Best Ebikes and Tires (width) for roads and light trails?

[AHicks]

Cool thanks, I think the tire industry is going to catch up two e bikes. And start making 2.8 to 3.2 in tires. Looking to get cushion and suspension from my tires, the roads are rough, and I think tires can give you a better suspension often than Forks and shocks. I think the sweet spot for e-bikes is right around 3 in, still maneuverable, good cushion, and no noticeable effort difference with an e-bike. Maybe even 3.4. Probably any more would get in the way of the steering???

So much seems to depend on the ratio of tire width to rim width. When the rim width starts approaching that of the tire, as in the case of 3" tires on 80mm rims, the handling is fine, but the ride is pretty stiff, or IMHO, much stiffer than you would think is available with a 3" tire (I've been here). I haven't done it (yet) but my bet is if that same 3" tire were installed on something like a 40mm rim, there would be a dramatic difference for the better in ride.

Personally, I can't wait to see how the 2.8" Super Moto-X work on 27.5x 35mm rims. I KNOW how the 2.4" Super Moto-X work on 27.5x 30mm rims. I couldn't be much happier with those for my riding needs.

More on rim vs. tire width here:

Tire & Rim Fit Chart

WHAT IS IT? The WTB Tire & Rim Compatibility Chart is used to determine what tire and rim width combinations provide optimal performance and compatibility. By matching your tire section width to your rim width you can determine optimal, compatible, or not optimal fitting options to ensure the...

www.wtb.com

 

[Elkman]

If you go fatter than 3.0 inches you will be more limited in your choice of tires and your choice of bike racks. The tire tread and composition are as important as the width of the tire and most mountain and trail bike tires are 2.0 to 2.5 inches in width.