Specialized Fat Boy Expert Carbon fat bike review
If you’re interested in this bike, now is a good time to buy. It’s currently marked down to $5399 from $6000 (click to enlarge).
Editor’s Note: This article is part of the Mtbr Ultimate Guide to winter mountain biking, fat bikes, gear, apparel, lights and trainers. We are taking a deep dive into all manner of cold weather mountain bike gear, with round-ups and reviews of fat bikes, tires, wheels, apparel, trainers and more. To see all the articles, head over to our Winter Guide Hub Page.
Lowdown: Specialized Fat Boy Expert Carbon
Outside of basic price/weight variances, it can be hard to identify truly discernable differences from one fat bike to the next. At their core, they’re a bunch of 26” hardtails with giant tires. But dig deeper into the spec sheets and geo charts and you begin to discover the nuances of these big wheeled beasts. You also quickly realize that these seemingly minute variations drastically affect handling, performance and ideal use — and that means you need to carefully consider what you’re hoping to get from your fat bike experience before actually choosing one. Take for instance the Specialized Fat Boy Expert Carbon, which depending on perspective, is either the perfect bike or somewhat limited. Find out why you should (or shouldn’t) buy this bike in our full review below.
| Frame: Fact carbon 10M, up to 5” tire clearance | Bars: Specialized alloy 750mm |
| Fork: Fact carbon rigid | Stem: Specialized alloy 75mm |
| Headtube angle: 70.5 degrees | Wheels: HED Big Deal carbon 85mm tubeless |
| Wheelbase: 1135mm | Rotors: Centerline 6-bolt 200mm front, 180mm rear |
| Standover: 77.8cm | Tires: Specialized Ground Control 26×4” tubeless |
| Saddle: Specialized Body Geometry Henge Comp | Axle spacing: 150x15mm front, 197x12mm rear |
| Chainstay length: 455mm | Sizes: S, M, L, XL |
| Crankset: Race Face Next SL carbon 28t | Weight: 24.23 pounds size large |
| Drivetrain: SRAM X01 1×11 10-42 | Price: $6000 (currently marked down to $5399) |
| Brakes: SRAM Guide R hydraulic disc |
Rating:  4.5 Chilis-out-of-5 (if you’re looking for a raceable snow tamer) |
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Review: Specialized Fat Boy Expert Carbon
Stop and ask yourself why you want a new fat bike. Are you looking to race, rally or just explore the great outdoors? Is this strictly a purchase for snowy wintertime fun, or do you want to play on dirt, too? Do you prefer snappy (even twitchy) front end handling, or would you rather a more slack experience? And what’s more important, high-speed straight line stability, or the ability to flick your way through tight turns?
If we were only going to ride on snow, and wanted a seriously speedy machine, this bike would be near the top of the short list (click to enlarge).
How you respond to this brief questionnaire will go a long way in determining whether you should bother reading the rest of this review — and more importantly consider throwing down more than five grand for this fat bike. Indeed, Specialized’s Fat Boy Expert Carbon is an expensive precision instrument that in the right hands is the perfect tool for the job. But if you’re not looking to dominate on snow, have a limited budget, or would prefer a little more seasonal versatility, best look elsewhere. Here’s why.
Continue to page 2 for more of our Specialized Fat Boy Expert Carbon fat bike review »
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