3mm bigger Tires, difficult to ride
 

so...i ordered new tires-- 635x1-1/2...which is officially 37-635.

The problem is they sent me a wrong 635 tires. i received a pair of CST 40-635.

i didnt notice it until it was mounted.
​​​​because it looks noticiable fatter.

so...now i am riding these 3mm oversized tires on my 3-spd for a month or two. And I swear it is now more difficult to pedal. I really hate it.
​​With the old tires, I only need to use 2nd gear. Now with these new tires, I am having to 1st gear alot.

Is it normal that that would make such a big difference in effort? Or migjt there be sumting else going on?

No, but it's possible that the new tires are much slower than the old ones for reasons besides width. For my gravel bike I have some 52mm Rat Trap Pass ELs and some ~45mm Double Fighters, and the Rat Traps actually tend to be almost 2mph faster on the road despite also being wider.

What tire model were your old tires, and what model are your new tires? Based on the description, I'm wondering if you picked up something like a Schwalbe Marathon Plus? Those sorts of tires can be very sluggish.

Old tires were Chengshin Tradition 28x1-1/2.

New tires are CST Classic Breaker APL E-bike approved.

I think the old tires were also APL. Not sure...already threw them away.

Chengshin and CST are the same company.

Both the Tradition and the Classic Breaker list their 28 x 1 1/2 size as "40-635", so at least in nominal terms, you got your new tires in "the same size" as the old ones, not 3mm wider. Obviously you'd have to measure both with calipers to know what their actual sizes are.

The CST website seems to list the Classic Breaker as being a beefier tire than the Tradition: the Classic Breaker description puts more emphasis on puncture protection than the Tradition's does, and the list weight is 165g higher. Hard to say what the actual performance difference would be without testing, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Classic Breaker is slower than the Tradition.

22tpi, almost 900 grams each, not sure why anyone would be surprised that it's a slow tire. Heck, they are barely lighter than the studded tires I use in the winter! :twitchy:

I don't even use ebike rated tires on my ebike.... they are too damn heavy.

I bought these new tires from hollandbikeshop because they have APL.
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The old tires had APL too. I swear the old tires looks skinnier. And feels much lighter in my hand.

The only option now is to get some Kenda from Harriscyclery. Not much option for 635 tires.

​​​​p.s. This is on a 3-Speed bike. With the old tires, I only need to use 2nd gear. Now with these new tires, I am having to 1st gear alot.

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Convert to 700C, my man. Heck, 27" would make more sense than what you've got.

Got pics?

So, this thread is about some $26 Chinese beach bike tires in a weird 635/28" size being slow rolling? Not trying to be a jerk here, but given the usage of this tire here I don't know what to tell you...

The thing is the original Chengshin tires was not slow. It was a joy to ride.

The new Chengshin looks like bigger and definitely feels heavier. And this is miserable to ride.

So, it looks like there are 3 suspects: (1) larger diameter increased the gearing. (2) heavier tires. (3) Tread pattern.

​​​​​Old tire spec:
Cst Tradition 730 grams.
Cst call these retro tread pattern.

New tire spec:
Cst Breaker 895 grams.
Cst call these new tread design.

:lol:

Assuming the larger tires are not rubbing anything, and they are at full pressure, not much you can do.
You could buy lighter tires, and put the lighter one on the front, if you want to make use of the heavier tires.
Or sell them, or give them away.

Is that a rod operated front drum brake on a Gazelle? Any chance it got out of adjustment and is dragging after the tire change? Same question for the rear brake.

Edit to add: With the tires off the ground and spinning each wheel quickly by hand, how long will each wheel rotate freely? 2 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds?

Your new tires are 5.8 ounces heavier for each tire. I'm not sure the weight alone would be that noticeable on a steel framed 3 speed like that Gazelle.

Indeed it is rod drum brakes.

The front wheel spins 50 sec.
The rear wheel spins 30 sec.

Then, I notice the rear wheel is slightly rubbing the brake rod...just barely rubbing the sidewall. The old tire had alot of clearance here. This confirms that these new tires are indeed much wider.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7807e3e89d.jpg


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Is it possible you got the rear wheel installed a little cockeyed? Check to see it's centered between the chainstays; that could account for the tire rubbing the brake rod.

That is not good. During the stress & flex of riding, it may be rubbing more than when you check wheel spin with the bike lifted off the ground.

There are many possible reasons for your new tires are noticeably slower.

Being 3mm larger is not one of them.