We've covered plenty of folding electric bikes and a few electric fat bikes. What we haven't previously seen is a folding electric bike with fat tires. The Fat Bad from Italy's Bad Bike launches with claims of being the world's first. Its thick, knobby tires are secured to a folding frame and powered by up to 500 watts of pedal assist.
We're not sure about you, but we think "folding," "electric" and "fat" are just too many adjectives for any one bike. It seems like those big, burly tires will get in the way of your compact, folding bike. We also wonder if the 20-in folding-bike sizing of those tires will cut into the performance of the fat tire, which is usually mountain bike-sized.
We won't knock it, though, because there are probably more than a few commuters out there that have to ride through snow and muck in winter, want to store or transport their bikes in a small space, and want to have an electric motor helping them climb hills and pedal farther. So why not a folding, electric fat bike?
The Fat Bad comes in 36V/250-watt and 48V/500-watt levels. The 250-watt drive is wired to a 10-Ah lithium-polymer battery pack mounted vertically behind the seat post. That battery helps you roll the 4-inch-wide tires forward for between 31 and 43 miles (55 and 70 km). After that, it takes four to five hours to charge back up. Motor output is adjusted via a three-speed controller, and a battery life indicator lets you know how much juice is left.
Beyond that, the Fat Bad is your basic small folder. The 25-kg (55-lb/with battery) bike features an aluminum alloy frame, hydraulic disc brakes, a 7-speed Shimano Altus drivetrain and reinforced aluminum rims. Options include mud guards, and front and rear LED lighting.
Bad Bike doesn't show any photos of the Fat Bad folded up, but a quick scan of the photos it has supplied tells us that the bike folds in half via a hinge on the main central tube, and the handlebars fold down.
The Fat Bad is available for preorder via Bad Bike's online shop. The 250-watt base model is listed at €1,598 (about US$1,775) and requires a €298 deposit. The 500-watt Fat Bad R comes in at €1,998 ($2,220) and involves a €348 deposit.
Bad Bike will be showing the Fat Bad at Eurobike 2015 at the end of the month, where it will also show a fat-tired version of the cool, little Beach Vintage Side, a beach cruisin' e-bike with side car (original, non-fat Beach Vintage Side pictured above).
Source: Bad Bike
