I finally got both of my 55mm Big Apple tires. First and foremost, this was a test of those tires for a possible, nice build of a fat-tire bike. They passed with flying colors and really don't have any more rolling resistance than my 700c x 40 Duremes, which are on my main bike.

The first bike I put them on was the newly cold-set 80's Takara MTB frame (a knockoff of a mid-80's Stumpjumper). I was thrilled with the ride and began making plans for this bike.

The next day I swapped the wheels/tires over to my 700c Trek 730. Within the first 20 yards, all thoughts of the Takara vanished from my mind. I knew instantly that I prefer the more sporty handling of my 730 over the very stable handling of the Takara.

About a week later I finally got around to trying the wheels/tires on the 1995 Trek 820 MTB. I waited so long because this one is at my absolute limits for stand-over clearance, in that I really don't have any. I would be totally comfortable on pavement but not so much so on dirt. This bike was a surprisingly nice compromise between the stability of the Takara and the agility of the 730, while falling closer to the agility side.

So, the verdict is........the 820! Even though it's really too big, it was more pleasant to ride and once I get it dialed in I think it might be more comfortable than my good, 700c bike.