Now for the tires:
One tire (in 23mm) came in at 250 grams -- higher than advertised:
The other (in 23mm) came it at 234.5g, just under the advertised 235g:
I re-weighed both tires and got the same results. I couldn't visually ascertain why one was heavier than the other, and I verified that both tires had 23 imprinted on the casing. I opted to put the heavier tire on the rear, figuring the extra 15 grams had to be somewhere . . . hopefully that somewhere is in the tread.
Mounting the tires was pretty much like mounting any other clincher. They were a little tight, so I wiped the bead of the tires with soapy water, and then used a towel to give myself better grip and slipped the tires on without having to resort to tire levers. The nice thing about these tires is that they held air without sealant . . . my Bontragers never did that. End result:
For reference, my wheels have an interior width of 17.5mm. Inflated to 100 psi, without any pressure on the calipers, the tires measure between 26 and 27mm. With light pressure, they measure between 25 and 26mm. My Bontrager R2 and R3s, in 25mm, measured 26mm on these wheels. The digital portion of my calipers fritzed out on me while I was taking pictures (sorry), but it should be easy enough to read:
Riding impressions
On the Bontrager 25s, I was running 85 psi front & 90 psi rear (I weigh 185). Considering the Schwalbes were technically 23s, I decided to start out at 100F/105R for my first ride on them.
Setting out on my usual 25 mile circular loop, the tires felt smooth yet firm, with sharper handling than the Bontragers. Grip in the turns was very positive and confidence inspiring. They also felt fast. I don't know if it was placebo effect or what, but out of the 10 segments on my normal loop, I turned in 5 PRs, and either 2nd or 3rd fastest times on the other segments save for 2. Like I said, it's a circular route, so I don't think the results can be attributed to winds (it wasn't really windy anyways). Needless to say, I was impressed, but the ride did feel firmer than what I was used to on my Bontragers due to the higher pressure.
The next day, I set out with 95F/100R on a 30 mile hilly route. Still a smooth ride, with crisp handling, but noticeably more comfortable at the lowered pressure. The most interesting thing to me about these tires is that they seem to really like climbing. Writing that down it sounds ridiculous, but that's the best way I can describe it. They just felt like they were climbing easier than my Bontragers did.
The money ride came the next day. I figured even though they were labeled 23s, they measured out to 25s mounted, so I went with the 85F/90R that I'd been running my Bontrager 25s at. This was the ride where I truly felt like these were great tires. They roll smoother, more comfortably, and seem to accelerate faster than my Bontragers. Grip in the corners is noticeably better and very confidence inspiring. This seems counter-intuitive, but the Schwalbes are more communicative in terms of road feel, while offering a smoother and more refined ride.
All in all, I've got just over 60 miles on the tires and am very pleased with them.