As a hunter, you can attest to the physically demanding nature of the lifestyle. For a long time, ATVs and UTVs were the way around those long treks to the deer blind or trail cams.
The primary issues with those avenues of transportation are the sounds scaring off the animals, and the smell is enough to keep your prized game gone. Electric bikes are an obvious solution to those issues.Â
The thing about electric bikes is that they are quite an investment. Just with any other piece of hunting gear, you need to know everything you can before buying to ensure it truly matches your demands.Â
And just like any other mode of transportation, the tires are a defining factor in performance. That’s why we’re here to talk about what makes fat tire electric bikes the only choice for hunters.
In short, hunters don’t just want fat tire electric bikes. They need them. There’s simply no other platform that can contend with it out in the wild. It’s going to take more than a broad-stroke statement like that to convince you, though.
This is why you’ll want to take a look at our top six reasons why a fat tire an essential trait of any bike used for hunting.
Fat tires were originally introduced to trek over snow in the tundra. As time passed, the already exceptional ability to handle loose terrain has been enhanced, making it possible for the tires to easily maneuver through mud, gravel, dirt, fallen brush, and more.Â
The ability to travel seamlessly over any terrain that stands between you and your stand already makes them a far better choice than any alternative. Not only that, but manufacturers ensure the tires on hunting bikes are puncture-resistant, meaning you aren’t likely to get a flat tire while you travel through the woods.Â
Riding on fat tires isn’t effortless as it does take more work to pedal. Even so, fat tire bikes are generally easier to ride because they are effortless to balance. This is because the widened contact patch offers far better stability which will make a major difference when you’re carrying gear for miles through the woods.Â
A factor that makes fat e-bike tires offer superior off-road performance is buoyancy. This allows the tire to stay on top of mud better than thin bike tires, which helps to keep you steady as you traverse. Since safety is a number one concern for hunters, this is hard to overlook.Â
Again, fat tires have the ability to handle various conditions. While that does make it easy to travel to your stand any time of the year, that can also allow you to use the bike for hunting in multiple states where temperature ranges may differ—so long as state laws permit it.Â
The high-capacity, low-pressure conditions of e-bike tires offer many advantages, including improved comfort. In addition, these tire settings help them to work as shock absorbers. The addition of advanced suspension systems that are typical of these bikes works to virtually eliminate discomfort and strain on your joints. Â
This might ultimately mean you get to enjoy the great outdoors for a greater portion of your life. This aspect is actually to thank for keeping many older hunters doing what they love when they cannot move through the woods as well as they once could.Â
You might believe that e-bikes create more noise than other models due to the larger tires, but they don’t. It’s actually quite the opposite when you select a fat tire e-bike designed specifically for hunting.Â
These bikes are much quieter than footsteps, and because the wildlife isn’t familiar with the kind of noise it makes, you can sneak by much easier than you’d think. In fact, hunters from all over rave about their ability to pass by wildlife unnoticed when riding fat tire e-bikes.Â
Before jumping on the first e-bike with fat tires you see, you should know that not all are the same. Each model is built to match the needs of different hunters, which means more than simply looking for wide tires.Â
That said, different hunters want different things. This is why we encourage you to read our review of what we consider to be the top 11 e-bikes for hunting in 2021.
However, we have taken the liberty to provide you with a few of the bikes on that list below:Â
Most fat tire e-bikes are capable of reaching 20 mph without pedal assist. While impressive, there are those that desire more, and there are models on the market capable of hitting 50 mph. However, models designed for all-out speed aren’t always the best choice for hunting.Â
We highly recommend the Storm by Bakcou to hunters needing something able to travel through the wilderness quickly.Â
The Storm is outfitted with a fat tire, 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes, a full suspension system, and a rear rack for your gear. It has everything the Mule has to offer, only more, making it one of the premier choices on the market for hunters.Â
Something both models share is the optional 1,000-watt motor over the 750-watt model. With the bigger motor, the bike can easily hit top speeds of 35 mph without pedal assist. As far as we’re concerned, that’s more than enough for hunters traveling on and off the trail.Â
By default, fat tire electric bikes offer better off-road performance, comfort, and balance than their counterparts, making them an ideal choice for outdoorsmen.
Manufacturers know this and capitalize by offering models with features that make them even more desirable to those who spend every moment they can out in the woods.
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Brenen Helgesen
August 07, 2021
Great article! But one point of note: In Colorado (I can’t speak for other states) a 750W eBike is considered a bicycle. It does not need to be registered as an OHV, can legally be ridden on any trial/area that allows bicycles, and has no specific regulations around transporting a bow or rifle. i.e. rifle/bow can be uncased and slung over your back or attached to a handlebar rack, rear rack, or trailer. A 1000W eBike, however, IS considered an OHV and has all the same restrictions as an OHV/ATV. That is, it DOES need the OHV registration, can only be legally ridden on trails that allow motorized vehicles, and rifles/bows must be fully unloaded (including the magazine) and fully enclosed in a soft or hard case even on a trailer. I have verified this with the Colorado Dept of Parks and Wildlife. A 1000W eBike in Colorado may or may not be the best choice for you given the additional restrictions, especially if you are trying to get away from the ATV crowd.