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.
