5 Outstanding Tires For Your Fat Bike That Won’t Break the Bank!

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Are you in the market for new tires for your fat bike? Maybe you’ve worn out your current set and are looking for replacements. If that’s the case, good for you! You’ve been putting on a lot of mileage and you deserve a shiny new set of tires. 

Or maybe you just brought home a brand new fat bike and realized the one-size-fits-all tires it came with don’t actually fit anything. Bike manufacturers do their best to try and please everyone with their choice of tire, but it’s hard to find one that will fit the different riding styles and needs of everyone. Jack of all trades, master of none — that’s great if you need a tire that performs OK in all conditions. But what if you are into racing and looking for an extra light tire? Or you ride in soft snow and you want extra float? The possibilities are endless.

Whatever your reasons for replacing your tires, there is a large selection designed purposefully for specific conditions and riding styles to choose from. To help save you some time and effort, I’ve put together a roundup of replacement fat bike tires. Each of them stand out in their own right. And, best of all, they won’t break the bank!

If you’re in the market for studded fat bike tires, check out, “5 Studded Fat Bike Tires to Keep You Rubber Side Down!”. 

Maybe you aren’t sure if you need studded or non-studded tires? “Who Needs Studded Fat Bike Tires Anyway?!” discusses the pros and cons of studded fat bike tires, as well as where they are useful and where they aren’t.

Excellent Tires For Your Fat Bike That Won’t Empty Your Wallet

I’ll be talking about:

• • Maxxis Minion FBF & FBR
  • Maxxis Colossus
  • Schwalbe Jumbo Jim Addix
  • Vee Tire Co. Snowshoe 2XL
  • Mongoose Fat Bike Tire

Maxxis Minion FBF & FBR

Front and rear-specific fat bike tires for all-season use

Modeled after the legendary Maxxis Minion mountain bike tires, the FBF and FBR offer a tried and true design. And because they are front and rear-specific, the tread on each tire is optimized for peak performance and they can be used as both summer and winter tires.

The Minions are the only front and rear-specific fat bike tires on this list. Both are available in a 26” x 4.8” size.

The FBF is the front version and the FBR is the rear version. According to Maxxis, the front-specific design “represents a progression in fat biking”, while providing “extreme cornering capability, low rolling resistance and fat tire volume”. The rear-specific FBR has a tread pattern optimized for traction (for climbing, or braking on a descent) and low rolling resistance.

These tires will perform well in any season. The tested Minion tread design means you can be sure that they will be great for summer use. And the large 4.8” volume will keep you floating on top of the snow all winter long.

The FBF and FBR will certainly do the trick if you’re in the market for an uncompromising set of fat bike tires!

Buy Canada

Maxxis Colossus

A winter-specific fat bike tire from Maxxis

Unlike the Minion fat bike tires, the Colossus was devised for winter riding. It has a tread pattern with lugs designed specifically for use on snow. The Colossus is available in one size, 26” x 4.8”. 

If you ride your fat bike year-round and don’t mind switching tires with the seasons, Minion FBF and FBRs in the summer and Colossus in the winter would make for a Maxxis tire dream team!

Buy USA / Canada

Schwalbe Jumbo Jim Addix

Ultra-light fat bike tire for weight-conscious riders or racers

Looking to shave a few grams from your fat bike setup? The Jumbo Jim Addix can help. It’s one of the lightest fat bike tires out there and because it’s a Schwalbe you can be sure there is an emphasis on quality.

The tire is available in 26” x 4” and 26” x 4.8” sizes and in both regular and speedgrip compounds. From what I can tell, the speedgrip compound tire (with a blue stripe down the middle of the tire) is slightly heavier than the regular Addix. But it is made from a longer wearing compound. If you put a lot of mileage on your tires, you’ll probably get a better bang for your buck out of this version.

Whether you’re looking to lighten your bike weight for racing, or you just want to make your rides a little easier, the Jumbo Jim Addix is worth considering!

Buy USA / Canada

Vee Tire Co. Snowshoe 2XL

A super-wide fat bike tire for the softest snow conditions

If you spend a lot of your time riding in soft snow, you may want to take a close look at the Snowshoe 2XL. It’s a larger version of Vee Tire Co’s Snowshoe XL tire, which comes in both studded and non-studded versions. As the name suggests, the Snowshoe 2XL is designed for winter riding. And, like a snowshoe, it will keep you riding high in soft, snowy conditions. 

The Snowshoe 2XL is still considered a 5” tire, even while measuring in at an actual width of 5.05”. This is significant considering most other so-called 5” tires actually measure a width of only 4.8” or less, putting the Snowshoe 2XL in a league of its own. Combine the large size with low tire pressure and you end up with something as close to snowshoes as you can get for your fat bike. One word of caution, however: measure the amount of clearance your frame has, before committing to a set of these tires. Some frames may not be able to handle their extreme width.

If you have the clearance and are looking for a fat bike tire to use in extreme snow conditions or to make you the envy of other riders, look no further than the Snowshoe 2XL!

Buy USA / Canada

Mongoose Fat Bike Tire

Ultra-affordable tire for high wear use

The Mongoose Fat Bike Tire is one of the most affordable tires you can get for your fat bike. It’s available in 20”, 24” and 26” wheel sizes and 4” width.

This probably isn’t the tire for you if you’re looking for high performance. However, the size and price point make it a great choice for commuting. At 4” in width, the Mongoose Fat Bike Tire will work well in mixed terrain and keep rolling resistance to a minimum. On top of that, the daily wear and tear of commuting can wear tires out quickly. But the affordability of this tire will make replacing it less of a drain on your wallet than most others!

Replacing your tires can be fun!

Unfortunately, replacing bike tires is a fact of life. Sooner or later they all wear out and fat bike tires are certainly not immune. But tire replacement doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be an exciting prospect to know you’ll be getting rid of your one-size-fits-all tires and replacing them with ones tailored to make your rides easier and more enjoyable. 

Today, there is a wide array of different tires available for all kinds of situations (this hasn’t always been the case). So when the time comes to pull out your wallet and make a choice, you’ll be able to pick ones that fit well with your riding style and terrain. 

All the tires on this list have different strengths. But one thing they have in common is that they won’t break the bank! And that will make the inevitable need to replace your fat bike tires, a little bit easier to swallow.

I’d love to hear from you

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section below, or you can contact me directly from our Contact page.

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