Right from the beginning of my pedelec riding experiences, I noticed that high pressure tires on bumpy roads are a bit uncomfortable.
My Swiss made bike "Flyer", model "i:sy light" has 20´` wheels with Schwalbe Big Apple balloon tires.
In order to keep the rolling resistance low, which enables the rider to make distance with relatively little energy,
the tires have to be pumped up to 4.5 bar, according to the instruction manual.
Yesterday I went out for a ride, and as usual, I wanted to cross over a sidewalk in order to reach the bicycle lane. I had done this many times before on my other bikes, and I had always taken the curbside successfully, cautious and well aware of the risk of slipping out. But this time I did not make it. The high pressure tire slipped off the edge and I fell. Bike and driver were on the pavement. Luckily, this happened at a very low speed and no harm was done.
I learnt my lesson, though, and I want to advise other riders: Beware of the hard, high pressure tires when crossing curbsides or the rails of the tram. They may be slippier than you would imagine.
My "Flyer i:sy light" has a seatpost with suspension which absorbs nicely the bumps on the road. I wished I had also a front fork suspension.
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