Reply To: What's the best deal ($$) on a fat bike?

#209793

I also bought the Framed Minnesota 3.0 for $750 at the end of 2016.  I believe the 2.0 was $650 and the 1.0 was $600.

I have no complaints about the MN3.    The trails have been abnormally soft (meaning closed) this winter, but I’ve put several hundred road, gravel, and muddy miles on the bike.  Last weekend I did a 40 mile gravel grinder with a buggy trail that was complete soup.  I’ve crashed it once on snowy singletrack.   No mechanical issues to report – I mean, my derailleur froze solid, but that was happening to everyone, regardless of how expensive their bike was.

For my budget, the MN was the best value I could find, but a lot depends on your expectations.  I expected a (relatively) heavy bike with no illusions of going tubeless with the stock wheels.  I also don’t live near trails that demand a full-suspension bike (or even a suspension fork when you’re on 4″ tires).  On of my friends has a 1.0 and she puts a ton of miles on it – she also has higher-end bikes for when there’s not snow on the ground.

Personally, I think that if most people are realistic about their needs (and don’t live in the frozen tundra), fat bikes should be less expensive “toys” for use when their other bike(s) aren’t able to gain traction. You wouldn’t spend as much on a snowmobile as you spend on your car, right?