Like to Pedal on Your EBike? What Tire Size is Best If You Want Pedal w/ or w/o Pedal Assist

Want to pedal your e-bike? Here's the tire size you need. Hey everyone, I'm Dustin. I have nearly 20 years of experience in the bike and e-bike industry. And today we're going to talk to you about if you want to pedal your e-bike, here's the tire size you need. If you want to check them out. All right, now a lot of questions or comments have come up for people starting to get into e-bike research. Can you pedal your e-bike without using the motor? The answer is absolutely you can. Now with that said, there are different tire sizes that are more conducive to using the bike without an electric assist. I've got three different bikes here with three different tire sizes. Our first 20-inch Simple Step-Thru is a 20-inch times 2.125 inch. The middle Zip and Fold here are 20-inch by 4-inch, and our last one here is our Simple Step-Thru 26-inch with a 26-inch by 2.125-inch. Now, these two bikes right here are great if you want to use the electric assist, you like to zip around, you can also utilize the throttle, really good nimble e-bikes that are great for transporting, bringing places, and of course, you can pedal on them with or without the motor. Now, with the smaller wheels, you're going to have to do more pedals to get the roll that you would get on a larger tire. So you're going to get more distance out of one pedal stroke on a larger tire versus these smaller tires.

But with a 3-inch wide tire, you've got more rubber contacting the road, which is going to mean more resistance. So if you go to pedal without the motor, you're going to feel more resistance on a 3-inch tire than you would on a 2.125-inch tire. So pedaling on these is no problem. You can do it. But if you want to get out for long-range rides, let's say 5, 10, 15 miles, and you think you want to intermittently change between using the electric assist, not using it, or you want to go a fair amount of distance by just pedaling without the assistance, I recommend a larger tire, like on the Simple Step-Thru here, a 26 inch or 700C, and I recommend nothing wider than this 2.125-inch tire. Even if you were to go with a 26-inch tire with a 3-inch width or a 4-inch width, it's going to make it more challenging to pedal with more resistance. And again, now, if you're looking for maximum exercise or output, of course, a bigger tire would be better in that situation. But if you're looking for something that will roll easiest, this is about the thickness I would go with. It's a good thickness to still give balance but also roll easily while you want to pedal. Now, again, both of these are super fun. I just think most times they're best used with some level of assistance always on, even if you're keeping it in one.

It's usually better because of the smaller tire. It helps keep the momentum going and up and moving. And especially if you want to do long ranges, it's going to get more tiring quicker with the small tire because you're having to put out more effort to go longer. Now, again, short-range trips under five miles. Great. You can pedal intermittently with those, no problem. But if you like to get out, enjoy, ride, and get some exercise while still pedaling, I would opt for the larger tire. Nothing wider than a 2.125-inch width. So, any other questions on the topic,reach out to us at theteam@sixthreezero.com. You can also call us at 310-982-2877. Don't forget, all three of these if you want to check them out. And we offer a 30-day test ride on your e-bike policy. If you don't love it in the first 30 days, send it back. No questions asked, no money out of your pocket. In addition to that, we warranty everything for the first 365 days. If anything goes wrong in the first year, we take care of its parts and labor. Lastly, be a part of our community. We have a Facebook group with thousands of members called Sixthreezero Pedalers. Join the group before you purchase to talk to existing riders to ensure you're making the right choice. Then when you have yours, post in the group, make friends, and finally download our app, track your rides, and compete on the leaderboard. It's a lot of fun. So thanks for sticking around and don't forget, it's your journey, your experience. Enjoy the ride.