SchwalbeBig Apple 26 Inch Performance Tire (HS 430)(Return to Product Page)

I've only got a couple hundred miles on 'em so far, but haven't had a flat yet. I usually run them at around 37psi. This gives me a nice soft ride, but I don't really notice a lot of rolling resistance.

I left Marathon Plus tires on front but put a 2 Big Apple on back of my Catrike Expedition tadpole recumbant and with about 40PSI the ride was smooth as silk. Rolling resistance is very fast. With several thousand miles on the tires both front and back I saw very very little wear from some pretty hard use. I highly recommend this tire for that application.

My bikes have replaced my vehicles, road & mountain. The road bike was having a tough time. I broke spokes once or twice a week and experienced flats at the same rate. I went to a mountain bike in an effort to mitigate the problems. The incidence of broken spokes was reduced. However, in Southern Calif., in some areas, we have a lot of new arrivals who love to break glass. In the street on the side walk it does not matter to them.

Last May I had a bad crash. About midight I was riding down a sidewalk. There were plates over a permanent trench type drain. The plates had opened up abot a 2 12 inch gap. It was dark. My front wheel went in, I went over the bars and damaged both wheels. I had been running 26x1.50.

Due to my size the LBS wanted to special order some extra heavy wheels on 12ga spokes. I said ok. We paired them with 1.95's inorder to gain greater weight distribution. However, the tires were still just the cheap $12-$15 variety. The LBS did not carry anything better. The spoke problem was solved but the tires contiued to fail at the same rate.

I have been a customer of BTD for some time so I decided to see what they offered. The Schwalbe Big Apple was the only tire that stated a 330 lb weight capacity. I ordered two with Innova thorn resistant tubes. I did have a problem with the Innovas. They could not handle expansion to 2.35. The salesman suggested I try the Michelin tube.

I believe the Michelin tubes showed up in early July. I just had my first flat 3 days ago on December 2nd! That was 5 months before a single flat. I rode the same areas I have always ridden To work, the market, the mall and to visit friends. This tire and tube combination has been outstanding. Instead of being in the LBS twice a week I have not been back for 6 months ($$$)! I love these tires. I do my best to avoid the glass but sometimes I will hear a crunch. However, the crunch has yet to be followed by pssssssssst. I am 6'4 and in September weighed in at 363.4 lbs.

I had to measure carefully to make sure that it would fit. On my Schwinn Sierra there is about 38" clearance everywhere. In Florida we have few hills mostly bridges so I use 12-21 to get the close ratios that I like. I was using 30mm slicks before and the Big Apple tires changed the gearing about 9% 2 gears. My rims are a bit narrow, but these were the easiest tires I have ever mounted without tools. On my rims they measure 59mm wide. These tires are simply the best. They are quiet and soak up any imperfections in rough asphalt. They absorb sidewalk divisions and deliver a really comfortable ride, even with an overly stiff aluminum frame. I have ridden about 500 miles so far and they show almost no wear. I ride mostly on the street. The usual debris has no effect. I have tried a range of pressure from 20 to 60 psi, but find that 25f and 30r work best for the 215 pound gross weight. There are several sections where I ride across fields with deep silt or fine sand. These tires have enough flotation that I ride on the top of the soft stuff with no tendency to knife in during turns. The reflective sidewall makes for more visability while riding at night to avoid the heat. I was considering buying a new touring bike, but these tires have made my existing bike almost perfect, so I intend to stay on my much improved existing bike. Wet surfaces are handled very nicely and the increased width seems to divert the spray more to the side and away from the rider. The customer service at BTD was nothing short of stellar. I made an error and ordered 29" tubes with the 2.35x26 tire. BTD was nice enough to call and inquire if I wanted 29" or 26" tubes. All told, I had a great shopping experience and am more than pleased with the tires.

I am using this on the back wheel of my WAW Velomobile. I was looking for a tire with better ride qualities as I have no rear suspension. This tire seems to meet my needs. Haven't had much chance to ride it due to the weather but first rides seem good.

I have been riding the Big Apple on my single speed and it has been working out great. It provides good traction while also offering more cushioning. I previously had some 1.25 slicks on my bike and these seem much more stable.

We purchased these tires for use on a motorized cruiser-type bicycle. In the past we have had endless tire problems. These tires were easy to install on the cheap Chinese rims and had a large effective hook that keeps the tire on the rim even though the rims are not exactly sized right or made very well . In a month or riding there have been no flats and the ride has been very smooth and comfortable on this non-suspension bike. Cant report on durability yet, but so far they are much better than standard mountain bike or cruiser tires we have used in the past.