flat tire

[Hugh]

I,ve been riding my e bike to work for a couple of weeks now. trying out various routes and power assist levels. Got the time each way from 35 to 50 minutes and have put a bit over 300 km's on. And got the first flat. The bike has e bike rated Schwabe Marathon tires that are puncture resistant but the tiny piece of stiff wire was able to defeat that. I had just started to build up the needed tools for a tire repair so I was unprepared. Luckily my wife was able to come with the truck to pick me up. The bike has the Bion x H500 D series rear hub drive and thats where the flat was. So after work I picked up a couple 700C tubes and started the fix. Removal was super easy, cut a couple ties, disconnect the wires then use a 15mm wrench to remove the axle nuts. Had the little plastic tire iron's so removal of the tire was super easy followed by an equally easy remount of the tire with a new tube just by hand. Found out that the frame mount size pump worked but I just could not get the tire up to 85 psi. 70 plus was all I could manage so a traditional floor mount pump is in order. Then the fun began trying to re mount the rear wheel, It was getting late so I stopped and went into the house. I think turning the bike upside down will make mounting the wheel easier, the main issue was lining the wheel up and routing the wires correctly. The conclusion- I will be better prepared and know what to do the next time the bike gets a flat. Kit will be small frame mount pump, 15 mm wrench, multitool with pliers, etc for nail removal. 3 pack tire irons, tube and a couple patches and a few spare nylon ties.

 

[Ann M.]

I strongly recommend adding tire liners inside the Schwalbes. Mr. Tuffys and others are good extra protection, especially for that rear wheel motor. They come in all different sizes and a couple of different thicknesses; however, the thicker ones will be best given the weight of the motor. And quadruple thick thorn resistant tubes add another extra layer of protection. Again don't sweat the extra weight; you won't have to fix a flat again for a long time. This is about the best system we've found at our shop to prevent flats. It does help to have good quality tires, but you do with the Schwalbes.


And yes, re-installing that wheel with the bike upside down when you don't have a stand (or your petite like me) is much easier. Just remember to remove the console and rotate any mounts so that there's no pressure on them. Get the motor rotated so that those blocks that slide into the dropouts are roughly where they need to be, then you're not fighting to rotate the wheel as you slide into the dropouts. Also handy to pop the chain off the front chain ring to create a little more slack in the chain when you're pulling the wheel past the derailleur.

 

[Hugh]

Thanks for the advice Ann, I will do a bit of research then order the tire liners. I just recently picked up a mountain bike that I hope to convert to a mid drive sometime over the coming winter so it will get the tire liners as well. On another note I went down to a local bike shop and picked up a Bontrager turbo floor pump to put that little extra air I couldn't quite get in the tube with the portable pump. All I can say is wow. 1 stoke of the handle the tire pressure went from 70 to 85 plus psi.