa and Surly – pioneers in the field of fat bikes – also presented new models with fat tires for 2015. The Salsa Blackborow is designed with 100mm wide rims for tires up to 5" wide and, according to the manufacturer from Bloomington, USA, falls into the category of plus-size fat bikes. Surly, on the other hand, is continuing on the path taken in the previous season and is trying to bridge the gap between regular tires and fat bikes with the Instigator 2.0 and Krampus models. Designed for tire widths between 2,75" and 3", they don't take quite as much getting used to as their big brothers, but they can still combine some of their advantages, such as very good damping.
In addition to the classic hardtail fat bikes with rigid forks, there are also many variations in the manufacturers' portfolios for the coming season. The Bluto fat bike suspension fork from Rock Shox, which was presented a few months ago, can already be admired on numerous bikes, including the KTM Fatrat or the Bulls Monster S. Some manufacturers also combine the fat bike concept with a full-suspension frame - such as the North German forge Alutech the overweight offshoot of their Enduro Fanes, whose prototype still goes by the programmatic name Fat Fanes.
Bikes that combine two of the biggest current trends in the industry could be admired at some manufacturer stands: e-fat bikes. Often these are still prototypes or design studies, but a few manufacturers have already been able to present models that are ready for series production, including KTM with the Macina Freeze Plus. The motor support ensures that one of the biggest disadvantages of fat bikes, the high rolling resistance, is virtually eliminated. The fact that you will probably find significantly more e-fatbikes at next year's Eurobike shouldn't be too bold a prediction.
Exotic amongst exotic: Even a few fat bikes for children were spotted at the Eurobike – so the trend doesn't stop at the little ones either. At least curbs should lose their terror for the boys and girls with the thick tires in the future.
Things are happening not only in the bicycle manufacturer market in terms of fat bikes, component manufacturers are also getting better and better at adapting to the new trend. This is particularly noticeable when choosing the tyres: while not so long ago you had to search hard for the exotic, thick tyres, for 2015 a large number of tire manufacturers are bringing one or more fat bike tires onto the market. Whether Schwalbe, Maxxis or Kenda: Tire bottlenecks are probably a thing of the past for fat bike riders. Although most manufacturers still rely on their own brands for rims, the selection of suitable hubs is slowly increasing. For the coming season, the Swabian luxury manufacturer Tune is also offering its popular King and Kong hubs in an extra-wide version.
It remains to be seen whether fat bikes will also find their way onto the (excessively wide) road to success in Europe. However, one thing can be said without a doubt: those interested in fat bikes can look forward to an unprecedented selection in 2015.