SPATIAL 26" Fat Tire Electric Bike

Is the SPATIAL 26" Fat Tire Electric Bike worth buying?

The SPATIAL 26" Fat Tire Electric Bike is worth buying if your riding includes gravel, towpaths and broken tarmac, because £629.99 buys a 624Wh battery, 80Nm of torque and 26 x 4.0 inch tyres that hold their line where a narrow tyre slides. For a rider who wants fat tyres, an aluminium frame and a battery that lifts out for charging, it does the job without the £1,499 that a dual-motor bike asks.

It is a weaker buy if you never leave smooth town streets, where four-inch tyres cost you rolling resistance and roughly £60 more than the same battery capacity in the URLIFE 20" Fat Tire E Bike. Eighteen owners have rated it 4.0, which is a good score from a small sample, so treat it as an encouraging early signal rather than a proven long-term record.

What do 624Wh and 80Nm actually mean on the road?

The 48V 13Ah pack holds 624Wh, and at £629.99 that works out at 0.99Wh per pound, the figure to hold against the WITAMBIKE 29" at 1.37Wh per pound. SPATIAL quotes up to 104km in pedal assist, and that distance moves with rider weight, terrain, temperature, tyre pressure and the assistance level you choose, so plan your week on the battery and not on the headline.

The motor is rated 250W continuous and delivers up to 80Nm, which is the number that decides whether a fat tyre bike climbs a drag or stalls halfway up it, and it sits well above the 35Nm of the Finbike M50. Five assistance levels and a seven-speed rear derailleur let you leave the motor low on the flat and lean on it on a slope, which is how the battery lasts longest.

What comes in the box and what does it take to live with?

The box holds the bike, a charger, a user manual, a tool bag, the front wheel, both pedals, two keys and the saddle, and final assembly is needed before the first ride. The frame and the wheels are aluminium, the tyres are 26 x 4.0 inches, it comes in one dark colour, and it is built for adult riders. A one-year manufacturer warranty covers it.

The battery is key-lockable and lifts out, so 624Wh can travel indoors with you and charge in a flat or at a desk instead of on a cable run out to a shed. An LCD display shows your speed, the battery level and the assistance setting, and front and rear lights are fitted for low-light riding. Fat tyres lose pressure slowly but need checking more often than narrow ones, and they are the reason the bike feels planted once you leave the tarmac.

Where does the SPATIAL 26" Fat Tire Electric Bike fall short?

At 0.99Wh per pound this is the weakest value among the 624Wh bikes on this page, and the gap is real money: the URLIFE 20" Fat Tire E Bike carries the same 624Wh for £569, which is £60.99 less. Mechanical disc brakes are the other compromise, on a bike costing £629.99 where the HITWAY at £699.99 fits hydraulic ones.

Only 18 owners have rated it 4.0 so far, so there is little feedback to lean on if you want to know how the frame and the motor age after a year. The 624Wh pack is also 268.8Wh smaller than the 892.8Wh in the WITAMBIKE 29", and four-inch tyres add rolling resistance that you notice on long stretches of tarmac rather than on gravel. The bike does not fold, so it wants a shed, a hallway or a garage rather than a car boot.

How does it compare with the WITAMBIKE 29" and the URLIFE 20" Fat Tire E Bike?

The WITAMBIKE 29" Electric Mountain Bike costs £649.99, which is £20.00 more, and it carries 892.8Wh against 624Wh, with 21 speeds and a 130kg payload. It is the better buy for a long commute or a heavier rider, but it rolls on 29-inch wheels and weighs 30kg, so it is harder to store and to lift into a car.

The URLIFE 20" Fat Tire E Bike is £60.99 cheaper at £569 with the same 624Wh, and it is the pick if you want a shorter, more agile frame for city riding. The SPATIAL keeps its edge on 4.0-inch tyres, 80Nm of torque and an aluminium frame, which is what you are paying the extra for if gravel and loose surfaces are part of your week.