New to E-Bike and this forum

[GMA52]

Unfortunately, an unanswerably broad question.

Q1. What size tires do you have now?

Q2. What surfaces do you see yourself riding on in the future? Pavement only, pavement + hardpack, add in light trails?

Q3. Will you be riding these surfaces when wet, sandy, or muddy? If so, you'll want more tread — perhaps a hybrid tread design.

Q4. How much puncture protection do you need? There can be trade-offs with weight and rolling resistance.

For quality above Kenda, look at Schwalbe and Specialized offerings. (Others can point you to additional quality brands.) Pick out some promising candidates and use the forum search function to see what's already been said about them.

Then come back with narrower tire questions.

I did not see a viable Schalbe or Specialized 4” tire for mostly roads. Seems a lot more options for 2 1/2” or less tires.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I did not see a viable Schalbe or Specialized 4” tire for mostly roads. Seems a lot more options for 2 1/2” or less tires.

Sorry, didn't realize you were after 4" tires when I recommended those brands.

 

[GMA52]

Sorry, didn't realize you were after 4" tires when I recommended those brands.

No worries. I sort of figured that

 

[PCeBiker]

Sorry, I assumed that tire was the back tire.

Yeah, I cropped the picture too much, and it looks like the rear tire.

BTW: Nice Bike! Where did you get the windshield?

Thanks, I got the windshield on Aliexpress to cover up my stupid looking front end after I bought new steering stem and installed it backwards to get my handlebars closer, so I didn't have to lean forward.
I wanted to sit straight up,..

Thread 'handlebar rise or longer goose neck?' https://forums.electricbikereview.com/threads/handlebar-rise-or-longer-goose-neck.52648/

Also, I wished now that I had gone with a step through model because I had to push my seat back as far as it would go and get Sketchers Tennis shoes with 2” heel to get my let over due to fused lumbar and arthritis in hips but They were lower wattage in the brand I was buying.

I've recently started to lean my bike way over before I swing my leg around. I find it easier to get on.

My new ebike is a mile off the ground and I have to stand on my toes to clear the battery that I attached to the top tube.

If I slip off my seat, I'm going to be in a world of hurt when I land on my jewels.

 

[gromike]

Hey ECeBiker, do you have hills where you ride? In my world I would be terrified going downhill with your rig

 

[GMA52]

PCeBiker, by the height of your seat you must be tall. I am 5’8” but most of that is in the torso and 29” inseam on pants. That plus other issues do not allow me to lean my 84lb bike to get on without possibility of it falling over. I was getting on via the curb of the street but at least I can usually get on without issue due to the things I have done. As I said it would have been easier if I had bought a step through. Getting old and surgeries are “hell”.

 

[PCeBiker]

Hey ECeBiker, do you have hills where you ride? In my world I would be terrified going downhill with your rig

Very few. The only hills are where a road crosses a river then I finally get going over 32 kph,..

I've gone down this hill (when it wasn't flooded) and some others that are steeper, riding no-hands at over 35 kph.

It is kinda freaky, but I've gotten pretty good at riding my electric unicycle with a training wheel.

I've got 8000 km on that ebike with over 6000 km of that with no-hands.

 

[PCeBiker]

PCeBiker, by the height of your seat you must be tall. I am 5’8” but most of that is in the torso and 29” inseam on pants.

Yeah, I'm 6' tall with a 32" inseam and I've got the seat set quite high, partly because a full suspension frame needs more ground clearance to help avoid pedal strikes when you squash the suspension, and I replaced my original forks that had 95 mm of travel with downhill air forks that have 160 mm of travel.

I also straighten one leg out at a time, with my heel pointing down from the pedal to stand on one leg to help take the pressure off my ass, so I need my seat set higher so I don't lift off the seat.
I kinda lock myself in so I'm less inclined to get thrown forward when I hit a pothole or some washboard roads.
I also have a suspension seatpost that compresses when I sit on it, so I have to raise the seat and fiddle with my seatpost spring tension to compensate.
And I've got a spring seat on top of the seatpost with a gell seat cover on top of that, and they compress a bit too.

That plus other issues do not allow me to lean my 84lb bike to get on without possibility of it falling over. I was getting on via the curb of the street but at least I can usually get on without issue due to the things I have done.

I've fallen off my e-bike a couple of times when I came to a stop on the shoulder of a gravel road.
The shoulder was sloped a bit, my right toes couldn't touch, and I fell over.

As I said it would have been easier if I had bought a step through. Getting old and surgeries are “hell”.

I didn't buy the step-through on purpose. It just kinda happened to be a step through.
I actually threw my leg around to get on most of the time.

 

[PCeBiker]

In my world I would be terrified going downhill with your rig

It actually feels very stable.
I wouldn't want to go screaming down the side of a mountain on a narrow dirt path but I'd have no fear of doing it on a road.

I did get going 43 kph went I unlocked the ebike, and I did it no-hands but I didn't like it at all, only because I was afraid of getting $5,000 in fines.

I would love to find a hill steep enough and long enough to scare the s*it outta me.
I'm allowed to speed when I'm going down a hill.

 

[GMA52]

Very few. The only hills are where a road crosses a river then I finally get going over 32 kph,..


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I've got 8000 km on that ebike with over 6000 km of that with no-hands.

Now I see where you got the name “Daffy” LOL. “Over 6000km with no hands”. I don’t think I can go over 10 ft without hands

 

[PCeBiker]

I learned when I was a kid, and never forgot how.

 

[GMA52]

I learned when I was a kid, and never forgot how.

When I was a kid i could do it but never as far as you rhough

 

[PCeBiker]

One thing I am glad for is that My E-Bike doesn’t (or shouldn’t) need balancing due to the lower speed.

I spent months trying to get rid of a wobble or shimmy that would only happen when I carried a second battery on my rear rack, and only when I rode no-hands.

I ended up balancing both my wheels (by wrapping solder around the spokes), and broke two rear racks off my e-bike before I managed to make battery mounts for my top tube.

That got rid of the speed wobble but I'm down to only a couple multi tools in my pockets now.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Yeah I tried the rear rack battery on a fs mountain bike build and though ok for casual street rides I never really liked the setup. Ended up with a custom, much smaller 10ah battery from Jenny and then the bike was a delight everywhere. Proper center of gravity is golden.

And I went step thru on my latest bike even though I can still get up over a properly sized bike with a 30in inseam. Man it makes many things easier. My arthritic knees can act up and then add carpal tunnel on top and I want comfort and ease above all.