Fat Bike trend Dead? Walmart sells 'Beast' bike for $199

One one hand, I understand the sentiment. However, I also get a kick out of the idea that if a more accessible version of X trend becomes available, it’s automatically sounds a death kneel for said trend – what exactly is dead? Granted, I can’t say anything for the quality of this bike, but, a proper fat bike that comes in WELL under $1000 would be nice to see. Instead of automatically dubbing this a bad omen, why don’t we say “gauntlet thrown” instead?

Once they settle on a standard size (and this bicycle might do it), the manufacturers should be able to ramp up production numbers and bring the costs down.

This bike comes with complimentary boogers wiped in various places from the Chinese kids who welded it and the Walmart kids who put it together at the store. Enjoy!

$199 bike + $1000 emergency room visit for when it breaks on you and you smash your face into the ground = what could have been a GOOD fat bike.

The goose is loose!

“gauntlet thrown” – agree.

Honestly, if the wheels/tires are worth two darns (can manage <= 10 PSI and tolerate a few kuhbumps here and there), this is probably the fatbike that Most fatbike owners would find Totally adequate.

Excited to see some sort of riverbottoms report of this bike ;)

I’m all for it. I’m fine with somebody being willing to spend two grand on a bike, but the cost of a “real bike” is prohibitive to a lot of people and makes going out and enjoying nature on a bike or hiking seem out of reach to many.

Yeah, I’m not worried about it. I’ll enjoy my 29lb fat bike with super smooth shifting, braking, and ass-soft 120tpi tires… they can enjoy hauling around a 40+ pound hunk of steel with slippery tires and brakes that don’t work. Also, most of these people will quickly realize how much work it is to ride on snow… or they will freeze from improper dressing, and again, end up in the ER.

It’s a beach cruiser and there’s nothing wrong with that. Granted it is pretty cheap so I’m sure the components are quite poor. But for folks cruising a boardwalk or maybe…maybe…sandy beaches, why not? But personally I wouldn’t call it a proper fatbike anymore than I’d call a 26”-wheeled beach cruiser a mountain bike. Folks that buy this for the right reason may or may not be disappointed. Folks that buy it thinking of doing what modern fatbikes excel at will be thoroughly disappointed.

This looks like an excellent bike to use as a townie. Get a workout going to and swerving home from bars!

I don’t know allot about this “Real Fat Bike” thing. My best friend is one of those guys that can justify spending thousands on a bicycle but not me. Hence we never rode together because I couldn’t justify the cost. To get into a sport the vast majority of the world needs equipment to be attainable price wise. If you want to keep out others I understand but when you get passed by the 16 year old, who’s owning you on the trail with his $200 Mongoose you might reconsider the money spent. On another note, the teenager and the less fortunate rider won’t mind the extra 20lbs and won’t be upset about not spending the additional $800. They wouldn’t be out there at all otherwise. The more people we have joining us out on the trail the easier it will be in the long run to get people to help us keep them open. I contend that not only is the “gauntlet thrown”, it’s also could be a serious help to those of us who want to keep the open space accessible, as more people begin to participate they are more likely to care if our access to said land is revoked and help us protect it. My 2 cents!

I turn my nose up at almost nothing. There is a market for this bike, and I think its awesome. The market is, me. Specifically, my 7 year old boy who is jealouse of my pug, but daddys not spending 1800 on you when your favorite past time is ghost riding your bike into parked cars. This is a shoe-in to plump tires, and if it sticks with the youngin, then we can talk later when he shows he can take care of something expensive. aka, no more ghost riding.

I have a less than two thousand dollar fatbike, it’s called a Sun Spyder. I got it for 650 since it was the floor model and ride tester.

I get mine on Tuesday. I will report back with my impressions.

I am planning on rebuilding the back wheel with a multi-speed internally-geared hub. As well as adding a disc brake set up on the front; welding the mounts on the fork should be relatively straight-forward because it’s steel. Rebuilding the wheels and modifying the fork will likely cost as much as the basic bike — so what? It will still be under $400. Plus another hun to powder coat it.

After that I’m taking it on the trail no matter what it weighs. I know — I’ll put helium gas in the tires; it’ll be lighter then!

Good luck with that Dan, but there’s a good chance the rear hub spacing is some cheapo non-standard size. IMO, these are the type of bikes that get people turned off from riding. They try to go out riding because they’ve heard how cool it is. But on a heavy POS bike like this or any other wal-mart special, it’s not really that much fun, plus add in the frustration of gears that don’t shift, and brakes that don’t really work, and it ends up sitting in the garage for five years till they finally sell it on craigslist for $50. I don’t think bikes like this help the sport at all. It’s just a costly detour before someone gets a capable bike, if they ever end up making it to that point before they give up and plop their butt back down on the couch.

Rear hub is 170mm: http://rideonpurpose.blogspot.com/2013/03/90-of-fun-at-10-of-cost-mongoose-beast.html

HAHA,thats awesome,“bicycle snobs” is a real thing,that is awesomely pathetic! “hey Chadwick,do you have any GREY POUPON?,,,,hahahhaha,come on whats with the nerd reviews?

Go back to reading about mens outdoor boxers or something, Dan. These reviews actually contain information.

A FatBike for 200bucks! If anybody passes me on the trail on this bike I’m going to kill them.

Kudos Dan! I was thinking the same thing, see what kind of mods can be done/$. Please report on your progress!

I do see both sides of this discussion. However, I will add that I have ridden heavy, poorly tuned, $200-300 26” mtb on trails (when out of town) and still had a blast. If the quality of this bike turns someone off from mtbing, I suspect they wouldn’t have lasted much longer on a good bike.

That being said, there’s no question a better bike makes for a more entertaining ride, but it took me years of riding $600 bikes to get me frustrated enough with the quality and weight to move up to the $2000+ bike.

IMHO, if someone rides this cheap fatbike enough to become frustrated with it, we’ve already got them hooked on the sport.

How about adding a Grube Skyhawk bike kit to it?

20 hours of ride time I give these abominations before: a) They fall apart or rust from beach cruising; b) The 40+ pound weight, no gearing, and huge rolling resistance the fat tires provide will make even a die-hard cry for mercy; c) you find your friends not wanting to ride with you because of point b – your too damn slow! Save your money and get a real bike.

I thought GJ said they bought one of these.. where is the review? All I see is a bunch of information I could have found on Walmarts website…

How would this bike compair to a Gravity 29r single speed for $300.00

UPDATE: See our review of the Mongoose Beast bike here – http://gearjunkie.com/walmart-fatbike

This guy goes to Walmart and buys a Mongoose Beast fat bike for $199. (He leaves the new bike price tag on the front.)
He then enters all the cycling events at The Sea Otter Classic and smokes a lot of other elite riders in proper gear and high end bikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Dq0-drRmvNM#!

I have had mine for a month. Its seen about 20 hours of hard trail time, one 3 hr road ride and more then a few test rides from my riding freinds. Not one thing broken yet, i guessing its because i ride it like its a 200$ bike i got at walmart. Im sure if i wanted to proove it was junk i could break/bend every peice on it in one ride. But then i wouldn’t have the worlds coolest 200$ bike anymore.

i see mainly elitist cunts in the negative here.

anybody that can justify paying 1500 dollars for a “minimally safe” pedal bike is beyond my capacity to comprehend. same with motorcycles. some reason and logic would go a long way towards keeping prices reasonable.

its only because people are stupid enough to pay so much to make them feel somehow superior that others suffer with junk. of course easy money has that effect.

maybe if i had 12000 dollars to toss at 6 pedal bikes so me and my kids could safely and adequately cruise the hills at a whim i would feel it was worthy. i love the video of the 200 dollar junk walmart bike competing. must be a fluke i am sure.

well i am off to drink tea with mumsy out on the veranda.