Fat bikes are an excellent fun, capable and rugged alternative to the more regular mountain bikes to found in our sheds, yet for everyday riding they may not be the format for everyone - instead being kept for specific duties a few times a season. In that case, or even if you are just new to the fat biking game and want to dip your toe without too much financial commitment, Specialized have come up with a low cost option to get your foot on the fat ladder.
The Fatboy SE is the bottom of the Fatboy range, coming with an M4 alloy frame as opposed to the rest of the range's carbon tubes. This keeps that keen £1000 price tag under control however, so we aren't complaining one bit - and besides, it is actually very good indeed.
Even coming in at the shallow end of the pool, as it were, Specialized have shod the Fatboy SE with deep-end 4.6" Ground Controls, a wickedly fat and bouncy tyre for the most challenging of terrain. We have thoroughly enjoyed the flow they allow over just about any terrain, from staccato roots to Highland rock gardens, over which they just deform, squidge and pass without any problem. Wide mud baths are also rolled with ease where narrower tyres fudge up and stall all around us.
The SRAM X5 drivetrain is a victim of the budget cuts, being at the low end of the scale, but it has functioned without fault through the test period. Also not entirely ideal are the quick release hubs which are significantly less beefy than we would prefer for this size and bulk of bike.
The Fatboy SE is an excellent starter fatty for those wanting to see if the format agrees with their riding style and terrain. For £1000 you can give it a go, upgrading parts or even the whole bike at a later date. Equally it is superb for the occasional user who doesn't want to commit to a big budget machine. Beware though, once you have got this bike, the fat could take over.
