speedyebikenoob said:
...because I probably wouldn't do more than 23-24 mph continuously, anything above 25 makes my eyes water. (yup I'm a wimp)
My next build will be wound to run that 25-30mph most efficiently, because that's about my most comfortable over long distance continuous speed. Currently wound to 40mph and rarely EVER run that.
You noted in your OP that your "stock" tires lasted only about 200mi and that "..they were crap". THAT is extraordinarily unusual for ANY bike tire and would like to inquire of more detail. Like specifically and exactly, what, where, and how they were "wore"??? And exactly what the major use was,... paved street, dirt/gravel, harsh raw trails, potholes/logs/rocks etc.,... and other specifics, i.e., tire pressures, total weight, suspension, etc.
Your bike tires are actually pretty unique. Nearly ALL are neither bias ply, nor radial. Surely everyone has noticed when looking inside their tire, that the typical carcass fabric threads are diagonally oriented! While not the best fabric cut to use in production, it IS the best orientation to use in a "single-ply" bike tire carcass, as other bias orientations are prone to specific failures under various typical bike use. You may or may not have noticed the "coarseness" or "TPI" of the fabric, and maybe how well the fabric is "encased" or "coated" inside. BOTH have a direct bearing on designed tire pressures and tube wear or tube abrasions from friction of flexing movement. TPI and thread quality also has a direct influence on how well the external "impacts" are dispersed AROUND the tire circumference to protect expensive wheel components as a whole,.... the primary and most important purpose of tires!!! TPI is often a compromise that's best suited in design with consideration of materials and function, and also has an effect in resisting and deflecting puncturing objects.
In most cases,... the "tread" is bonded directly to the carcass usually as part of the entire external surface, outer "skin", bead to bead, with rare specialized exceptions (i.e., high-pressured "gumwalls"). But some today, like your "Kendra Kuick Nine", will include a specially designed and engineered "protective shield" that MAY OFTEN cause unique problems in and of themselves!!! Tread designs, compounds, thickness, and dispersion, particularly from road surface thru shoulder into sidewall.
Simulating a loaded tire against a surface (mount on rim with minimal pressure to secure bead), note the CRITICAL "fold" that occurs when being flattened against surface. This generally occurs somewhere between the stiff road surface of the outer "skin" and the thinly coated sidewall, usually where the shoulder skin thins or tapers abruptly, OR near the edge of the stiff protective internal shield! This "critical fold point" is a major point of failure causing internal tube abrasions and perforations, and in sidewall carcass failures signaled as "sidewall cracks" of the skin. During the same simulation, notice how the road surface treads/knobs begin to collapse against each other, maybe even "cupping" or forming a "pocket" or "tunnel" down the centerline of the road surface, stressing carcass fabric and inducing telltale cracks between treads/knobs of the surface. You might now better understand the implications of a radial or bias ply design.
FACT,.... more than 85% of all tire and tube failures are directly attributed to IMPROPER inflation, relative to load!!! The remainder is usually due to ageing in relation to environment,... UV, heat, etc.,... and very, VERY few to extraordinary circumstances. This PSI spec, is especially critical in "high-pressured gumwalls", and internally shielded designs. Tires, beads and rims, are designed with A HUGE safety margin, provided they are maintained within mfgs specs, including typical loads. If you don't hear stones and opjects constantly "popping" from beneath your tires, your probably underinflated, and risking damage. Generally speaking, your bike tires should not flex at anytime in use under load, except in extremes of impacts, heavy bumps/dips, etc. Bike tires should maintain their inflated profile in use, to properly disperse impact forces evenly around wheel circumference. Many complain of "bounce" and hard rides at mfgs rated inflation,.... those issues should be addressed with suspension, sprung seats, cushioning, OR a different tire selection. Other issues are "cornering' matters and loss of grip in turns,.... again, select a tire more suited to purpose. Low pressure tires and "fat tires" are designed with thicker sidewall skin to reduce, disperse, and minimize the that pinching "fold" noted above, AND SHOULD STILL be maintained within mfgs inflation specs. Anything otherwise shortens tire life and may shorten your own due to unexpected failure.
Sooooooo, speed is mostly irrelevant. Your not likely to attain the speeds where internal temps from flexing actions are more critical than the flexing itself. A "speed rated" e-bike tire is simply constructed specifically for e-bikes. They won't "fly apart" due to a minor excess of speed above the rating.
