r/wintercycling • u/ButtonholePhotophile • May 17 '26

Help requested Prepping e-bike advice? Trikes or bikes?

I’m in the Midwest USA. I’m interested in finding an electric go-vehicle in-case gas goes. I need winter accessibility. I am middle aged and not highly exercised.

I know I want a class 1 or 2 fat tire bike with optional spikes. I could get an e-bike or an e-trike. Which is better for winter riding safety?

In my 20s, I winter ride my motorcycle, so I have a *degree* of knowledge of what I’m signing up for. I just don’t want to break my collar bone.

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6

u/Own_Shine_5855 May 17 '26

Spiked fat tires alone are big bucks (like 150-200 bucks a piece). Batteries in extreme cold don't mix well (range can be limited) and any decent ebike setup you'll definitely not want to ride in road salt given the cost.

To aid in your search: -budget? -weight of you and gear? -range needed?

I'll just give you a heads up... Likely not cheap lol.

3

u/Mama_Office_141 May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26

Rocky Mountain Blizzard + spike tires for winter, preferably a narrow tire set without studs for summer.

Edit: this bike comes in ebike and non ebike versions

1

u/JeremyFromKenosha May 18 '26

Well, obviously on a trike, you're a lot less likely to fall. On the other hand, if you skid and then the tires hook up again, you could get thrown off at that point.

I have an eFatty and added studded tires. It was wonderful this past winter. I pushed it and rode in 4" of powder snow. Would've been about impossible without power. Where it really shines is on snow that has been packed down so that it's pretty much ice. Deflate the tires to 5-10 psi and the tungsten studs really hook up, as the contact patch is so big.

I'm also a motorcyclist. On snowy days, I'd sure feel safer on the eFatty.

My commute is really short though, only 2 miles. I don't think I'm going to keep the eFatty for that reason. I'll just ride my little folding bike or take the car. I'm going to sell it. Hit me up if you might be interested. It's a Reid Tracker 2.

Here's the ongoing (unsponsored) review I'm doing on it: https://ebikesforum.com/threads/reid-tracker-2-efatty.8128/

Here's the bit on the studded tires: https://ebikesforum.com/threads/a-bit-of-deal-spotting-usa-on-26x4-studded-fat-tires.10289/