Road Tires for EXPLORE E+ 1 GTS?

T

t_h_k

Member
Just looking for some nice secure on-road tires for my Explore. The stock tires are Giant Crosscut Gravel 2, 700x45c (622x45), Tubeless Ready. They don't have a really deep tread, but there is no tread in the centre of the tire that's meant for road use.

I'm considering a few models as possible replacements but this seems promising:
Schwalbe Marathon Plus

I also used this Schwalbe model on my touring bike and was really happy with it:
MARATHON SUPREME HS 469

Any experience with these tires or other good options for the Explore?

It's a bit of a mind shift for me moving to an e-bike but some other questions:
1). Does the weight of the tire matter? I am used to worrying about rolling mass -- but is it still relevant?

2). I also almost always bought folding tires with a kevlar bead. Do people use folding tires on e-bikes or is it all wire bead?

Thanks!
 
Hi t_h_k, my Explore E+3 also has the Giant Crosscut Gravel 2's. I thought they would wear out real quick because I'm on the road most of the time, but they are holding up much better than expected.

I got some Schwalbe Marathon Plus at a great price several months ago, but just haven't gotten around to putting them on. The Schwalbe are 1100g vs the Crosscut 700g, so a little less than a pound each tire. The Schwalbe might have less rolling resistance, but I just don't know how that extra weight is going to feel. I really like how the bike rides with the engine turned off (on flats and downhill that is), so I'll ride the Crosscuts for a little while longer.
 
t_h_k said:
Just looking for some nice secure on-road tires for my Explore. The stock tires are Giant Crosscut Gravel 2, 700x45c (622x45), Tubeless Ready. They don't have a really deep tread, but there is no tread in the centre of the tire that's meant for road use.

I'm considering a few models as possible replacements but this seems promising:
Schwalbe Marathon Plus

I also used this Schwalbe model on my touring bike and was really happy with it:
MARATHON SUPREME HS 469

Any experience with these tires or other good options for the Explore?

It's a bit of a mind shift for me moving to an e-bike but some other questions:
1). Does the weight of the tire matter? I am used to worrying about rolling mass -- but is it still relevant?

2). I also almost always bought folding tires with a kevlar bead. Do people use folding tires on e-bikes or is it all wire bead?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
This is going to be an interesting thread...

Are you running the stock wheels and tires as they came from Giant, meaning you have tubes? After my first flat tire (same bike) when I found how difficult it was to break the bead and get the tire off the rim, I decided to switch to running fully tubeless. After all, both the wheels and tires are "tubeless ready". I only had to buy tubeless valves and change the rim tape. And I have a sealant in both tires now, which hopefully is going to make tiny punctures a non-issue. I want to do whatever possible to minimize having to fix a flat on the road, which thanks to Murphy's Law probably would happen on a nature trail. At night. In the rain. :)

The sealant I'm using (because that's what the dealer recommended) is by Finish Line. And I've since found out that it's not particularly well thought of. On my next setup I'll use something better, maybe Stan's Race sealant or even Slime.

I too am looking for what my next tires will be. And I've decided that I want to stay with fully tubeless. That narrows down my choices quite a bit but there are certainly tires which are more puncture resistant than others. I'm really not too concerned about the tire weight.

Schwalbe supposedly has some new models which are very good. Lots of research coming up for me.

I'll be watching your thread carefully.
 
The Schwalbe Marathon Plus looks like it would be really tough (puncture resistant) but I don't think it's tubeless. And the Marathon Supreme HS 469 does have a tubeless version... TL Easy they call it. But I don't understand (yet) what the difference is between "V-Guard" which the non-tubeless versions have, and "MicroSkin TL Easy".

The available sizes for those tires mean they'd be narrower than the current stock tires. Probably better for pure road, but I wonder if there's a trade-off for gravel nature park trails. The widest for the Plus would be 38C while the Supreme HS offers a 40C. Stock is 45. I'm sure our rims have a minimum tire width that they can work with. Do you (or anyone here) know what that might be?
 
Mtl_Biker said:
This is going to be an interesting thread...

Are you running the stock wheels and tires as they came from Giant, meaning you have tubes? After my first flat tire (same bike) when I found how difficult it was to break the bead and get the tire off the rim, I decided to switch to running fully tubeless. After all, both the wheels and tires are "tubeless ready". I only had to buy tubeless valves and change the rim tape. And I have a sealant in both tires now, which hopefully is going to make tiny punctures a non-issue. I want to do whatever possible to minimize having to fix a flat on the road, which thanks to Murphy's Law probably would happen on a nature trail. At night. In the rain. :)

The sealant I'm using (because that's what the dealer recommended) is by Finish Line. And I've since found out that it's not particularly well thought of. On my next setup I'll use something better, maybe Stan's Race sealant or even Slime.

I too am looking for what my next tires will be. And I've decided that I want to stay with fully tubeless. That narrows down my choices quite a bit but there are certainly tires which are more puncture resistant than others. I'm really not too concerned about the tire weight.

Schwalbe supposedly has some new models which are very good. Lots of research coming up for me.

I'll be watching your thread carefully.
Click to expand...

I have run tubeless before. They did not puncture very often but when they did -- it was catastrophic. You had to remove the tire, uninstall the valve (need to carry pliers) and try to install a tube. When I say try, the inside of the tire and the rim will be all covered in sticky sealant, which may need to be removed.

But the worst part is that a flat means that the tire is punctured (not a tube), so you need to find some way to repair it before you can install a tube and ride, so you will need to carry a "boot" to install in the hole ... Easy to get stranded a long way from home in my experience, but almost all MTBs run tubeless, so maybe I was just a victim of a bad experience.
 
Slow Rider said:
Hi t_h_k, my Explore E+3 also has the Giant Crosscut Gravel 2's. I thought they would wear out real quick because I'm on the road most of the time, but they are holding up much better than expected.

I got some Schwalbe Marathon Plus at a great price several months ago, but just haven't gotten around to putting them on. The Schwalbe are 1100g vs the Crosscut 700g, so a little less than a pound each tire. The Schwalbe might have less rolling resistance, but I just don't know how that extra weight is going to feel. I really like how the bike rides with the engine turned off (on flats and downhill that is), so I'll ride the Crosscuts for a little while longer.
Click to expand...

Good point on the weight. The Marathon Supremes were one of my favourite tires of all time. Light and supple. Just expensive. They do come in a 50-622 with a higher load rating (125 kg vs. 110 kg) at 690g per tire. They are e-bike rated for a class 1.
 
t_h_k said:
I have run tubeless before. They did not puncture very often but when they did -- it was catastrophic. You had to remove the tire, uninstall the valve (need to carry pliers) and try to install a tube. When I say try, the inside of the tire and the rim will be all covered in sticky sealant, which may need to be removed.

But the worst part is that a flat means that the tire is punctured (not a tube), so you need to find some way to repair it before you can install a tube and ride, so you will need to carry a "boot" to install in the hole ... Easy to get stranded a long way from home in my experience, but almost all MTBs run tubeless, so maybe I was just a victim of a bad experience.
Click to expand...
That's scary! Everything I've read here and on other boards suggests that flats are less common with tubeless than with tubes. That doesn't mean it can't or won't happen, but the small punctures that often occur would be fixed by the sealant. But catastrophic punctures... that's a disaster not matter whether tube or tubeless.

What do you mean by a "boot" to install in the hole?

I carry a spare tube and among other tools, a multi-tool Leatherman. So, if I have to, I'll be able to install the tube. I probably should also carry a rag or paper towels to clean out the sealant. But this discussion has got me thinking also about the rim tape... if I need to insert a tube I may have to cut the rim tape around the valve hole to get the tube valve to fit. Meaning if I then go back to tubeless I'd have to replace the rim tape.

So, I guess by your comments that you're going to stick to running tube tires. The Schwalbe Marathon Plus sounds almost bullet-proof. Add a heavy duty tube and it might be great.

Are you planning on installing new tires this season still? Soon?

And I thought choosing the right e-bike to buy was tough... tires, tube or tubeless, sealant or not, this is just as difficult for sure!
 
Regardless of tubeless or not, you need a hole in the rim tape for the valve. In tubeless, the valve attaches using a nut on the inside of the rim.

By boot, I mean something like this:
Park Tool Boot

I definitely plan to install new tires this year, just want to choose the most appropriate tire.
 
I found a nice tool to compare tires on bicyclerollingresistance.com

Here is a comparison of the Schwalbe tires:
Schwalbe Tire Comparison

Based on that, it looks like the Schwalbe Marathon Greenguard might be the best choice. The Plus adds a lot of weight and rolling resistance without much more puncture resistance.
 
t_h_k said:
I found a nice tool to compare tires on bicyclerollingresistance.com

Here is a comparison of the Schwalbe tires:
Schwalbe Tire Comparison

Based on that, it looks like the Schwalbe Marathon Greenguard might be the best choice. The Plus adds a lot of weight and rolling resistance without much more puncture resistance.
Click to expand...
I just noticed that the comparison is from 2015. Maybe nothing has changed in those tire models, but I'll bet they've evolved at least somewhat. Also at the time of the review, none of those tires were even available in the sizes we need.
 
steve mercier said:
May I suggest adding the flat protection via Tannus Armour. they are available in your size 700 x (42-47). It will take a real nasty slash in your tire to give you a flat with these.
Click to expand...
Wow! That certainly does look like it would prevent just about all flat tires. Not sure I want or need to go quite that far though. :)
 
Mtl_Biker said:
Wow! That certainly does look like it would prevent just about all flat tires. Not sure I want or need to go quite that far though. :)
Click to expand...
We have them and I will never run without them again. If you combined them with something like the Marathon Mondial HS DD you would be virtually bulletproof.
]
 
Mtl_Biker said:
That looks like a super combination! May I ask which tubes you suggest to go along?
Click to expand...
You will use a smaller tube with those Armours. Not sure what size you would need for that tire size, but for example I now have 1.9" tubes under 2.35 " tires. According to the chart I think your correct tube size would be 700 x (28-40) if you keep the stock tires which are 700 x 45 ,correct?
 
Last edited:
steve mercier said:
You will use a smaller tube with those Armours. Not sure what size you would need for that tire size, but for example I now have 1.9" tubes under 2.35 " tires.
Click to expand...
Oh, I hadn't thought that I'd need a smaller tube. Thanks for pointing that out. Any idea how I could find the right size? I'd have to mail-order all this stuff.

What I had been asking though was for a brand/model suggestion for the tube. I don't know much about what's available but I've heard people talking about heavy duty tubes to go along with more puncture resistant tires.
 
FWIW, I got a crazy number of flats on the original Crosscut Gravel tires during the first couple weeks I had the bike. Maybe I was just unlucky. So I switched them out for the Marathon Plus 40-622 size and paired them with some Michelin tubes that were pre-slimed.

I’ve been quite happy with the Marathon Plus tires. Nearly all of my riding is on road and they are much quieter and roll easier than the originals.
 
steve mercier said:
You will use a smaller tube with those Armours. Not sure what size you would need for that tire size, but for example I now have 1.9" tubes under 2.35 " tires.
Click to expand...
pmspaul said:
FWIW, I got a crazy number of flats on the original Crosscut Gravel tires during the first couple weeks I had the bike. Maybe I was just unlucky. So I switched them out for the Marathon Plus 40-622 size and paired them with some Michelin tubes that were pre-slimed.

I’ve been quite happy with the Marathon Plus tires. Nearly all of my riding is on road and they are much quieter and roll easier than the originals.
Click to expand...
I doubt that you were unlucky. The stock tires have no flat protection. Marathon Plus are very good. Marathon plus with the Tannus Armours make a dynamic duo.
 
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