Ebike tire showdown. Michelin E wild vs Schwalbe Eddie Current

[Swissrob]

I need some advice on tyres, I keep losing the front end on wet roots, tyre goes sideways unless I am perpendicular to roots. 2018 Levo running original butchers. I am thinking of going to 29 x 2.6 on the front, any advice appreciated.

My skills and confidence are a factor, speed helps but harder to save it and falls hurt more!

 

[HORSPWR]

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.

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If the top one is the DHR2 then your idea of totally trashed an mine are completely different.

 

[Tim29]

If the top one is the DHR2 then your idea of totally trashed an mine are completely different.

I have piles of them there all yours.
But there a catch.
There at least one of those finger holes in the bead of everyone of the EXO case DHR2. That makes them totally trashed in my book.

 

[HORSPWR]

I have piles of them there all yours.
But there a catch.
There at least one of those finger holes in the bead of everyone of the EXO case DHR2. That makes them totally trashed in my book.

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Well that's different, you didn't show all the holes in the previous post, just the treads!

 

[Tim29]

Well that's different, you didn't show all the holes in the previous post, just the treads!

I did say totally trashed. I don’t understand how a tire fails like that without flatting , only EXO max tires have failed like that. No rim damage no flats.

 

[Tim29]

Well that's different, you didn't show all the holes in the previous post, just the treads!

I did say totally trashed. I don’t understand how a tire fails like that without flatting

I need some advice on tyres, I keep losing the front end on wet roots, tyre goes sideways unless I am perpendicular to roots. 2018 Levo running original butchers. I am thinking of going to 29 x 2.6 on the front, any advice appreciated.

My skills and confidence are a factor, speed helps but harder to save it and falls hurt more!

i have that same issue with the butcher. It’s my least favorite front trire. After my third time sitting on ground trying to catch my breath wonder WTF just happened i took the tire off with 40ish miles on it went to magic Mary and never crashed since front front washing.
2.6 Eddie, Hans, Mary all work very predictable. But i have to say Mary is king of the wet
Snake skin soft or orange stripe

 

[Tim29]

Today we did 32 miles of a combo of diets and the hot day dried out all southern slopes and the dry hard rocky conditions brought out the best in the Ewild.
The rough trails i ran today have given me a multiple of flats and rim damage over last year and at 22psi the 2.8 Ewild with a tube has now gone over 100 miles of rough terrain at speed and seems to only get better and impress me more. I have never been able to run under 30Psi with a DD Case max without serous risk of pinch flat or rim ding even tubliss.
I said i wasn’t gonna go tubeless until i flatted once. But that’s starting to look like it might not happen before tire wears out.
So I’m gonna switch it tubliss no core see how that goes
You can see by graph there a lot of hard braking from 25+ mph never broke 40mph

 

[OlaGB]

Very interesting to read youre tire comparisons and reviews Tim29!

Would be even more interesting if you put back on youre favourite combo of rim/tire of Eddy Current again after running the E-wild for a while.
Just to ensure you are not forgetting how that was running for you, and take youre personal improvements out of the equation.

 

[skiboycey]

You guys must go really hard to break all these rims and tyres. I am 95kg and have 2.8 E-Wilds on my 2018 carbon levo turbo (so carbon rims), i go pretty fast as i was an MX Racer and am running them at 12psi each end! I am using Huck Norris but can't imagine cycling on them at 25psi it must be like riding a hard tail bone shaker. How do you get any grip on wet rocks? I used to run my enduro motorbike tyres at 8psi! Surprising how people can run the kit in such a wide range of pressures and all be seemingly happy with the results. Cheers Mark...

 

[mark.ai]

From your reports @Tim29, I think the Michelin E-Wild tyres are rising to the top of my list of tyres to try next Thanks for the continuing tests!

 

[R120]

You guys must go really hard to break all these rims and tyres. I am 95kg and have 2.8 E-Wilds on my 2018 carbon levo turbo (so carbon rims), i go pretty fast as i was an MX Racer and am running them at 12psi each end! I am using Huck Norris but can't imagine cycling on them at 25psi it must be like riding a hard tail bone shaker. How do you get any grip on wet rocks? I used to run my enduro motorbike tyres at 8psi! Surprising how people can run the kit in such a wide range of pressures and all be seemingly happy with the results. Cheers Mark...

Aside from personal preference so much of it is down to the terrain and conditions you ride, as well as the bike it self.

 

[Tim29]

Very interesting to read youre tire comparisons and reviews Tim29!

Would be even more interesting if you put back on youre favourite combo of rim/tire of Eddy Current again after running the E-wild for a while.
Just to ensure you are not forgetting how that was running for you, and take youre personal improvements out of the equation.

Interesting you say that. If you notice the bike with Ewild is my demo bike, my race bike still has Carbon hoops and swhalbes on it as well as red Hope 4 hubs and Rotors.
I’m always doing testing on my demo bike leave my race bike until the combo is proven.
Two of my riding mates also still have Mary/ Eddie combo and we have switched out on trail back and forth.
Shon says he likes the smoother feel of the larger volume Eddie with Cush core. It has a softer more compliant feel like it’s 5-6 psi lower pressure. But it also has more tire roll in corners and i feel Eddie needs a core to be solid.
One thing i do like better about Eddie is when climbing it will climb over larger sharp edge like lateral root u can’t hit straight on. Eddie molds to face of root and grips well. Ewild slips easier. But the tread compound of Eddie is so soft i think it’s why it molds to sharp and rounded obstacles.
But after I’m done going to all test ride locations and tire starts to wear see how it performs through its life span I’m gonna try the softer compound front Ewild on the rear see if it molds or climbs over off camber obstacles like Eddie does. I’m guessing it won’t as it’s smaller volume and harder case. But maybe at lower pressures and a core??
Oh my race bike has 2.6 Mary snake skin front, Eddie or supergravity Hans rear depending on pitch of DH runs.
Test bike has Alum wheels, 2.6 speed grip Hans up front and Ewild rear

 

[Tim29]

You guys must go really hard to break all these rims and tyres. I am 95kg and have 2.8 E-Wilds on my 2018 carbon levo turbo (so carbon rims), i go pretty fast as i was an MX Racer and am running them at 12psi each end! I am using Huck Norris but can't imagine cycling on them at 25psi it must be like riding a hard tail bone shaker. How do you get any grip on wet rocks? I used to run my enduro motorbike tyres at 8psi! Surprising how people can run the kit in such a wide range of pressures and all be seemingly happy with the results. Cheers Mark...

Ski boy i come from motocross, my background is still motocross, in fact i just won the 2 stroke world championships at Glen Helen last month. But i can’t ride my moto bike at less then 16psi or i have a flinstone wheel in one moto!!
I have to replace my moto wheels at 40-60 hrs as they are done.
I take it because as i don’t go around square edge bumps, i glide them. The bike you can’t feel the hit but the rim still takes a pretty good shot. Prehop to unload the bike over them. The bike doesn’t upset and drives through the bump but wheel still doesn’t clear top edge. In moto i am equal opportunity wheel killer, meaning i kill both front and rear. But on mountain bike it’s 15to1 rear to front.
But on mountain bike i roll the tire in turns bad. So i run up to 40psi on flow tracks with big burns.
Flat corners and rough into lower 20’s.
I attached a couple pics you can see i attack corners. 20t is my two stroke. 29 is my 4 stroke

 

[HORSPWR]

You guys must go really hard to break all these rims and tyres. I am 95kg and have 2.8 E-Wilds on my 2018 carbon levo turbo (so carbon rims), i go pretty fast as i was an MX Racer and am running them at 12psi each end! I am using Huck Norris but can't imagine cycling on them at 25psi it must be like riding a hard tail bone shaker. How do you get any grip on wet rocks? I used to run my enduro motorbike tyres at 8psi! Surprising how people can run the kit in such a wide range of pressures and all be seemingly happy with the results. Cheers Mark...

How are you finding the E-Wilds, they look like a real motocross tyre.

 

[skiboycey]

Ski boy i come from motocross, my background is still motocross, in fact i just won the 2 stroke world championships at Glen Helen last month. But i can’t ride my moto bike at less then 16psi or i have a flinstone wheel in one moto!!
I have to replace my moto wheels at 40-60 hrs as they are done.
I take it because as i don’t go around square edge bumps, i glide them. The bike you can’t feel the hit but the rim still takes a pretty good shot. Prehop to unload the bike over them. The bike doesn’t upset and drives through the bump but wheel still doesn’t clear top edge. In moto i am equal opportunity wheel killer, meaning i kill both front and rear. But on mountain bike it’s 15to1 rear to front.
But on mountain bike i roll the tire in turns bad. So i run up to 40psi on flow tracks with big burns.
Flat corners and rough into lower 20’s.
I attached a couple pics you can see i attack corners. 20t is my two stroke. 29 is my 4 stroke

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Ooh i love a two stroke, especially the smell. I still sniff the air wistfully when a kid rides past on a souped up scooter and i get a whiff off some synthetic burnt two stroke oil! Regarding riding i was actually much more enduro (i had a 1989 wr250 Yamaha - evil power curve, you had to be very good at one-finger clutch to climb anything technical) by the time i thought about tyre pressures. As a kid mx Racer i probably just pumped them up and went riding. I always ran low pressures with an extra thick inner tube (as we used in those days) as you can look after the tyre more on an enduro and avoid big whacks but need the traction to climb the horrible, muddy, root infested climbs they'd Chuck in to sort the wheat from the chaff... Sadly my other career as a pro snowboarder has not done my right knee any good so no more dirt bikes for me other than my e-bike.

So far my admittedly safety first (with only 1 good knee and a shit one left i can do without landing hard on either by thinking I'm still 20 years old), the tyres and rims have survived 500km of very rocky Mallorcan trails over the last ten days with good, low pressure comfort and grip and no rim damage. If I'm honest i probably just don't ride that hard anymore and use my considerable experience to avoid having to use my long acquired skills, as is a common phrase amongst pilots...

My congratulations on your success, winning at that level is awesome. Well done!

 

[skiboycey]

How are you finding the E-Wilds, they look like a real motocross tyre.

So far so good. Nice and grippy but i do find i need low pressures as they have a carcass and sidewall more like a Motocross tyre than a bike tyre (Nobby Nic, for example) in that it's thick and quite unyielding. I have Huck Norris inside, tubeless, 12psi front and back. Climb grip on dry rocks and gravel excellent. Tacky compound.

I think they'll wear quite quickly but that's usually the price of lots of grip. No noise on the road sections which is nice. Big knobs mean the roads don't kill the tyre either unlike with more spiky tyres like the Nobby Nic. Quite narrow when blown up, 2.8 is more like 2.6 Schwalbe.

I've been very happy so far but note I'm a single track adventure rider who likes technical climbing and reading maps and finding routes and new paths. I don't smash down enduro runs or do big jumps anymore even though i live in a ski resort with uplift and downhill trails in summer. Too old, too plump and too broken for all that malarky... I do ride the downhills on the Levo but i don't smash them. So my feedback should be viewed in that light which, to be honest, is probably 90% of real-world riders if we are honest... Others who do do that more aggressive type of riding may have different experiences!

Regards Mark

 

[tedturbine]

Ski boy i come from motocross, my background is still motocross, in fact i just won the 2 stroke world championships at Glen Helen last month.

That's incredible, congratulations.

 

[Tim29]

took new ride out today for checkout spin.
Fork valving and shock valving with 2.6 Ewild on 40 with 2.4 Eddie up front.
Even with 38 offset fork I’m not comfortable with Eddie. Still can’t put my finger on why that tire doesn’t let me be comfortable.
But I’m liking that 38 offset the bike is snappy in turns.

 

[Tim29]

So yesterday and today i have concluded my testing.
So here it goes.
The winner is the 2.8 E wild by a tick!!
The 2.6 is faster but not as forgiving and as versatile on all conditions.
In order. 1st-2.8 Ewild 2nd-2.8 Eddie 3rd -2.6 Ewild.
Why??
Ewild is faster then Eddie, has matching grip on everything but round roots off camber chunk climbs, Eddie molds to those types of obstacles and is slightly better at the same air pressure. Eddie has more tire roll in corners and needs to run 2-4psi more to hold as well as Ewild and it then looses that riot hopping agility. Eddie is smoother ride by noticeable margin but it also feels heavy and soggy after coming off Ewild.
If speed has no meaning and ride comfort is all you care about then Eddie might be a better choice.
If your spirited rider and want a grippy tire that’s got some speed then you really should take Ewild as your go to.
Running the front Ewild on the back gives it the root chunk clim traction of Eddie but suffers slightly in hard berms as u can feel little tread roll. But the grip is amazing. But that comes at a sugnificantly faster wearing tire then the rear compound.
Ewild performed flawless without any type of insert and never once flatted with a tube. Case is so solid on Ewild i think it’s a true ebike stiffness and needs no help unless your running carbon wheels and want a little piece of mind.
Going to the front, i went from unsure and hesitant to down right throw it in the lake!! Eddie is a miserable tire up front on , hard pack, dry hard with loose on top, gravel, anything dry and hard exp solid rock it down right SUCKS!! Both 2.4 and 2.6, although i will say the 2.6 on a 34-36 internal is much better then the 2.4 on a 27-34 internal.
So in the 5 days grinding and 3 riders
2 of three say Mary up front with Ewild in rear is best combo ever ridden.
One says Hans Dampf front Eddie rear is his go to favorite.
For me, i say summer dry and hard Hans Dampf 2.6 speed grip on hard dirt with 2.8 Ewild in rear on 35 internal front and 40 internal rear. But the 34 internal rear is pretty good on wet roots and chunky climbs. But i feel the 40 was better all around as you could lower pressure get the root and chunky climbing compliance and it still holds corners well.
2.6 Mary in soft snake skin with 2.6 Ewild hold the records for time on all 5 of the enduro legs. It was consistently the fastest combo but the front tire shows significant wear in just a few miles. Hans speed grip still looks virtually new and was really close in time and comfort.
Blue groove hard pack wet base and flow tracks i think Hans will be the fastest but can’t prove it just my gut telling me.
For baked out summer dirt left I’m stayin with Hans 2.6x29 speed grip on 29x36.5 rim up front and Ewild 2.8x27.5 on a 42 on rear.
Come mammoth kitty little will prob go back to Mary 2.6 front and Eddie rear as the dirt is deep and soft or chunky.
But for my race in Sierra summit it’s gonna be 2.6 Mary and 2.6 Ewild on 35 and 40 rims

 

[Dirtnvert]

The intermediate knobs on those eddies give me pause. Reminds me of the bad things the kendal nevegsl suffered from. I think a nice channel seperating the center pattern knobs from the side edging knobs is key, especially for the front. With those intermediate knobs, when you go to roll the tire over on to the side knobs it can just skate past the edge knobs rather than have a definitive transition from center knobs to , bam!, your locked in on the edging knobs. If you're so inclined you may want to snip the outside half of the all the intermediates on both sides and try that.

 

[Dirtnvert]

For reference, here's my fave front tire. Check out the definitive channel seperating center and edging knobs. Maybe tell Michelin they need to make it in a 2.6, if that's your size

 

[Tim29]

Nope,

The intermediate knobs on those eddies give me pause. Reminds me of the bad things the kendal nevegsl suffered from. I think a nice channel seperating the center pattern knobs from the side edging knobs is key, especially for the front. With those intermediate knobs, when you go to roll the tire over on to the side knobs it can just skate past the edge knobs rather than have a definitive transition from center knobs to , bam!, your locked in on the edging knobs. If you're so inclined you may want to snip the outside half of the all the intermediates on both sides and try that.

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I’m just gonna stay away from that tire, there to many options available that mount right up and shred!
I wait for mich to send me the 29er to test
I have two Hans and Mary’s mounted on 35 alum and 36.5 carbon wheels.
And a 2.35 Hans super gravity on a 32 for rear and a 2.35 Mary on a 30 for the less pitchy segments with no chunk where rolling speed means everything.
Front
2.6 Mary on 35 29er
2.6 Mary on carbon 36.5 29er
2.8 Ewild on 36 27.5
2.35 Mary on 30 29er
Rear
2.35 Hans SG 32 alum 27.5 cc
2.6 Ewild on 35 alum 27.5
2.6 Ewild on 40 alum 27.5 CC
2.8 Ewild on 38 carbon 27.5
2.8 Ewild on 40 alum 27.5 CC
2.8 Ewild on 43 carbon 27.5 CC
2.8 Eddie on 43 carbon 27.7 CC
2.8 DHR2 on 32 alum Died
2.8 DHR2 on 40 alum Died
Both the DHR2 evo vase tires tore on edge of rim as the rubber ripped from the threading and wouldn’t seal one cut through on rim edge.
DHR2 evo case failed as a suitable ebike tire and that’s the oem tire to the bike.
Oh both the other test riders where big fans of DHR2 and DHF COMBO, until end of second day and they both took them off there bikes and went with Mary up front and Eddie or Ewild on rear.

 

[Dirtnvert]

Wheel quiver on lock ?

 

[R120]

As an FYI Amaury Peiron was running an Eddie Current rear, Magic Mary front for his winning run at Fort William last week.

 

[SinCityJets]

@Tim29, sorry for such a generic question, but since I have 29 front and rear, the Michelin is just not an option at this point. With that being said, which 29's do you like for overall trail riding is a mostly dry climate. I know it "depends" but if you could give me your top 3 for front and rears, I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you!

Chad

 

[Tim29]

@Tim29, sorry for such a generic question, but since I have 29 front and rear, the Michelin is just not an option at this point. With that being said, which 29's do you like for overall trail riding is a mostly dry climate. I know it "depends" but if you could give me your top 3 for front and rears, I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you!

Chad

Top 3. Front
1- Mary adix 2.6 snake skin case
2- Hans Dampf speed grip 2.6 snake skin case
3- Eddie 2.6 have to run it at lower pressures or it sucks. 17-23psi

Rear 29er
1- Eddie current 2.6
2- hands Dampf 2.35 super gravity
3- DHR2 2.6 with Cush core
Rear 27.5
1- Ewild 2.8
2- Eddie current 2.8
3- Ewild 2.6
4- hands Dampf 2.35 super gravity
5- DHR2 2.8 evo with core

That’s my order.

 

[Tim29]

As an FYI Amaury Peiron was running an Eddie Current rear, Magic Mary front for his winning run at Fort William last week.

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I never been to fort Williams but it must be fast chunky as can be lots of rocks and rutty mixed with loose turns.
That tire combo is king in those conditions

 

[R120]

What pressures did you run in the e-wild 2.6's?

 

[Tim29]

What pressures did you run in the e-wild 2.6's?

17-40psi.
Found it worked best in low 20’s.
I’d say 17-23 range it shines. Hard pack flow trails 23-25.
The case is strong enough to mash a decent rock garden at 20 and not feel the rim without a core of any kind.

 

[Tim29]

Race bike finished, the combo I’m going with for this weekend.
Mary 2.6 up front and 2.8 Ewild front soft compound in rear.
My practice bike has 2.6 Hans up front and 2.6 Ewild in rear.
Spares are Eddie current 2.8 rear and soft compound Hans 2.6 for front
Practice bike has 29x35 front rim and 27x5x 40 rear
Race is 29x36.5 front and 27.5x43 rear