Studs VS Fat Tire | MTB 

stud the fat tires

I run studded 4.6 CAKE EATERS - Grips everything - running 5 - 6 psi. 90% of fat bikes here in Minnesota have studded tires.

Yeah North country, went out yesterday evening for a ride in typical Northeast Ny conditions (ice patches --frozen slush and ice crags) and was happy that I had Arisun Sharktooth studded tires on my Vinson fatbike. Was able to get in a nice fast paced ride thanks to studs...really necessary equipment up here.

Totally didn't expect that fat bike would be worse!

This is basically a mud ride, fat bikes have always been terrible in mud.

The correct comparison should have been with both tires being studded... However, price of fat studded tires would be a big factor....

I'm using the 45NRTH Kahva 2.2 in the front and Schwalbe Ice Spiker 2.2 in the back. Great setup.

a do it yourself stud job is a cheaper alternative then spending the coin on a fat bike! it does pretty well!

I ran a DHR/DHF combo on my bike this winter and it worked pretty well. I struggled on climbs were the snow would bog down the front, and spin out the rear. We never had more than 4-6 inches, and if it got deeper I was walking. I was quite amazed at how well this worked even on patches ice. I just had to run 4-6 psi lower than usual (24-26psi).

I am gonna go with studs on my 29er this winter. I had a Mongoose fat tire bike last winter, and as much as I upgraded everything, it was still a freaking tank! I sold it and am using the $ to buy some studded tires for my Kona Lava Dome. Once ya ride a 29er, it's really hard to go back to anything else lol.

We had foot or so of light snow on bare ground . I went biking on this trail and soon passed two younger healthier riders on fat bikes . They were obviously having a difficult time in the snow . I had inch and a quarter wide tires . The only explanation I could think was that under some snowy conditions narrower tires slice through the snow and fatter tires have to ride over the snow which requires more effort .

Good video. I run Jumbo jim's 3 seasons. Running the front 2 - 4 psi the grip is good in mud because the JJ's have huge knobs on the sides. Its not till the pressure is really low that the side knobs engage most of the time. Now its winter here in the UK so mud is everywhere. On the front i run a 27.5 x 4.5 Bontrager Gnarwhal. Its a very aggressive tyre @ 2 - 4 PSI, the grip is HUGE. On the rear i don't mind the rear sliding a bit. Been using a JJ around 4 - 8 psi. They grip ok. I sometimes use a 27.5 x 3.25 Duro Crux on the rear which has huge knobs. About to get a 45NRTH Vanhelga 27.5 x 4.0 for the rear. Aggressive knobbed tyre. Should be great for the UK mudfest.

Moisture content in the snow is a huge factor.. I'm learning this curve..

The Shwalbe Magic Mary and Hans Dampf tire combo does a solid job in the snow, but I wouldn't say that's their place. They slide around a lot, but as long as you're manhandling the bike a bit, then you can still ride at a good pace. The tires manage to move under you a fair bit while still feeling controlled. I found that in ice, snow, and mud, the tires did a great job of in a way telling you their limits. I know that sounds funny, but you can easily determine where they will grip, and where they will slide. They're quite predictable. I'd definitely go with studded tires for winter... but if you're looking at tires for the whole year then they're a solid option. What I may recommend ahead of them are aggressive mud tires. These, however, won't feel as good for other seasons, especially in the dry or hard-packed. I hope this answered your questions! I'm happy to help more if I can.

That is some very thin snow, it looks like an early spring ride after the snow melted. I would love to see the same test on a snowmobile trail or in some winter snow conditions, or on an ice lake. Maybe different tires would win in differnt winter conditions.

First of all the jumbo Jim's suck, also not enough snow duh! Otherwise the fatbike blows away a regular bike, so it's a stupid test.

that's what it was, thinner tires cut through to the dirt and the studs dug into the earth. opposed to the fat balloon tires floating on the snow with minimal traction. hands down mountain bike studded tires are victorious.

The jumbo Jim is not a real grippy fat bike tire. Should compare to a more aggressive tire

Thanks for this! Gave me so much insight.

The fat bike in your review has the worse winer tire ! Also try riding in the snow, not the snow dust in your review . We been down trails packed few feet deep that skiers use and the guy that rides 2" tire puts a groove digging in 🤷🏼‍♂️

The only place where fat bike Will excel is on groomed snow trails which they were designed for.

just bought the schwalbe ice spiker pro tires 4 next winter lol

Fat bikes in snow- tire pressure, tire pressure, ...tire pressure. My Growler with 4.8 minions and grip studs will "shred" right past that ghetto stud stumpy.

Great test. Keep the videos coming.. Be blessed

Try studding fat tires?

put studded tires on the fat bike, simple!

Im running Studded 4.50 Cake Eaters on my Fat Bike this comming winter ! The Winter Is Mine !, Mine ! all Mine !!! LolOLOOlolol

luther forest?

Great test and results!

I live in Norway, so I have to use studded tyres in the winter, because of the ice,it's impossible to ride without full studded tyres, you cant stay on the bike for even 1 second. but even so in deep wet high snow,on uneven surface(ice) I fishtail, no matter what I do. I tried steep climbs I could not climb up I got stuck, if the snow is like glue then its impossible no matter the tyre. but on frozen snow I can ride with normal tyres, because the frozen snow is so rough. Spinning or fishtailing depends a lot on how the snow is, if its snow ball wet snow, then you will fishtail. I have not tested a fat bike in winter conditions.

are you able to repeat the test with winter fatbike tyres? i see they are jumbo jims 4.8 on the fatbike. they are fast rolling fatbike tyres for dry summet conditions and abslutely nothing else. even in wet mud they dont grip but they really are not designed for anything but fast dry conditions!

Chains work great lol

Uh...no duh the spike tires will perform better.

What’s your opinion on 4.8 vs 5 inch fat bike tires?

You compared a full-sus with a no-sus! Your conclusion is not valid!

a very good test.👍 thank you

what is this an ad for cheap bikes?

This is a foolish video ! The only way to make a fair comparison is to stud both bikes and then you will find that the fat bikers study tires will far exceed and excel beyond this in tires all day long every day forever and forever you are obviously an anti-fat bike rider. This was like comparing a very fit in shape person to a very fat out of shape person to see who is the better more fit rider. Total foolishness.

Like kgwap ski said, stud the fatbike tire... this was a complete waste of the few minutes I could have had back in my life for something more useful. Next time do a proper comparison, non fat tire no studs vs fat tire no studs, the one with both tires with studs. Then we”ll see which comes out on top. And before responses come in. I own both a full suspension down hill. And front suspension fat bike.so not biased towards one or the other... just needed to clarify that.