I probably do as many rides on my fat bike as my summer bike, Winters here in Canada are long. In shoulder seasons, if there’s still a chance of ice or snow, I’ll usually reach for my fat bike before my trail bike.
The Trek Farley series is, I would argue, one of the best fat bikes out there. The fact the geo hasn’t changed from my first one to my newest is an indication of how much Trek has dialed this bike in.
The Trek Farley 5 is Trek’s entry-level fat bike, although the price (just over $2000 Canadian) does make it borderline “mid-level” for most people. Plenty of manufactures make great bikes at this price point. My girlfriend has a Giant Yukon, and I know several riders with Rocky Mountain Blizzards.
I think the Trek Farley 5 is the best, most value-packed of the bunch.
Even though most of my fat biking has been on the Trek Farley 7, the Trek Farley 5 shares the same features and geo. Just the components are different.
In recent years, the biggest functional difference has been the front suspension on the Farley 7. Since I only fat bike in winter, there isn’t a huge need for a front suspension. Snow typically takes out all the small bumps, and a suspension fork, for me, isn’t worth the money or hassle.
The Trek Farley 5 leaves me wanting for nothing, and I’ll expect to stay on this bike for several seasons. The XC geo is ideal for snow, as the bike stays under you.
A more raked out front end may look cool, but it would make it slightly more unstable and twitchy in low traction environments.
I don’t run my fat bike tires with studs, so having the proper balance at slow speeds, and even weight distribution, is the most important geo consideration. And that’s where the Trek Farley excels. I even have ex-Olympian biker friends that swear the Farley geometry, for fat biking on snow, has no rival.
If you’re looking for an “entry” fat bike, and the Trek Farley 5 is in your budget, it should be top of mind. If you’re hesitant dropping that kind of cash on a fat bike, one important point to remember is that the items which normally wear out on bikes and are expensive to replace, like tires and bike pads, have virtually no wear in snowy/ winter conditions. I biked the Trek Farley 5 for 3 years on Bontrager tires, and they were still good as new. Same with the brake pads: since you go so much slower on snow, the brake pads don’t nearly wear out as quickly.
So, when you buy a fat bike, the maintenance costs are nowhere near a summer bike, so factor that into your budgeting.
For more info about what I just covered read my 2021 Trek Farley 5 Review and Fat Bike Studs: How to Decide if You need Them.
Excellent article. Your experience with the bike aligns with my personal experience renting one recently. The bike is very stable on snow. No need for a front suspension. Now, I want one…