What new tires should I get for my Pedego Interceptor?

[ebikemom]

Hi Pedego Peeps!
So, I have 3,000 on my bike, and the back tire is pretty worn, though still has some life in it. In your opinion, should I:

1) Stick with the Fat Franks, and put a new one on the back and move the old one to the front?
2) Switch to Big Bens and get two new tires?
3) Switch to a narrower tire?

All three courses of action have been suggested to me. Do you have an opinion about these, or another option to suggest? I'm all ears!!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

1) Stick with the Fat Franks, and put a new one on the back and move the old one to the front?

This is not a bad idea.

another option to suggest? I'm all ears!!

You can thank me later but you should go with the new Schwalbe Super Moto-X in 26x2.4".
https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/super-moto-x
It is wide, very durable and puncture resistant. It will outlast the Fat Franks by a big margin and it looks badass.
It is 0.05" wider than the Fat franks and you should have no clearance problem.

 

[City Commuter]

After doing some research on balloons, the Big Bens seem to get a lot of great feed back. Mine just shipped out today, in creme

 

[ebikemom]

Hey, @Ravi Kempaiah , it's funny you mentioned the Super Moto-X because I saw them last weekend on a Trek ebike ridden by an acquaintance I met while ebiking who I keep running into when I got out riding. He just got them. I snapped a photo and when I came home, I looked them up, but only could find them in 27.5". THANK YOU FOR THE LINK!

My (non-ebike) bike tech said I should get narrower tires for a more responsive ride and longer battery life because they would be lighter weight and have less resistance. What are your thoughts on that? (I'm wondering if the weight difference even matters when the heaviest thing I lug around is myself... and also sometimes there are cracks in pavement and I wonder if wider tires like the Fat Franks, Super Moto-X, Big Ben are safer than narrower tires?)

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

My (non-ebike) bike tech said I should get narrower tires for a more responsive ride and longer battery life because they would be lighter weight and have less resistance.

The suspension dynamics for regular road bikes are different from eBikes.
Do not go for narrower tire, it will only make your ride harsher and the energy savings you get is so negligible. The cost to charge your battery is like 10 cents and by switching to narrower tires, you may see 0.1 cent worth of savings.

Most importantly, tires are a suspension system by themselves and eBikes travel at higher speeds compared to regular bikes, so having a larger contact patch will make you more stable. You will clearly notice this when you cross railway tracks. I have seen many many road bikers stop and carry their bikes across the tracks (if the tracks at an oblique angle to the travel direction) because narrow tires will slip and even get stuck.
Super Moto-X is an ideal tire for many reasons. It is built for eBikes, has extra puncture protection and has a reflective sidewall and at ~30psi provides excellent suspension.
I have them on my bikes and even at 3500 miles, they barely show any sign of wear. I am sure they will last 7000 miles for my usage and weight.

 

[ebikemom]

I am super excited to get these tires! I'm on track for 3500 miles in my first year of riding and will likely get more miles in year 2 because I am hitting the ground running. It will be great not to have tire replacement being an annual thing. THANK YOU for the recommendation!!!

 

[Toomanycats]

The suspension dynamics for regular road bikes are different from eBikes.
Do not go for narrower tire, it will only make your ride harsher and the energy savings you get is so negligible. The cost to charge your battery is like 10 cents and by switching to narrower tires, you may see 0.1 cent worth of savings.

Most importantly, tires are a suspension system by themselves and eBikes travel at higher speeds compared to regular bikes, so having a larger contact patch will make you more stable. You will clearly notice this when you cross railway tracks. I have seen many many road bikers stop and carry their bikes across the tracks (if the tracks at an oblique angle to the travel direction) because narrow tires will slip and even get stuck.
Super Moto-X is an ideal tire for many reasons. It is built for eBikes, has extra puncture protection and has a reflective sidewall and at ~30psi provides excellent suspension.
I have them on my bikes and even at 3500 miles, they barely show any sign of wear. I am sure they will last 7000 miles for my usage and weight.

Agree. Love the super moto-x tires on my bike. They weren’t the look I was going for- but it’s nice to know that if you have to leave the trail, it’s not a problem. They aren’t mtb tires, but they’re fine on dirt roads. And yes, they are comfortable, and yes, I’ve accidentally ridden through glass (couldn’t steer around on time) and been fine.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I am super excited to get these tires! I'm on track for 3500 miles in my first year of riding and will likely get more miles in year 2 because I am hitting the ground running. It will be great not to have tire replacement being an annual thing. THANK YOU for the recommendation!!!

before ordering them, I would check the fender clearance and if you have 5mm on each side, you will be fine .

 

[ebikemom]

before ordering them, I would check the fender clearance and if you have 5mm on each side, you will be fine .

I’ll ask my Pedego dealer.

 

[JohnT]

+1 on Ravi’s suggestion of the Super Moto-X. It’s a great tire. The 27.5 x 2.4 version comes stock on the Pedego Conveyor, and I’ve put them on a Pedego Ridge Rider for someone not doing dirt. I haven’t tried them on an Interceptor, but it will probably fit under the fenders. I doubt it would fit under the 26” City Commuter’s fenders, though.

You’re right about them being hard to find in 26”. They’re somewhat new, and the last couple of times I’ve ordered from Schwalbe, they’ve been out of stock, so I haven’t had a chance to try them in that size yet.

The only disadvantage to the Super Moto-X is its relatively smooth tread. It’s fine for most people, but if you need coarser tread, I like the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Double Defense. It’s chunky without being knobby, like a MTB tire. I don’t recall the width, but it’s a little narrower than the Interceptor’s stock Fat Franks.

Regarding the Big Bens, they’re good, but the Big Ben Plus has much better flat protection. I think the Plus version is only available in black, though. Again, they’re narrower than the stock Interceptor tires.

 

[ebikemom]

Thanks, @JohnT ! I am going to order them! I was at Pedego HQ today (Amazing, huh?? Not that I'm usually a name dropper! ) and talked to a tech guy and he also thought they were great tires.

When you mention the relatively smooth tread--I looked them up, and it looks like they are rated at having better road grip than the Fat Franks. Here are comparisons:

Marathon Mondial ($84.00!!! per tire)

Super Moto-X ($47.00 per tire)

Fat Frank ($31.00 per tire)

BIG price differences, huh!!!

I love seeing the higher durability scores!

 

[tout saison]

Super Moto-X is an ideal tire for many reasons. It is built for eBikes, has extra puncture protection and has a reflective sidewall and at ~30psi provides excellent suspension.
I have them on my bikes and even at 3500 miles, they barely show any sign of wear. I am sure they will last 7000 miles for my usage and weight.

you run them at 30psi? Schwalbe recommends 30-55 psi range. Are you particularly light?

and as a follow up: do you have an opinion on how narrow of a tire you can put on 35 mm rims? Continental has a winter tire i am eyeing but the widest they go is 50 MM (2").

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

you run them at 30psi? Schwalbe recommends 30-55 psi range. Are you particularly light?

and as a follow up: do you have an opinion on how narrow of a tire you can put on 35 mm rims? Continental has a winter tire i am eyeing but the widest they go is 50 MM (2").

yes at 32 psi and have never had a flat on the front tire. The SuperMotoX tires are quite heavy duty.
On a 35mm rim, I would not go less than 2" but it all depends on the terrain and application.

@ebikemom how are you liking your new tires?

 

[ebikemom]

Hi @Ravi Kempaiah . I got the tires installed WITH Mr. Tuffy liners (overkill, right?) and ... if you can believe it, last Friday I rode to work, no problem, and a colleague came to my office, looked at my bike and said, "You bring that in to get it fixed?" HUH???? I look at the bike and the rear tire was COMPLETELY flat.

So, the university student bike shop fixed it. The tech there said he found a teeny tiny puncture in the tube, a very slow leak. How did that get there? I'm wondering if it was a defect in the tube, or if the tube or tire picked up a piece of debris in the bike shop? Or the Mr. Tuffy had a piece of debris on it? Who knows.

Since Friday I've got another 50 miles on the bike and all is well! I don't ride at 32 PSI though--I have them pumped up to 50. I'd be curious what rider/bike weight combo you think goes with different PSIs?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I got the tires installed WITH Mr. Tuffy liners (overkill, right?) and ... if you can believe it, last Friday I rode to work, no problem, and a colleague came to my office, looked at my bike and said, "You bring that in to get it fixed?" HUH???? I look at the bike and the rear tire was COMPLETELY flat.

I knew this would happen. It is not because of the thorn or some sharp object but because most mechanics are unaware that when two layers of the Tuffy liner overlap, it leads to a fold that is thicker and sharp and cuts the tube from inside. So, a smarter mechanic would chamfer the liner and use some polishing paper to smoothen any rough, sharp edges.

I experienced the exact same slow leak , TWICE! on a brand new Stromer in 2015 and learnt it the hard way. That is why i recommended you not use the liners because the Super Moto X tires are heav duty and may not need them and if you decide to install the liner, make to sure to smooth out the liner edges where they overlap.

 

[ebikemom]

Thanks for the info!!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Thanks for the info!!

Looks like you got a second flat!
it is not the tire, the slow leak happens because the tube is rubbing against sharp edges of the liner.
This would give a wrong impression that Super Moto-X tires are not good, which is totally not the case. The liner with sharp edges might be causing the slow leak.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I knew this would happen. It is not because of the thorn or some sharp object but because most mechanics are unaware that when two layers of the Tuffy liner overlap, it leads to a fold that is thicker and sharp and cuts the tube from inside. So, a smarter mechanic would chamfer the liner and use some polishing paper to smoothen any rough, sharp edges.

I experienced the exact same slow leak , TWICE! on a brand new Stromer in 2015 and learnt it the hard way. That is why i recommended you not use the liners because the Super Moto X tires are heav duty and may not need them and if you decide to install the liner, make to sure to smooth out the liner edges where they overlap.

I get kind of annoyed reading things like this because this "problem" with tire liners has been well-known for only the last thirty years. Any competent bike mechanic should be aware of the problem and know how to fix it.

Another related problem with tire liners is that the plastic will harden and get brittle with age and you will begin to get punctures from the edge of the tire liner. They will look like "snakebites" but usually only on one side.

I love tire liners and heartily recommend them if you ride in an environment where you encounter lots of road debris, like highway shoulders.

 

[ebikemom]

The two flats were caused by the edge of the tire liner. The mechanic The ends nicely there was nothing sharp. The edge slit the tube. The edges are rounded and not sharp, but There is a clear line where the edge weakened the tube.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

The two flats were caused by the edge of the tire liner. The mechanic The ends nicely there was nothing sharp. The edge slit the tube. The edges are rounded and not sharp, but There is a clear line where the edge weakened the tube.

I have a heavy duty thorn-proof tube for 26 tires.
I have no use for it. If you send me a prepaid shipping label, I'll ship it to you.