Originally Posted by
ApolloCVermouth
I've heard good things about the Schwalbe Bib Apple and they seem like a smart idea. Are there other balloon tires out there that work well or are they generally slow and inefficient?
The Schwalbe Big Apples are excellent tires and so are a lot of the recent `oversized` tires introduced by different manufacturers.
I hear `rolling resistance` and `fast bikes` talked about it a lot and to be honest - my opion is that most of those conversations are more hypothetical than practical.
Me? I happen to live in Montreal, a city that is probably home to more bikes than exist in all the rest of canada combined. And Montreal has an ubelievably well developed system of bicycle paths that run alongside the river, as well as city streets that present some moderately steep climbs up Mont Royal in the centre of the city. So there are headwinds, tailwinds, construction zones, traffic and speed limits to contend with. In my opinion thats a pretty PRACTICAL testing ground for tires.
And since I am involved in the bicycle industry, I`ve had ample opportunity to road test a number of tires - some of them quite extensively.
Currently I have 700 x 23c tires mounted on a chromoly road bike. Is it `fast`? It depends.The speed limits tend to keep me in check so even if they`re faster - top speed isn`t a major priority.
There is something else related to rolling resistance that no-one seems to talk about though. Breaking power. And on that road bike I doubt I could stop on a dime even if my life depende on it. The contact patch is too small. The tire pressure is too high. In an emergency stop the tires will end up sliding because there isn`t enough adhesion.
And then there`s the ride. Harsh because 130psi and a small tire footprint transmits EVERYTHING to the rider. Racing bikes work best on indoor track or smooth asphalt. The construction zones and road conditions tend to make me keep my speed well in check on a road bike.
OK, but I also have a hybrid that runs 700 x 33c tires in the summer and 700 x 40c studded tires in the winter. Again, theres lots of talk about increased rolling resistance with studded tires. The stories are greatly exaggerated. The primary source of resistance is the snow. When the roads are clear there is no problem breaking the speed limits in the area. and if the tires have more `rolling resistance`, I guess my ski jacket and Srel boots aren`t as areodynamic as spandex either. I should mention that the ride is a lot nicer than the road bike. It also stops in a much shorter distance.
And last summer I did have a chance to run around with a titanium framed mtb with 30 gears, a front suspension system and 2.3 inch tires. In spite of the weight of the disk brakes and the knobby tires - the bike was still fun to drive and got me everywhere I wanted to go. It was really just the road noise that bugged me. That and running out of tread in corners on asphault.
So I threw some 2.3in BMX tires on it just for fun and ....... it turned out to be a lot of fun! Have 65psi in the tires and can push the bike to almost 50kph. Road noise is almost nonexistant and braking is amazing!
And since I can`t get these in a 700 size, I`ll be buying some 2in 700c Big Apples myself this summer to put on the hybrid. The road bike may be faster, but it spends most of its time hanging on the wall because its just not as much fun to drive.