The Felt LEBOWSKe is the best fat style electric bike I’ve ridden to date. I mean that in terms of frame construction, component quality, drive system power and efficiency, balance and overall performance. Surprise! It’s also the most expensive… Felt was started in 1994 and has steadily earned a reputation in the time trials and triathlon segments of non-electric bicycling. They build with an emphasis on reducing weight, increasing stiffness and improving efficiency (utilizing wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics modeling extensively in their frame design process). I’m not sure if the LEBOWSKe was put in a wind tunnel but the fork does look aerodynamic and I’m sure it’s borrowing from the optimizations made on other racing felt frames and that’s really the point. It’s exciting to see them now entering into the electric bike space (even though they also produce road, mountain, track, bmx, cruisers and cyclocross) because all of their stuff is quality. I think most fat bikes are ridden for fun on gentle trails and streets but their true calling is sand and snow (much like these fat tire Toyotas used in the North and South Poles for expeditions, sled dog support and racing). The larger surface area and contact patch keeps the tires from sinking in and simultaneously cushions the ride. That’s right, you could save Huskies with this electric bike and help scientists (depending on where you live).
The motor powering the Felt LEBOWSKe is a second generation Bosch Centerdrive offering 350 watts of geared power. It’s an excellent choice for a fat bike because it provides lots of torque, especially in combination with the lower gears included on the 11 speed SRAM cassette used here. Another advantage of any mid-drive is that it makes wheel maintenance a cinch and that’s furthered by 15 mm thru axles here and quick release at the front and rear. Say you want to haul this ebike around? Quickly remove the wheels and battery pack (which can be charged on or off the bike) and you’re left with a light weight frame. The motor is not removable but only adds about 5.5 pounds. One interesting design element of the LEBOWSKe frame is that the concave mounting plate, where the motor attaches, was cut using a CNC process rather than cast. It had to be a little more custom than a standard bike frame due to the wider diameter and use with a narrower (standard) Bosch motor. The takeaway here is that the frame is lighter than it would be if cast and reinforced with welds. Neat.
The aforementioned removable battery pack is equally impressive. It locks to the frame with a metal core made by ABUS (a trusted German lock and helmet designer) and is remarkably small and light weight. On one side you’ve got an LED readout that communicates the current voltage (remaining capacity) and at the top there’s a handy carry loop. The pack offers 36 volts of power and 11 amp hours of capacity for a 400 watt hour total that will get you between 35 and 65 miles depending on the chosen level of assist and terrain. The pack mounts securely to the frame and doesn’t rattle around on rough terrain (you can here some knocking in the video review above but that was my camera mount). I like that they’ve mounted the battery low and center on the frame for improved balance but one downside is the lack of water bottle cage bosses. This is the case with many Bosch powered ebikes and I’ve found a few seat post and saddle adapters or you could get the optional rear carry rack and use a bag or panniers.
Another cool optional accessory here is a lighting kit that’s made to integrate with the display panel and primary battery pack. I like to run everything off of the same power source for easier use and reduced likelihood of forgetting to turn stuff off and the Bosch display works very well for this. It’s large, centrally located and removable (if you remove the set screw on the back of the mount). The display shows a range of information from state of charge to current speed, four assist levels, odometer, max speed, average speed and estimated range. The range thing is cool because it lets you approximate whether you need to back off the electric assist as the battery is depleted over time. Interacting with the display is fairly easy using a remote button pad on the left handlebar but unfortunately with the LEBOWSKe it’s not quite as easy as most other Bosch powered ebikes. That’s because there’s a remote seat post height adjuster positioned there as well. On the demo bike I reviewed the seat post adjuster kind of blocked my fingers, you could possibly switch the order of these two items, it’s not a deal killer.
I realize that this review opened with a pretty strong endorsement for the Felt LEBOWSKe but if you mean business and need a performer it’s truly the current leader. The Bosch system is well supported, Felt is established and reputable and their purpose built frame doesn’t take any shortcuts. You’ll definitely have to pay for it however and there are several other solid fat ebikes on the horizon so that’s the biggest question mark in my mind. I’m not aware of many fat bike races that could leverage the aero fork used here but I can appreciate the demanding and harsh environments it may be exposed to. If you ride this on the beach and coat it with salt water or regularly hit the snow and expose it to extreme temperatures and melting ixe then it could be argued that a less expensive and more “disposable” fat bike is warranted. I hate to say that because this thing is beautiful and I don’t like the idea of throwing technology away but you could get another fat bike for half the price and feel less bad if and when it gets jacked. Food for thought, this is still at the top of the pack.
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Rob Earp
10 years agoLooks like a winner! Do you have a link to the kickstand you recommended? Is there a link or other information on the light kit? I wonder if it would work with my Haikbike Xduro.
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHi Rob, I was thinking of a kickstand like this but cannot say if it will work perfectly because I don’t know the diameter of the rear left chain stay. Unfortunately I also don’t know what the lighting kit looks like for these Felt ebikes, I’ve only heard about it. Considering both the Haibike and Felt bikes use the Bosch system, it makes sense that the lights could be compatible with both. We might just have to wait a bit longer until they are out.
ReplyDmitry
10 years agoGreat review Court and great bike! This is what I was looking for (except not pricewise, still a bit too pricey). Would love to see a bike within 3-4 thousand dollar range from FELT of the same build quality. Suggested downgrades would include non-carbon handlebar, removal of remote seatpost adjuster and hydraulic disc brakes (if it’s ridden in cold climates like ours where -20-30 is a normal day, mechanical brakes make more sense.) Also I would imagine these thru axles add a lot to the cost of maintaining the bike if anything around them ever needs replacement…
ReplyNick
9 years agoAfter reading as much as is available about electric off road bikes and a short demo on a Felt street bike followed by a very short demo on a way too small for me lebowske (only size in stock). I purchased a Lebowske. After reading the specs on other brands what pushed me to the Lebowske is it design qualities and being built by a very respected main stream bike company. It shares with the other fat bike the Bosch drive system. What separates the Lebowske apart are the very high level of the components.
I am a long time mt bike junkie (30+years), my current main mt bike weighs under 26# and cost 2 grand more than the Lebowske. None of my mt bikes have had kick stands, I don’t consider this a “con”. Yes if the bike was a city commuter I would say a kick stand was needed. On a mountain bike a kick stand is unneeded weight. I use a water hydration pack with tools, etc. Not having a water cage is a non issue, I don’t consider this a “con”. I have read this “con” in other reviews and this statements strike me as written by a person who is not serious about performance Mountain Biking. If I read another review on a electric mountain criticizing the lack of water bottle holder and no kickstand all credibility will be gone.
“This is one of the priciest electric bikes I’ve reviewed, fat bike or otherwise, due to the performance built frame and top end drive system”
You get what you pay for. Yes the Lebowske is pricey. I believe after putting a little over 50 miles on the Lebowske during the last five days the bike is well worth the price. I am riding the bike on tight steep single track at close 2000 ft vertical up. I am blown away by the handling of the bike. The fat tires stick to the dirt, no sliding, incredible traction up and down hill. It is very much like riding a hard tail 29er. It rolls over rocks and roots with ease. The squishy fat tires almost make up for lack of suspension. And of course I have the guilty pleasure of the electric assist on the uphill climbs. With the 42 tooth and only using the “tour” mode I can climb a wall. In fact I need to use lower gearing to climb slowly in order to make some of the very tight switch backs. Any way the Lebowske is a great bike. I did buy the Lebowske for riding beaches and sandy trails but I am having too much fun on single track to pigeon hole it as a beach bike.
Cheers,
ReplyNick
Court Rye
9 years agoHi Nick, thanks for your feedback. With these higher end electric bikes I find very few actual “cons” but use that section header to discuss trade-offs and areas that might be unrealized to more novice cyclists. You are correct about the added weight of a kickstand and lack of need for bottle cages on such bikes due to CamelBak systems etc.
I enjoyed reading your personal experience and feedback about the LEBOWSKe and agree that you get a lot of quality and performance for the price paid. Thanks again for sharing.
ReplyJJ
9 years agoWell over $6000 w/tax for a fat ebike? How hard would the dealer laugh after selling this one?
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoIt’s a pricy machine but probably the best (lightest, highest performance) fat style electric bike on the market right now. It’s easy to spend $10k+ for high performance road bikes that aren’t even powered. Some of the money goes to developing custom frames and they have to account for lower volume sales (since the majority of people will settle for a cheaper product) and some goes towards marketing, ongoing support and future R&D. The independent electric bike shops I visit are all run by very humble hard working individuals who have spent a lot of personal money to get into this space and really want to see the technology take off and gain widespread acceptance. I don’t think any of them would laugh at a customer, especially one who appreciates refined technology like the LEBOWSKe or other Felt ebikes.
ReplyKnobi
9 years agoAnything wrong with using a fat bike as a work commute bike? like on pavements/sidewalk – bike path? I simply like the look of a fat bike and the simplicity of the felt bikes. They look “bike” like instead of most of the electric bikes out there. Spendy for sure. but I’m considering lebowske. 15 mile commute to work with two medium sized hills. Thank you
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoHi Knobi! Fat bikes can be great for neighborhood or urban riding. The larger tires create some cushion and offer a larger diameter which helps you span gaps, ride up curbs and in the event that the bike falls into the lake… float :D
Seriously though… the only drawbacks I see to riding a fat bike on road is that the tires can make more noise as the surface area coming into contact with the ground is larger and the knobs are often bigger. This results in sound but also increased friction and thus, shorter coasting distances. Given that you’re looking at fat e-bikes, who cares if it doesn’t coast as well! You’ve got a motor to help right?!
I’m a huge fan of the Bosch mid-drive system because it’s well balanced, aesthetically pleasing and very powerful and efficient. My guess is that you’d have no problem with a 30 mile round trip commute and you could easily top the battery off at work if you were riding in the highest level of assist and using more power than one pack could offer. Yeah, these electric bikes cost a bit more but they perform excellently and look awesome. I hope this helps!
Replyknobi
9 years agoThanks for the reply Court and I appreciate you not discouraging me like everybody else I have ever talked to about this idea! My co-workers are almost to the point of laughing at me about the idea of spending close to 6K on a FAT bike as a commute bike! These are not folks who are against electric bikes, mind you. One of them owns a juiced rider ODK v3 which he recommends to me on a daily basis as I’m a 5’2″ shortie!
The bike recommendations that have been thrown at me include Evo Eco lite – Juiced ODK V3 – and couple of others like the izip e3 twn:exp but not a single nod of agreement for the Lebowske.
I can’t tell you why but I do like the look of the fat bike and I have heard nothing but great things about the Bosch mid-drive system. Instead of buying two mid-range bikes that I might not like, might as well get a good quality one that I might enjoy, right? I don’t know about all this “get what you need and not what you want” advise I’m getting a lot lately. You know bikes. You have seen and heard tons of bike stories and I would actually seriously consider any recommendations and suggestions you might have! :) Thank you
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoYeah, people use money for different things… it’s a touchy subject because there’s a selection bias that crops up when someone has already invested themselves in product “A” and you’re talking about product “B”. Some people spend lots of money on alcohol and nobody seems to think twice, others will “buy” a house with a 30 year mortgage and end up paying 2x what they could have got with a cash offer. We rationalize our positions and decisions in different ways but in my opinion, just looking at this bike for the fun it brings, the build quality and efficiency and range it offers I think it’s great! I also like the Outfitter and am glad they are available in several sizes so people who aren’t as tall can join in without feeling uncomfortable ;)
ReplyNick
9 years agoJust a short follow up on my first post. I now have a little over 500 miles on the bike. 90 percent of my riding has been on tight, steep single track here in the Pacific Cascades. Fat bikes and electric for a new to me. I did’t know what to expect from either. I bought the Lebowske for beach riding and around town riding. I tried it out on our local single track as a “let’s see what it will do” lark. I normally ride a ultra light Santa Cruz Solo (5010) on these same trails. The Solo cost two grand more than the Lebowske and is an extremely capable all mountain bike. WOW! The fat tire Lebowske is while not as nimble as the Solo it more than makes up in the fun factor. I would not want to ride a fat tire bike in a non electric form. I am not that tough, although one of my riding partners does ride a fat tire bike on single track, he is that tough.
I made one major upgrade to the Lebowske. I installed a Rockshox Bluto fork. The Bluto should be standard issue on the Lebowske (are you listening Felt?). Where fat tires tend to bounce on rough trails the Bluto sucks up the bounce giving the bike a more planted feeling. I am running tubeless tires on the bike so the weight gain with the Bluto was zero. If anyone is buying a Lebowske for all around riding get the Bluto installed before you leave the dealers floor. My poor Solo is feeling lonely these days, maybe a little jealous of the big fat bike.
As for the too expensive for a bike. The quality build for the bike and total sum of its part justify the cost. Buy cheap, buy twice.
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoAwesome update Nick! I like your suggestion about adding a RockShox Bluto, the only fat ebike I’ve seen with a suspension stock so far is the Haibike Fatsix and I really enjoyed it. Sounds like your lEBOWSKe is holding up well through the rigorous multi-faced use, quality ;)
ReplyEd
9 years agoYes , they are great on local trails , my 29er ht & fs barely see the light outside of the garage . Lebowske = lots of fun
ReplyRob
8 years agoOne year later and I just bought this bike on sale for $3500. So much fun and well worth the money already. Did a 40 mile ride yesterday in the urban jungle of greater DC and it can literally go anywhere and over anything. This website was a great help and really well put together, thanks so much!!
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoExcellent! I’m glad the reviews have helped Rob, the LEBOWSKe is an incredible bike… great technology, cool looks and “go anywhere” design. Hopefully it holds up when the snow starts falling later this year and you can explore the winter wonderland forests as well :D
Reply