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Video: Internet creates fat bike with tiny front wheelXTERRAIN500 in action

Video: Internet creates fat bike with tiny front wheel

The XTERRAIN500 with its 10" wide mini front wheel also exists in real life to tackle soft sand, snow, mud...
by Laura Laker
Thu, Aug 27, 2015 09:44
9

A new bike that claims to be able to ride across soft sand "virtually effortlessly" has appeared on the internet. And it's pretty, well, unique.

The rather unusual-looking XTERRAIN500 has an electric motor and fat tyres but the show stealer is that tiny 20" (but 10" wide) fat front wheel a-la all terrain vehicle which, makers claim, can go over soft sand, mud, gravel, grass and even deep snow.

Footage shows Sand Snow Bikes' XTERRAIN500, with its regular rear wheel with a 4.6" fat tyre, whizzing merrily along soft Miami sand and rolling over beach margin plant life. It can apparently do 20 miles like this on one charge of its 48 volt battery with a 500W motor.

The bike, which has a top speed of 20mph, also has RockShox front suspension and, thanks to a 4 hole fork plate, front forks can be adjusted to take a regular size 26"x4" front tyre as well as the tiny fat one.

It has to be seen to be believed, so watch the video (though maybe on mute if you're not into excessively perky music). It's strangely mesmerising. 

The XTERRAIN500 is launching soon on crowd funding site Indiegogo and is expected to cost $1,600.

fat bike
e-bike
Laura Laker

Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.

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9 comments

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WolfieSmith | 9 years ago
0 likes

I assume it's belt driven as a chain wouldn't last long on a beach.

Avatar
KiwiMike | 9 years ago
0 likes

Yeah, let's promote riding all over fragile dunescapes.

As above, Get IN The Fucking Sea.

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mike the bike | 9 years ago
0 likes

They've certainly smartened up the beach at Frinton ....

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earth | 9 years ago
0 likes

Great, now people can fling sand over everyone sunbathing on the beach and make a quick exit. That's going to be popular.

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Lamb Henry | 9 years ago
0 likes

I've seen something similar before.

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bikebot | 9 years ago
0 likes

Being able to ride across sand is perfect for that bike, very useful. NOW GET IN THE F%^&$NG SEA NEXT TO THE SAND.

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DavidC | 9 years ago
0 likes

There were 'sand bikes' made in the 90s which had those small fat tyres front and rear, so this is just a hybrid of new and old.

Avatar
I love my bike replied to DavidC | 9 years ago
0 likes
DavidC wrote:

There were 'sand bikes' made in the 90s which had those small fat tyres front and rear, so this is just a hybrid of new and old.

Indeed, and they're still being made: http://www.fortunehanebrink.com/Hanebrink/

Avatar
Richard1982 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Just threw up into my mouth a little bit. 31

"This is one cool looking bike" 21
"Attention on streets is guaranteed!" 24

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