Ebike tire showdown. Michelin E wild vs Schwalbe Eddie Current

[Tim29]

Michelin E wild vs Shwalbe Eddie Current.
Stay tuned to see who comes out on top.

 

[Dirtnvert]

Nice! Subscribing

 

[R120]

Interested to see how you go with the 2.6 Michelin

Was thinking of you the other day when this was released

 

[Tim29]

Michelin and max both gave me the tires for review. But i promise i won’t let that sway my review.
The max tire isn’t available yet so it won’t be disclosed until there approval to release photos
I have 4 sets of the michto test, 2.6 and 2.8
The front and rear Ewild have sametread design but front hassofter compound.
So we will go outside the box and try them on opposite ends of bike to see what happens.
Front wheel size is limited as they only have 27.5 available as of right now so i have a 32 and 36 internal for front
Rear we have ,30,32,34,36,38,40,42,43.5
First outing is on a 40 with cushcore

 

[eJimBo]

I wish the Eddy came in 2.5 or 2.6. Maybe someday?

And @Tim29, do you mean Schwalbe sent you samples to review, not Maxxis?

 

[Tim29]

I wish the Eddy came in 2.5 or 2.6. Maybe someday?

And @Tim29, do you mean Schwalbe sent you samples to review, not Maxxis?

No i mean max, but the photo and test is regarding ebike tires currently on market.
Little teaser, the Hans Dampf 2.35 super gravity on a 32 internal wheel is something to look at, fast and predictable.

 

[Tim29]

I wish the Eddy came in 2.5 or 2.6. Maybe someday?

And @Tim29, do you mean Schwalbe sent you samples to review, not Maxxis?

Eddie comes in 2.4, 2.6, 2.8
Only 27.5x2.8.
The 2.8 is the biggest tire I’ve ever seen in a 2.8
But for play riding it works really well on everything. Just little slow but for its size surprisingly fast

 

[eJimBo]

Eddie comes in 2.4, 2.6, 2.8
Only 27.5x2.8.
The 2.8 is the biggest tire I’ve ever seen in a 2.8
But for play riding it works really well on everything. Just little slow but for its size surprisingly fast

Yea I'm running on 27.5s w/35 internal

 

[outerlimits]

I’m running non ebike specific tyres, saddle and chain, in fact, all of the components on the bike are non ebike specific. No I’ll effects or performance issues at all.
What magic do these ebike specific tyres have ?

 

[eJimBo]

I’m running non ebike specific tyres, saddle and chain, in fact, all of the components on the bike are non ebike specific. No I’ll effects or performance issues at all.
What magic do these ebike specific tyres have ?

Extra chunky knobs and beefy sidewalls with less concern for weight, maybe?

 

[jsalas2]

Following

 

[outerlimits]

Extra chunky knobs and beefy sidewalls with less concern for weight, maybe?

Oh ok, a downhill tyre then. I thought it must of been something special ?‍

 

[Tim29]

So to answer the questions. What do these ebike specific parts have.
Well most ebike have longer chain stays then similar travel enduro bikes which put more weight onto front tire and more side load on rear tire. 20+ lbs on average heavier.
Can you run none ebike compoments and have good luck. Absolutely.
But after putting over 800 miles on some of these new ebike tires i can tell you there is a benefit.
The 2.8 rear Eddie has proven worth in every type of terrain. The tire can be run at a moderate pressure and survive. I have not burped, pinch, flat one time with it. Normal max DHR2 i was destroying both tread and sidewalks on a weekly basis.
Here a pic of an Eddie with 422 miles on it and it’s a soft compound tire.
And a pic of a DHR2 with 213 miles, same trails, same bike, same dry conditions.
The Eddie has considerably more climbing traction and braking traction
So you understand my riding, I’m a antie skidded, if you ride my bike and skid my tires i go postal on you. Tires to me are life blood of the bike and they need to be sharp and grippy.
As you can see from the pic the DHR2 IS TOTALLY TRASHED.
Eddie looks like it still has 80% life left and it’s already gone double the distance.
That’s what ebike specific parts have to offer if there truly ebike designed.

 

[outerlimits]

So longer chainstays like years gone by. The only benefit I can see is .........
I’ve had Maxxis aggressor tyres last 2800km on the rear of my enduro bike. And Spesh tyres last 2200km so far on my ebike and still going strong and they are soft compound too. I guess if they said ebike specific then i’d get more KOM’s, never loose traction and rack up 10000km of trouble free k’s
Just a downhill Tyre marketed as a ebike tyre.
Just sayin ?‍

 

[Tim29]

Ok so round one! Ewild on a 40 internal with a 2.8 cushcore and the 2.6 rear tire on rear. Yes 2.8 CC stuffed into 2.6. Same way i run the DHF on rear or the super gravity HD.
First impression, FAST!!! Tire rolls really well for a aggressive nobby tire.
I had Mary 2.6x29 on 36.5 internal up front and Ewild out back and the bike is really well balanced with that combo. The Ewild has little more rebound at 30 psi then Eddie. Doesn’t quite match all dirt grip of Eddie, but in hard dry, hard with loose on top, wet- not muddy, chunky so far the tire keeps impresssing me. Very predictable. Felt comfortable after first couple miles. Lowered pressure to 26psi and the tire got better everywhere. Rebound of the case softened up a bit and grip improved considerably and it didn’t slow any noticeable amount pedaling. Or downhill.
It was 3.1mph average faster on a 100m 3.5% down grade then the 2.5 DHF, 2.8 DHR2 combo.
6 runs on each.
4.3mph faster then 2.4x29 and 2.8x27.5 eddies.
Roll test done on tarmac using stalker stats radar gun.
All tires at 30psi i will try to post a pic of the graph from roll test once lap top finishes updating.

My take of it on first impression, this tire has already outperformed many of top rated tires on market.
But not gonna give it a over rated value until it has hit all the trails and done some really fast chunky runs see how it holds up.
Today’s ride was pretty mellow for most part.
Baby steps.

 

[OlaGB]

What psi where you running the 2.8 EC at? 25psi on 40mm rims seems like high psi to me, especially with CC in it? I run 17-18 rear , 14 front on DHRII 2.8 with CC, and havent felt one rim hit yet.

 

[Tim29]

So longer chainstays like years gone by. The only benefit I can see is .........
I’ve had Maxxis aggressor tyres last 2800km on the rear of my enduro bike. And Spesh tyres last 2200km so far on my ebike and still going strong and they are soft compound too. I guess if they said ebike specific then i’d get more KOM’s, never loose traction and rack up 10000km of trouble free k’s
Just a downhill Tyre marketed as a ebike tyre.
Just sayin ?‍

No, DH tire is wire bead and much heavier case, these are more like just little heavier then a super gravity case but lighter then a DH case, more compliant then DH for play and mellow rides but yet still capable of crushing a rock garden without death. Less side wall roll.
And no not same as bikes of Years past with steep head angles and long stays, these late mid length stays and slack bikes.
But I’m gonna ask nicely. I’m just reviewing a tire for people to read. If you want to stay with your spec tires and boast what you can do with your none ebike tires on your ebike that’s fine. But make your own post and do it there please. I’m just trying to give an honest unbiased review on some product that’s new to market.
There a need for some ebike designed products as i have destroyed every wheel on the market on my ebike to the point i designed and made my own wheels. My evil i only took out one wheel. The Bronson i spent last few weeks hammering no tire or wheel problems.
The stock 2018 Fantic wheel sets that i destroyed beads front and rear in one day have been on Bronson for 14 days now and still look perfect.
So no one is gonna convince me there isn’t a need for ebike tires and wheels that are different base design.
Because i have a dumpster full of junk tires and wheels that say differently.

 

[RoJo]

So to answer the questions. What do these ebike specific parts have.
Well most ebike have longer chain stays then similar travel enduro bikes which put more weight onto front tire and more side load on rear tire. 20+ lbs on average heavier.
Can you run none ebike compoments and have good luck. Absolutely.
But after putting over 800 miles on some of these new ebike tires i can tell you there is a benefit.
The 2.8 rear Eddie has proven worth in every type of terrain. The tire can be run at a moderate pressure and survive. I have not burped, pinch, flat one time with it. Normal max DHR2 i was destroying both tread and sidewalks on a weekly basis.
Here a pic of an Eddie with 422 miles on it and it’s a soft compound tire.
And a pic of a DHR2 with 213 miles, same trails, same bike, same dry conditions.
The Eddie has considerably more climbing traction and braking traction
So you understand my riding, I’m a antie skidded, if you ride my bike and skid my tires i go postal on you. Tires to me are life blood of the bike and they need to be sharp and grippy.
As you can see from the pic the DHR2 IS TOTALLY TRASHED.
Eddie looks like it still has 80% life left and it’s already gone double the distance.
That’s what ebike specific parts have to offer if there truly ebike designed.

View attachment 13613

View attachment 13614

Nice comparison Tim. Wear and durability aside, how do you feel the bike handling compared with Eddie vs DHR2?

 

[Tim29]

What psi where you running the 2.8 EC at? 25psi on 40mm rims seems like high psi to me, especially with CC in it? I run 17-18 rear , 14 front on DHRII 2.8 with CC, and havent felt one rim hit yet.

2.8 rear Eddie with core 22-33. But i have Eddie on a 43 internal.
I’m not running the higher pressures for rock protection i can get away with 17-20 in rock garden.
But i burp the tires in turns if i am bellow 25 and rip turns. At my last DH event i had to go up to 40psi in rear as there was hard fast blue groove banked turn i kept burping the tire. Damaged the bead on the rim in practice run at 35psi.

 

[Fivetones]

This is fascinating. No doubt some might be cynical, and I admit I was slightly too, but it looks like there might be something to be gained here that’s e-Bike specific.

Keep it coming Tim!

 

[Dirtnvert]

I'm surprised ths Michelin wasn't more damp. I've found both the wild rockr2 magic x to both last longer than mm and DHF 3c on the front and have better traction. The SR rubber on the Michelin seems to be more damp and I was thinking that may be helping wear. I see chain reaction has the wild enduro in 2.6 and 2.8 and also the e wild in 2.6 and 2.8 with what looked to be a similar thread. That made me think the e wild would be dh casing weight , just more volume. Guess not. Wonder what the difference is?

 

[outerlimits]

So they are like the Specialized Black Dimond casing then ? A downhill Tyre with a foldable bead ? Or are they more comparable to a Maxxis EXO + case ?
Just with different tread and ebike marketing hype. I don’t see much difference in why they would be called ebike specific with the current crop of tyres already available and not much if any difference in how robust they may be.

 

[Eckythump]

Are you going to run the tests without inserts too for a comparison on squirming & puncture resistance?

 

[Dirtnvert]

Michelin dont even make an enduro tire in exo/grid weight. Their lighter tires are more trail bike , almost xc tread, tires. I'd assume they'd be more atleast 1200g. Wr2 2.35 is 1100ish g.
Hey Tim, you might want to try and hit them up for a test of there newest dh tire. Almost sounds like and old 4ply intense tire. Probably a lot more tech going on though. Scroll to Laurie Greenlands interview in this slideshow( maybe you've heard it). Sounds like it be great for an eeb
RACE DAY SLIDESHOW - Maribor World Cup Downhill

 

[Tim29]

Yes i will test them without the core.
I just wanted to protect wheels for the first go around.
I still need to finish pacing up my two 27.5 front wheels to test the front tires.
Was hoping the 29ers be available for my test.

 

[Eckythump]

Will be interesting to see the result. When I started using inserts I found I could quite happily go back to Exo casings & run lower pressures so would be put off the heavier tyres unless I could run them without the extra hassle of the inserts.

One other offbeat thought I have on the tyres you have on test is how aggressive they look compared to a regular mtb tyre. One of the big arguments levelled against emtb’s being them causing more damage to trails. So far it has been pretty easy to argue against as we use the same tyres and generally with a bigger contact patch so the difference is negligible. It might not be so easy with these. The Eddy Current looks like it has come straight off a trials bike.

I’m not trying to detract from your test. I am very interested to hear your findings.

 

[Tim29]

Will be interesting to see the result. When I started using inserts I found I could quite happily go back to Exo casings & run lower pressures so would be put off the heavier tyres unless I could run them without the extra hassle of the inserts.

One other offbeat thought I have on the tyres you have on test is how aggressive they look compared to a regular mtb tyre. One of the big arguments levelled against emtb’s being them causing more damage to trails. So far it has been pretty easy to argue against as we use the same tyres and generally with a bigger contact patch so the difference is negligible. It might not be so easy with these. The Eddy Current looks like it has come straight off a trials bike.

I’m not trying to detract from your test. I am very interested to hear your findings.

Interesting point for sure, but the Ewild isn’t as aggressive or large as the magic Mary that is a highly used clockwork bike tire. But this winter i ran the Eddie rear on wet trails and it did considerably less trail knifing as it’s big wide lungs floated and didn’t sink in causing deep ruts. The wider thicker tread actually has less surface pressure. On pitchier climbs i see the clockwork bikes doing way more damage on every ride i run with them as there out of saddle and they spin way more often then i do seated and running higher Cadence.
And last they have much more skidding in the downhills as there back chatters more.
So from all that i have seen that is a total horse crap claim.

 

[eJimBo]

Interesting point for sure, but the Ewild isn’t as aggressive or large as the magic Mary that is a highly used clockwork bike tire. But this winter i ran the Eddie rear on wet trails and it did considerably less trail knifing as it’s big wide lungs floated and didn’t sink in causing deep ruts. The wider thicker tread actually has less surface pressure. On pitchier climbs i see the clockwork bikes doing way more damage on every ride i run with them as there out of saddle and they spin way more often then i do seated and running higher Cadence.
And last they have much more skidding in the downhills as there back chatters more.
So from all that i have seen that is a total horse crap claim.

I've often noticed that I spin way less than unassisted riders on steep climbs, particularly with the Brose system on level 2.

Who coined the term "clockwork bikes?" And what's the metaphorical association? (Please forgive my density if it's obvious ?)

 

[Eckythump]

@Tim29 maybe it is the close up photos which make the tyres seem particularly aggressive.
I’m totally with you on actual damage vs perceived damage to trails.
When I had 2.8” tyres on my emtb it was funny how many folk would walk up and say ‘look at the size of them tyres, Is that an ebike?’ It’s surprising what catches people’s eye!

Anyway back to your test??

 

[Tim29]

Nice comparison Tim. Wear and durability aside, how do you feel the bike handling compared with Eddie vs DHR2?

I’m uneasy about the Eddie front, it is allergic to mud, but now we are pretty dried out and hard pack most everywhere it’s not bad, but i wouldn’t say the front Eddie is much different then the dhf front. They both have the there places they let go without much warning.
But take the 2.8 27.5 rear that tire is a game changer!!!! I haven’t found any dirt rock, chunk, mud, root, cement, tarmac, that it isn’t as predictable as a timex watch. Does the same thing every time on every surface i have found exp ice. But it wasn’t bad in snow!!
I absolutely love that rear tire for playin. It’s just a bit slow for race. But if it’s steep and chunky i race it without question as it’s so grippy i can easily make up for the rolling speed in its corner bite and breaking traction. It’s hands down the best tire I’ve ever tested in braking and corner traction.
But the Ewild is starting to really impress me, but it doesn’t match Eddie braking ability. But it is considerably faster.
I need a few hundred miles on Ewild and adverse conditions before i can give it a real showdown.
Looks like Sunday we gonna have all 8 mounted up and do a new vs new roll test and G force traction test.
But until then Ive been doing laps on my 4.8 mile test loop, so far i have been able to beat my times with the 2.6 Ewild so it just might be the fastest combo. But have to go back and run the eddies in new meat on trail to make sure conditions haven’t improved making for faster times.
I’m using lit pro for times as strava to inconsisten with bar mounted gps.
But i wouldn’t be hesitant to say the Ewild is def worth trying at 60 dollar us price tag.
So far i find it more predictable and faster then the 2.6 dhr2 and Dhf on the rear. Dhr2 i feel has little better braking traction.
My big worry is when there on both front and rear braking may suffer to much. But that’s just a gut feeling and nothing to back it up.
The last 4 month i been just loving 2.6x29 Mary soft snake skin up front and 2.8x27.5 Eddie rear.
I think that’s the ultimate play, bash setup and smooth predictable everywhere.
Keep in mind i have Mary on a 36.5 internal and Eddie on a 43 internal.
There been 60-75 people between seaotter and local demo rider’s ride it with that combo and not one of them hasn’t said. WOW! Super plush and grippy as can be.
Couple die hard 2.35 riders said feels little lazy but it’s so smooth i run it playin. But wouldn’t race it.