On a hard-beaten off-road trail, no MTB or trail bike quite compares to a fat bike. Both MTB and fat bike enthusiasts agree that the modern fat bike is the trails hero. Owing to their massive wheels and nimble frame design, fat bikes ride like on rails on rough terrain.
Finding a suitably tough fat bike can be a challenge even for experienced riders. The bike needs to withstand the repeated punishment while maintaining minimum weight, ride comfort and durability. That’s where ICAN, one of the largest carbon bike manufacturers comes in.
With a vast experience in sports equipment, ICAN has manufactured some of the most iconic high-end bikes, including the ICAN Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike.
ICAN’s Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike is a top of the range fat bike for serious riders. The bike has a carbon frame and complete rims, and whiles most fat bikes are hardtails, this particular one features top-notch suspensions for both the front and the rear.
This is not a mid-range or a budget fat bike. At a price point of 3,262.30 EUR on ICANS own website Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike, this bike’s build and quality can only be appreciated on the trails.
Let’s take a look at some of the outstanding features of the ICAN Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike.
The drivetrain
We are diving straight into the big one. The drivetrain is where your power comes to play. Realizing this, ICAN has fitted the bike with Shimano XT components from the high-performance range of Shimano 1X series. The Shimano XT groupset consists of a 30T Crankset driven by a 172.5mm crank Arm sitting on a 120mm sealed bearings bottom bracket, a rear 11 Speed 1042T cassette linked by an XT HG-X11 chain.
This system caters for steep climbs and aggressive descends with the wide range of long gears. The chain and crankset have narrow-wide teeth and link arrangement to keep the chain intact. The shifters are Shimano’s 11-speed rapid triggers XT Dyna; the rear derailleur is also a Shimano 11 speed Deore XT Dyna, with a clutching mechanism to keep the chain stiff.
Both 160mm disk brake rotors are from SRAM, but the hydraulic system including the tubes and cramp are from Shimano, more specifically Shimano Dedre XT BL-M8000. Shimano’s M800 series of brakes are among the most responsive on disc brakes and have a feather-like feel even in full lock. The ICAN Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike is packing more than enough juice to get you up a steep climb and get you safely down in any exuberant style you may fashion.
The frame
The bike frame is full carbon – Toray T700, no gimmicks or cutting corners here. With a variety of sizes from small (16 inches), medium (18 inches), and large (20 inches) to accommodate all riders’ sizes demands. For neatness and esthetics, the frame has in-tube channels for the brake and shifter cables.
Other frame components including the fork stem, spacers, saddle, saddle stem and saddle cramp are all made of carbon fiber, for uniformity and durability. The 740mm handlebars are also carbon, featuring a pair of SRAM’s comfortable, and almost frictionless handle grips. The frame geometry is designed for agility, control, and endurance while still accommodating modern peripherals.
Suspension
The carbon frame accommodates full suspension, for both rear and front which is usually uncommon in fat bikes, where you always end up with a hardtail. It is true that fat bike tires dump most of the shock from the ground, but a full suspension has an even finer ride. This means you can go harder and faster on rough terrain, and even have the tires inflated hard for fast descents.
At the front, the fork is a Rockshox Bluto 15x150mm, with 100mm maximum travel. The Rockshox fork has an adjustable air syringe; this means you can easily adjust the travel and rebound of the suspension to suit every trail. The rear suspension, a 200x51mm Rockshox Monarch XX connects the rear triangle to the top bar of the frame. In such a position, it dumps vibrations from the rear wheel towards the pedals and saddle, smoothening the ride whether on or off the saddle.
A full suspension fat bike is not really overkilling if you are looking to ride some rocky or woody trail.
Wheels
The fat bike wheels are really what sets the fat bikes from regular trail bikes and mountain bikes. Both wheels have 32 CN spokes rigidly laced onto a full carbon rim 90 mm wide. The rims are not deep – only 20mm, to accommodate the massive 4.8-inch Maxxis off-road tires. The rims are clinchers and tubeless ready for near puncture-less rides.
The front hub is slightly shorter than the rear hub to save on unnecessary weight. The girth of the rim and tires can be inflated between 5 and 15 psi and can handle any punishment a mountain trail can throw at it. Why choose Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike over trail bikes and other fat bikes. ICAN has proven that fat bikes don’t have to be bulky and heavy.
The Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike weighs only 15.95 kilos even with the chunky Maxxis tires. This makes the bike agile and nimble, not to mention much easier and faster to ride uphill. 15.95 kilos in fat bike territory is basically a lightweight.
There is an ongoing debate in the cycling community on whether a fat bike can be faster than a thoroughbred trail bike on a trail course. With ICAN’s Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike, the conflict is settled. The bikes let you climb without breaking a sweat, and on the way down you can descend as fast as possible without worrying about ride comfort, or component failure.
If you are already a fat bike enthusiast and are looking for a serious bike upgrade, this is the bike for you. Even for beginners of trail bikers thinking of switching to fat bikes and get the ultimate trail experience, the Carbon Full Suspension Fat Bike is a sure place to start.
ICAN guarantees satisfaction in ride and builds quality.
