Fat bikes are the ultimate bikepacking or touring bike for those hard to get to places. I am personally looking at something like the Surly Big Fat Dummy for a fat bike. Now this bike does come with a cargo rear rack as this bike has a very long tail. But there are other fat bikes on the market which don’t come stock with a rear rack. And simply because the clearance of a fat tire is so much larger then normal touring bikes permit. A specific rack is then needed for these fat bikes. This is where I come in and provide you with all the information and best rear rack for your fat bike.
If you plan to bikepack on a fat bike then you will have to trow the idea of weight out the window. Rear racks can be effect when you are “fatpacking”. Rear racks can be super useful, and there are a number of bikepacking panniers or micro panniers on the market which are lightweight compared to some touring options and offer adequate storage options for your gear.
Choosing A Fat Bike Rear Rack
So hopefully by the end of this article you will have a much better idea when selecting a rear rack for your fat bike. Lets dive into some of the things to consider before purchasing and what some of your rack options are.
How Much Gear Are You Taking?
First you need to determine how much gear in total you plan to cart on your fat bike. If you are minimal like my setup you could get by with a bikepacking bag setup. With bags attached directly to the bike. But then again you did search for fat bike rear racks so I am guessing you are interested in some. Although rear racks are not ideal when it comes to single track. A fat bike is the type of bike that just works well at hauling heaver loads and a rear rack is a better idea.
Does Weight Really Matter?
Generally, for adventure cycling a fat bike is used for such remote routes that require multiple days of gear to be carried on your bike to sustain travel in some of the most remote places on earth. Places like the Canning Stock Route in Australia’s outback (number 5 on the list in the linked page). It is one of such places that would be the ideal play ground for a fat bike. Remote and sandy roads that would swallow your average gravel bike whole.
The question that then could be asked is weight really that important. Some bikepacking enthusiasts like to pack as light as possible and the end result being a lightweight bikepacking setup for speed over the long haul. However, fat bikes are just not that fast, and if you are riding in deep sand on challenging routes. It is going to be slow going regardless. For example a bike like the Surly Pugsley which is classified as the “ultimate expedition bike tailored for off-road touring and exploration”. This bike weighs in at 33.8 pounds or 15.33 kg. Compared to something like a my Kona Sutra LTD at about 10kg that is quiet a difference. So the idea of weight saving for fat biking should be less of a priority, due to the nature of the bike as a default weight more. This opens up a opportunity for the use of panniers and racks for remote expeditions.
One of the things that weighs down such a fat bike is the tires. Just by nature the tires are rather heavy. The tire on the Pugsley for example the Surly Edna tires weighs 1.3kg. More weight on a fat bike can add more traction to your ride if you are exploring snowy routes, having weight at the rear in the form of a fat bike rear rack and panniers can help. Overall a rear rack and pannier setup just offers more storage options and the ability strap things on top of the rack and just generally store more gear then a rear saddle bag.
When choosing a fat tire bike rear rack there are some things to consider that may impact the way a rack fits on your fat bike. It is recommended to test out racks to see what best fits your bike. But we will try our best to help you make sure the racks included below will fit your fat bike.
Wheel Size
Fat bikes come in a range of different wheel sizes. Which means not all fat bike racks will fit all fat bikes. The great thing is of you read the racks product description it will indicate weather the rack will fit certain sized tires. Then you will be able to see if the rack will have the vertical and horizontal clearance for your larger than an average one. You will also find that some rack models like the Blackburn rack offer a adjustability to fit a wide range of wheel sizes.
Rear Dropout Spacing and Mounting Options
Making sure that you figure out where the bottom attachment of the rack will be mounted on your bike is most important as this is where most of the weight will be supported by the rack. The rear dropout spacing determines the width of this attachment. Some racks can be mounted with thru axle mounting. Some other racks will mount onto your fat bike with braze-ons onto the frame of the bike and if your bike lacks the eyelets there is also ways around this with seat stay clamps.
Purpose Of Rack & Weight Limits
Before the head out and get a fat bike rack there are a couple last things you need to consider. What is your intended purpose for using a rear rack on your fat bike? If you are planning some really tough and physically demanding adventures, not only on your body but the abuse your bike will go through. Then the material of the rack will matter and you might want to consider something made out of steel compared to aluminium. How much gear? Is another thing to get right, you don’t want to buy a rack that does not stand up to the amount of gear you plan on taking. Make sure that the eight capacity for the rack is suited. Compatibility with rack and pannier is also something else to keep in mind. Most modern panniers work with most rear rack systems. But making sure that the top and bottom attachment points on the panniers line up with the rack is always a great idea to get right. And adjustable rack would be your best bet is this is something you are a little concerned about. Otherwise make sure that if you opt for a particular design on a more simple rack system to consider if your panniers will mount perfectly.
Looking For Front Racks For Your Fat Bike?
Best Rear Racks For Fat Bikes
So what you have been waiting for here our the most popular fat bike rear rack options on the market. They are in no particular order but we will go into the spec and details to help you better understand which rack will be best for your situation.
Blackburn Fat Bike Rack
The Blackburn Outpost fat bike rear rack which can also be used as a front rack is probable Blackburns most versatile rack. You get up to 3″ of width adjustability and height adjustability. Their adjustable width design allows this rack to fit fat and most tire sizes, hub and tire widths without any trouble. So you will be able to fit tires sizes that are 26″, 650B, 700c, 27.5″ and 29″ with widths from 23C up to 3″. It fits tires sizes from 26″ X 1″ UP TO 29″X 4″.
The rack is also disc brake compatible. Sometimes disc brakes can get in the way of rack installation but this will not be an issue with this rack. This rack is made from aluminium which is something to consider, still a strong material but maybe not as much as steel would be. But this does cut some weight at 1110 grams. You also get the option of lower mounting on frame eyelets or through axle quick release which is included. You multiple mounting options for this rack with upper mounting to frame braze-ons, brake boss, or seat stay clamps which are also included. And finally the weight capacity comes in at 70 pounds or 31.8 kg. Priced at 97.50 at JensonUSA.com
Some things worth mentioning about this rack is some people who used this rack mentioned that the aluminium bolts provided are not the strongest and ended up stripping by the time they were screwed in. “The resistance was so high, that I stripped out the 4mm hex head of the bolt before the bolt was all the way in”. It is recommended if you have any trouble to switch these bolts out for stainless steel bolts.
Another small issue with rack system is the support strut attachment bracket on the rack has a hex head set screw that sticks out from the face of the bracket. And some owners mentioned that this protruding screw wore a hole in their panniers. The issue can be resolved by gluing a washer on the strut bracket to recess the screw head. Or use something else to cover the protruding screw to soften the contact point on the back of your panniers.
Topeak Uni Super Tourist Fat
A fat bike rear rack that is designed exclusively for Fat Bikes with disc brakes. You can expect this rack to fit 24” & 26” Wheel Fat Bikes. Build froms a aluminum tubular design, it is a one size fits all solution. It features adjustable rack legs, which adjust horizontally and vertically. The integrated side bar provides a lower pannier attachment point allowing more space for cargo on top of the rack. The MTX QuickTrack™ plate is compatible with any Topeak MTX TrunkBag, MTX rear basket, and most other rack packs and panniers on the market.
It is important to note that this rack has some limitations and is not compatible with asymmetric rearstay design fat bike frames. The maximum weight capacity is 26 kg or 57 pounds. And the weight of the rack comes in at 1265 grams or 2.79 pounds. Price of the rack is $86.18 on Amazon.
The rack installs rather quick and easy with only 4 screws and is very secure for Topeak bags. The rack features a “QuickTrack” system for securing Topeak rack bags. It might be a good idea to add Loctite to the screw as some users have had the screw work themselves out over time. Users have been able to get this rack to fit nicely with 4″ fat tire ebikes, which is awesome!
Tubus Fat Luggage Carrier for Fat bikes
Tubus claim that this rack is compatible with all standard fat bike geometries, which is wonderful to hear. Featuring a cargo area on top and two levels for side panniers, sturdy and solid. The rack is compatible with 26″ and 29″ wheel sizes with tires up to 4.8″ or 120mm. Max capacity is 26 kg or 57.3 pounds. And the rack weighs in at 1240 grams or 2.73 pounds.
This rack is well made like most Tubus racks, they are quality. However, this rack may not fit the way you would like. It has 14mm tubing which will mean you will have to remove the spacers on your Ortlieb hooks and if you don’t have Ortlieb bags, then hope your hooks will fit. Unfortunately one of the downsides to this rack is the way it fits on some fat bikes. If you have seat stay mounted eyelets on your fat bike which most do, this rack will sit way to high and barely clear the seatpost. As a result this can sit the panniers to far forward and ultimately cause issues. A well made product but a poor execution on the design. I would probably pass up this rack, when compared to some of the other options here. Priced at $88.33 on Amazon
Fatback LCG Rack
If you are after a more budget friendly rack option this might be a good choice. LCG stands for Lower Centre of Gravity. This is a lightweight rear rack that was originally designed to help Iditarod winning riders to help them survive the harsh Alaskan extremes. If weight is a issue for you but you still want to ride a fat bike. This rack only weighs 625 grams which is about half the weight as some in this article. The rack offers a low deck height, with about an inch clearance above the rear tire.
The rack has some really great reviews, if you don’t believe me give then a read over at Fat Back bikes. Many are saying that installation was quick, only like 5-10 minutes to get the rack fitted. Also the low profile of the rack is perfect and the way it is secured to the bike. The four securing bolts are solid and it doesn’t move on the bike. One thing worth noting is there is no place to attach the bottom hook of your panniers to the rack. You can still DIY hook it on but it would be better if a hook was included. You can pick this rack up for only $50.00.
Axiom Fatliner Fatbike Rear Rack
Another popular fat bike rear rack on the market is from Axiom. The rack will fit frames with either a 170mm or 190mm rear spacing and is disc brake compatible. It comes with sweep back feet mounts which utilize the bike skewers instead of frame eyelets for a more secure and reliable installation. Max capacity is up to 110 pounds or 49.89 kg. Made from a double hand-welded tubular 6061 T6 aluminum. Maximum wheel size is a 26″ Fat.
The great thing about this rack is it does not require eyelets for mounting. And it is a little lighter then some options at 982 grams. Oh yeah and for price it is rather great value for money. Axiom make some rather good quality gear but they also do very well with pricing to. You get a good balance of price and quality. And it is no difference with this rack. This rack also has over 100 reviews on Amazon, so many happy customers, you have to head over and read what they have to say! For $57.99 you cannot go wrong!
Salsa Alternator Wide Rear Rack
Your best bet is to get this rack if you have a Salsa fat bike as it is best for all Salsa bicycles with 190/197mm, spaced Alternator dropout-equipped frames. With this rack you will also need the Salsa Rack-Lock for frames without upper seatstay mount. Also the deck requires a minimum of 320mm clearance from seatstay mounting points. Made from a Tubular AL-6061-T6 construction. You get a recommended 59.5 pounds or 27 kg maximum load. All mounting kit is included and the rack weighs a total of 765 grams.
The large pannier hook stops make sure your bag fits securely to the rack and extra long support struts to ensure the rack fits securely to your bike. It is the perfect fit for the Salsa Mukluk frame. If you don’t have a Salsa fat bike but still looking for a rack this might be worth passing. But otherwise this rack costs $120 at JensonUSA.com.
Surly Rear Disc Rack
Surly also has their own version of the fat rack. Make sure if you want to order from surly to get the ‘wide’ they also have a standard which fits a max tire size of 29+ when the wide fits up to 26″ Fat. It has a max load capacity of 66 pounds or 29.93 kg. Weighs in at 1699 grams and has a tube diameter of 10mm. This rack is to be used with seatstay-mounted disc brakes and is made from tubular Chromoly steel, so you can expect versatility. Most all other racks mentioned are made from Aluminium, so this is a change!
The rack is hight adjustable and it is designed to keep the center of gravity as low as possible for a stable ride. If you have a Surly Fat Bike then this rack fits the Wednesday and Ice Cream Truck. A bit more costly but you are guaranteed strength with a steel rack and Surly quality, pure and simple! Priced at $160 at JensonUSA.com.
Old Man Mountain Sherpa
If you give OMM a shout they can get you exactly the right mounting hardware for any ride. But the most popular rack used for fat bikes from them is the Sherpa model.
So the Sherpa is designed for bikes with tire width of 3 inches or less. The rack is made from a 6063 welded aluminum with a 13mm tubing and the top railing is 10mm to pit panniers perfectly. It is a rather strong cargo rack that is approved for loads up to 70 pounds or 31.75 kg. Use the Fit Kit Finder to fit your bike right! This rack is priced around $200, depending what kit and setup you get for your fat bike.
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