Okay, tore my kevlar sidewall the other day. About 7cm long tear that could no longer support a tube. Had to wait for my brother to bring me a new tyre. So the Fat Frank was a nice tyre, now let's rock some dual ply 2.5in Maxxis Hookworm.
Schwalbe Big Apple 26"
- Thread starter sacko
- Start date
Chalo
100 TW
miuan said:
Schwalbe tires, like most bicycle tires, do not have Kevlar sidewalls. They have nylon fabric casings. If there is armor, it is in a belt down the center of the tread, not the sidewall. To my knowledge, Hookworms don't even have a belt; they just have two ply casings.
Whatever abusive thing you did to cut your Fat Frank tire would have taken out a Hookworm too. So maybe you should gravitate towards cheap tires, and carrying spare parts. Or else ride with more restraint.
Chalo
sacko
10 kW
My Big Apples algae finally arrived!
Opted for the 2.15" in the end. Mainly as I didn't think 2.3" would fit, but they probably would.
Have transformed the bike, and glad I chose them. Just got to see how quick they wear..
Opted for the 2.15" in the end. Mainly as I didn't think 2.3" would fit, but they probably would.
Have transformed the bike, and glad I chose them. Just got to see how quick they wear..
hoppydawg
1 mW
I'm debating a pair of brown for my Yuba ebike. Should I go with the 2.15 Big Apple or the 2.35 Fat Franks? Are they both e-rated? I will be commuting 14-15 miles daily. What are the differences with tread and durability/wear?
audipiglet
10 mW
I am wanting to fit some 2.35 big apples to my bike, someone I work with said make sure they fit the rim because they are really wide, will they fit my standard rim properly? The outside of the rim is just over 1'' wide (27mm) so without taking the tyre off I guess the inside is about 22mm, also I am doing 100 miles a week at about 20mph on roads, will they last a while or is there a better tyre I should go for?
Sacman
10 kW
miuan said:
The Schwalabe Big Apples were made light and strong to roll fast on the street. The Hookworms were made as an alternative off-road freeride tire that doesn't have the knobbies. That's why the Hookworms are so much beefier than thet Big Apples.
Sacman
10 kW
The 2.35" Big Apples are very good tires. I used a set on my commutes to work (which is over 70 miles a day (350 miles a week) for about a year and a half. So they should be fine for you on your 100 weekly miles.audipiglet said:
They're light and roll fast but because of this they tend to transfer more noise and vibration thru the bike frame as compared to the Hookworms which are slower but also more cushy and quiet.
The Big Apples have a nice kevlar belt that's good to resist flats from objects on the road that would slash your tire but not much protection againt objects that would puncture. That's why I did the "ghetto tubeless" mod and used an innertube to seal up the rim and ran Stan's latex sealant. Took care of the protection against pucture flats.
N!co
10 W
Which are the best on a wet road, big apples or hookworms?
audipiglet
10 mW
Just put my big apple 2.35 tires on and they look great! I'll see how they compare to my narrower tires, what mudguards should I use with the tires being so wide, am I right in thinking that the water will move towards the center of the tire before flying off so it doesn't matter if the mudguards are not quite 2.35 wide?
Ykick
1 GW
audipiglet said:
Planet Bike 26" full wrap fenders or "mudguards", as often called, barely cover 2.3" Panaracer UfDa's but do catch most of the spray coming off center so it's reasonably effective. Do look kinda nice fully fillng the fender gaps. Anything under 2" actually looks a little weird.
They're decent and have bought again but do keep an eye on tightening hardware or buy some extra small pinch nut hardware to have on hand.
thickhead
100 mW
I have BAs 26X2.35" on my Troll/Xtracycle. I put the 29er Cascadia fenders on since they're 65 mm (2.56 in), and they fit and look great. There's plenty of room on the front (the Troll fork has massive clearance), and even though the fit was tighter on the Xtracycle, the rear fender went on easily with minimal modification. Both have nice, uniform spacing.audipiglet said:
I am so far very pleased with the BAs. But only have about 500 miles on them so far in mostly good weather. I'm running 45 psi rear, and 40 front. I want to experiment with lowering the pressures based on Chalo's advice, but have to say I'm a bit paranoid about pinch flats, especially in the rear (rear BMC, and it is a cargo bike, after all).
jkbrigman
10 kW
audipiglet said:
I've made do with Planet Bike fenders in the past, but never been totally satisfied. Eventually I found that SKS Chromoplastics makes an awesome pair of fenders, the Commuter II Bluemels, that work like a champ. Buy the widest ones you can fit to the bike and you'll get appropriate tire coverage. They aren't cheap (I spent $65 for the pair.) but worth every penny. Well made fenders!
http://www.sks-germany.com/?l=en&a=product&r=mudguards&i=10105&COMMUTER%20II%20BLUEMELS
sacko
10 kW
I have now had numerous punctures in my Big Apples. This is mainly down to the debris (small stones), which get washed from the centre of the road when it rains.
The benefit is that the stone will not make it all the way through the tyre, and will only make a small hole in the tube; allowing you to do a quick repair.
I have now bought some Mr Tuffy tyre liners, as I think this will give me the perfect combination.
The benefit is that the stone will not make it all the way through the tyre, and will only make a small hole in the tube; allowing you to do a quick repair.
I have now bought some Mr Tuffy tyre liners, as I think this will give me the perfect combination.
thickhead
100 mW
Yikes. I would not expect small stones to do that. I will be more vigilant.sacko said:
Especially if you do the "dutch method"
I was impressed and then concerned about how thin the BA sidewalls are. It's quite impressive tech, but, man, it's really thin! So I found some 2.3-2.5 thorn tubes and put Mr. Tuffy brown on mine. So far so good... I would have put slime, too, but it's a hassle with presta valves.
sacko
10 kW
The stones/shingle are small pieces of flint. They are very small, but sharp. Unfortuantely, they are the perfect size to get stuck in the tread and pierce the tube.
I usually pull the tube out where the stone is, remove the stone from the tyre; and stick a Leech repair on it. As long as it gets me home, I dont care.
I have no concerns about the sidewalls to be honest, but I dont like the feel on the road at all. If you pump them to 30psi, the ride is soft and im sure I do not get as many punctures; but it feels like you are cornering on a flat tyre.
I usually pull the tube out where the stone is, remove the stone from the tyre; and stick a Leech repair on it. As long as it gets me home, I dont care.
I have no concerns about the sidewalls to be honest, but I dont like the feel on the road at all. If you pump them to 30psi, the ride is soft and im sure I do not get as many punctures; but it feels like you are cornering on a flat tyre.
Chalo
100 TW
sacko said:
That sounds like you are mounting them on inappropriately narrow rims. I weigh over 325 pounds, but my 29x2.35" Big Apples are perfectly stable at 20 psi when mounted on 38mm wide rims. On 24mm wide rims, they need much more pressure to resist squirming and roll-off.
There is not much reason to use a 60mm wide tire if you inflate it over 30 psi; you may as well use a narrower tire for all the ride comfort and traction that you get at higher pressure. A 40-50mm tire at 40-60 psi would be more stable on a midsize rim, and would ride more softly than a fatter tire at the same pressure.
Chalo
I'm glad i read this thread, but not happy that i just bought a 24" 2.15" big apple.
It is definitely on the light side, i am disappointing.
I think i will check my local bike co-op to see if they have some trashed 24" tire that i can line the inner part of this tire with, lol. I'm not too proud to roll in 2-3lbs of rubber, no way..
It is definitely on the light side, i am disappointing.
I think i will check my local bike co-op to see if they have some trashed 24" tire that i can line the inner part of this tire with, lol. I'm not too proud to roll in 2-3lbs of rubber, no way..
thickhead
100 mW
Hi Chalo: As I mentioned a few posts above, I've been reading your comments on this topic for some time and am going to experiment, but I'm very risk averse regarding pinch flats, especially on the rear since I do carry a fair amount of cargo. Currently, I have my BAs at 45/40 psi rear/front on my cargo bike. My Velocity Cliffhanger rims are 28 mm wide. Would you still recommend 30 psi for 28 mm rims?Chalo said:
slightly off topic...
but I'd like to add some nice wide tyres for a smoother ride
does anyone know where I can get some in the UK for a decent price ?
I've had a good look (google) but the ones I'm finding are 10 times the price of normal tyres
the wider the better as far as I'm concerned...
but I'd like to add some nice wide tyres for a smoother ride
does anyone know where I can get some in the UK for a decent price ?
I've had a good look (google) but the ones I'm finding are 10 times the price of normal tyres
the wider the better as far as I'm concerned...
cal3thousand
10 MW
knighty said:
In UK, I would go here:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=740
Chalo
100 TW
thickhead said:
That's consistent with their pressure rating and should be fine. I don't think you'll be at any risk of pinch flats if you aren't hammering square-edged steps at speed. However, feel is a matter of taste and you should try lowering your pressure say 2-3psi at a time and doing some maneuvering at each level. That way you can determine for yourself what your own minimum pressure is.
