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review

Schwalbe E-One tyres

8
£52.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Excellent grip and durability mean they appeal beyond just e-bike use
Weight: 
702g

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The E-One is Schwalbe's new tyre designed specifically for e-bikes, but that doesn't mean it's restricted purely to bikes with batteries. With a new compound that gives excellent grip levels and durability, plus a thicker tread that benefits puncture protection, the only real trade-off is the extra weight.

  • Pros: Excellent grip levels, durable
  • Cons: A bit on the weighty side

A tyre specifically for e-bikes on the road seemed a little odd to me to start with. I mean, yes, they are getting motor assistance so in some places they will be travelling faster than a standard bike a fair bit of the time, but not by enough to warrant more robust tyres.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Take a look at the European market, though, and you'll find e-bikes called speed pedelecs which are legally allowed to achieve speeds of 45kph/28mph, and the kit you use on them, such as helmets and tyres, have to reach certain testing criteria to be approved. In the case of tyres, that standard is ECE-R75 and the E-One passes this. Testing them on a normal road bike, though, throws up some interesting findings.

For starters, the new Addix Race compound is very sticky and grip is amazing in both the wet and dry. On high-speed descents the way they cling to the road allows you to really let the bike go, and the supple rubber gives plenty of feedback too.

Schwalbe_E_One_fitted_2.jpg

At the time of testing I was also reviewing a pair of Schwalbe's One tyres in a 28mm width, the same size as these E-Ones. The thickness of the main part of the tyres is quite different, with the standard One measuring not much more than a millimetre in depth while the E-Ones are more than double that.

> Buyer's Guide: 34 of the best road cycling tyres

It adds weight, mind, around 50-100g per tyre. I can't be more specific than that as the two E-Ones I have differ a fair bit on the scales: one is 320g while the other is 382g, so there is a fair bit of tolerance when it comes to manufacturing. (We've listed the weight at the top for the pair.)

Both the Ones and the E-Ones use a V-Guard protection belt, but the extra rubber thickness of the latter means that punctures should be shrugged off more readily, making them ideal fast but reliable tyres during the winter or on rubbish roads.

> Buyer's Guide: 18 of the best winter tyres

Fitting the tyres to a range of wheels wasn't too much hassle, and I could get them onto most rims with just thumb pressure. They were easy to pop off too, so fixing a puncture at the side of the road shouldn't be an issue.

Schwalbe_E_One_fitted_1.jpg

Priced at £52.99 they are exactly the same as the standard Ones and I think they offer a decent return for your investment. They aren't as quick, mostly because of the weight, but against something like the Pirelli Cinturato Velo, which is great as a quick tyre that'll deal with rubbish conditions, the E-Ones stand up well. The Pirellis are £46.99 each and 345g.

Overall, although the E-Ones are designed for e-bikes specifically, they offer plenty of appeal for use on a standard pedal bike too.

Verdict

Excellent grip and durability mean they appeal beyond just e-bike use

road.cc test report

Make and model: Schwalbe E-One

Size tested: Available in 28 mm and 32 mm width

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Schwalbe says, "Specially developed for E-Race bikes. Fast racing tire specially designed for E-performance: The V-Guard puncture protection belt ensures high puncture resistance and the new Addix Race Compound offers tenacious grip at high cornering speeds and extensive durability in E-operation. 28 mm and 32 mm wide for added comfort on the home track as well as on an uphill, Alpine pass. Also the new E-One has ECE-R75 approval for fast E-Bikes."

Not just for fast e-bikes...

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Schwalbe:

700x28 and 700x32 options available.

Addix Race Compound

V-Guard puncture protection

Rated to ECE-R75 e-bike standard

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

At the speeds the tyres are developed for, the grip levels and road feel are very good.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Great grip levels.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

A bit weighty if you haven't got a motor.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Exactly the same price as Schwalbe's road-specific One and similar to others that offer many of the same attributes.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, for fast winter use.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Whether you have an e-bike or not, the E-Ones are very good quality tyres that offer plenty of durability and grip.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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1 comments

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Dr_D | 5 years ago
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Just bought these in 28mm as replacements for the 32mm Durano E tyres that came with the bike (Cube Hybrid). They feel robust enough but much smoother than the Duranos, which I still use for the Wahoo Snap, and they also seem to fit the rim width better. I also have the 2020 Pro Ones on my new carbon wheels, but these have a much less robust feel to them and I will probably consider the E Ones if they break down quickly..

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