I have just changed tack on the rear of my hard tail Haibike and fitted a 2.35 heavy duty larger volume down hill style tyre and gone tubeless.
The idea is to retain puncture resistance and have better performance off road and be able to run lower pressures for a less harsh ride and be kinder to my back wheel as I am heavy and carry full panniers and have one steep downhill off road section with two drop offs that mean all the wheels are off the ground before landing below the steps at about 20mph so a bit of cushioning at the rear where there is no suspension cannot be a bad thing.
It is too early for a definitive review but off road in the mud it is a definite improvement. I ride to work 12 miles off road and then return 10 miles on the road.
I am sure it adds resistance/drag on the road but last night using the same power levels as normal I still managed to average around 20mph for my 10 mile road ride home, though it feels like I am working harder to achieve it than on a marathon plus. I also used the same amount of battery as makes no odds.
I guess considerations about resistance are relevant but I thought as my journey home is only 10 miles and I do have a motor after all I would see how it went.
I think I will stick with it through the Winter and then perhaps change over when the better weather returns.
I do have a spare rear wheel that I put a 2 inch width marathon plus mountain bike tyre on and also a spar cassette I had and a rotor so it can be just slotted in if required.
It might be interesting to use it one day as a direct comparison.
Having said all that for minimal hassle just fit some marathon plus tubed tyres, take a bit more care in the wet and cold, and they will last ages and you would be very unlucky to get a puncture, certainly on the road.
