What is the appropriate tire size for my electric bike? This question will often be asked in two situations, either when you want to buy new tires and you want to change the size of the tires you are currently using.
Or when you decide to buy an electric bike and want to know what size tire is right for you.
The problem in choosing tires is the multiplicity of sizes and dimensions, so it is somewhat confusing, especially if you decide to buy an electric bike for the first time.
That is why in this post I will share with you all the famous sizes, their advantages, and disadvantages, and also at the end of the post I will share with you a table explaining each type with its advantages and disadvantages so that it is easy for you to choose the best type for you.
Now let’s start explaining each tire size separately
What does the size of the ebike tires mean?
As a general rule, what is meant by the tire size of an electric bike is the rim size, not the outer diameter, which explains the large size of a 26-inch bicycle tire, but the outer diameter is larger than the 27.5-inch bike size, and the outer diameter is small
The conclusion is that the size of the tire placed on the rim can cause a difference in size
20 Inc Tire.
The size of 20 inches in the tires of the electric bike is the smallest in the sizes of the electric bike, and it is usually used in the folding bike or in the bikes of small size, and this is normal because, as the size of the bike is reduced, the smaller the size of the tire.
Pros & Cons of the 20-inch Tire.
Pros:
1-Riding comfort: This type is characterized by giving a relative comfort, since it is often the width of the rim 80 (standard), and with this rim size, it requires a fat tire and is more filled with air.
This type of tire is Rated at B30 PSI, so there is more comfort the pressure is low but the air volume is big.
2-Less ebike weight: Another advantage of this type is that it rides in small-sized bikes that are less weight than regular bikes, and the most prominent example of this is the Folding Bikes.
Cons:
Difficulty overcoming obstacles: When you ride an electric bike with a 20-inch tire, your proximity to the ground makes it difficult to overcome road obstacles compared to other sizes.
24-26 Inc Tire.
When you decide to choose a tire size of 24 inches and 26 inches, here an important factor in the selection intervenes, which is the size of the tire itself.
I mean here that we are talking about the width of the tire because, as we mentioned, what is meant by the size of the tire is the rim. Therefore, choosing the width of the tire differs a lot because when you choose a fat tire, you will get Different advantages and disadvantages than choosing a regular tire.
To make it easier and more useful, let’s compare the normal 26-inch tire and the fat tire.
We will choose the 26-inch size in comparison because it is the most prevalent in most electric bikes
Comparison between 26 inc tire – FAT & Regular.
| Factor | 26-inch tire- Fat | 26-inch tire- Regular |
| Stability | Due to the width of the tire, which may reach 4 inches, the fat tire gives higher stability because it is in contact with the ground more. | The width of the regular electric bike tire is from an inch to an inch and a half, and this width does not give stability while riding a bike compared to a fat tire |
| E-Bike Control | With the fat tire, the control of the electric bike is much more. Personally, I enjoy riding with no hands when I ride my fat tire and I have not had any problems.
Warning: Riding with No hand is not recommended and can put you or others in harm’s way |
With a regular tire, the control of the bike is much less than the fat tire, although, of course, it is still possible to control the bike, for comparison, this point is in favor of the fat tire |
| Comfortability | Comfort while riding an electric bike will be in favor of the fat tire, as he saw the large size of the tire, which reduces the feeling of bumps, even if you do not have a suspension system in the bike, you will get a good amount of comfort | If you compare an electric bike that does not have a suspension system and has a regular tire, then here the comfort level will definitely decrease very much because you will feel all the bumps and it will not be a great experience for you |
| Maintenance efforts | The quick maintenance that you may need while riding an electric bike is very large in a fat tire compared to a regular tire, for example, changing the inner tube of a fat tire, will require a great effort due to the size of the tire. On the other hand, when filling the air, this is very cumbersome (I use an electric device to fill my bike tire It takes about a minute and a half, and you can imagine if you filled the air using the normal method) | The regular tire does not require much effort in emergency maintenance, for example, the inner tube does not require more than two to four minutes in installation and filling, and here the normal tire outperforms the fat one. |
| Cost | The cost, of course, depends on the quality of the tire in both types, but as a maintenance cost, it is higher in the fat tire than the regular tire, for example, the inner tube of the tire is priced between $15 to $20 | The cost of maintenance here is very low, and the price of the inner tube, for example, ranges from one dollar to five dollars |
| Weight | A fat tire adds a lot of weight to the electric bike and makes it much heavier | The regular tire does not add any extra weight to the electric bike |
27-29 Inc Tire.
The 27-inch and 29-inch tires will give you the same advantages and disadvantages that we mentioned earlier, but with an increase due to the size that we mentioned earlier.
But what is important to know here is a term that most cyclists use which is a plus-size tire
What is a plus-size tire?
As a general rule, a plus-size tire is a 27.5-inch rim that has a three-inch wide tire which makes this category a middle category between regular tires & fate tires.
In my personal opinion, this size is the best size because it combines all of the advantages and fades the previous flaws.
Can you increase or decrease the size of your ebike Tires?
You may be asking, can I change the tire size for my electric bike? Yes, you can, but it’s not recommended as this will depend on how well the frame of your electric bike can withstand the new tire.
Let me explain to you more by giving an example
Can I change my 24 inches to the 26-inch tire?
If the frame of your electric bike is small in the installation of a complete kit (frame and rim) it will not work because the outer diameter will be large and will come out of the fork.
As for the rear frame, it will not fit basically most of the time, but there are several models that can be updated for this, the matter darkens the design of the bike.
Can I change my 26-inch tire to 24 inches?
In fact, there is one problem that you may encounter, which is that with the reduction of the tire size, the height of the electric bike will decrease, which may lead to touching the pedal in the ground while riding the bike, which may cause accidents.
How Do You Know What Size Tires Will Fit My Ebike?
For help in choosing the correct size, if the manufacturer offers the same frame with different sizes, you can see the following table.
Tire Size |
The strong point of the tire |
| 20inch fat tire | Folding bike & more comfort |
| 24 inch & 26 Inch Fat tire | More comfortable & easy to ride on ice or sand |
| 24inch & 26 Inch Regular tire | Give more speed & low running cost |
| 27 inch & 29 Inch Fat tire | Ease of overcoming obstacles on the way & fit for tall riders |
| 27 inch & 29 Inch Regular tire | Fit for Tall riders |
| plus-size tire
|
Comfort with an accepted level of speed & average weight |
As a general rule, you must adhere to the tire size recommended by the manufacturer, so as not to expose yourself to many dangers while riding your electric bike.
Useful resources
How Long Do Ebike Tires Last? (Solved)
Why Is My Ebike Tire Losing Air Overnight?
