Why Cycles Big Iron ($7,489 as tested)
Think all fat bikes are ponderous and slow? Think again. Why Cycles鈥 Big Iron makes it clear that oversize tires aren鈥檛 just for snow anymore. Taking cues from more aggressive geometries in the trail-bike realm, the Big Iron gets a slack-for-the-category head tube (68.7 degrees), a slightly lower bottom bracket, and a long top tube paired to a short 35-millimeter stem. Add in a dropper post, a rarity on snow machines because of their tendency to lock out in the cold, and you鈥檝e got the shreddiest fat bike you鈥檝e ever piloted. Our Big Iron was spendy, owing to a lightweight SRAM X0 drivetrain and Enve M685 wheels, but we wouldn鈥檛 trade those hoops for anything; the combination of wide carbon rims and titanium frame and bars made for a silky ride. However, you can get a lower-tier model for under $4,000, fulfilling Why鈥檚 goal of making titanium accessible to more riders. Livery notwithstanding, this bike was so deft and versatile鈥攖earing up everything from foot-deep freshies to rubbled desert singletrack鈥攖hat we were plenty excited to keep riding it even after the spring thaw.
Fatback Rhino FLT ($2,999 as tested)
The Fatback Rhino FLT proves you don鈥檛 have to spend a fortune for a great winter ride. Because the frame is aluminum, it won鈥檛 break the budget. Still, the geom颅etry feels tight and responsive, and the spec (SRAM GX Eagle, carbon bars, and Fatback鈥檚 surprisingly light and sturdy Big Su wheels) is high value. With the 100-颅millimeter Manitou Mastodon suspension fork, it even holds its own on dry trails.
Salsa Mukluk Carbon NX Eagle ($3,149 as tested)
Already boasting stable handling, with clearance for some of the widest tires on the market, the Salsa Mukluk Carbon NX Eagle gets sweet new 4.6-inch 45Nrth Dillinger Five tires, a 1×12 drivetrain with 11-50-tooth cassette, and sick graphics. Our only niggle: the NX Eagle gears and SRAM Guide T brakes felt a little cheap.