Air Filled or Solid Tires, Which Do You Prefer for Electric Scooter？

Today we're going to talk about an important decision when it comes to electric scooters 

Do you go for air-filled or solid tires？

In this blog, we'll briefly introduce air-filled and solid tires then go over the six key factors when deciding which one is best for you.

6 Keys Factors for You

• Ride Experience

Pneumatic tires always outperform solid tires.
Essentially, pneumatic tires deform better on impact, such as when mounting a trail or rolling over a pothole, making obstacles easier to climb.
This deformation provides great shock absorption and makes for a more comfortable ride, something that solid tires lack.

Pneumatic tires make your daily riding and life easier.
In terms of quality of riding experience, pneumatic tires are superior.

• Puncture Resistance

This is where solid tires have an advantage over pneumatic tires because, without air, the tire cannot be punctured.
If you still prefer pneumatic tires, then you can have puncture prevention ready to fill the punctured holes.

So if you want the absolute safest tires, don't want to spend time on patching, and aren't very obsessed with pneumatic tires, then you can go for solid tires.

• Maintenance of the Tires

If you want a suitable solution, then I recommend solid tires, after all, they can't be punctured.
Even if you are riding and the tire gets caught on a sharp object, you can still keep riding.

Arguably, solid tires are more resistant to wear and tear because they are usually made of a harder compound. If it wears out, replace it with a new solid tire; anti-pneumatic tires are replaced more often.
Overall, if you are looking for a suitable solution, then solid tires may be your choice.

• Rolling Resistance

This is the amount of energy lost when the tire rolls.
As you know, pneumatic tires largely reduce the rolling resistance of the tire, which is one of the great advantages of pneumatic tires.
The ability of a tire to deform over any small bumps in the road directly affects the wheeling resistance.
Pneumatic tires have the upper hand.

Solid tires, however, face a higher rolling resistance and therefore higher power consumption.

• Fitting & Removal

There is no denying that when it comes to changing tires, pneumatic tires are easier to change because of their more flexible sidewalls.
This allows you to use tire levers more to pry the tire off the rim.
The same applies to mounting new tires, but it's also worth noting.

Of course, solid tires don't get punctured, and the harder material is more wear-resistant, lasts longer, and usually doesn't require the hassle of frequent tire changes.

• Grip of the Tire

The superior deformability of pneumatic tires allows them to grip the ground more effectively in almost all situations.
Pneumatic tires tend to be made from a more viscous rubber compound of raw material, providing them with more grip.
If your electric scooter has pneumatic tires, then you can adjust the tire pressure within the recommended range to get a better grip.
For example, reducing tire pressure in wet conditions can help you get a better grip.

I'm afraid that for solid tires, you won't have such a great advantage in this regard.

Final Thoughts,

Overall, both pneumatic and solid tires have their advantages.
The point comes down to which aspect of the benefits you care more about.

For some people, solid tires provide peace of mind, and that's enough.
Yet many will choose air-filled tires because they have obvious advantages in other areas besides the fact that they are prone to breakage and require more trouble to pump up.
Of course, it is still based on your needs.

So, will you choose pneumatic tires or solid tires for electric scooters?