Schwalbe Marathon Plus

The type of tires on your electric bicycle can be a more important decision than the tires on your conventional bicycle. For the average rider, electric bikes are traveling at higher speeds than a conventional bike. They are also a bit heavier due to the battery and motor weight and the fact that people often are carrying laptops, groceries, and the other paraphernalia associated with urban commuting. Good traction under a wide variety of conditions is important to the urban bike commuter.

So which tires for your electric bicycle?

Don’t get cheap tires. Changing flats is a pain in the ass and with lousy tires, you will get more flats.

Don’t bother looking for the most high-cost lightweight tires either. We prefer a good quality tire with excellent puncture resistance.

Choose a tread pattern and rubber compound most suitable for the conditions you ride in. Some tires are better on wet roads, others are better on gravel or rough roads. Usually softer tires grip better but have a shorter life.

One of our recommendations: Schwalbe Marathon Plus

We like the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires for ebikes because it is such a good all-rounder. Perhaps that is why eZee chose it as the standard tire on many of its models that were headed toward the Canadian market. They are available in most common sizes, 700c, 26in, 24 in, 20in so they can fit even the compact and folding ebikes. Unlike many tires that use a Kevlar strip to protect against flats, these Schwalbes have a thick layer of springy SmartGuard rubber that forces object outwards and greatly enhances puncture resistance. We have ridden these on several of our staff bikes for months without a puncture to report. The sidewalls are supposed to be extra tough too but we did not conduct any special tests to prove this claim. There is a nice reflective strip on the sidewall which should provide an extra level of safety for night riders.

There are cheaper tires, but those are usually a false economy. Factor in the cost of more flat tires, labour to repair, calling in late for work, and all the other hassles of flats and the Schwalbe Marathon Plus justifies its cost in a hurry. Rear tire flats especially are a pain to fix because of the extra effort to remove the wheel and tire.

In short, when looking for a good tire for your electric bike, buy quality and don’t worry about a bit of extra weight if it buys you improved puncture resistance. The urban commuter wants hassle free riding and reliability.

As always, I appreciate comments and feedback about which tires you like on your electric bicycle.

-Bjornson