2018 Crust Evasion step-thru, BBS02, Shimano Alfine 8 IGH

[Mongo]

Crust Evasion step-through frame. initial Specs: 68mm motor, 73mm bottom bracket, with:

• Fattish tire clearance with a narrowish Q., max 3" wide tire clearance (in 26")
• TRP Spyre cable brake calipers
• BBS02 mid drive, with Lekkie crank arms
• Short-reach bars/stems
• Adjustable, replaceable rear dropouts with an inboard (within the frame triangle) disk caliper mount
• 1/8 inch chain
• Steel frame tubes

These frames have a relatively high top tube and big main triangle for a battery, and triple bottle mounts on the down tube. The first iteration had a Shimano Nexus 3-speed IGH (Halo SAS rims and Schwabe Big Apple tires):

After a few years, it got an upgrade from 3 to 8 speeds, via a new 26-inch wheelset (Schwalbe Fat Frank tires, Alfine 8, Sapim spokes, and Velocity Blunt rims) and a Lekkie 40 tooth chainring, to fix up the chain line. The former Shimano 3-speed operated just fine, but more gear range was desired. The colors were updated, taking cues from the Harley Davidson prototype e-bike and the Bluejay Premiere. I prefer silver components, when available.

Shown is an older 13AH shark, but the frame clears a safer 17AH EM3ev replacement. The bike has a new owner, and I hope it's earning its keep.

 

[99t4]

Can you give a comparison between the Big Apple and Fat Frank? In terms of ride, handling qualities and flat resistance? I am currently running Big Apples and am curious about the Fat Franks when replacement time comes.

 

[Chalo]

Can you give a comparison between the Big Apple and Fat Frank? In terms of ride, handling qualities and flat resistance? I am currently running Big Apples and am curious about the Fat Franks when replacement time comes.

They're the same; the tread pattern (and color, if other than black) is the only difference. For what it's worth, colored tires always wear faster and often offer worse traction than tires with normal black tread rubber.

 

[Mongo]

Big Apple and Fat Frank, 2.0 versus 2.35 inches wide, but I also had them on different width rims. I'd say the Fat Frank is slower, quieter, and perhaps because of the volume, softer across short nasty stuff like asphalt pavement root heaves. I didn't experience a flat with either, and can only go by what Schwalbe pitches (the Big Apple rated higher in protection than the Fat Frank).

As @Chalo points out, the lighter colors wear out faster and do show dirt - cleanup with alcohol works pretty well. Fat Frank tires are available in black. For this build, I was mimicking an appearance.

There's also Schwalbe's Marathon, Big Ben, Pick-Up, Super-Moto (X and not), and on and on - no shortage of models - perhaps too many.