Monstermash

So I've been reading a lot about the balloon tire trend. According to Schwalbe, they offer "pneumatic air suspension" and the wider tires actually offer less rolling resistance than a thinner tire. I have been running the Schwalbe Kojak 35c on my last 2 bikes (Salsa Vaya and Giant Anyroad) with pretty good success. However....... I have found that as I am getting older (I'm going to be 48 next month) that I'm looking for even more cushion. I run the Kojaks at around 70psi and even with the carbon fork on the Anyroad they do provide some cushion but I think a larger volume tire will offer even more.

Recently I have found a tire that I would like to try.... the Maxxis Re-fuse. The come in a 40c size (which happens to be about the largest tire I can fit on the bike) and appear to get good reviews but what I could find on them was pretty limited. So I ordered a set and they will be in tomorrow. I plan on trying them out on a ride on Saturday and I will post up my findings in case anyone is interested.

Here is a link to Schwalbe's page on balloon tires/bikes:

Balloonbikes - Schwalbe Professional Bike Tires

Browneye

Yes, 2 new bikes with bigger tires. Both ride great!

johnu

I love the ride of the 2.35 Schwalbe's I added to both our Townies. They came with 2.00's

Roamer2

My Roam 2 came with 40s...and they aren't bad. Kind of a "cyclocross" type tire w/ a semi-street tread center & bigger side lugs. Definitely pretty plush on the ride, if not the fastest tHings out there.

Thinking about a set of 35s with good flat protection next. (not that I've had flat problems with the 40s)

DrIsotope

Are your rims tubeless ready, or are you just going to run the 700x40s tubed? Because the ReFuse comes in 23/25/28 tubed, and 32 and 40 tubeless. I've put over 5,000 miles on the tubeless 700x32, they're my current favorite tire.

corwin1968

I've been a convert for a few years, so much so that any tire less than 50mm is now "skinny" in my eyes. One issue I don't see addressed very often is that to get the most out of balloon tires, you have to also have wide rims. I'm running Dyad rims (24mm outside/19mm inside width) and 60mm Big Apples. It works fine in straight lines but in order to get the cush I want, I have to deflate them to the point where they start collapsing in sharp turns. Some of that is my weight (390) and some is the too narrow rims. I plan to upgrade to at least Blunt 35mm rims and maybe Dually 45mm rims.

Last year, Kona had what I consider the ultimate all-purpose bike in the Big Rove. It was basically an MTB frameset with 50mm Big Apples. Pretty much identical to what I built up with my Karate Monkey frameset.

https://2016.konaworld.com/big_rove_st.cfm

ColonelSanders

I am very happy with my 50mm Schwalbe Marathon Mondials Evo folding tyres, which I run at 70psi on the front and 80psi on the rear.

RedRockRider

Another convert here.

All of my bikes have pretty much the widest tires the frame will fit.

I have a Road bike that still has 25's, because I can't fit 28's (but it's steel, with a carbon fork, so it's not to bad). My Giant Rapid has 28's because it has road calipers and that's all they will fit, my other bikes have 32's and 35's, and when they wear out will look into putting 40's on if they will fit.

canklecat

I'm considering balloon tires for my recently acquired 20+ year-old Univega Via Carisma, my first rigid fork steel frame bike in 30 years. Due to chronic neck and back pain from car wreck injuries I'll never be comfortable with a road bike and drop bars again. I replaced the original flat bars on the Univega with riser bars swiped from my Globe Carmel comfort hybrid. That helped a lot. Then I removed the fenders and racks (which I'll reinstall later) to more easily tune up the bike, brakes and find tires that suit me.

But I'm looking to make it more comfortable without resorting to tires that are too heavy and slow. And I'd like to replace the heavily padded Bell saddle after finding better tires. For the past several months I've been a consistent 12 mph rider over 20-60 mile rides, and I doubt I'll exceed 15 mph even with the best bike.

The bike came with a new set of Innova tires with a good chevron all terrain tread -- 700x35 front, 700x38 rear -- and they ride well on pavement and gravel (and may have saved my bacon from road rash when I slid on loose gravel as slippery as ball bearings on a recently repaved rural road). The Innovas feel very similar to the Michelin Protek Cross Max 700x40 shoes on my comfort hybrid -- heavy but bulletproof and they stick like Velcro to most terrain. Both the Michelins and Innovas have thick, rigid sidewalls and ride most comfortably and securely below the maximum pressure.

No complaints with those Innova tires but I was curious to try a softer tire.

I had some Specialized Hemisphere 700x38 tires in the closet, originally on the Globe but unused since last year. I got four flats in a month on those tires and wanted something puncture proof -- that's the Michelins. But I remembered the Hemispheres as easier rolling -- softer yet quicker. The sidewalls are thinner and flexible. The 1mm puncture liner should be lighter and easier rolling than the 5mm liner on the Michelins.

I probably remembered incorrectly. The Hemispheres are just different. At or near the 100 psi maximum they feel about as harsh as the Innovas and Michelins at 75-85 psi. The Hemispheres are less squirmy on tight corners, but the Michelins and Innovas have more pronounced chevron tread with sharp shoulders for straightline grip and modest cornering. But the block tread pattern on the Hemispheres are noisier on pavement. I don't remember that. But that's the trick of time and faulty memory.

I've had several 20-40 mile rides on the Univega and usually need a day to recover afterward due to neck spasms. I'd like to enjoy those rides without discomfort. I can manage 20-60 mile rides on the Globe Carmel, but it's heavier with a simple spring suspension fork, heavily padded saddle with springs, and those 1,100 gr Michelins. Very comfortable, though. Just a bit of a chore on hills, or when trying to push harder than 12 mph for long.

Anyway, the Univega Via Carisma frame looks like it can handle much wider tires than 700x40. I'll need to measure but I'd guesstimate up to 700x50 is possible, although that might exceed the width of the SKS fenders that came with the bike.

The Maxxix Re-Fuse 700x40 look interesting, but will they also work with conventional tubes? Anything else similar for mostly pavement, although quite a bit of it is rough chipseal? I don't plan on riding gravel or off road with the Univega -- the Globe Carmel is perfect for that. I'd just like something a bit quicker but still smooth for local group rides and occasional local solo tours and overnight or weekend camping.

coominya

I'm in agreeance, 50mm is a good width to keep you out of trouble on a hybrid. I have my doubts that wider tires actually offer less rolling resistance than a thinner tire for a given pressure. if it was a proven fact though I would be tempted to go wider.

Just the other day while chatting with a mate I watched a guy go past on a fat bike. A bit silly looking I thought, but that's just a personal opinion. He got to the bottom of a small steep section and I waited to see if he'd get out of the saddle or gear down significantly. He didn't, he slowed a little but maintained a good speed I thought, better than I could unless I was fresh into a ride.

I told the mate this and he said "No, he slowed down heaps." But old mate hasn't got off his lounge in 30
years, and when he talks of cycling it's always back in the day when he was 15 yo

canklecat

I don't know whether fat bikes compare in the balloon tire bike niche. I usually see at least one fat bike in every local group ride and they have no trouble keeping up, but these are leisurely 10-12 mph rides. Mostly I notice the aggressive off-road oriented tread sounds like a Panzer tank rolling along the pavement. Might be interesting to compare a fat bike wearing street oriented tires.

FWIW, I reduced the pressure in the Specialized Hemispheres on the Univega for a Saturday morning ride, from 95-100 psi to 85-90 psi. Felt better but not sluggish. Upped my average from 12 mph to nearly 14 mph on the same route, and didn't have any neck pain or spasms during or after the ride. Not sure how much lower to try because these Hemisphere tires fit very loosely on most rims. I'm concerned about blow-off more than pinch flats. But the difference in ride comfort with just a small decrease in pressure might persuade me to try some balloonish tires on the Univega to make it friendlier for my riding style and mixed terrain.

coominya

They don't fit in any niche but their own as far I can tell, but they do have tires around 100mm. Here's a take of the friction issue for those interested.

Don?t let me burst your balloon (tires). |

And "This" read is very interesting https://www.bikeradar.com/gear/articl...e-myths-29245/

canklecat

Yup, read both articles. Interesting but probably irrelevant for most of us.

Me. I meant most of me.

I'm not fast enough to worry about whether the magical supple 32mm lightweight tire rolls better than the rock hard 25mm. My neck mostly tells me what to do: "Fix these bumps or we're not riding anymore, bub!"

FXjohn

no, I like super skinny tires

coominya

Me either, an interesting read for sure, but of more interest to the Lycra set no doubt. My biggest performance factor is how many coffees I have before I go out.

epnnf

So, Im interested in 2017 kona big rove al, w/700 x 50 tires. They have street tread; 75psi. Can ya ride this bike 50 miles @ ...at least 12mph???? Ive never ridden a 'balloon' bike.

For the record, I always ride a flat bar, triple w/low gears, maybe 3x/week, maybe 50 miles/ride, maybe 14mph, tires usually 1" or so wide @ around 90psi, on the road only; I am bout 170lbs, 61yo.

Monstermash

Thanks for all the replies everyone and sorry for get responding to my own thread sooner. My Re-Fuse tires came in on Friday and I immediately went home and tried to mount them on my wheels. I say tried because the bead on one of the tires was defective. I tried and tried but it would not seat on the rim. After trying every trick I knew I brought the tire and wheels back to the dealer where I purchased them and had tried several times with no success. As it turned out he had to wait until yesterday to call Maxxis to get a replacement. It was shipped out yesterday so hopefully I'll have it tomorrow or the next day. I'll post up some photos with them installed on the bike as soon as I get it mounted.

My Re-Fuse tires are the 40c version and yes, my wheels are Mavic Crossmax SL's so I will eventually mount them tubeless if I like the tires.

Monstermash

Ok, so t he replacement for the defective tire came in today. Kudos to Maxxis for taking care of it in short order.

I installed the tire and took the bike for a quick 4-5 mile ride around the neighborhood and I have to say these are my new favorite tire. Previously I was using the Schwalbe Kojak in 35c but these are on another level when it comes to comfort. Yes, they are slightly heavier but I plan on mounting them tubeless this weekend so that should offset most of the additional weight.

Obviously I didn't ride th bike long enough to get a big picture of what they'll be like when I take them on a normal ride of 25-30 miles but I did notice they are much more comfortable than the Schwalbes. That I'm sure is because of the additional volume of the tire. And that is exactly why I chose to go with a larger volume tire. So there you have it!

Here are a few quick and dirty photos of what they look like mounted on the bike. I also took a few of the clearance I have with them. At 40c these are not the largest tires that can be used on a Giant Anyroad but I don't think I could go much more than say 45c.

DrIsotope

Just wait until you take the tubes out. I had been running my 700x32s @ 70psi, and this morning forgot to air up the tires before leaving-- did about 45 miles with ~64psi F/R, and it was like a Cadillac. I think the rear needs a couple more pounds, but I'm going to try taking the front down to 60psi tomorrow.

With those 700x40s, I'd be running pressures in the 50s

canklecat

I dropped the pressure a bit in the Specialized Hemisphere tires on the Univega, from the 95-100 psi max to around 80-85 psi front and 85-90 psi rear. Feels much more comfortable yet still fast -- and cycling app data over three rides of 20-40 miles show my average is just a wee bit faster.

Looks like the Univega frame might handle up to 700x50 tires, although I may not go that wide. But I'll consider 700x40 or so for the next set. While the Hemisphere's are decent tires, the block tread pattern is noisy and last year the 1 mm puncture shield wasn't very effective. I might try a less aggressive tread pattern next time.

Monstermash

Ok, so here's a little update......


This past weekend I went to my local shop to set the tires up tubeless. He was kind enough to let me use his compressor to inflate the tires. The verdict is..... these tires suck ass! As soon as I mounted them tubeless the sidewalls started bulging in several spots on both tires. When you spin them on the bike it looks like the wheels are WAY out of true but in reality the wheels are perfectly true and the sidewalls are bulging in several spots.

So here's a little shout out to Maxxis....... YOUR TIRES SUCK AND YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS EVEN WORSE!!!!

So here's a breakdown for you guys.

I bought the tires from my local shop. When I tried to install them (with tubes) one would not seat on the bead. So I brought it to the shop and had them look at it. They came to the same conclusion I did, the tire/bead was defective.

So here's where it gets interesting. The shop owner called Maxxis to see about getting a replacement for the defective tire the following Monday (the 19th). On Wednesday I stopped by the shop to check and see what Maxxis' response was and there was a new tire waiting for me. So I just assumed that they sent a replacement out. But no, the shop owner ordered me a new tire so I would have it because... get this...... Maxxis told him to send the tire back for them to inspect. Then they would replace it if it was deemed defective. The customer service rep told the shop owner it would take approximately 3 weeks to get me my replacement so he just ordered me another so I would have to wait for it.

What a complete load of crap! The tire was BRAND FREAKING NEW! And Maxxis expected that I wait 3 weeks for a tire I just bought?

I didn't find out the owner bought me a new tires until this past Saturday when I went in to mount them up tubeless. They went on the rims without a hitch and I thought everything was good. When I got home and took the bike for a ride I noticed that they were wobbling all over the place. So I brought them back (on the bike) for the shop owner to look at. He is the one that noticed that they were bulging. I initially thought they were just not seated on the rim properly. By the way, they weren't bulging when I had them mounted with the tubes.

So now the shop owner is contacting Maxxis again to see about getting replacements for both of these tires. So I'm sure this will take a month and the season will be pretty much over as I live in New England.

So bottom line is the customer service at Maxxis sucks ass and I will never buy another one of their tires.

DrIsotope

Counterpoint: over 6,000 miles on Maxxis ReFuse TR 700x32 (5 tires total) without any mounting problems. The first tire I bought started to get blistering on the tread after ~2,000 miles of use. I got ahold of Maxxis, and they said the same thing: send it back for warranty and they would replace. I can see how an average consumer might be upset by that-- but as a person who makes and sells things, I know that when someone claims defect, I'd like to see that defect. I sent it back (the their HQ in Georgia,) Maxxis had a replacement shipped within the week, which shipped from San Diego, so I got it the next day. I was without a tire for ~8 days total. Current pair sitting at ~2,500 miles, front still looks new.

Questions: did your guys at the shop use soapy water to mount the tires? And what PSI to seat, and what PSI for riding? Just out of curiosity.

Monstermash

So you think the company should request the tires be sent back when they're brand new? After riding them for a while I could certainly understand but when they're defective right out of the box?

The guys did not use soapy water to mount the tires. They're mounted tubeless. There were no issues with them when they were mounted with tubes.

02Giant 

I took this 80's Mongoose ATB installed drop bars, SRAM 2 x 10 and the fattest tires that would fit.

Leisesturm

You remind me of an ex. What else have you been dissatisfied with this year? I got suspicious and clicked on the link in your sig. I hoped it would take me to an article or independent review of a Scott product, but no, it is an account of YOUR experience with a CL scammer who happened to have a Scott product to sell you. And based on your personal interaction with a scammer you post an advisory to the world to boycott Scott products. Really? I just might notify them as to your behavior so they can sue you for libel. Or is it slander. Whatever. Get a grip or you may find yourself in real trouble some day.

PS - A 35mm tire is hardly what is considered a "balloon" tire. Hardly. Not even 40mm. 50mm and larger is more like it.

Edit: Noticed the pressures mentioned in your o.p. -- 70psi. Jesus wept. My Schwalbe Big Apples have never seen a pressure higher than 50psi, and they spend a lot of their time at 35psi because that's about when I get around to checking pressure and re-inflate them to 50psi again. Once I let them get down to 20psi and they were fine! Those are the kinds of tire pressures appropriate for "balloon" tires. Schwalbes are unusually tolerant of high pressure. They will survive 70psi. But you don't have a balloon tire at that point. Maxxis? I don't know, maybe, maybe not but I'm seriously wondering if you didn't wildly over-inflate them and are now blaming Maxxis for making suck ass products.