26" Thoughts Regarding 4" Fat Tire versus Kenda K-rad 2.3"

[BudCurtis]

I'm currently riding the FAT TIRE Lectric 20" foldable. It is a great starting bike, but when I go off-road for just a little distance the lack of any suspension is very significant. I think I would like to move to a 26" wheel and I definitely will only buy a front suspension bike. I'm not after speed, but I would prefer a bike that doesn't get shaken to death at 8 mph crossing a green area. I really like the specifications of the Biktrix Stunner step-thru. The step-thru solves some getting on and off the bike for my 5'9" height. The one major concern is the Kenda K-rad 2.3" tires. The other candidate is the Stunner-X which has 4" Fat Tires, but I'm still waiting to hear when they will be available.

I would really appreciate any insight regarding the choice/behavior of the 4" versus the 2.3" tires. I'm 75 old and just getting started returning to biking, but it has been a great way for me to get the legs working again. Also, it hasn't escaped me that the step-thru also has the internal hub shifter. I think that is another big plus for the step-thru.

 

[AHicks]

Bud, my current bike has 26x2" and crossing a grassy area is not something I look forward to either. I don't believe an extra .3" is going to make that much difference in that respect.

The wife and I are going to try 26x4" bikes soon. Going that route mostly for good ride, but flotation in sugar sand as well is another priority. These bikes will very likely have the knobby 4" tires swapped out for something that will provide a quiet ride when on the pavement (probably 70% of our riding is on pavement). The roar from 26x4" knobby tires run on pavement can be heard for hundreds of yards, which would make me absolutely batty very quickly. Silent rides a thing of beauty here.... -Al

 

[indianajo]

I ride kenda 26x2.1" knobbies down my 700 yard grass driveway at my summer camp. My bike has no suspension. I limit my speed to 2 mph and try to stay out of the ruts, but it doesn't rattle my teeth. I'm using kenda smoke from modernbike this year, to limit the number of flats I have. Due to the 60 lb supplies I carry out there, the rear tire is aired up to the max to keep the rim from banging.
I found a S-A S80 IGH added 20 minutes to my 27 miles commute, compared to a 7 speed derailleur. That was unpowered, and averaged over a couple of months for different wind conditions. 8 sets of planetary gears whirling all the time doesn't come energy free.