So is it really necessary? Front suspension on a already supple fat bike. Yes that right. As most say the fat tires help absorb most the vibrations and bumps on the trail. It is more common to ride a fully rigid fat bike. But there are some out there who are convinced that a fat bike with front suspension or even a full suspension fat bike is the answer.
So in this article we are going to dive into this and see what is best. One first inspection on the idea it makes no sense to get front suspension on your fat bike or even consider a full suspension fat bike. But they have there place and purpose.
Do you need front suspension on a fat bike?
First you need to understand what you are going to use your fat bike for the most. If you plan to ride only sand, snow, or climbs there is no need. But if you plan to ride downhill if there are drops then, yes potentially. As fat bikes are mainly designed for snow and sand, suspension is only really needed for special reasons.
However in theory it is nice to have a front fork that can take some big hits. Again the fat tires usually do well enough for this. But if you have good bike handling skills then you can get away with rigid. At the end of the day it really comes down to what you prefer.
If you start to use your rigid fat bike for more typical mountain bike riding then it can get a little rough. The more I think about it. If you are really considering full suspension, there has to be a reason for it right? So why not just have the best of both worlds? You could essentially lock it out for winter and beach days. Then you still have that versatility to shred it on the trails. Also with a suspension fork it makes fat bikes roll much nicer when cross country riding.
You may want to consider other alternative methods for reducing vibrations, then just a suspension fork. My fat biking mate, Mark, shoutout to him and his site Solo Bikepacker. He has a full carbon fat bike rig. Which is also worth mentioning that from his experience pretty much doesn’t require a front suspension fork. He only experienced a few times when the ride was a bit hard on his joints. His solution? A suspension stem. He uses the Redshift Shockstop Suspension Stem which dampened the rest of the vibrations he was experiencing.
So it seems if you get a full carbon fat bike this is pretty much enough to dampen vibration enough. If you have a steel or alloy then a suspension fork might be worth looking into. Especially if you plan to shred those trials.
Also it might be worth looking into suspension seatposts for that little extra supple ride feel.
Fat Bike Suspension Forks
There are a few different fat bike suspension forks on the market. The three listed below are without a doubt the best options available for your fat bike conversion.
Lauf Carbonara Fat Bike Suspension Fork
Designed to maintain the lightness and reliability of rigid forks. This fat bike suspension fork is completely maintenance free. But however there is no option to change the ride function of the fork. It even offers absorption for small bumps that comparable suspension forks struggle to do.
The 26″ fat / 29″+ Lauf Carbonara is designed for fatbikes with a 15 x 150 mm thru axle and tapered head tube. The fork length measures 495 mm, which makes it fit perfectly to fat bike frames. The rake is 51 mm for the perfect balance of agile handling and great stability.
Also the Lauf forks don’t really care about temperatures or any other environmental conditions. Which is great if you are expecting to use this for extreme temperature in chilly snow. Made from a full composite / carbon and has a rider limit of up to 120 kg (265 lbs). Priced at $990.00
Wren Sports Inverted Fat Bike Suspension
The Wren Sports Inverted Fat Bike Fork is a more budget friendly options. But it does weigh more than the Lauf. So how does the inverter design work? So the lighter stanchions are on the bottom, reducing the mass of the moving part of the fork so that it will react quicker and easier to the trail. While also anchors the stanchions into the stronger, larger upper tubes and crown making the overall chassis much stronger and stiffer. It also features the The Wren TwinAir System which is designed to fine tune the ride of the fork using only your air pump. The floating piston in the TwinAir system can be moved as little or as much as you want.
Comes in the option for 110 mm travel or 150 mm travel forks. Starting price at $699.99
Rockshox Bluto RL Fat Bike Suspension
Lastly is the Rockshox Bluto fork. This is recommended by a number of fat bikers. But is a tough call when stacked up against these previous two forks. It features the Proven Motion Control damper featuring low speed compression adjust to lockout with external rebound adjust. It has also been engineered specifically for fat bikes with its crown, arch, and axle optimized to tackle the increased torsional loads of its wide stance. Seals and grease rated for low temperatures maintaining consistent performance in all conditions. Which is what you want if you plan to hit the snowy conditions. It is a fairly lightweight design weighing 1800 grams. Priced at $645.00
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