Do tires matter on an e-bike?

Jodie:
Tires. We've never seen a bike without them. This week on Tech Tip Thursday, how to choose a tire for your e-bike.

Jody:
Matt.

Matt:
Yes, Jodie.

Jodie:
We have quite the array of tires here.

Matt:
Sure do.

Jodie:
We've got small, we've got big. Tell me what might factor into, I guess, choosing a bike, and why might you look at what tire would be on a bike you're looking at?

Matt:
Yeah, a lot of people don't think about the actual tire that comes with the bike, and how important that is when selecting a bike. And three things sort of matter for that bike feel with the tire. The diameter, the size of the tire, the width of the tire, and then the tread on the tire.

Matt:
And let's talk about diameter, Jodie. I think you've got, you're over there by one of our smallest diameter ones. Tell me about diameter, how does that play into how a bike rides, and why do you have different diameters?

Jodie:
Well, you can obviously see that this 20-inch tire on the Riese & Müller Load 75 Rohloff high-speed, is pretty unique. On cargo bikes in particular, this is an area where we see, on quite a few models, the Tern GSD, the Benno Boost, a little bit of a smaller wheel size than you normally would on a different, a non-cargo e-bike.

Jodie:
The reason being that when you have cargo, say in this load you've got kids or heavy cargo going in and out of this box in the front, it's nice to have that weight lower, a lower center of gravity. And then also just the ease of kids going in and out of the bike is helpful for safety, and just for overall logistics as well. That size translates, also, into something like a commuter bike setup. So you're not going to typically see a 20-inch tire on a commuter bike, but you will see different diameters.

Jodie:
This Nevo, Riese & Müller Nevo, is a small, the smallest size of the Nevo, and this is the bike that I would ride at five-two. And it comes with a smaller diameter tire on it as well. So this is a 26-inch tire versus a 28-inch on this Gazelle Ultimate. What I would appreciate with this 26-inch, in addition to it being a little smaller and more nimble, maneuverable on the streets, it's also a little bit wider than this 28-inch on the Gazelle. So for me, I like being able to go into gravel, maybe on some light dirt roads, and this width will handle a little bit better, in addition to the smaller wheel fitting me as a smaller writer. Matt, what do you got over there?

Matt:
Well, I think mountain bikes, that also comes into play. Wheel size in mountain bikes are always changing what's preferred. This is a 27, five-inch versus a 29-inch diameter. And same sort of thing, the little smaller diameter is going to give you more maneuverability on the trail, whereas the larger diameter, little bit, I'd say almost smoother, rolling faster, building carrier speed a little bit more.

Matt:
And then the other big thing with mountain biking is the width. And this 27-five has a 2.8, it's sort of known as a plus tire. Whereas this 29 is a 2.6, sort of a mid plus. Or we could almost still say a plus, but just a little bit narrower.

Matt:
When I rode this 27-five plus for the first time a couple of years ago on a bike, I was blown away. It was so soft and comfy, felt like powder down the trail. Gave me lots of confidence, lots of grip, and I thought it'd be the last tire ever rode, as far as width goes.

Matt:
Then I tried the 29 by 2.6. And that just, that seems like this is now sort of the perfect width for me, that it carries the speed a little bit more. I still get a lot of the benefits, but it's probably my preference. If you are a little bit smaller rider, say for you maybe, Jodie on a mountain bike, the 29 diameter might be too big for you. So for people choosing the bike, we can kind of help you select a bike with the proper diameter and width of tire.

Matt:
Tread, let's throw that out there. Tell me about, I'm looking at the mountain bikes come with knobby tires. I remember what, should all e-bikes come with knobby tires?

Jodie:
That's a good question, and one that I used to say yes to. I think I previously thought that, why not have a knobby tire on an e-bike when you have the e-assist? Now my line of thinking has changed, just in terms of safety. And for a rider that's primarily going on pavement, it is going to be safer to have a slick tire where you will have more surface area of that tire on the road as you're riding, compared to knobby tread.

Jodie:
So if you're thinking about where you might be riding, that might factor into your decision as well. The efficiency, say this little bit of a skinnier tire, a little bit of a wider diameter tire, and then also just the tread being slick, that's going to be a really efficient tire. But it probably won't handle well on gravel, or as well as the Nevo. So there's all sorts of applications to riding, and all sorts of tires for it. We're here to help you choose what you might like on your e-bike.

Matt:
Yeah, come give us a call or stop in, and we'll find just the right bike and the right tire for you.