Why there are no (to my knowledge) electric bikes with 700c tires? All the ones I’ve seen use fat tires, what is the reason behind that? Cc @nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
Just Google “electric road bikes” and you’ll see that there are loads:
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/best-road-ebikes/
They’re more popular in downhill mountain biking because the sport is going down a hill, getting back the hill is just an inconvenience to be mitigated as much as possible!
While obviously it’s handy in commuting, so they’re common on folding bikes, but road bikes are designed pretty much for racing, so there’s less demands for electric versions (but obviously still enough that they exist!)
700c tires are sometimes labeled 28" when used on e-bikes, at least here in the US. Maybe that’s why you haven’t noticed many. It’s really stupid since there is a different older 28" wheel standard with a slightly different rim diameter.
Weirdly wheel sizes are one of the few things still measured with non-metric units in Australia, likely the same elsewhere.
I think it’s simply that inches are a more sensible graduation at that length.
5 words to Google: Trek Domane+ electric road bikes. One model of many e-bikes with thinner 700c wheels.
I have one, a Merida eSPRESSO 410 from 2017.
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You got it backwards. Fat tires have more rolling resistence. They’re just more comfy to ride on
Not just more comfy; the added resistance also means less likelihood of wobble at higher speeds. Since the e-bike helps less experienced riders achieve higher speeds, that extra stability can be important.
You are incorrect. Fat tires require greater energy to roll, as they have much more rolling resistance than a typical bike tire. There is more rubber on the ground at all times which increases friction, which requires more energy to overcome.
Fat tires are not more energy efficient and do not provide better range.
No, please see comment below.
Yes. Per your own link:
At the same inflation pressure, a wide and a narrow tire have the same contact area. A wide tire is flattened over its width whereas a narrow tire has a slimmer but longer contact area.
Fat tires are pressured up around 10-13 psi. Most mountain bike tires are pressured up between 40-60 psi. Road bike tires are pressured up between 80-130psi.
You will always have more rolling resistance with a fat tire than you will with other common bike tires.
