New tire suggestion

transposon

100 W
Joined
Nov 24, 2011
Messages
192
Location
Massachusetts
I am currently running Schwalbe marathon pluses in 26x2.0" (the widest these tires get in 26") . The flat resistance is great, but when I go much over 20 mph they don't feel very stable. I would like to cruise around at 25 mph and am considering slightly wider tires for better grip and a softer ride.

Current Setup:
Heavy rider ~250lb with helmet and gear.
Large battery 14s10p in triangle
1500W leaf rear hub motor
Road use only
32mi daily round trip.

I was looking at the Schwalbe Super moto-x and Pick-up tires. These both go to 2.4" and 2.35" widths respectively and seem to have good flat protection. Does anyone have experience with either or both of these? I'm also open to other suggestions.

Thanks
 
You need to look at the width of your rims. You might be able to squeeze a 2.4" tire on them, but if they are standard ebike rims, you are likely to end up with a tire/rim combo less "stable" than what you have now. This is because a wide tire on a narrow rim tends to "roll around" laterialy.
Really, you can't do better on a 20 to 25 mph ebike than what you are running now, not mention giving up the flat protection the Marathons provide.
I would suggest you ck your tire pressures and stearing head bearing adjustment and try and relax when you are travelinbg at top speed. An ebike with 2.0" wide tires should be fine at 25 mph if everything is working right and properly adjusted.

PS You are carrying a lot of weight, but alhough I carry a much lighter battery and motor, I weigh #260 and have no problem with 26 2.0" tires on a standard ebike. You could lace wider rims, but 26" X 2.3 to 2.5 tires are not that common.
 
motomech said:
You need to look at the width of your rims. You might be able to squeeze a 2.4" tire on them, but if they are standard ebike rims, you are likely to end up with a tire/rim combo less "stable" than what you have now. This is because a wide tire on a narrow rim tends to "roll around" laterialy.

According to Leaf, I have a 32mm wide rim that will fit 26 x 1.95 - 2.5" tires.
 
transposon said:
I am currently running Schwalbe marathon pluses in 26x2.0" (the widest these tires get in 26") . The flat resistance is great, but when I go much over 20 mph they don't feel very stable. I would like to cruise around at 25 mph and am considering slightly wider tires for better grip and a softer ride.

Current Setup:
Heavy rider ~250lb with helmet and gear.
Large battery 14s10p in triangle
1500W leaf rear hub motor
Road use only
32mi daily round trip.

I was looking at the Schwalbe Super moto-x and Pick-up tires. These both go to 2.4" and 2.35" widths respectively and seem to have good flat protection. Does anyone have experience with either or both of these? I'm also open to other suggestions.

The Super Moto-X has less armor than your Marathon Pluses; the Pick-up has about the same, but with a sturdier casing.

What pressure are you using in your tires now? Maybe try running lower in their pressure range. That will give you better traction and a better ride quality without having to change anything.

Schwalbe utility tires usually have hard, not too grippy tread rubber. Kenda Kwick Drumlin tires are available up to 2.4", and seem to offer more grip than Marathon Plus along with excellent armor. However, I've had a couple (out of many) of them suffer internal casing damage while running at high pressure and high load (but still within their ratings). So I have mixed opinions about them. Kwick Drumlin Cargo has a 4 ply casing and I have seen no problems with those.

https://shop.kendatire.com/Kwick-Drumlin-p/k1216.htm
 
Another option is Schwalbe Big Apple. I have them (26 x 2.35) on my longtail cargo bike and they have been stable performers.
 
Chalo -
I usually run at 60 psi which is on the high end of the pressure range for that tire I believe.


Would going from a 2" to a 2.4" tire make any meaningful difference?
 
transposon said:
Chalo -
I usually run at 60 psi which is on the high end of the pressure range for that tire I believe.


Would going from a 2" to a 2.4" tire make any meaningful difference?

It's different, for sure. Not necessarily better.

Try running your current tires at 40 psi and see if you don't like them better that way.
 
I've been using the CST City on the front 26" wheel of SB Cruiser for years, and previously used the same kind of tire on CrazyBike2's 26" front wheel as well. Both heavy cargo haulers, cruise at 20MPH. 55-60PSI.

Not designed for puncture resistance, but I use a thick tube, and another old thick tube over it (cut circumferentially along the inner seam with the valve stem removed), and have sometimes used a Slime tire liner between the "liner tube" and the tire itself (so the liner tube protects the tube from the liner).
 
I'm running the Schwalbe Marathon 27 x 1.25 and really like them. Went through a bunch of other tires including some cheap Kendas until I settled on these. No stability issues and the life I'm getting out of them is amazing.
 
transposon said:
Would going from a 2" to a 2.4" tire make any meaningful difference?
For me it made a welcome difference being more easily navigable over longitudinal pavement-to-concrete transition abutments, R/R tracks, and streetcar tracks.

My routes take me over numerous poorly maintained R/R Xings and poorly maintained/aged paved-over vestigial R/R tracks, often running parallel, near parallel, and diagonal to my direction of travel. And the streetcar tracks run parallel to my travel lanes. The 2.35" tire width does not easily get caught in the gaps. Any narrower and it's too easy to catch a lip and flip.
 
I’ve been using the same Specialized Crossroads Armadillos for the past 10 years without a flat. Also using thicker tubes. Tires are rock solid at mid 40s mph.
 
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