Before we jump in, if this article piques your interest in the Foes Mutz, visit MTBVT’s brick and mortar location, Ranch Camp, to arrange a demo. We’re Vermont’s only Mutz dealer with custom built rentals ready to roll. Ranch Camp is also offering 20 to 25% off select new and used fatbikes now. Tell ’em MTBVT sent you at time of purchase and receive a swag bag full of MTBVT goodies. Cheers!
When I was introduced to fat biking I was immediately hooked! This was early in my bike career, a time when I was still pie-eyed and open to any opportunity to spend time on two wheels. I learned quickly that fatbiking is a dichotomous balance of agony and ecstasy: sometimes it’s “twice the work for half the fun”, but more often than not, fatbiking provides an amazing and borderline surreal experience that only comes with recreating outdoors in the winter. The stars have to align to find that perfect mix of snow conditions, grooming, weather, the list goes on. But you take the good with the bad when it comes to fatbiking and in the end, it’s time spent on a bike, which is never a bad thing.
Over the years, I’ve owned quite a few fatbikes. some good, some bad, but never that “just right” Goldilocks bike. Enter the new Foes Mutz. The Mutz, for those who don’t know, is a full suspension fatbike that sports 150 mm travel front and rear. This bike has some pedigree but underwent a recent overhaul, getting new geo, and ultimately resulting in a bike that’s capable to a degree that makes it hard to categorize. The Mutz bridges the gap between fatbiking and traditional mountain biking, while conceding none of the on-snow advantages provided by a traditional fatbike.
Foes bill the Mutz as the “four-season fatbike” which, let’s admit, is a hard pill to swallow. Why would you ever want to ride a fat bike in the summer when modern mountain bikes are so damn good? Well, I’m here to tell you that that claim stacks up. Thanks to a few early season storms followed by some variable frozen dirt conditions, I was able to give it a proper shakedown on snow, ice and whatever the hell else, and it’s the closest I’ve come to having a fatbike experience that really rivals a mountain bike ride. While I’ve not yet taken it to unfrozen / summer dirt, this bike’s performance has broken down some barriers in my brain in terms of year-round fatbiking. The Mutz is just that good.
So what makes the Mutz so magical? If you’re an experienced mountain biker, this bike will have a very familiar feel; it takes all the things that are less desirable about fatbiking (except maybe the temperatures) and nearly eradicates them. If you’re a fatbike-curious mountain biker, the Mutz will poke a hole in any excuse you’ve ever had to not want to fatbike. My inner fatbike purist wants to keep the Mutz a secret so that all you newbs will be forced to pay your dues and ride the rigid bikes that we did for years, but the Mutz let’s you skip right to the front of the line and bypass the hazing process.
Let’s talk build quality for a minute here. The second I laid eyes on the Mutz a few years back, I lusted for one. The massive welds, the clean lines, the not-so-minor details of this bike just presented an aesthetic that spoke to me. It’s got an industrial look that doesn’t feel dated or overbuilt. Foes utilizes a 2.3 to 1 suspension leverage curve and a modified single pivot. The result is a relatively simple suspension design that works VERY well. This Mutz is my dream-fatbike, but after riding bikes from a lot of other brands, I can say with confidence that this is definitely the best fat bike I’ve ever ridden, and it’s probably one of the top three bikes I’ve ever owned period.
THE SPECS:
Size large Foes Mutz frame
Two-stage powder coating direct from Foes
Manitou Mastodon Pro fork (150 mm travel)
Fox Float X2 (150 MM travel)
84 mm internal width whiskey carbon hoops on Hope Fatsnow hubs
45 North Dillenger tan wall studded 4.6” tires
Sram GX Eagle drive train
SRAM G2 Ultimate brakes with carbon levers (fun fact: carbon brake levers help keep your fingers warmer since they )
Fox Transfer dropper post, 175 mm travel
Industry Nine A35 stem, 40mm length
Oneup carbon bars, 800 mm
The Mutz is less a monster truck and more a finely tuned off-road Baja machine that somehow climbs like a squirrel with crampons. The suspension is plush, yet supportive, especially compared to a traditional hardtail fatbike. One would think with all that suspension it would lose some prowess on the climb, but I’ve found that this bike still climbs much better than any other fat like I’ve ridden simply due to the fact that the rear tire maintains traction under pressure.
My bike, as built, weighs in at about 36 pounds, which is pretty darn good considering the stout aluminum frame and studded tires. A standard hardtail fatbike by comparison generally weighs in at around 33 to 36 pounds, so the small weight penalty seems inconsequential when considering the performance gains.
The Mutz corners predictably, is easy to get off the ground and stable in the air, and climbs with a level of efficiency that’s surprising to say the least. Thanks to the full suspension and traction that comes with it, you can really let it go on the down hills. I would have no problem riding this bike at any mellower trails in the downhill park ( Highland Winter Woolly here we come!) or any trail riding that I’ve experienced around the Northeast in the snow, or otherwise. It truly feels like one of the most well-balanced bikes I’ve ever ridden. I’ve found it to be perfectly suited to the riding we have here in VT and the geo seems almost tuned for the northeast (despite its California roots)
Elephant in the room: this is a baller build. But they’re available with different kits and with very few compromises, you can still build one up for not much more than a hardtail fatbike. As this is a fairly niche product, dealers are hard to come by, but our friends at Ranch Camp do have a few demos in their demo fleet. Check the Foes website though for a full list of dealers if you’re interested in upping your fatbike game this winter. You will not be disappointed.
Want to see what all the hype is about, try a Mutz today…
