What tire can cope the ebike punishment?

Bor_Ed

1 mW
Joined
Jan 20, 2012
Messages
16
Location
Scandinavia
Hola.

I've tried pretty much every tyre brand and model on the ebikes (full suspension 26" with 9c 2807 clone at the rear and '500W/48V' controller, max speed with pedaling around 55kph and lwb recumbent with 14" motocross tyre at the rear, 500-2400W controller/48V (depending on the mood) and speed around 35kph) and the best I've found so far has lasted around 3000km.
Now I did bite the bullet and bought Schwalbe energizer plus to the mtb but do you have better choices for ~140kg for the bike and rider?
This is getting a bit frustrating to have tube, tire and the tools in backbag to be able to continue the commute with least delays possible.
My normal commute includes gravel and tarmac, some bicycle ways with some edges in pedestrian safety crossings etc, nothing abnormal really.
 
Bor_Ed said:
Hola.

I've tried pretty much every tyre brand and model on the ebikes (full suspension 26" with 9c 2807 clone at the rear and '500W/48V' controller, max speed with pedaling around 55kph and lwb recumbent with 14" motocross tyre at the rear, 500-2400W controller/48V (depending on the mood) and speed around 35kph) and the best I've found so far has lasted around 3000km.
Now I did bite the bullet and bought Schwalbe energizer plus to the mtb but do you have better choices for ~140kg for the bike and rider?
This is getting a bit frustrating to have tube, tire and the tools in backbag to be able to continue the commute with least delays possible.
My normal commute includes gravel and tarmac, some bicycle ways with some edges in pedestrian safety crossings etc, nothing abnormal really.

If you are looking for a more durable tire, look at motorcycle/moped tires. There's a thread here about them
 
Motorcycle tires have way too much rolling resistance on 26" class, I can live with it on 14" motocross tire on recumbent but on the mtb I really want to be able to pedal with as little as possible effort too when the battery cuts out.
I crawled through the motorcycle/bicycle comparasion thread but wasn't really enlightened on the discussion, the thread is available at http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=55458& . Corrected the link to the start of the thread.
 
Bor_Ed said:
Motorcycle tires have way too much rolling resistance on 26" class, I can live with it on 14" motocross tire on recumbent but on the mtb I really want to be able to pedal with as little as possible effort too when the battery cuts out.
I crawled through the motorcycle/bicycle comparasion thread but wasn't really enlightened on the discussion, the thread is available at http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=55458& . Corrected the link to the start of the thread.

Well, you are asking for an option of tire that doesn't exist, in that case.

If you have tried EVERY tire brand and model on ebikes, there aren't any more besides DOT rated tires. Yes, the rolling resistance is unholy, but that's what you'll have to put up with for that level of robustness.

You ARE referring to puncture resistance in your original query correct?
 
The original question was mostly for durability, loadability and puncture resistance, you are right on that.
It's weird that front tire is common bike tire and can cope easily 10000km+ without need to replace it but even at low torque/low power setup the rear tire and tube wears out and gives unwanted stop in one third of the kms.
I have only moderate 10Ah pack of LiFePo4 with me so I really don't want to get bigger battery which is required for heavier rolling resistance with the motorcycle/moped tires.
Currently I manage to get 50-70km range on the assisted I have on mtb before battery cuts at LVC and can pedal easily another same range as it's light setup currently.
I guess it's time to start looking for some more lithium on board increasing the weight and resulting even more load on pedal only commuting...
 
Are you using wide enough rims for fat sizes? My best luck has been with 26" Panaracer Uf Da! or CST Cyclops on wide rims and thick 2.5mm tubes

It's not weird in regard to front tire longevity. For starters, debris punctures are 99% of the time a rear tire thing because the front rolls over nails, staples, junk, etc., which kicks it up at the angle to spear the approaching rear tire. The other thing is much less load over the front tire.

It can be frustrating, I know. I've gone years smugly thinking "my recipe" is saving the day and then have 3 flats in a week. Hahah...
 
I used the panaracer uf da. I's a very good tire, but I switched to the much cheaper Cyclops Pro tires. They're just as good imo for about 1/3 the price. Be sure and get the Pro model. It has an extra belt and only cost $1 more than the regular ones. And any wide tire works much better with wider rims. I use 39mm (32mm inside) DH rims and will never go back to a narrower rim.
 
I've got ditch witch rim at the rear, supposed to be good enough for off-roading and wide enough to get 2.125" tires I've used.
One setup I haven't tried yet is foss tubes at the rear but they have mixed results on biker forums from the seals getting broken.
3 flats in a week is pretty easy, had 11 in 3 weeks when the snow finally melted here in March and the gravel wasn't cleaned from the asphalt, impossible to dodge all of that and resulted a puncture on pretty much 1/4 of the occasions.
Can't use solid rubber tires either as they have longetivity less than my current setup, http://www.airlesstiresnow.com/Nu-Teck--Marvel-Compound-Uni-Directional-Tread-Airless-Tire--Options_p_261.html for example and these tend to give 2000 miles/3000km at max and prices aren't better than 'puncture resistant' tire+tube combo.
 
Bor_Ed said:
I've got ditch witch rim at the rear, supposed to be good enough for off-roading and wide enough to get 2.125" tires I've used.
One setup I haven't tried yet is foss tubes at the rear but they have mixed results on biker forums from the seals getting broken.
3 flats in a week is pretty easy, had 11 in 3 weeks when the snow finally melted here in March and the gravel wasn't cleaned from the asphalt, impossible to dodge all of that and resulted a puncture on pretty much 1/4 of the occasions.
Can't use solid rubber tires either as they have longetivity less than my current setup, http://www.airlesstiresnow.com/Nu-Teck--Marvel-Compound-Uni-Directional-Tread-Airless-Tire--Options_p_261.html for example and these tend to give 2000 miles/3000km at max and prices aren't better than 'puncture resistant' tire+tube combo.

Have you tried adding a tire liner? You say you've tried every tire, so have you don the Schwalbe Marathon Plus? They are excellent at puncture resistance.

My personal combination includes My Tuffy Liners (some don't like them, but I contend that it is based on their inability to properly mount and maintain them), Thicker downhill tubes (Kenda) and a decent tire.
 
I use a Kenda K838 26" as my road tire, Rhinos Dillos Tire Liners and Extra Thick Slime Tubes.

Adds a bit of rolling weight but not too bad.

No fear of smashed bottles and rusty car parts in the bike / curb lanes.
 
I have been using Schwalbe Marathon Plus 26X1.75 for several years and have been very pleased with them. They have excellent flat protection. They are pricey about 55-60.00 US each, I also tried the Schwalbe Energizer Plus, I had flats with them and got less mileage, The green flat protection is not as thick as the Marathon Plus, thus I had some flats. The Energizers are cheaper about 40.00 US each
 
Bor_Ed said:
The original question was mostly for durability, loadability and puncture resistance,... required for heavier rolling resistance with the motorcycle/moped tires.

Don't count out mx wheels and tires.Many on the forum who have converted swear that flats are a thing of the past.

While some get enthused with getting wide and heavy mx wheels and tires which contribute to rolling resistance and a tough pedal, there is the grey area between bike and motorcycle tires traditionally held by mopeds. These would be in narrower widths, typically 2.25 or 2.50 with wheel sizes 17-19", and carcass thickness heavier than bike tires but not as heavy as full mx. Aluminum wheels are light and don't contribute excess weight.

My 19" x 2.50 moped tire is 4 ply and speed rated for 70 mph. I don't need the speed rating, but the heavier carcass makes for a good safety margin when maneuvering glass and potholes.

Some go mx in the rear and keep their full 26" bike tire in the front.
 
I'm running 26x2.5" Hookworms with Maxxis downhill 2.5" tubes. ~2500km's and have smashed through some BIG potholes at 35mph many times. Glass, thorns and gravel - zero punctures.
 
whereswally606 said:
+1 hook worms. Then swalbe marathons

Ditto on the Hookworms. I'm running an odd combo of front 29er and rear 26". Wasn't planned that way but ended up liking it. Front gives me better chances with pot holes and curbs, and rear gives me lil more torque than I'd get with a 29er back there too. I may switch though to 29er rear once I do a few upcoming mods to get me more power. :p
 
I have used:
Schwalbe Big Apple 20x2.0
Schwalbe Marathon (plus?) 20x1.75.
2950km, zero flats. (Right now, my tire is going flat, right? Shoulda kept my mouth shut.)

My only issue was my own fault - I ran the Big Apple at too low of a pressure and it wore the sidewall out. I switched to the old Kenda Kwest high pressure and got a flat on my 3rd ride.

Colin

Update: Ok, this is not funny. Ten minutes into my very next ride my tire picks up a 3" metal rod. It hit the Marathon tire, deflected off the protection belt and came out the side of the tire. Pulled it out - no flat. Five minutes (literally) I hit something - a small bit of metal I think - that went into the sidewall and did give me a flat. Oh well.First flat in 1300km - That seems pretty good.
 
I wouldn't bother with Michelin City (with Protek puncture protection)- mine crept round the rim dragging the tube causing punctures , the bead had weakened/stretched. It was a bit skittish in the wet too.
 
Ohbse said:
I'm running 26x2.5" Hookworms with Maxxis downhill 2.5" tubes. ~2500km's and have smashed through some BIG potholes at 35mph many times. Glass, thorns and gravel - zero punctures.
I'm ridding with Maxxis Holy Roller. FYI, both the Hookworm and Holy Roller are in the http://www.maxxis.com/tires/bicycle/urban class tire.
 
Since you don't want to go moto or moped tire, though more battery so you don't run out of juice (bad for cycle life anyway) is the better answer, then ride faster to get away from the side of the road where all the tire flattening crap is. My cargo bike built in 2008 still has the same $9 bike tire on front with quite a few thousand miles. That durability came with a price though, because the durable compound of the cheapie tire has poor traction, especially with the tiniest amount of moisture, so the price was skin until I learned keep it straight in low traction and try to avoid front braking if it's wet out. I'd gladly spend more and more often, but selection here in 24" is non-existent for street tires. I have other bikes now for performance, so it's just a load hauler and school bus when absolutely dry (kids don't need road spray on white uniform shirts) making slow and straight on low speed smooth roads suit me fine.
 
From my experience with "regular" bikes, tubeless tires are a little heavier and more puncture resistant than non-tubeless. Also, is there a reason why a tubeless system (like stan's) isn't viable? His kit converts non-tubeless rims to tubeless, and with sealant the performance is extraordinary. It should be noted that the sealant needs to be refreshed every three months or so in hot weather.
 
shoot I just used two puncture resistant tubes and a Kevlar rear tire I think Schwinn. they are white walls but that's what my beach cruiser came with. I can roll over what ever I want but in a month and a half they did seem to where quite a bit,(maybe a third) but for $20usd at Walmart I'm impressed so far. I ride everyday and probably go 2 hundred miles a week.
 
John in CR said:
Since you don't want to go moto or moped tire, though more battery so you don't run out of juice (bad for cycle life anyway) is the better answer, then ride faster to get away from the side of the road where all the tire flattening crap is.
I agree with this: Ride faster to get out of the lane of crap. Plus, armor your tire.

I use 2-ply DH Hookworms which are now out of production. When they wear out, I'll switch to an equivalent moped for the puncture resistance.

~KF
 
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