The Lebowsk-e is not only visually striking, it also boasts very high-quality equipment. It is powered by the well-known and proven CX performance motor from Bosch, which provides plenty of propulsion with up to 250 watts. At the front, Rock Shox's "Bluto" fat bike suspension fork with 100 millimetres of travel provides the necessary comfort. The Sram XO1 groupset provides high-quality shifting comfort and the Guide RSC brakes from the same company provide the necessary deceleration with 180 mm brake discs. Felt's own wheels are fitted with Schwalbe's Jumbo Jim tires in 4.0 inch width. However, after the first test laps, we replaced these with Vee Tires "Snowshoe XL" with studs. We wouldn't have been able to cope with the snow and ice in Davos any other way.

A "tank" on the wrong track

On easy terrain or even on flat winter trails, riding the Felt is like riding a Cadillac. The wide tires and the high overall weight make the bike sluggish and you quickly fall into a comfortable cruise. Which is not to say that you can't take a sporty approach with a motorized fat bike. However, this requires a fairly active riding style. Moving the bike on single trails or winding terrain requires a lot of physical effort. Although the Lebowsk-e is not the most maneuverable bike, it still has pleasant handling and you always have it well under control, even at high speeds. At high speeds on groomed trails, for example, it can drift around corners quite well without losing control of the rear wheel, despite its high weight.

After a few hours on the E-Fattie, we have become friends with the tank. Now it opens up a whole new playing field. You can drift around corners with both wheels on hard, snow-covered paths, uphill on a slight incline or even chase over unprepared paths through 20 centimetres of snow. However, all of this is only possible in turbo mode and with a lot of pedaling.

Over the months we had exposed the Felt to all kinds of nasty weather conditions, even snowstorms didn't stop us from testing the bike. All components withstood ice and cold, as well as numerous cleanings with the garden hose. We did not test how long the battery lasts in the cold. We were usually cold after a 90-minute ride at the latest and frankly didn't feel like taking the risk of pedaling a fat bike weighing around 22 kilos through the snow in sub-zero temperatures with an empty battery. All that remains to be said here is that the battery is more than sufficient for 90 minutes of fun in sport and turbo mode, even in sub-zero temperatures.

Why all this?

As mentioned at the beginning, there are many mountain bikers who see no point in either an e-bike or a fat bike. But who is the Felt Lebowsk-e suitable for? We see two target groups: On the one hand, the comfort biker who is looking for a low-maintenance e-hardtail but still doesn't want to do without a certain level of riding comfort, regardless of the season. On the other hand, the bike is ideal for having maximum riding fun in winter or if you live in the mountains and have to brave snow and ice all year round when commuting by bike.

Conclusion

The Felt Lebowsk-e provided us with plenty of fun in winter, because thanks to the electronic support, we were not only back in the dry faster in nasty weather, but were also able to tackle climbs in fresh snow or large amounts of snow where a normal fat bike would have had to be pushed. We would only wish for wider handlebars and a shorter stem to make the cumbersome bike a little more agile.