A fat tyre electric bike is a great option for both commuting and for leisure riding, and are particularly good choices for taller or heavier riders who may want something sturdier than a more traditional bike with thinner tyres.
We've tested over 40 models of this popular new style of electric bikes at Electroheads, and in this article, our expert Kol Heydel pulls together the 5 best fat tyre ebikes that we've tested.
Jump to a bike:
- Synch Super Monkey | £1899
- ADO Beast 20F | £1362
- Engwe M20 | £1049
- Engwe Engine X | £1049
- Cyrusher Trax | £2799
Synch Super Monkey | £1,899.99: "I don’t want to ride anything else"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weight: 25kg | Cruiser Bike | Range: 25-35 miles
Kicking things off with the Synch Super Monkey. Having met the whole team that build the Synch bikes here in the UK, I developed a soft spot for the brand mainly because they build their bikes by hand and have a great relationship with their customers and suppliers. What helps is that their products are actually of top quality too.
Pros:
- Capable of crushing pretty much any terrain. I’ve had this bike up a mountain bike trail with rocks, steep off-road hills and through heavy potholes in the centre of London.
- Hydraulic brakes. This is an optional extra but is a must have in my opinion for bikes with fat tyres.
- Front suspension. This massively improves the ride.
- Room for two people (at a push) If you are buying one of these for the sole purpose of giving someone a lift, then I recommend the Long Tail version of this bike.
- Trendy. This bike screams Instagram & swag. If you like to stay trendy and stylish look no further.
- Has a cadence sensor which is much better suited for this style bike allowing you to cruise and not put too much effort into your cycle.
Cons:
- I found that the seat made my rear a little sore after a while. These motorbike style saddles need to be worn in a little so they soften up.
- It’s quite heavy at 25 kg and chunky. This restricts you from carrying it up a flight of stairs to a flat for example. Although I did try to and it wasn’t the end of the world. I am incredibly strong though (joke - I wish).
The Synch Super Monkey is a mega fat tyre e-bike for the streets of your city. Its price tag of £1,899.99 is by no means cheap, but the spec is great value for money. I found myself smiling while riding, as it genuinely brings joy. There’s something about the position and feel of this ride that is incomparable to a traditional bicycle.
People ask me questions about it at traffic lights and everyone seems to be intrigued by it. So this bike might not be for the introverts, but can definitely spark you into a brighter mood.
Synch design and assemble their bikes in the UK from the ground up and even offer a 2 year warranty on their frame and forks. This is a massive peace of mind as getting parts is easy and if anything does go wrong, you’ve got a team of engineers ready to sort you out.
Read more about the Synch Super MonkeyADO Beast 20F | £1,362.00: "It’s in the name."
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Weight: 27.3kg | Folding Bike | Range: 80-120km
Read our full review of the ADO Beast 20F
Next up we’ve got the ADO Beast 20F. ADO are one of my personal favourite brands on the electric bike market. Their product quality far exceeds the price they sell them at. This is supported by the fact that they’ve been our best selling brand on the Electroheads store.
Pros:
- Extremely capable on all terrain.
- Bang for buck. Great components and build quality such as a torque sensor and hydraulic brakes.
- Massive torque figure of 65NM, great for the heavier / taller folk.
- Folds to minimise space consumption indoors / in a car
Cons:
- Hard to pedal if the battery goes flat.
- Heavy for carrying
- Can sometimes rattle in places due to components such as metal mudguards
On paper this bike packs some serious stats. Torque sensor, 120 km range, hydraulic brakes, 0 second motor assistance delay, smart app features with display… the list goes on. But does it live up to the hype? Let's break it down.
First let's talk about price. ADO have exceptionally good value for the quality you get. They make my favourite e-bikes that we have on our store, the Air 20 and Air 28. So what does the Beast have to offer at £1,362? For starters it's a lot of kit for the money. Torque sensors aren’t cheap, nor are hydraulic brakes, but the Beast comes with them as standard. Furthermore I was blown away when I used the navigation feature hidden into the display. What other e-bike does that!?
Riding the beast felt like an event. It’s super responsive to the force of your pedalling. The torque sensor picks up on the load immediately and propels all 27.3kg of the bike, plus you, with ease. I found that using the gears on the Beast was essential. The 7 speed shimano gears are great to flick through for various terrain and inclines. Sadly this does mean that when the battery dies it’s a bit of a slog to pedal without assist, so I don’t recommend running flat on your battery.
In my time here at Electroheads, I’ve found that the Beast is a very popular choice for the taller and weightier men. Thanks to that torquey motor and the bike being a bit of a beast itself in terms of size, it perfectly suits the heavier and taller chaps who want a bike to get around on.
So if you want a fat tyred e-bike that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it with a more traditional setup, the Beast is a no-brainer, so long as you don’t need to carry it anywhere.
And to top things off - the final trick that the Beast has up its sleeve is its ability to fold in half. Great for loading into the boot of a car for some weekend leisure riding or stowing away in a cupboard / somewhere in the corner of a room. I have to say though, this folding feature is not designed to be carried or to be super compact. It’s simply to reduce the amount of space it takes up indoors.
Engwe M20 | From £1,049: "Isn’t that a motorcycle?"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Weight: 43kg - 46kg | Cruiser Bike | Range: 70km
Read our full review of the Engwe M20
I’ve chosen the Engwe M20 because of the value for money factor and the way their bikes make you feel when riding them.
Pros:
- Great value for money
- Massive range on the dual battery version
- Comfortable and smooth ride that gives you confidence
- Awesome design and features
Cons:
- Heavy but if you remove the batteries it becomes 6kg lighter
- Mechanical disk brakes not hydraulic
The Engwe M20 has a wow factor that beats them all. To me, it looks more like a motorcycle than an e-bike. The M20 I rode was a dual battery pack specification, but the single pack offers as much punch, just half the range. The bike gave me so much confidence when riding, mainly because of the fat 20x4 inch tyres coupled with both front and rear suspension.
The beauty of this bike is that it can be specced with a dual battery pack, but the single pack offers as much punch, just half the range.
The suspension felt quite stiff but that worked well combined with the fat tyres. The M20 soaked up all the city roads that I rode on, although at times I wanted the suspension to be a little softer. The seat was very comfortable as it has the perfect width and softness to support you.
The real charm of the M20 lies in its battery configuration. You can opt for a dual battery setup, though the single battery version doesn’t lag behind in performance, just in range. The single battery version comes in at 43 kg and the dual battery version at 46 kg. So I don’t recommend lugging it around too much.
The build quality is great. It feels durable and solid, although some of the components are quite basic, such as the entry level mechanical disk brakes. On the other hand everything else is built from really nice components.
The battery has a USB slot that will act as a power bank for your phone while on the move.
I really like the full throttle handlebar - just like on a motorcycle you twist and go. The monochrome display is super visible, even in direct sunlight. The dual LED headlights are a gorgeous touch that make this e-bike really stand out. Every time I finished my ride I found myself taking a photo of this beauty. It’s hard not to look back at it and admire it. Riding on the streets of London gets a lot of attention, people are curious to know what it is and where they can get one. It’s definitely a conversation starter.
Overall the M20 is a fantastic bike for those that want a stylish and punchy ride and don’t require any cargo space. If you plan on doing long distance riding then the dual battery pack option is the ideal choice.
Engwe Engine X | From £1049
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Weight: 32kg | Folding Bike | Range: 50km
The Engwe Engine X is their latest iteration of this model, based on updates that they implemented from customer feedback. The X is a direct contender with the ADO Beast but at a slightly lower price and with fewer bells and whistles.
Pros:
- Great value for money
- Folding functionality allows for a variety of use cases
- Well cushioned with multiple points of suspension
- Easy to ride thanks to large fat tyres
- Narrow handlebars (good for weaving through traffic)
- Very capable on all terrain
Cons:
- Heavy bike and not ideal for carrying
- Quite basic components such as mechanical brakes and entry level gears
Unlike the ADO Beast, the X has both front and rear suspension, which I really liked. Coupled with the fat tyres this bike felt like a cloud. But where the X comes up slightly short is that its disc brakes are mechanical instead of hydraulic. On a bike this heavy, hydraulic would be better.
It also has a cadence sensor instead of a torque sensor. All the expensive stuff has basically been downgraded to accommodate for a lower price point. This does not however make the Engine X any less competent. It's simply a different feel. So if you fancy getting something closer to the £1k mark then this might be the solution.
The motor has decent torque and acceleration. The electronically controlled pedal assistance support is fairly responsive however as there is no torque sensor the controller will always supply the maximum available power.
The 7 gear shimano shifter is the cheapest one that is on the market. Consequently it was quite loud. The battery capacity is decent at 624 Wh, which gave me about 30 km with maximum assist. But in lower modes this can go as high as 50 km.
The main drawback of the X is the weight at 32 kg. So if you’re planning on getting jacked then this might be a good alternative to going to the gym. The weight comes from the cheaper components which are quite weighty.
Overall the Engine X felt a little fairly nimble thanks to the crank and the seat position being slightly lower. I preferred the ergonomics of the X over the beast. The Engine X folds in half neatly, the handlebars drop down and it significantly reduces in size. Perfect for chucking in the boot of your car and going to the countryside or storing in a cupboard. It can sometimes be a little bit of a process to fold due to its overall chunkiness.
Cyrusher Trax | From £2,799.00: "I feel like a famous influencer on it"
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Weight: 32kg | Folding Bike | Range: 50km
Read our full review of the Cyrusher Trax
This is a hybrid all terrain electric bike and I absolutely love it. The Trax is an absolute monster of a bike with both the battery capacity, motor and all its other components. It has one heck of a presence wherever you ride and is undoubtedly the perfect all terrain e-bike, particularly for the heavier and taller folk.
As soon as I jumped on the bike I was immediately greeted by a high quality large display. I’m not used to seeing such high end displays on e-bikes. The bike feels large, capable and exciting before you even get pedalling.
Starting with the ride, the torque sensor and powerful 750w Bafang motor (250w versions are available for legal riding in the UK and EU) offers a very smooth and enjoyable experience. It gave me a huge amount of confidence off road. With dual suspension and large Kenda 26" x 4" tyres you literally glide over pretty much anything you throw at it.
At 40 Kg - the bike is heavy but once you get going it’s ergonomics feel well balanced and solid on the road. Its 52V 20ah LG battery is high quality and has a claimed range of 56 miles, though in reality that number will be closer to 30.
My background is in enduro racing, and the Cyrusher Trax reminded me of those days thanks to its setup of high quality components such as the LED headlight, Shimano 9 gear rear derailleur, hydraulic Logan brakes, torque sensor, Air suspension on the rear and adjustable forks on the front. The suspension is fully adjustable giving owners the opportunity to set up the bike to their needs.
Comparison table
How we test
Our expert testers ride all the electric bikes we review, and we assess them against a range of criteria on road, off-road and in our testing rooms. We check the components' quality and ride the bikes on a range of different terrains and distances. We've ridden hundreds of bikes in total (and an equal number of electric scooters).
For more fat-tyre ebikes, see our full list, plus all the adult electric bikes we sell. If you want off-road, see our guide to the best electric mountain bikes, plus all the mountain ebikes we sell. We also cater for those just looking for cheap electric bikes. If you want a bike that's lighter or easier to get on and off in dresses or skirts, see our guide to the best electric bikes for women.
Fact check: Price and avaialbility all updated on January 29, 2024.
