What Tire is Good for High-Speed on an Ebike?

[broloch]

For those of you overvolters, or those using powerful set-ups, what tire do you use? Is thicker always better for high speed? What is so important about having a thick tire?

Would the Big Apple 2.0" x 26" tire be good for moderate high speed, e.g. 40km/h-60km/h? Or is the Big Apple 2.35"x26" better?

 

[Anonymous]

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[D-Man]

I tried the big apple in a 2.0 and the ride was horrible due to the extra weight of the ebike (80 lbs). The pointy tires seem to find every nook and cranny. In other words, you felt lots of vibration even though it would take out a visible bump. We puts those tires on a normal bike and they seem to be ok.

 

[Drunkskunk]

Depends on the bike. I'm a big fan of Specalized Armadillos, but they don't come any bigger than 1.9 inch. they are a relay nice, low rolling resistance kevlar tire. A very quiet tire, too

I'm liking the Maxxis Hookworms I'm using now. 2.5" and very quiet, but no real puncture protection.

I would stay away from Kenda tires. I had nothing but trouble with them, and I've never had one that wasn't egg shaped.

 

[Iron Yeti]

Well road bikes, designed for speed, use large diameter skinny tires. On an ebike, tire selection depends on many factors. Where I live, the roads are in really bad shape due to weather. So I give up some speed for cushion. I love the big apple tires, I tried a bike with those and loved the ride. Check out sheldon brown:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html

Sorrry to go off topic, but what does this mean?

Rider skill also enters into this: more experienced cyclists learn to "get light" for a fraction of a second while going over rough patches; newbies tend to sit harder on the saddle, increasing the risk of pinch flats.

For as long as I can remember whenever I was about to hit a rough patch I'd ease my butt up off my saddle and shift my weight in anticipation for a pothole or rough area of gravel. Is this what he means?

 

[TPA]

Nope

Big Apple tires are considered balloon tires...big and cushiony...While Schwalbe says they have low rolling friction, they do have a lot of give in the sidewall and absorb some energy. The road tires are hard, high pressure, low profile tires and you feel every crack in the road, but there is little speed loss.

.......So he says he gives up the speed of road bike tires for the comfort of the big apple tires.

 

[D-Man]

The 2.0 may look big and cushy to a Road Biker but its just the same as a 1.95 standard tire. And its not even close to being as soft as my Hanks beings its got kevlar inside and tread. We already went through this on the Balloon tire thread:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=455

 

[albie]

"I'm liking the Maxxis Hookworms I'm using now. 2.5" and very quiet, but no real puncture protection."

seconded on that... got them on both ends of my bike and its a nice smooth ride.

I average around 50km on a daily basis if i ride to work too!

 

[Sacman]

I'm currently trying out Maxxis Overdrives 1.75-inch on the rear wheel and Nimbus Armadillos 1.50-inch on the fronts. I keep both pumped up at 70psi and the ride is fast and quiet.

The Nimbus Armadillos got a really thick kevlar belt and stiff treads for maximum puncture protection and stiff sidewalls for pinch flat protection. It rolls fast and pretty quietly. At 1.50-inches I do feel some of the bigger bumps on the road but it tames down the smaller ones quite easily.

The Maxxis Overdrives are slightly larger and more cushy. It's got deeper & softer rubber treads than the Armadillos so it's quieter and grips the turns on the road a lot better. The center of the tread pattern is still continuous so it still rolls pretty fast with minimm friction. It does have a fairly decent kevlar belt to resist punctures. It does not have a stiff sidewall like the Armadillos but it's slightly larger 1.75-inch size makes up for it in the pinch flat protection department. I also like the reflective white sidewalls on this tire so I'm easier seen at night...from the side.

 

[albie]

whats fast for you guys??? high speeds i wouldn't trust a 1.5 or even anything lower than 2.0' width tyres!

why do you think super bikes have fat tyres... for traction!

 

[Sacman]

Well I thought we're talking about ebikes here that you can still pedal...not superbikes. Most of the components (like brakes) on pedal bikes are designed and constructed for speeds under 30mph. So for these bikes I'd consider 25-35mph high speed.

 

[BiGH]

I'm currently trying out Maxxis Overdrives 1.75-inch on the rear wheel and Nimbus Armadillos 1.50-inch on the fronts. I keep both pumped up at 70psi and the ride is fast and quiet.
The Nimbus Armadillos got a really thick kevlar belt and stiff treads for maximum puncture protection and stiff sidewalls for pinch flat protection. It rolls fast and pretty quietly. At 1.50-inches I do feel some of the bigger bumps on the road but it tames down the smaller ones quite easily.

Depends on the bike. I'm a big fan of Specalized Armadillos, but they don't come any bigger than 1.9 inch. they are a relay nice, low rolling resistance kevlar tire. A very quiet tire, too

I'm liking the Maxxis Hookworms I'm using now. 2.5" and very quiet, but no real puncture protection.

I would stay away from Kenda tires. I had nothing but trouble with them, and I've never had one that wasn't egg shaped.

I use the Specalized Armadillos all condition tyre (similar to the nimbus but with less tread). I find it a great tyre for the front wheel. But for the rear wheel - esp when there is a lot of weight there, it just results in broken spokes once you get into the higher speeds - ie 50kph. I switched from my 1.5s (stretched over a 3" rim) to hookworms and have never looked back. the hookworm provides a much nicer ride, and the much larger volume helps cushion sharp bumps - ie potholes, from breaking spokes etc. In the hookworm on the bak i have a kevlar belt that you can buy from bike shops - this lines the inside of the tyre, and helps provide extra protection. - i highly reccomend it.

Once i've worn down the two armadilos i've got (on the front wheel only) I'll be putting another hookworm on the front. it might roll 2kph less, but it just feels more stable.

I have noticed that the hookworms wear faster than the specalised by about a ratio of 2:1.

 

[GGoodrum]

I use Schwalbe "Fat Franks" on my 26" Townies, and only inflate them to about 35lbs. Both (mine and my wife's...) are setup with 72V 5304-based configurations, and can easily hit close to 50 mph, but the most I usually feel comfortable with is about 40-45 mph. The switch to these made a huge difference for me. Before, I could feel every pepple and going anything over about 35 was problematic (it would take 20 minutes to be able to let go of the seat...). Even with the FFs, however, I'm not sure I'd even feel comfortabe going close to 40 on anything with a normal wheelbase. The Townies have the seat set back a bit, so the wheelbase is about 6-8" longer, and it feels comfortable at 40 mph, for sure.

-- Gary

 

[broloch]

Maxxis Hookworms 26"x2.5" I realize that these are really wide, but are they tall as well? Is that gonna be trouble for clearance for brakes, or the fenders?
Do you even run fenders?

 

[dirtdad]

I use 80mm wide rims and 4.25" wide tires in back. The front has 38mm rims and 3.0 tires. This is with a 72V 5304 capable of 42mph / 67kph on the flats.

 

[D-Man]

No one has taken an official measurement on the diameter of the 26x2.5 hookworm. I once looked at another forum and they said it was like 27.5 " tall but no one in here has verified if that is really what it is. Well guys? What is it!!!
I know the Big Hank in 26x2.5 is 27" diameter according to Reid in the Balloon tire thread.

 

[swbluto]

I use 80mm wide rims and 4.25" wide tires in back. The front has 38mm rims and 3.0 tires. This is with a 72V 5304 capable of 42mph / 67kph on the flats.

Oh, you're a bike shop owner. That makes more sense. I didn't even know anything above 3.00 inches existed or, if it did, would even be compatible with any bicycle(for the back). It seems my 2.5 inch fits my MTB just barely.

 

[dirtdad]

It is not so much that I have a shop as it is that I have a chopper. Choppers have their pros and cons. I am comfortable doing at 40 mph on it as long as the road is very smooth. When bumps come along I wish I either had full suspension or a traditional riding position.

 

[Drunkskunk]

No one has taken an official measurement on the diameter of the 26x2.5 hookworm. I once looked at another forum and they said it was like 27.5 " tall but no one in here has verified if that is really what it is. Well guys? What is it!!!
I know the Big Hank in 26x2.5 is 27" diameter according to Reid in the Balloon tire thread.

217.5cm circumfrence, or 85.63 inches, or 27.25 inch tall.
But thats on a 34mm wide rim. a skinnier rim would make it taller

 

[diver]

i use the hook worm on my heavy trikes, no problems at all i really like them . Bikes are from 400 to 500 lbs and no tire problems at all. sidewalls seem to be thicker then most tires Ive tried.

 

[swbluto]

It is not so much that I have a shop as it is that I have a chopper. Choppers have their pros and cons. I am comfortable doing at 40 mph on it as long as the road is very smooth. When bumps come along I wish I either had full suspension or a traditional riding position.

So you're riding an electric chopper? Is it a "Bicycle-like chopper" or a "motorycle-like chopper"?(I don't really know the difference, if there is any, but I might look more into the "bicycle choppers" if some tend to have really wide clearance that allow huge diameters. And, yeah, suspension helps with those high-speed bumps/holes. After being jarred going 30 on my front-suspended hard-tail on one particularly bumpy rode, I swore I'll only ride at higher speeds with some kind of double suspension or better.)

 

[Sacman]

i use the hook worm on my heavy trikes, no problems at all i really like them . Bikes are from 400 to 500 lbs and no tire problems at all. sidewalls seem to be thicker then most tires Ive tried.

Whoa! 400 to 500 pounds?
Those are full-on motorcycle weights. Can you still pedal those bikes without a motor?

 

[diver]

i use the hook worm on my heavy trikes, no problems at all i really like them . Bikes are from 400 to 500 lbs and no tire problems at all. sidewalls seem to be thicker then most tires Ive tried.

Woa! 400 to 500 pounds?
Those are full-on motorcycle weights. Can you still pedal those bikes without a motor?

sure you can, very easily here in Florida, no hills. My chopper trike has a really low first gear . it is surprising easy to pedal just cant make any speed.lol. the other two trikes can also be pedaled very easily . after a mile or so I'm done pedaling. Ive only had to pedal any distance once and that was because of a hall sensor that went bad. the etec is so reliable with the altrax controller and is easy to pedal,, but I'm hoping i never have to find out how far i can pedal it