new tyres for my Vado 4….Wow!

[Decho]

Well, after a couple of punctures recently in my Pathfinder tyres I decided it was time to experiment with some new an hopefully more robust tyres. It’s just NO fun trying to change a tube in the Scottish winter weather, and even though I had slime in the tubes I still go the punctures. Both times right in the smooth centre of the tyre, a tiny thorn barely big enough to see and damned difficult to get out. There is so much debris about just now that I found myself slaloming down the paths.
I decided to go for a MTB tyre and liked the look of the Schwalbe Marathon plus MTB tyre….not cheap but they looked good so I bought a couple of 27.5 x 2.35. Heres a review of how I found them…

1. They look great on the bike I think.
2. they are a good fit for the bike.
3. Tricky to fit…you need to make sure the tire is fully in the centre grrove of the wheel. The front one was a nightmare but the back one went on fine.
4. They are super quiet….it’s hard to believe they are MTB tires.
5. Very smooth and I think they feel more nimble
6. they felt more secure in soft stuff….light mud and rotted leaves on the paths
7. Didnt get a puncture…Phew!

Performance…I really expected them to perform less well than the Pathfinder, but No, quite the opposite. I did the exact same trail with the old and the new tires, conditions similar, and used the App to Log the peformance.

Measurement	Pathfinder	Schwalbe Marathon plus MTB
Distance	30.11 miles	30.32 miles
Moving Time	2:30:33	2:29:37
Avg speed	12 mph	12.2 mpg
Battery used	62%	59%
Max speed	27.2 mph	26.8
Cal burned	551	584
Avg motor power	157w	154w

So, all in all I am delighted with these tires and hopefully look forward to (hopefully!) many more puncture free rides!
Here’s a couple of photos…sorry hadn’t got round to cleaning the bike yet!

 

[pete H]

Hi. Thanks for posting this. I am considering changing tyres on my Vado 4 soon. I will deffo have a look at these!

 

[VadoSL]

Just put some Schwalabe Marathon's (700 x 42) on my new Vado SL - much better tyre and a lot more stable. I'm pleased I made the upgrade.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Cal burned

551

584

I would attribute the better performance of Marathon tyres to you pedalling harder

 

[Decho]

I would attribute the better performance of Marathon tyres to you pedalling harder

Maybe I should have added a comparison of my energy levels
What I would say though is that I am currently undergoing treatment for Prostate Cancer, and as anyone having to be on Hormone Therapy(chemical castration) for a significant period(3 years in my case), your energy levels are always low My ebike is my saviour, it’s the one exercise I can still have without feeling totally knackered at the end of it.

BTW….all you guys out there, if you’re over fifty or high risk, get yourself tested…..PLEASE

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Maybe I should have added a comparison of my energy levels
What I would say though is that I am currently undergoing treatment for Prostate Cancer, and as anyone having to be on Hormone Therapy(chemical castration) for a significant period(3 years in my case), your energy levels are always low My ebike is my saviour, it’s the one exercise I can still have without feeling totally knackered at the end of it.

BTW….all you guys out there, if you’re over fifty or high risk, get yourself tested…..PLEASE

Did hormone therapy for 18 months ending in late 2021. So far, so good, but as usual, it replaced a lot of muscle with fat. The constant hot and cold flashes were no fun.

Wish I'd tumbled to ebikes back then, but better late than never. Got one a year out, lowered the gearing for my hilly area, stuck to low assist levels, and got back to my normal weight in under 6 months.

Still haven't gained back all the lost muscle, but feeling my old self again. VERY grateful to my ebike for getting me this far this fast with this much fun.

The very good bike infrastructure in my area also deserves credit. Without the ability to ride in relative safety right from my door, my ebike rehab probably wouldn't have happened.

Having an inspiring place to ride in also helped.

 

[Decho]

Great Story Jeremy, I wish my HT was only 18 months! Currently 20 months I’m with another 16 months to go and a constant battle against joint ache caused by Prostap Glad you’re doing so well, can be an anxious time when getting PSA tests. My PSA is 0.1 and still dropping so everyone is happy. My ebike has been such a friend to me, I just feel so good when out riding it with no aches and pains.
Nice bike and lovely backdrop…unfortunately we don’t have that kind of weather here in Scotland very often, but some nice scenery. However we also have a place in Fuerteventura in the Canaries where I’m about to escape to on Sunday for 5 weeks…we also have e-mountain bikes out there and can cycle in the sun.

Below: Loch Katrine and the Sir Walter Scott on our one day of summer!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Great Story Jeremy, I wish my HT was only 18 months! Currently 20 months I’m with another 16 months to go and a constant battle against joint ache caused by Prostap Glad you’re doing so well, can be an anxious time when getting PSA tests. My PSA is 0.1 and still dropping so everyone is happy. My ebike has been such a friend to me, I just feel so good when out riding it with no aches and pains.
Nice bike and lovely backdrop…unfortunately we don’t have that kind of weather here in Scotland very often, but some nice scenery. However we also have a place in Fuerteventura in the Canaries where I’m about to escape to on Sunday for 5 weeks…we also have e-mountain bikes out there and can cycle in the sun.

Below: Loch Katrine and the Sir Walter Scott on our one day of summer!
View attachment 171585View attachment 171586

Fingers crossed on your PSA levels. I can put it out of mind between checks now, but always a tense moment waiting for the results after the blood's been drawn.

Always wanted to visit the Canaries. Enjoy your time there!

 

[Taylor57]

Did hormone therapy for 18 months ending in late 2021. So far, so good, but as usual, it replaced a lot of muscle with fat. The constant hot and cold flashes were no fun.

Wish I'd tumbled to ebikes back then, but better late than never. Got one a year out, lowered the gearing for my hilly area, stuck to low assist levels, and got back to my normal weight in under 6 months.

Still haven't gained back all the lost muscle, but feeling my old self again. VERY grateful to my ebike for getting me this far this fast with this much fun.

The very good bike infrastructure in my area also deserves credit. Without the ability to ride in relative safety right from my door, my ebike rehab probably wouldn't have happened.

Having an inspiring place to ride in also helped.

View attachment 171582View attachment 171584

Nice machine. Does that Topeak velcro on or slide on rails?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Thanks! Just velcro, and the straps are a lttle off for the slats in my built-in rear rack. But it hasn't fallen off yet, and the fold-out panniers are great for quick grocery runs, extra layers or shoes, picnic stuff, etc.

Doesn't appear to be MIK-compatible, and maybe not even with Topeak's own rack system.

 

[twy]

Did hormone therapy for 18 months ending in late 2021. So far, so good, but as usual, it replaced a lot of muscle with fat. The constant hot and cold flashes were no fun.
Wish I'd tumbled to ebikes back then, but better late than never. Got one a year out, lowered the gearing for my hilly area, stuck to low assist levels, and got back to my normal weight in under 6 months.
Still haven't gained back all the lost muscle, but feeling my old self again. VERY grateful to my ebike for getting me this far this fast with this much fun.
The very good bike infrastructure in my area also deserves credit. Without the ability to ride in relative safety right from my door, my ebike rehab probably wouldn't have happened.
Having an inspiring place to ride in also helped.

Looks like a common theme for us old guys.
My cancer diag was one of the reasons I switched from my Pitch 650b to an electric. I thought it would help me get more riding time.

Only on hormones for 6 months but I did get the hot flashes, start crying at the movies my wife was watching, and gained some weight as well as other things...... The radiation treatment center was only about 10 miles from my house and I rode the bike every day for treatment. The staff thought I was a lunatic....

I did have to make a deal with my wife that I would only ever use ECO mode.