Freedare Saiga Fat Bike Review: Is it Any Good? A Brutally Honest Look

Oct 25

We’re doing something a little bit different with this article—rather than reviewing a power station or breaking down the basics of solar power, we’re reviewing an E-bike.

More specifically, we’re thoroughly testing and reviewing the Freedare Saiga Fat Tire Electric Bike—a seriously heavy yet deceptively fast E-bike that claims to tackle both off-road trails and city commutes.

After putting over 100 miles on this bike, taking it on a few road trips, and really just pushing it to its limits, we’ve had a chance to see if it really lives up to the hype. Spoiler alert: it’s a mixed bag, and we’re here to give you the full breakdown—both the good and the bad.

Plus, if you think it’s a good match for your needs, we’ll have a few discount codes for you down at the bottom of the article.

Our First Impressions: The Specs and Build Quality

Let’s start with the basics. The Freedare Saiga tips the scales at a hefty 79 pounds. Even for an E-bike, this is some serious weight. It just barely passed the Tiny Baby Lift Test, so you might struggle if you’re planning to regularly throw it on a bike rack.

Despite it being on the seriously heavy side, it can hit speeds of up to 28 mph thanks to its 960Wh lithium-ion battery, which is paired with a 750W BAFANG motor. It’s supposedly capable of hitting these speeds with both pedal assist and full throttle modes, so this beast of a bike definitely has a bit of zip to it.

The battery charges from a standard 120V wall outlet and Freedare claims a full charge can take you up to 90 miles with the pedal assist activated. We’d assume this 90-mile range would only be possible if the pedal assist is set to its lowest setting, but that’s still pretty decent.

As for the non-electrical components, it comes with 26-inch wheels that are wrapped in 4-inch wide Kenda tires. The treading is pretty decent, and looks like what you’d expect with a typical fat bike. You also get front and rear TEKTRO hydraulic disc brakes, as well as a 7-speed drivetrain—though we’ll have a lot more to say about that later.

Some of the components are supplied by recognizable brands, which is great, but when it comes to the front forks, you get some no-name adjustable version. While they’re functional, the fact they’re unbranded doesn’t exactly scream high-end. Still, you do get a bit of play there and can make some small adjustments depending on the type of terrain you’re riding on, so it’s something we can live with.

You also get a LCD display screen, which is built into the handlebar. It’s bright, easy to read, and displays all the essentials like speed, battery percentage, and trip data. There’s also an app, but we’ll dive into that a little later.

The bike comes equipped with some pretty nifty front and rear lights, which we’ll also cover in more detail later. We picked up a version of the bike that came equipped with the optional rear basket. Yes, it’s cool, super masculine, and we’re totally not ashamed to be riding a bike with a basket. In all seriousness, the basket is pretty handy, and it even features a built-in taillight, so it could be a really useful upgrade for commuters. Speaking of commuting, the seat it comes with is also super comfy, so you’re not going to be fidgeting or feeling sore during those longer rides.

The Price

With a starting price of $1,899 (often discounted to $1,699), this bike falls into what we’d consider to be the mid-range of the E-bike market. If you can snag one on sale, or use a discount code to bring the full price down, it’s actually a respectable deal when you consider the bike’s specs. With that said, are the specs accurate and does the bike actually live up to this price tag? Let’s find out.

Performance Testing

We started out by checking how long it would take to fully charge the bike's 960Wh battery. Plugged into a standard wall outlet, it took exactly 6 hours and 38 minutes. The bike may be fast, but charging it really isn’t.

Next, we moved onto the fun stuff—testing how fast this bike actually goes. Freedare claims it can hit a top speed of 28 mph, which we were able to hit pretty easily with both pedal assist and full throttle. However, it’s worth mentioning that pedaling at that speed is just plain exhausting given the weight of the bike and the poor gearing. As for the acceleration, we were able to get it up to 27.7 mph from a standstill in 17 seconds, which isn’t great, but it’s not too bad either.

After testing the speed, we wanted to look into the range. The bike is supposed to have a range of 90 miles on a single charge, but that depends on how much you’re pedaling, your bodyweight, and what type of terrain you’re riding on.

Since there are so many variables, we wanted to just test the range out with the throttle fully engaged the entire time. So, we sent the Tiny Baby on a fairly dangerous, full-throttle mission. By riding pretty much non-stop with the throttle fully engaged, he was able to rip the bike for just over 30 miles—30.1 miles to be exact. By blowing through stop signs (without a helmet, might we add), and taking a route with as few hills as possible, he was able to get a good idea for how far a typical person will be able to push the bike at top speed before the battery will give out. For a bike of this size and weight, having a 30-mile range without slowing down or engaging the pedal assist is actually really impressive.

By the way, please wear a helmet! Always do as the Tiny Baby says, not as he does.

What We Liked and Disliked About the Freedare Saiga E-Bike

Now that we’ve gone over the specs and covered some of the results of our multi-day testing, let’s get into some of the things we really loved about the Freedare Saiga, as well as some areas where we think this E-bike could be improved.

The Good: What We Liked About the Freedare Saiga

After putting some serious miles on this thing in all of its different modes, it’s pretty clear that this E-bike shines brightest as a commuter bike, especially when it’s used on flat pavement. While it might struggle on true off-road trails (more on that later), it absolutely tears it up on paved roads, easy gravel paths, and well-maintained trails. The 26-inch Kenda tires and hefty build make it feel more stable than your average cruiser, giving you the confidence to tackle typical bumps in the road—so long as you’re not venturing onto the type of trails that might be more suitable for a lighter, non-electric fat bike.

The headlight and rear light also deserve a special mention. The headlight in particular is surprisingly bright and features automatic light detection, meaning it switches on when it gets dark and either dims or completely shuts off in brighter conditions. As far as we know, Freedare doesn’t even really advertise this feature. Not only was it unexpected, it’s actually really practical. The bike itself makes sure your light is always on when you’re riding in the dark. Given that lights don’t just help guide your path, but enhance how visible you are to other cyclists and vehicles, they are a critical safety feature when you’re on the road. Basically, this feature just helps enhance the bike’s status as a really solid option for commuters.

We also can’t ignore the fact that the Freedare app enables GPS tracking and anti-theft notifications. While the app itself feels a little barebones (it also lets you lock the screen, change cycling modes, and track rides, but that’s about it), it’s still cool to have these extra features. It almost feels weird having app connectivity with a bicycle, but it also makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

You can track your rides, check your battery status, and more. On top of that, if your bike gets stolen, the app will help track its location, helping you retrieve it—though you’ll have to handle the rest of the recovery process yourself. It would have been nice if you could lock the wheels or something remotely to at least make it more difficult on potential bike thieves, but it’s still much better than nothing.

The assembly process was another major win for the Freedare Saiga. It came packaged really nicely and included all of the necessary tools, so putting it together was a breeze. You don’t need to be an engineer to get this thing on the road, and you definitely don’t need to go out and buy any tools.

The Bad: What We Didn’t Like About this E-Bike

Okay, let’s get into what didn’t work for us, and we’re starting with the 7-speed drivetrain. To put it bluntly, it’s awful. The shifter is a bargain-basement model you’d expect to see on a cheap Walmart bike, and the derailleur is so sloppy that it rattles more than a rusty tin can. In fact, we actually found the same shifter online for just $3, so the lack of quality isn’t just in our heads. On a bike marketed as an off-road “fat bike”, you’d think they’d spring for something better, like a clutched derailleur—but nope.

Speaking of the drivetrain, the gear ratios are a nightmare. The lowest gear is still too high to pedal the bike uphill without assistance, especially if you’re starting from a standstill. This means that if your battery dies, you’re in for a rough time. Trust us, this thing is a pig to pedal without power. It’s also worth mentioning that we’re experienced cyclists that take our own bikes out regularly, so it’s not as if we lack stamina, or don’t really know what we’re doing.

Then we move onto another issue—the torque—or lack thereof. For a bike with a 750W motor, we expected more pep when you hit the throttle. Even in sport mode, there’s a noticeable delay when you hit it, and it’s nowhere near as responsive as some of the other E-bikes we’ve tested. As mentioned, it took a fairly sluggish 17 seconds to hit top speed from a dead stop.

Another gripe: while the bike is plugged in and charging, you can’t see the battery percentage on the display, which is frustrating. Instead, you’re left staring at a tiny red light that turns green when the battery is full. This seems really odd given how long it takes for the battery to charge. Plus, some exposed wires under the frame made us nervous, especially since the bike is supposedly rated for all-season use. Given that it’s technically a fat bike, you shouldn’t be worrying about wires snagging on roots, rocks, and other obstacles if you do decide you want to take this hog on the trails.

This brings us to our last issue with the Freedare Saiga. Despite the fact that it’s openly marketed as an all-terrain fat bike, it doesn’t quite live up to that label. On actual trails, it feels like it’s on the verge of falling apart. Some of the components feel loose, the lack of real torque means it struggles climbing hills, and it’s just so heavy. If you’re expecting this bike to replace a proper fat bike for more off-road adventures, you might want to reconsider.

Our Final Verdict: Is the Freedare Saiga Fat Bike Worth It?

So, is the Freedare Saiga Fat Bike actually any good? As a commuter bike, absolutely! It’s stable, fast, and fun to ride on gravel paths and paved trails. The headlight is great, the app has some useful features, like GPS tracking, and the assembly is a breeze.

But as an off-road bike, it’s just a bit of a letdown. The sluggish torque, terrible gearing, and underwhelming build quality in certain areas make it clear that this bike wasn’t designed with serious trail riding in mind. If you’re looking for a true fat bike that can handle rugged terrain, this probably isn’t it. You’d likely be better off going with a pedal-only fat bike, or even a hardtail mountain bike.

With that being said, if you’re in the market for a fast, fun, and somewhat quirky commuter E-bike that can handle a touch of rough terrain, the Freedare Saiga is worth considering—especially if you can snag it at that sale price we mentioned earlier.

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