Senior E-Bike Buyers: Why Bigger Tires Aren’t Always Better: Watch This Before You Buy!

Why a fat tire e-bike is not always the right choice for senior riders.

Hey everyone, I'm Dustin. I have nearly 20 years of experience in the bike and e-bike industry. Today, we're going to talk about why a fat tire e-bike is not always the right choice for a senior rider. Okay, right here I have our simple step-through e-bike. Three different versions. We have our 750-watt fat tire version, our 500-watt, let's say balloon-type tire, and our 20-inch 500-watt, more of our portable version. So all three of these are designed with the same simple step-through frame, which is a low step-through frame to make mounting and dismounting very simple and easy. A lot of senior riders prefer this setup because it is very easy to get on and off. Also, anybody who just wants an e-bike, again, that's easy to step onto the frame, so you don't have to swing your leg over the back. Maybe you've had a hip or knee replacement, and you have a hard time lifting your leg. Now, fat tires on e-bikes have become very popular, and I think a lot of people think you need a fat tire. Now, there are benefits to having the fat tires, right? They can take on off-road terrain better than a thinner tire. They also provide a little bit more of a cushy ride because of how big they are. They absorb some of those vibrations better than a thinner tire would.

Now, the one reason why I don't necessarily think they are the best for a senior rider is because of how much it elevates the bike off the ground. In my experience now, when I say senior rider, I'm for sure not saying that as a catch-all for every rider 60 and above. We get lots of different rider types and athleticism. More than age, it is about your mobility and how your body moves. It doesn't matter if you're 20, 50, 60, or 70. We have some 70-year-olds who can move well. They don't need any accommodation when it comes to a low-step-through frame. Then we have some 60-year-olds who maybe have had a knee replacement or a hip replacement, and they struggle to lift their foot off the ground. And so the mounting and dismounting can be a very challenging endeavor. So when you take this same frame, now this is a 20-inch frame, but both of these are 26-inch frames. And when you take the same frame, and you increase the tire to a three-inch, you bring that frame off the ground, which in turn, raises the stepover height. So on this 26-inch, the stepover height of the frame is 11 inches. And if we move over here to the three-inch tire

Now, the other thing I wanna point out is that by having the fat tire and the 750-watt motor, we had to add a bar here to increase the strength of the frame. That can't be avoided. Without that, you're gonna get wobbles in the frame and the possibility of cracking the frame. We need to add that extra stability there. As a result, we are now talking about the frame being a 15 and a half inch step over height. So that's a half-inch difference. Now, this is still a step-through frame, but you can see the gap between the bottom here. This one is 10 and a half inches. And on this frame right here, it's about nine inches, so about an inch and a half. So, whether you're talking about an inch and a half or four inches, for a lot of riders, that is quite a big deal. Many people get their toes caught on things as they're trying to lift their leg over. And so that is a real-world problem that does occur. So if you are a senior looking for an e-bike, it's something to think about when you look at and see a fat tire model that you're interested in. You really want to think about that step through height, and how it is being affected by adding a bigger tire, by adding a bigger motor.

Does the frame have to be changed at all? Now, you can see over here, conversely, when we switch to a smaller tire, you can see that the step-over height of this is just under nine inches, about eight and a half inches. So very low. So that's two inches lower than the 26-inch version right here. Now, you could also do a fat tire version on a 20-inch model, which has a 20-inch tire, which obviously would keep it lower than a version like this. But now, if you're talking about wanting to pedal and utilize that bike with low levels of assistance or none at all, it gets more difficult to pedal only an e-bike with a 20-inch by 3-inch tire. There's a lot of resistance, a lot of drag from that tire because of how wide it is and how much rubber is contacting the road. So, there are all things to think about. And I guess my point is that the fat tire version is right for some riders, but it's not right for all riders. Think about your body, and which element is most important to you? And if it is that step-over height, you might want to opt for the non-fat tire version of whatever e-bike you're looking to purchase.

If you have any other questions on the topic at all, reach out to us at theteam@sixthreezero.com or call us at 310-982-2877. You can also comment below on where we'll spawn. In addition to that, all three of these e-bikes are linked in the description below if you want to check them out. In addition to that, 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. We also warranty everything for one year. Anything goes wrong in the first year, we'll take care of it, parts and labor. And if you wanna come out for a test ride, we are here in San Clemente, California, 1046 Kairokoto Unit K. Come test ride any of our e-bikes before you purchase and join our community. We have a Facebook group called Sixthreezero Pedalers. There are thousands of members in the group. Join 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 the app to track your rides and compete on the leaderboard. So thanks for sticking around, and don't forget, it's your journey or experience. Enjoy the ride.