The best thing about riding a bike is that your range is not limited to standard roads. You can travel through various terrains, such as snow and sand. But when dealing with these destinations, riding a fat bike such as trek Farley and specialized Fatboy will be an awesome bike ride experience for you.
But what are the differences between Specialized Fatboy vs Trek Farley? These two fat bikes are arguably two of the market’s more popular fat bike lines today. This article will compare the two in terms of features, riding experience, and other related information.
| Features | Specialized Fatboy | Trek Farley |
| Year Founded | 2013 | 2013 |
| Weight | Heavier | Lighter |
| Tire | 26 x 4.6 inches | 26 x 3.8 inches |
Year Founded
The specialized Fatboy and the Trek Farley can be compared from the first time they were introduced in the market. But unfortunately, both these fat bike brands came together nine years ago and have since been two of the more popular fat bikes in the market today.
The Fatboy was first rolled out in 2013 by the California-based company. Specialized was a relatively unknown company in fat bike manufacture but has gained so much success since introducing the Fatboy.
On the other hand, the Trek Farley was also introduced in 2013 and was named after the legendary actor and comedian Christopher Farley. This fat bike brand has also gained a lot of success and has come up with several models until today.
Physical Dimensions
| Parts | Specialized Fatboy | Trek Farley 8 |
| Head Tube Angle | 70.5 Degrees | 70 Degrees |
| Chain Stays | 455 mm | 440 mm |
| Crank Sets | Race Face Turbine 38/24t | SRAM x1 1000/30t |
| Weight | 14.4 kg | 13.1 kg |
Based on the table above, you can find several differences in some parts of these two fat bikes. From riding the Fatboy, I noticed that it is better to steer it from the bar because of the not-so-steep head tube angle. You need to lean more when turning but still require strength when dealing with tight and twisty trails.
The overall geometry of the Fatboy works well when pedaling snow and sand. It provides so much traction, especially when dealing with steep climbs. With its physical dimension, I can say that the Fatboy is perfect for a long bike trip.
On the other hand, the tightness of the Trek Farley’s chainstays and the crisp head tube angle make the fat bike feel very agile. The presence of a standover and a dropper seat post makes them feel like a trail hardtail bike compared to the usual fat bike.
Tire
When it comes to the tire, the Fatboy is using a bigger tire compared to the Trek Farley. The size is beneficial when it comes to navigating a trail full of ice or covered with snow. The bike’s tire will just roll over anything when navigating on the snow.
But when dealing with standard trails, I find the Fatboy boring and less playful compared to the Trek Farley. Since it has a long rear end, it will require more effort for the biker to raise the front wheel over obstacles.
On the other hand, the Trek Farley tire is a little smaller than the Fatboy. You may experience less traction and power in biking on soft trails. Although, the exact tire performs well on dirt trails and tracks except on deep sand. Since deep sand is similar to snow, the same performance is expected from this tire.
Other Bike Parts
| Parts | Specialized Fatboy | Trek Farley |
| Frame | Trek Farley Aluminum | Specialized Fat Boy |
| Fork | 100 mm travel | 135 mm spacing |
| Headset | 1 ⅛ to 1 ½ inches tapered | 1 ⅛ to 1 ½ inches |
| Stem | Bontrager Race Lite 70 mm | Specialized 3D Forged Alloy |
Other Information
I have the chance to own both bikes which allows me to compare these two in my personal point of view. In terms of physical appearance, I find the trek Farley looks good compared to its Fatboy counterpart. The Trek Farley also feels lighter during the ride making it challenging to understand that it weighs more compared to the Fatboy.
If the Trek Farley has an excellent look, I am totally impressed with the overall look and the feel of the Fatboy’s wheelsets. And it also feels smoother when biking on a regular trail. And the best thing about the Fatboy is it provides room for bigger tires. Fatboy is also cheaper compared to Trek Farley in terms of the average pricing of all the models.
Furthermore, I feel that the Trek Farley has a better stand than when biking on snow or during the winter. I must admit that they feel fine, but the Trek Farley is comparable to a mountain bike in terms of performance.
Conclusion
Biking a fat bike allows you to drive on different types of terrain. But in comparing Specialized Fatboy vs Trek Farley, arguably two of the more popular fat bikes, I have realized that these fat bikes do not perform the same. Each bike model has unique features and other benefits it can bring to its users. But the most important thing is to maximize what these fat bikes get to every biking activity.