Exploding Tires on Ebikes?

[Moonshine]

Hello electric friends,

How common of a problem is exploding tires on an e-bike? And what exactly happens when you are on a speed pedelec and your tire explodes? I mean I can't even imagine the physics behind what' gonna happen next.

There was an older thread where a user described how his Schwalbe tires were exploding on his Stromer here.

Needless to say, that thread freaked me out

I have Schwalbe Big Ben, 27.5x2" (584x50mm) on my main bike. I don't know if I can't see or what but I couldn't find the recommended PSI marked anywhere on the tires. Are there "better" tires that I can purchase that would give me the ease of mind? I usually ride 25mph+ routinely on busy roads. Any comments or suggestions regarding the issue would be awesome.

 

[rocky289]

Well I guess you make any tire explode if you put enough air in it.
Just out of curiosity, what pressure were you running?

 

[Moonshine]

Well I guess you make any tire explode if you put enough air in it.
Just out of curiosity, what pressure were you running?

I don't have a digital reader but I usually set the Big Ben's at bar 2 on my pump.

 

[DAVID L]

Hello electric friends,

How common of a problem is exploding tires on an e-bike? And what exactly happens when you are on a speed pedelec and your tire explodes? I mean I can't even imagine the physics behind what' gonna happen next.

There was an older thread where a user described how his Schwalbe tires were exploding on his Stromer here.

Needless to say, that thread freaked me out

I have Schwalbe Big Ben, 27.5x2" (584x50mm) on my main bike. I don't know if I can't see or what but I couldn't find the recommended PSI marked anywhere on the tires. Are there "better" tires that I can purchase that would give me the ease of mind? I usually ride 25mph+ routinely on busy roads. Any comments or suggestions regarding the issue would be awesome.

Schwalbe have a section on tyre pressures on their website, which has an English language option. The Big Ben is categorised as "e-bike ready" so should be up to the job. Exploding tyres can be caused by overheating the rims by dragging the brakes on long descents, especially on tandems. In fact, tandem riders are advised to alternate freewheeling and short bursts of hard braking to avoid too much heat being generated.

 

[justforfun]

My dealer recommended Serfas Drifter City Survivor when I changed out my rear Fat Frank due to wear. Still have a Fat Frank on the front wearing fine at 1,300 miles.

 

[opimax]

Pretty sure max pressure on the big bens is 55 lbs. I run 52 on the on the rear and 48 in the front, near max but allow for differences in air temperatures and gauges and have heard a 5 lbs or so diffence is good for handling

 

[Mr. Coffee]

My first comment is that the higher speeds of electric bikes will put more wear on the tires, and having a tire fail at a higher speed is never good. Having said that most electric bike riders don't ride much faster than really good racing cyclists do, and racing bikes are built to emphasize light weight over durability and survivability.

There is a huge difference between 30kph and 50kph, and an even huger difference between 50kph and 80kph.

I heartily recommend checking your tire pressure and inspecting your tires frequently. Also keep in mind that if you checked your tire pressure on a cool morning at 50F on a hot afternoon on a long fast downhill in the sun the temperature of your tires might easily exceed 100F or more -- that translates into substantially higher tire pressure. One additional advantage of disk brakes over caliper brakes is that caliper brakes heat your rims, which can contribute to blowout risk on a high-speed downhill in hot weather.

 

[Robie]

Main thing is to change frequently. I ride Big Bens on an St2 with 40 psi. With lots of weight in rear And front panniers. And I also rotate them . Temps . I ride in can be exsessive. 100 degrees. So any color fading from UV degradation , and new hoops go on. I compare any color fading , and those fine cracks in the rubber ,to a new tire . Good tires are imperative on an e - bike. IMO.

 

[emco5]

Hello electric friends,

How common of a problem is exploding tires on an e-bike?.....

It's about as common as a tire exploding on any powered vehicle. Very rarely a manufacturing defect will cause a stir, but tire problems typically occur when the casing becomes punctured or lacerated, over inflated, mounted incorrectly, or stressed beyond its weight and speed ratings.

The Endless Sphere would be a good place to ask about tires. Many of their creations border on being Mopeds which tend to push the design envelope for bicycle tires.

....And what exactly happens when you are on a speed pedelec and your tire explodes?....

You'll fall over.

 

[rich c]

Never heard of one exploding, and this is the first time I've even read about it. I put 1500 miles on a Sondors fat bike, original tires, 1200 miles on a Haibike XDURO Full Seven S RX original tires, and 740 miles on a Haibike XDURO Trekking S RX original tires. No problems for me.

 

[emco5]

The reference to an exploding tire is actually a ‘blowout’. The action happens with 'tubed tires' when the casing's fabric weave fails and opens a space large enough for the tube to attempt an escape. With a high pressure tire the rupturing tube can enlarge the hole. The fabric can fail from extreme impact when banging around off-road, or on pavement from a rim pinch, glass cut, or riding with under-inflated tires which over-flexes the casing. It is unlikely that a normal nail or thorn puncture in the tread area would create a blowout, it will just leak air. eBikes are normally not heavier than a standard pedal bike with large rider hauling stuff in the panniers, so quality bicycle tires are within the load rating for an eBike. Match your tires to your application and, as with motorcycles which only have two tires keeping your bacon off the pavement, maintain pressures and do a frequent visual inspection.

 

[MLB]

It's about as common as a tire exploding on any powered vehicle. Very rarely a manufacturing defect will cause a stir, but tire problems typically occur when the casing becomes punctured or lacerated, over inflated, mounted incorrectly, or stressed beyond its weight and speed ratings.

The Endless Sphere would be a good place to ask about tires. Many of their creations border on being Mopeds which tend to push the design envelope for bicycle tires.



You'll fall over.

You wish

 

[Steve Plattner]

In over 4000 miles of riding with Big Bens, I have had good luck. I put a load on the bike myself, weighing 205, so my bikes can get close to 300 total lbs. I can hit 30 mph plus downhill, but typically cruise along at 18-20 mph. I like to keep inflation near the max--mid 50 lb. range. After any ride, I find that the pressure drops down into the 40's. I just don't like rolling resistance, so I max out the pressure. I did run over a construction staple once which led to a flat. And last year a new Big Ben with 150 miles on it developed a split in the sidewall (running with the circumference of the wheel) that alarmed me enough to leave the C+O Towpath and seek out a new tire in Shepherdstown, WV. I find the front tires will last forever, and the rear wears much faster, though with the exception of the side wall failure on one Big Ben, I can get 1500 miles + out of the tires, especially if I rotate them periodically. All in all I am constantly impressed with the durability of Big Bens in all sorts of conditions--riding from Pittsburgh to DC (350 miles on the GAP and C+O), riding the Katy Trail, city streets, gravel, etc.