Fat Tire eBike Guide: GRB’s Top Picks for 2023

I’m a big craft brew kind of guy. New Belgium out of Fort Collins, Co., makes some fantastic choices, and both I and their founders share an affinity for bicycles. Their most popular beer, an amber named Fat Tire, is smooth and easy drinking, a great reward after a long day of cycling.

Well, Fat Tire isn’t just a nice malty beverage to enjoy, it’s also a great way to get out on the road. On a fat tire ebike, that is!

If you’ve been around the electric bike scene for a second, you’ve probably seen these big ol’ tires start to take over the industry. But with so many choices for a fat tire electric bike, how can you be sure you’re getting the right one for your needs?

By reading the Go Ride Bikes blog, of course! OK, shameless plug aside, we have taken the time to go through a bunch of fat tire electric bike options and determine the right ones for specific scenarios.

Read on to learn more about fat tire electric bikes, or check out some of our other great electric bike reviews and eBike Range Calculator.

Feels like half the ebikes you see on the trails these days have giant tires. It’s much more than just a popular fad on the road, however.

You can trace fat tire bike use back to both the snowy tundras and the harsh Mexican deserts. In the 1990s, many explorers used fat tire bikes to get through terrain that you typically wouldn’t be able to get through on traditional bicycle tires.

Mud. Muck. Snow. Soft sand. All these conditions are perfect for a fat tire bike.

One of the major drawbacks of fat tires, however, is they make your bike heavy and hard to pedal. Enter the electric motor.

Adding electric motors to fat tire bikes made them much more accessible to casual riders, providing a sense of stability both when off-road and while cruising on pavement.

Now, while fat tire bikes are great options, they aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions. Some fat tire bikes are better at climbing hills, while others excel at cruising on the beach through varying terrain. Here’s our suggestions for the best fat tire ebike for various uses.

Aventon Aventure.2

Motor: 750w (sustained) Rear Hub motor
Battery: 48V, 720 Wh Lithium Battery
Tires: 4” Fat Tires
Max Speed: 20 MPH
Price: $2,000

The Aventon Aventure.2 is one of the best all around electric bikes on the market today, fat tires or not. It features a revolutionary torque sensor that lets you amplify your pedaling cadence, allowing for a more natural ride with the 4 levels of pedal assist. Where the Aventon Aventure.2 truly excels is off-road, where its two 4” thick fat tires, suspension fork, and powerful rear hub motor take you over any terrain imaginable.

Ride1Up Revv1

Motor: 52V Geared Hub Bafang Motor 750w
Battery: 52V 20ah, Samsung 50E
Tires: CST Scout eMoped All-surface 4” Fat Tires
Max Speed: 20 MPH
Price: $2,400

Is it a Moped? Is it a motorcycle? Is it an electric bicycle? Who cares, the Ride1Up Revv1 is just awesome! This baby was built for comfort from the ground up, featuring two eMoped all-surface 4” fat tires and particular frame geometry and components that make for a comfortable upright riding position. It boasts a range up to 60 miles so it can definitely handle most commutes, and its mounted handlebar display has a customizable pedal assist setting for intelligent riding feedback.

Honorable Mention: Blix Ultra

Motor: Geared 750W Rear Hub
Battery: Dual 672Wh (48V) batteries at rear and front
Tires: Chaoyang Big Daddy 4” all-terrain tires
Max Speed: 28 MPH

The Blix Ultra is an electric bike made to handle it all. The versatile design means it can handle long distances with up to an 80 mile range on its dual battery system, and the Chaoyang Big Daddy all-terrain fat tires provide an extra bit of comfort whether on pavement or heading off-road.

Himiway Zebra

Motor: 750W brushless gear motor
Battery: 48V 20Ah Samsung/LG lithium battery
Tires: CST Scout eMoped All-surface 4” Fat Tires
Max Speed: 25 MPH
Price: $2,000

The Himiway Zebra has certainly earned its stripes as a choice for traversing long distances. With a range of up to 80 miles on a single charge, and a single battery might I add, this bike is quite literally designed to go further. Add in the 26”x4” thick Kendra fat tires, and you’re prepared to make it over, through, or around whatever obstacles lay on your path.

Honorable Mention: Magicycle Ocelot Pro

Earning their name of “Magicycle”, the Ocelot Pro accomplishes a lot in one tight package. The adjustable seat means it can fit nearly every size rider, and its powerful motor can put out a 1000W peak, letting you push this bike to its potential 28 MPH with ease. Even with the extra power, its 52V battery can make it up to 80 miles no problem on lower gears.

Swagtron EB8 Fat Tire All Terrain Bike

Motor: 350W rear hub motor
Battery: 436V battery
Tires: 20”x4” fat tires
Max Speed: 20 MPH
Price: $850

Coming in under $1,000, the Swagtron EB8 Fat Tire All Terrain bike does everything you need it to and then some. Equipped with a fantastic 350W rear hub motor with precise Shimano gears that shift on a thumb throttle, it can get you to and from your destination no matter your path. Over pavement, on the beach, through a wilderness path, 4” thick fat tires will help keep you comfortable the whole ride. It also features a superior, foldable build with reinforced aluminum alloy frame and a full suspension system, as well as dual disk brakes.

Honorable Mention: Lectric XP 3.0

Lectric has earned its place as a premier electric bike manufacturer, and their Lectric XP 3.0 might be my favorite bike on a budget out there. It’s got a brand new hydraulic brakes system and a few other fun bike accessories that you typically don’t see at this price point, like the 3” puncture resistant fat tires that include a slime that keeps your tires fat, not flat.

QuietKat Jeep

Motor: 1000W mid-drive motor with Variable Power Output Technology
Battery: 696Wh, 48V
Tires: 4.8” all-terrain fat tires
Max Speed: 28 MPH
Price: $5,000

Jeeps are synonymous with traversing rugged terrain, so when the SUV company puts its name behind an electric mountain bike, it catches eyes. The QuietKat Jeep Ebike is an accomplishment in electric bike design, absolutely deserving of the Jeep backing. It features an incredibly powerful mid-drive motor that can put out up to 1000W. The four-piston hydraulic disk brakes coupled with the massive 4.8” thick tires gives you confidence and stability while traveling at speeds up to 28 MPH or over terrain like soft sand or packed snow.

Honorable Mention: Himiway Cobra

Motor: 750W brushless geared hub motor
Battery: 48V 20Ah Samsung/LG lithium battery
Tires: 4.8” super fat tires
Max Speed: 25 MPH

Great versatility? Check. Awesome handling? Check. Some of the fattest tires on the market? Super check. The Himiway Cobra really checks most of the boxes for a great fat tire mountain electric bike. It quite literally has “super” fat tires at 4.8” thick, and it can make it up to 80 miles on a single charge. This bike will get you up and down whatever mountain you point it at.