# I now know the purpose of fat tire ebikes



## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Well, I finally learned the real purpose of fat tire ebikes: they are cheap jeeps for developing countries. I started to see a few on the back roads of Dominica, but it was not until we arrived in Panama that it really became apparent.

Once you leave the capital city and travel to the interior they are everywhere! There are few paved roads, once you leave town, mostly dirt paths and trails filled with mud, sand and potholes. There are lots of push bikes with knobby tires, but the fatty ebike is the aspirational move for most of the population replacing the cheap scooter or motorcycle.

Most folks villages are not far from their place of work, farmers fields are only a few miles from where they sell their produce and ebikes reign supreme. Those who live in town have a bit skinnier tires but out in the boonies the fatty is the rule not the exception.

There are no mid-drives, all hub motors, for the cost factor, I guess and I have no idea what voltage they are running. Even the smallest collection of huts has either government power lines or a generator so charging isn’t a big issue. Cell service is readily available everywhere and cheap phones are ubiquitous so everyone wants a source of electricity close by. Restaurant and retail staff seem to plug in at work in a lot of places too.

It sure is nice not to constantly hear the noise of small engines everywhere you go! And I am guessing that the cost per km of electricity is less than gasoline, it must be: these folks are poor, not stupid!


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## Bigwheel (Jan 12, 2004)

Happy for that report WH. Hadn't heard of it before but makes total sense. No shame in using hub drives as they are pretty durable and cheap to repair/replace if necessary.

I just bought a cool old fatbike for that I am putting a 350w Bafang G311front hub motor on for my son's SO. Will make the perfect townie for her at their place in Northern WA.. Custom bike for below RAD pricing.....

Awaiting parts still,


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I just wanted to add that out here there is no issue at the top of the hill about having “earned it”! It is refreshing to be somewhere that sees bicycles and ebikes as essential parts of the transportation picture, not as toys for the privileged to use for recreation. Every trail is ebike approved and there is no problem with having a throttle or with violating Class 1 rules! If we end up moving here I’m buying a Sur-Ron!

BTW, the ebikes here are all the cheap generic Chinese specials that are so disparaged on this site, a few have front suspension, but most are rigid front and back with the only cushioning being the fat tires. They do have wide sprung seats and front baskets and rear racks, like I said, they are jeeps. Also the Suzuki Jimney has replaced the Jeep and Land Cruiser, they’re everywhere now.


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## dberdinka (3 mo ago)

E-bikes and fat tires seem like peanut butter and jelly. Yet high end, mid drive versions simply don’t exist.

Glad to hear it’s happening in a place we’re practicality trumps image.


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## baker (Jan 6, 2004)

not sure about high end, but here is a high cost mid drive fat bike that I saw at Cabelas while wasting time yesterday…









Apex E-Bike


The Apex E-mountain bike is the toughest hardtail electric bike on the planet. Designed for the toughest jobs and terrain, you can farther than ever before without breaking a sweat.




quietkat.com


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

dberdinka said:


> E-bikes and fat tires seem like peanut butter and jelly. Yet high end, mid drive versions simply don’t exist.
> 
> Glad to hear it’s happening in a place we’re practicality trumps image.


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## baker (Jan 6, 2004)

mtnbkrmike said:


> View attachment 2003279


???

Looks fun 









Bigfoot VLT 1 | Norco


The Bigfoot VLT 1 is the electric fat bike that you'll forget is an electric fat bike.




www.norco.com


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

baker said:


> ???
> 
> Looks fun
> 
> ...


I was responding to the suggestion that there are no decent quality e-fatties. These ones aren’t too bad. Maybe I missed something.


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## baker (Jan 6, 2004)

mtnbkrmike said:


> I was responding to the suggestion that there are no decent quality e-fatties. These ones aren’t too bad. Maybe I missed something.


I just was asking if that Norco model I linked is the same as the one in the pic


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## dberdinka (3 mo ago)

Other than the two you bought these DNE. Total Vaporware. The 2023 model actually popped up on their website briefly before disappearing. MAXX makes some sweet looking rides but my understanding is they do not ship to US. Beyond that….¯\_(ツ)_/¯? 



mtnbkrmike said:


> View attachment 2003279


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

dberdinka said:


> Other than the two you bought these DNE. Total Vaporware. The 2023 model actually popped up on their website briefly before disappearing. MAXX makes some sweet looking rides but my understanding is they do not ship to US. Beyond that….¯\_(ツ)_/¯?


That’s not true. I personally know 3 other people in my immediate neck of the woods with that exact same bike. I have seen numerous others at trail heads in my area with that exact same bike. The trail network where I volunteer own 4 of them that they use for trail maintenance. A fellow volunteer has that exact same bike. In fact, I have taken photos of people I don’t know who I have crossed paths with on the local trails, and sent them to my LBS because they said they bought theirs there. All in all, I have seen a minimum of 15 of these exact same bikes, in my city alone. I’d say that that number is closer to 20. And that is in one city alone.

EDIT: the 4 owned by the trail association are VLT2s - the black and grey ones. Same year, one model down, spec-wise. I will snap a pic of them lined up, when I am out there Saturday.

Not trying to be an a-hole. I don’t dispute what you say. But I think it’s not necessarily a good assumption to believe that your area is representative of the mountain biking world. There are all sorts of e-fatties in my neck of the woods, including a crap load of Bigfoot VLT1s and 2s. Now that I think of it, the area distributor’s wife has the exact same bike, and another guy who wanted to buy mine, found a VLT1 and sent me a pic of it:


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

baker said:


> I just was asking if that Norco model I linked is the same as the one in the pic


Aaahhh. Sorry. Yes it is. I believe though that I paid $5250 CDN for each of mine (before ripping off all the SX and NX crap and replacing it).

Here’s a cool video of it. PJ Hunton is in Kimberley. My daughter and I fat biked there a bunch of times last winter, when we were in Fernie for 5 weeks.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I wish the Norco was a 27.5 but it is still a good option. Hard to find though.


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## baker (Jan 6, 2004)

mtnbkrmike said:


> Aaahhh. Sorry. Yes it is. I believe though that I paid $5250 CDN for each of mine (before ripping off all the SX and NX crap and replacing it).
> 
> Here’s a cool video of it. PJ Hunton is in Kimberley. My daughter and I fat biked there a bunch of times last winter, when we were in Fernie for 5 weeks.


Makes me want to move to BC, which we've seriously considered as a family. My wife and kids are Canadian, and I used to have my permanent residency there (which would supposedly be easy to get reinstated, although I have my doubts).


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## fos'l (May 27, 2009)

WH, good to hear from you after a long time. Maybe you can get a deal on a "Sur" from Eric; didn't you work for him one Christmas?


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Yep, I’m surprised that anyone remembered! It’s funny, I sold all the stuff I got from him in lieu of pay for those weeks before we started traveling. We left Miami in early June for Guadeloupe, then Dominica, St Lucia, Barbados and now Panama. Off to Montevideo in a couple of weeks for the southern summer, then Peru and Ecuador/Galapagos and on to Europe for their summer. As they say: we’re following 75 (degrees)!


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## dir-T (Jan 20, 2004)

WoodlandHills said:


> Well, I finally learned the real purpose of fat tire ebikes: they are cheap jeeps for developing countries.


They could also be cheap snowmobiles for accessing backcountry ski spots  

Your trip sounds awesome BTW!


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## KenPsz (Jan 21, 2007)

I have a friend of mine that is using a E-Fat bike this year for hunting, he says it is amazing. Quiet, quick and leaves a small scent trail. He has several friends that are now all looking into going that direction instead of driving quads around.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

KenPsz said:


> I have a friend of mine that is using a E-Fat bike this year for hunting, he says it is amazing. Quiet, quick and leaves a small scent trail.


Will other eBikes become attracted to the scent?


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

More vapourware...

I received an email tonight from my LBS. Two Norco e-fatties I apparently ordered last spring are arriving within weeks.

****

Hey Mike,

I wanted to reach out in regards to the two Bigfoot VLT 1's we had on order for you. They should show up here this month. The specs and pictures are now live on the Norco website. Here is the link:









*Bigfoot VLT 1 | Norco*
The Bigfoot VLT 1 is the electric fat bike that you'll forget is an electric fat bike.







www.norco.com


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