Denago Fat Tire e-bike review: 28 mph off-roader with a big ol’ battery
As much fun as e-bikes are for getting around the city, I love taking them off-road and onto trails. That’s where fat tires really come alive, and the Denago Fat Tire Step-Thru electric bike showcases just what I love about e-bikes with big honkin’ tires.
This definitely isn’t a mountain bike or overlanding bike – this is a comfortable bike that can handle both light trails and urban/suburban riding. That means it’s going to be a great option for nature trails, gravel paths, dirt roads, and that sort of riding.
Between a powerful motor, large capacity battery and a comfortable setup, the Denago Fat Tire Step-Thru has a nice assortment of features and components for recreational riding on a wide range of terrains.
Check out my video review below if you want to see my real world testing of the bike. Then keep scrolling for my complete review.
Denago Fat Tire Step-Thru e-bike video review
Denago Fat Tire Step-Thru tech specs
- Motor: 750 W rear geared hub motor with 80 Nm torque
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle, 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist
- Range: 35-60 mi (55-100 km)
- Battery: 48V 19.2Ah (921 Wh) frame-integrated, removable
- Max load: 300 lb (136 kg)
- Frame: 6061 aluminum
- Weight: 79 lb (36 kg)
- Suspension: Zoom fork, 60-75 mm travel (depends on bike size)
- Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes, 180 mm rotors
- Extras: Color LCD display with speedometer, wattmeter, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, odometer, tripmeter, USB charger, left-side thumb throttle, torque sensor, included front and rear fenders, rear rack, headlight and frame-integrated tail lights
A balance of power and comfort
If you’ve been into e-bikes for a while or have begun digging into the topic ahead of buying your first e-bike, you’ll know that suspension and fat tires are two of the best things you can do for comfort. While the Denago here doesn’t have full-suspension, it almost feels like it does thanks to front suspension and plush fat tires. The lack of rear suspension is only noticeable on big obstacles and angry pot holes.
For the gravel roads and light trails that I spent most of my time riding on, the bike had plenty of shock absorption for me.
It also had plenty of power, combining a 750W motor with a top speed of 28 mph on pedal assist. Checking with a GPS speedometer showed that the 28 mph was often reading a big high by around one or two miles per hour, but it was pretty darn close. Optimistic speedometers are pretty common in the e-bike industry, unfortunately.
The 750W motor is quite torquey and will get you rolling quickly as well as climb a decent hill, though the bike’s heavy weight of 79 lbs (36 kg) certainly works against it when it comes to acceleration and hills. The included torque sensor should help mitigate that weight on startup by better translating your pedal force into responsive pedal assist, though I found that it strangely still had a decent pedal assist lag. Torque sensors normally help e-bikes start applying pedal assist power nearly immediately when the rider begins pedaling, but the Denago still had a bit of a lag. It was nothing that a short blip of the throttle couldn’t compensate for, but it still surprised me, and not in a good way.
What did surprise me in a good way was the range. With a big battery measuring 921 Wh, I could get a real world throttle range of over 35 miles (56 km), which is quite good for heavy fat tire e-bikes. With pedal assist in a low power level, I’d expect that to be over 60 miles (100 km) of range, though I couldn’t be bothered to keep it in low power mode for that long to find out. Higher power pedal assist and riding fast is just too tempting to pass up.
For any fast e-bike like this, I absolutely want to see strong brakes as an important safety feature. Fortunately, Denago delivers with hydraulic stoppers on large 180 mm discs. This is a huge win for me because there’s nothing worse than struggling to stop a heavy e-bike. Powerful brakes make the bike more controllable and give riders more confidence.
To afford those nice brakes, the company must have saved a few dollars on the drivetrain. You get a 7-speed shifter, but it’s not a particularly nice one. The Shimano Tourney setup is on the lower end of Shimano’s hierarchy but is acceptable for the type of leisure and recreational riding that most people will use this e-bike for, which is exactly how I was riding it.
To make up for the fairly basic transmission, we get some really nice integrated tail lights. In fact, this bike must either be built in the same factory as Aventon’s e-bikes, or else Denago just ripped off their tail light design, because these awesome tail lights look and feel just like the ones that debuted on the Aventon Aventure last year and and have since found their way onto most of Aventon’s other e-bikes.
Regardless of where they came from, I’m a huge fan of frame-integrated lighting because it is harder to damage. E-bike lights that stick out are prime targets for damage at bike racks or anywhere else that bikes come into close contact with other bikes or objects. These frame integrated lights are slim and tucked away yet still quite visible to cars and other road users.
In fact, this would have been a prime opportunity to incorporate turn signals since the tail lights are actually spread apart. I’ve talked before about how I find most e-bike turn signals to be gimmicky since they are usually only a couple inches apart on a main central tail light. But with two independent lights on either side of the bike’s rear triangle, this could have been a great turn signal setup. Oh well, maybe on the next version.
Even so, there’s still a lot to like here. We’ve got a comfortable trail bike with a nice and accessible step-through frame design. We’ve got plenty of power and even more battery capacity than I know what to do with. There are nice components like those brakes and even a color LCD screen, and there are even two different sizes to better fit larger and smaller riders.
The Denago Fat Tire Step-Thru e-bike may have a few cheaper parts and carry some extra poundage, but it wears the weight well by not feeling too bulky while riding (just be careful lifting it by yourself!).
At the MSRP of $1,999, I’m not entirely blown away. It’s not a bad price when you compare it to other full-featured bikes. It’s only a hundred bucks more than the Aventon Aventure.2, and comes with 33% more battery. But there are certainly better bang-for-your-buck deals out there. People often point to budget rides like the Lectric XP 3.0, and I’d agree that you get a lot with those types of e-bikes, but they don’t have the range or big-wheel comfort to match this ride. So if you want a large, comfortable bike that comes with lots of power and battery, you’ve got to pay for those luxuries. And in this case, you’ll have to fork over a cool two G’s. A bit pricey, but still a great e-bike for cruising.
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Climate XChange’s Annual EV Raffle is back for the 10th year running – and for the first time ever, Climate XChange has two raffle options on the table! The nonprofit has helped lucky winners custom-order their ideal EVs for the past decade. Now you have the chance to kick off your holiday season with a brand new EV for as little as $100.
About half of the raffle tickets have been sold so far for each of the raffles – you can see the live ticket count on Climate XChange’s homepage – so your odds of winning are better than ever.
But don’t wait – raffle ticket sales end on December 8!
Climate XChange is working hard to help states transition to a zero-emissions economy. Every ticket you buy supports this mission while giving you a chance to drive home your dream EV.
Here’s how Climate XChange’s 10th Annual Raffle works:
The Luxury Raffle
- Grand Prize: The winner can choose any EV on the market, fully customized up to $120,000. This year, you can split the prize between two EVs if the total is $120,000 or less.
- Taxes covered: This raffle comes with no strings – Climate XChange also pays all of the taxes.
- Runner-up prizes: Even if you don’t win the Grand Prize, you still have a chance at the 2nd prize of $12,500 and the 3rd prize of $7,500.
- Ticket price: $250.
- Grand Prize Drawing: December 12, 2025.
- Only 5,000 tickets will be sold for the Luxury Raffle.
The Mini Raffle (New for 2025)
- Grand Prize: Choose any EV on the market, fully customized, up to $45,000. This is the perfect raffle if you’re ready to make the switch to an EV but aren’t in the market for a luxury model.
- Taxes covered: Climate XChange pays all the taxes on the Mini Raffle, too.
- Ticket price: $100.
- Only 3,500 tickets will be sold for the Mini Raffle.
Why it’s worth entering
For a decade, Climate XChange has run a raffle that’s fair, transparent, and exciting. Every ticket stub is printed, and the entire drawing is live-streamed, including the loading of the raffle drum. Independent auditors also oversee the process.
Plus, your odds on the Luxury and Mini Raffles are far better than most car raffles, and they’re even better if you enter both.
Remember that only 5,000 tickets will be sold for the Luxury Raffle and only 3,500 for the Mini Raffle, and around half of the available tickets have been sold so far, so don’t miss your shot at your dream EV!
Climate XChange personally works with the winners to help them build and order their dream EVs. The winner of the Ninth Annual EV Raffle built a gorgeous storm blue Rivian R1T.
How to enter
Go to CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek before December 8 to buy your ticket. Start dreaming up your perfect EV – and know that no matter what, you’re helping accelerate the shift to clean energy.
Who is Climate XChange?
Climate XChange (CXC) is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies because they’re critical in accelerating the transition to a zero-emissions economy. CXC advances state climate policy through its State Climate Policy Network (SCPN) – a community of more than 15,000 advocates and policymakers – and its State Climate Policy Dashboard, a leading data platform for tracking climate action across the US.
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The CSC Monterey – one of the most charming little electric scooters on the US market – has dropped to a shockingly low $1,699, down from its original $2,899 MSRP. That’s nearly half off for a full-size, street-legal electric scooter that channels major Honda Super Cub energy, but without the gas, noise, or maintenance of the original.
CSC Motorcycles, based in Azusa, California, has a long history of importing and supporting small-format electric and gas bikes, but the Monterey has always stood out as the brand’s “fun vibes first” model. With its step-through frame, big retro headlight, slim bodywork, and upright seating position, it looks like something from a 1960s postcard – just brought into the modern era with lithium batteries and a brushless hub motor.
I had my first experience on one of these scooters back in 2021, when I reviewed the then-new model here on Electrek. I instantly fell in love with it and even got one for my dad. It now lives at his place and I think he gets just as much joy from looking at it in his garage as riding it.
You can see my review video below.
The performance is solidly moped-class, which is exactly what it’s designed for. A 2,400W rear hub motor pushes the Monterey up to a claimed 30 mph or 48 km/h (I found it really topped out at closer to 32 mph or 51 km/h), making it perfect for city streets, beach towns, and lower-speed suburban routes.
A 60V, roughly 1.6 kWh removable battery offers around 30–40 miles (48-64 km) of real-world range, depending on how aggressively you twist the throttle. It’s commuter-ready, grocery-run-ready, and campus-ready right out of the crate.
It’s also remarkably approachable. At around 181 pounds (82 kg), the Monterey is light for a sit-down scooter, making it easy to maneuver and park. There’s a small storage cubby, LED lighting, and the usual simple twist-and-go operation. And it comes with full support from CSC, a company that keeps a massive warehouse stocked with components and spare parts.
My sister has a CSC SG250 (I’m still trying to convert her to electric) and has gotten great support from them in the past, including from their mechanics walking her through carburetor questions over the phone. So I know from personal experience that CSC is a great company that stands behind its bikes.
But the real story here is the price. Scooters in this class typically hover between $2,500 and $4,500, and electric retro-style models often jump well above that.
At $1,699, the Monterey is one of the least expensive street-legal electric scooters available from a reputable US distributor, especially one that actually stocks parts and provides phone support.
If you’ve been curious about swapping a few car errands for something electric – or you just want a fun, vintage-styled runabout for getting around town – this is one of the best deals of the year.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss a big Tesla Robotaxi setback, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, Bollinger is over, and more.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. Sales end on Dec. 8th for its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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