User submitted reviews
Review by Anonymous
I replaced an old 2� tire set that came with my Trek service bike. These Schwalbe�s were �game changers�! They roll so true and are truly a quality tire. I enjoy my rides so much better since upgrading. Money well spent on bike riding pleasure.
Review by MarkR.
I purchased these tires for my Catrike 559 with the idea that I could run them at lower tire pleasure and thereby soften the ride on rough and bumping roads. They work. These tires provide a much smoother and more enjoyable ride as opposed to the Schwabe Supremes. The Big Apple may not be a puncture resistant, but I have not had a flat in about 1500 miles, and that is a trade off I am willing to make.
Review by Carl
This is my third set of them. The first ones were 2.2 and these are 2.0 . One of them was defective and had a couple of broken cords right from the get go. Never had that before but I just kept the knoby that was on the back and didn't sweat it. These are good quality and I like them. Next time though I'm sticking with my 2.2
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Review by Anonymous
I only buy schwable tires the Big Apples were for a friends bike I was refurbishing for him I have had schwable tires last almost 5000 miles No flats so why try anything else.
Review by Maht45
This has been my first experience with this brand. My regular trip includes about 3 miles bike track full of dry leaves and a total 33 miles ride. I found about 8 or 9 goatheads on my tires when I came back home without any puncture. They are very comfortable with a good grip on dry and wet surfaces.
Review by Anonymous
I purchased these tires for use on my 2000 KHS mountain bike for commuting. They replaced a 1.25� Continental. The rolling resistance of these seemed less than the 1.25�s when properly inflated, and virtually no road noise. I would highly recommend if you are considering putting a road tire on your mountain bike.
Review by Jimbo
I bought 4 of the big apples and 2 of the big bens. Good on cargo bikes and cruiser bikes. Recommended for heavier riders and e bikes.
Review by SDEbiker
Just put on a set of the 26 x 2.35 on my full suspension StumpJumper EBike and I am so glad I bought these. The original MTB tires rode so rough I was scared to go full speed (25 MPH). Just got back from a quick test ride and no worries with the ride at high speed. These tires are awesome for the bike trails I commute on not sure of wet or muddy conditions but I live in SoCal so not much of a worry.
Review by Ed C
I put these on a Surly Big Dummy, like many people recommend, and ride around the neighborhood doing errands. The daughter and myself together are a respectable 300 lbs and the tires don't have issues with that load. Very comfortable, really good traction and not too much rolling resistance for such a fat tire. No puncture or flat problems so far. With discounts, these tires are a good value proposition.
Review by Anonymous
Bought a set of these for my old Cannondale F700 mtn bike converted for the street. These look the part, almost like a moto gp tire, with 1/16" depth tread. Nice reflective stripe on the side wall, too. These are by no means a lightweight tire, you will need to push a bit harder than with a 1.5 width tire, but they look proper on a mtn bike and make me want to ride.
Review by XtraSven
Great tires-I keep them minimally inflated and they smooth out a lot of the bump which is great when I'm carrying a heavy load and have to remain seated.
Review by Anonymous
26 x 2.35 (60 x 559), actually measured 685.8mm (27) tall, 57.75mm (2.27) wide on a 32mm (external width) rim. This is typical for Schwalbe on wide tires in the 559 size, most I check are about 3mm under specified width.
I was surprised by how sluggish the ride felt just with one Big Apple 26 x 2.35, not as bad as a Maxxis Hookworm, but a definite increase in drag, enough to take the lively feel out of the ride. Not as cushiony as I expected either, some other tires in this class have a softer ride.
The Lite Skin sidewall reminds me of sort of a canvas like feel.
I will try the 26 x 2.15 (55 x 559) size next I think.
Review by Anonymous
I ride these tires a few times a week to class. It's an 8-mile round trip on streets with some traffic and traffic lights. The tires are light because of the very thin, supple sidewall, though they have a Kevlar layer to resist puncture. I have them inflated to about 40 psi, and they ride crisply, just like typical road tires, but don't jolt me around. Very low rolling resistance, lots of cushion. Only negative thing I have to say is that the front tire seems prone to shimmy on downhills. Nothing that is hard to control, but would discourage me from letting go of the handlebars. Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase. I no longer wish to get rid of my bike.
Review by trikebulder
I use this as my rear drive tire on a home built tadpole tricycle. It is great, the ride is very comfortable. I want to put this on the front wheel soon.
Review by JCNVA
I bought this tire to use because Schwalbe lists this as one of their E-bike ready tires. I am guessing this means its capable of supporting heavier weight and higher speed than a normal tire. I have a marathon on front, and put this on the rear because I have a hard tail MTB. I love the cushion it provides and rolling resistance does not seem to suffer compared to the 1.5 armadillo it replaced. Make sure you measure the clearance, this tire just fit in my frame. Also, wide rims will help as I have heard that narrow rims may not hold this tire very well. Overall, very happy with this tire so far after several hundred miles commuting on road, gravel paths and Multi use trails.
Review by d1975
I've only ridden 15 miles so far on these tires & just had to post a review. If anything bad occurs, I'll be sure to update.
I put these on my mtn bike. I've been looking to get a hybrid, but just put these on & voila! I felt confident in jumping curbs & general things I usually do on the trail & these tires seem really sturdy. I rode mainly on streets & sidewalks doing an urban trekking adventure.
CONS They're costly, but I don't regret it one bit. Don't let this turn you away.
Get 'em. You'll like 'em.
Review by BE from ME
I put these on a commuter bike for summer riding. Even with all the claims about lower rolling resistance of the magic balloon tires, I don't quite buy it. I consistently turn out faster commute times on my skinny tired bikes over the one with these. Don't get me wrong, for a 26 tire these roll smooth and fast. Just don't believe the hype.
ON THE OTHER HAND! These are quite comfortable on quite a variety of trails including ones with rocks and roots. Try that on a road bike.
They are on the heavy side and I have had 1 puncture flat in 500 miles. No big deal.
I might go for the 2.15 next time, or I might stick with the 2.35.
Review by Anonymous
Neither of the tires I got were round. I remounted, and in fact the casing isn't even. Bumpy ride is noticeable at higher speeds and pressure. Not noticeable on the gravel I mostly ride.
Review by Anonymous
These tires are worry free! I have been using them for 4 years now and I estimate that I have put very near 30,000 miles on them, riding 26ers and a 29er. They last 12-15,000 miles (probably longer, but I change them when they look pretty worn) and don't get flats! I have gotten two flats with them, both of which were from the tire getting impaled by a shard of glass. I recall hearing a clicking sound and thinking that it was the brake pad spacer on my disc brakes that had finally worn out. I rode about a half mile from that point to find that my tire had lost air pressure. What I found was a fingernail sized chard of glass stuck into the tire perpendicular and it took a half mile of riding over it for the razor sharp glass to cut the kevlar liner of the tire. I'm not sure why, but the latest ones say 55 PSI vs 60 PSI, but I still pump them to 60 PSI.
Review by Anonymous
These are very smooth rolling, very puncture resistant tires. Never had a flat in over a year in NYC, and the streets are paved with glass here. You can run the 2.3s as low as 15psi. I usually run them 20 front and 25 rear.