Tire recommendations for 20" wheel folding ebike

[steverebo]

My dawes falcon came with some very underwhelming tires and I want something with a bit nore quality and some puncher resistance that can handle the uk weather, I have looked at shwalbe marathons but concerned by all the reports of poor performance in wet weather I can get up to 20mph when I get going so want something with better reliability it wet typical British weather I don't go off road and ny 5 mile each way commute is on the road

 

[cyclebuddy]

Marathon Pluses (which I have on my 700c wheeled bikes) can be a bit slippy on the wet, but the Marathon Greens (which I have on my 20" folding Fiido that can do 20mph - at a push) are more pliable and grippy. The puncture belt is 3mm on the Green against the 5mm on the Plus, but I've not had a puncture on any of them thus f ar. I think next time I might choose Marathon 365/Tour as a better compromise.

 

[steverebo]

I've read some stuff staying the schwalbe road cruiser plus could be a good choice and a lot if stuff about continental contact plus but I'm still unsure what to go for as I have no experience with any of these tires

 

[saneagle]

I've read some stuff staying the schwalbe road cruiser plus could be a good choice and a lot if stuff about continental contact plus but I'm still unsure what to go for as I have no experience with any of these tires

The problem you have is that you need soft rubber for grip and hard rubber for puncture resistance. Soft rubber punctures easily and attracts the causes of punctures. Hard rubber doesn't grip and repels the causes of punctures.

 

[steverebo]

So I need some kind of middle ground

 

[saneagle]

So I need some kind of middle ground

Then you get neither, and it's probably where you are now.

 

[steverebo]

What about the marathon GT365 they claim to be both grippy and puncture resistant but they are 1.5inch in width and my bike curreny has 1.75 is that a problem?

 

[guerney]

In my experience, 20" 1.75" wide Marathon Plus are ok in wet conditions on tarmac, even at high speed - skip to 16 seconds in the video below. I've learned to never trust them an inch if there's the merest hint of mud, they're also bad on gravel and wet metal manhole covers. Over 4000km and not a single puncture. Totally different experience to the 1970s and 1980s...