My e-bike just got an upgrade with Pirelli’s motorbike technology
10.7.2024
Translation: Elicia Payne
I’ve never thought about the tyres on my e-bike until now. That was a mistake. With a tyre from the Formula 1 tyre manufacturer Pirelli, I have a much better experience on the road.
For a good year now I’ve been riding to work and back with my Kathmandu from Cube. The e-bike comes with the Big Ben tyres from Schwalbe. Although I’ve now covered around 1,500 kilometres on these tyres, my relationship with them is, well, neutral. I relied on the fact that an e-bike in this price range would already come with decent tyres from the manufacturer. And I’ve never had any issues with them.
But then my colleague Nicolas Pulfer from Category Management, who, among other things is responsible for bike accessories, whispered an Italian name in my ear. Don’t you want new tyres? He asked. The curious side of me wanted them, so I said «yes».
Next thing you know I’m on my way to Aadorf in Eastern Switzerland. One of the large sporting goods distributors in Switzerland is based there. They also deliver to Galaxus. The expert there gives me an insight into the Pirelli tyre world.
Recently the managers visited Pirelli headquarters in Milan. And the Italians managed to convince the Swiss cycling experts that there could be demand for Pirelli tyres in this country after all.
Switzerland is an interesting market
On the one hand, Switzerland’s a cycling country, not least thanks to the challenging mountains. On the other hand, Switzerland’s buying power is interesting for the gravel bike, road bike and e-bike fans. And all of them want tyres. Maybe not when they’re buying a new bike but a bit later, when the profile has worn off and they need a replacement.
My Schwalbe tyre would still have tread, but for the purpose of the story it’s coming off the frame. I follow the mechanic into the basement of the building. There, new bikes are being assembled. There’s around a dozen work spaces with very well-kept tool benches. The bike expert takes my Kathmandu and hangs it up on his stand.
Source: Martin Jungfer
I’m always a bit awestruck when someone handles bikes so naturally. The most I do is use my two left hands to push my bike to my local bike mechanic. The specialist in Aardorf first looks at the rear tyre. He lets the air out of the inner tube and using a few hand movements loosens the old tyre until he can pull it off the rim. He does it even faster with the front tyre.
Then... Pirelli enters. I’m getting the Angel XT Urban – a tyre designed to meet the demands of the road and suitable for easy terrain. Comfort, grip and traction should be guaranteed thanks to the different shape of the studs.
What’s my Pirelli tyre capable of?
If I take a closer look at the tyre, I can see that the lugs are lower in the central part of the tyre and higher on the sides, which offers more safety off-road and when cornering. A type of technology, by the way, that Pirelli has adopted from the world of motorbikes.
Source: Martin Jungfer
The Angel XT Urban is also ECE-R75-certified, making it suitable for e-bikes that can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometres an hour (with the motor). My e-bike isn’t that fast but it’s a nice reassurance to have a particularly stable tyre. I really notice a better grip when going round corners.
Speaking of safety, in the city especially, there are dangers lurking everywhere. The puncture protection equipment on the Pirelli tyre is impressive. And, in the 600 test kilometres covered so far I haven’t had a puncture. The casing on the Angel XT Urban is made of nylon with 60 TPI (threads per inch).
The fewer the threads, the more rubber there is between them. Tyres with a lot of rubber means stability but also weight. Downhill bikers often go for a casing with 2 × 60 TPI and cross country bikers have a round 120 TPI on theirs. This makes the tyres lighter and ensures less rolling friction. My tyres go on lots of different terrains so they have to be really sturdy. The only disadvantage is they weigh 1100 grammes. An additional 5 millimetre rubber layer in the casing provides extra protection from nails and sharp fragments. If you want to find the perfect tyres for you, it’s worth looking at this site. The filter options there are much better than the ones in our shop.
Source: Pirelli
I’ve actually gained speed...
I can’t provide a sound test report nor a comparison to other tyres. But I do want to share my experience that, after my Pirelli tyres had been assembled, my commute became two minutes quicker, which means almost a 5 per cent gain in time. Is that just down to the tyres? Or better fitness? Or psychological? Am I cycling faster because the tyre testers at Pirelli are expecting me to?
Quite difficult to say. I definitely won’t be switching to the old Schwalbe tyres. I’ve got used to the Italian ones now and the noticeable valve cap in Pirelli yellow.
Source: Martin Jungfer
All 120+ Pirelli bike tyres in the shop can be found here.
Header image: Martin Jungfer
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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