So when asked by my mom what I wanted for my birthday I replied "either a set of 20" Schwalbe Big Apple tires, or some Rainmates.... I would probably pick the Big Apple tries over the Rainmates." So today we stopped by a LBS that carried both, and not only did she buy both (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!), but also a tiny Brass Crane bell; ...never in my life have I heard such a heavenly sound... it's angelic, clear as a crystal "ding" is sure to bring tears of joy to the eyes of all MUP users whom ears are blessed as I glide pass. If Jesus, krishna, or buddha had a bell on their bicycle, it would sound as this one! Absolutely gorgeous! Anyhow, I got home and I noticed that the Big Apples were two different sizes, 2.00 and 2.35. So which size should I keep? Will 2.35 even work on my D7 ('09 version, I believe)?

I don't think the 2.35 will work with fenders.
I'm not sure whether the 2.15 liteskin version is too large for fenders. . . if your mother was feeling generous I'd ask to swap them for the liteskin version assuming it'll just about fit as it performs much better IMO. I have one on the front (with no fender).

I fit 2.0" BAs on my D7 with fenders. I just had a look at that bike and I don't think 2.35" BAs will fit in the front or rear of the frame even with fenders pulled.

The 2.0"s are a nice upgrade and it's useful to have fenders IMO.

Happy birthday!..

Thanks Vik! It was a VERY happy Birthday for me! One of the bests! And yes, fenders, for me, are mandatory. I looked at the tires and both say "performance line kevlar guard, liteskin." So I guess I already have the Liteskin versions. One thing, I notice the 2.00 aren't really much wider than my 1.75 Dahon Rotolos that come with the bike. Will I really feel that much increase in comfort with the 2.00?

I've not heard anything about the liteskin folding version being available in 2 or 2.35". The Schwalbe UK site states it's still only in 2.15.

That's what the sidewalls say. I've searched all over, why can't I find any reviews or detailed descriptions of the Dahon Rotolo 20 x 1.75 tires?

Comfort comes from two things: 1) supple side walls 2) lower pressure because you have more air to support the same weight...so yes the 2.0" BAs inflated correctly:

https://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/?s=inflating+tires

There is considerably more air volume in the BAs even with only a 0.25" width difference and they should be more supple than the stock tires.

Ah, very good to hear! Thanks for the help Vik!

On another note. I took the bell out for the first time today... with all the wind that was blowing and the traffic noise, it's not quite as loud as inside my garage/the LBS; kind of hard to hear really. But still I'm very glad to own it. One feature I really like about it is there are two sidewalls on the side of the spring that prevent the striker from moving to the side, and makes sure that it only moves in a back and forth motion so you get a good strike ever time. The other bell I have is the black one with the ball compass that doesn't work. It's a tad louder, but the ring isn't as glorious, doesn't last nearly as long (the sound quickly dissipates compared to the brass), and doesn't have the sidewalls, so at times you don't get a very precise strike and then it can be much quiter than the brass bell.

Don't be too worried about the bell loudness... wind rushes past your ears but not the pedestrians' on the MUP. And on the road a bell is pretty ineffective anyway, much better to shout.

big apples..... yes the much higher air volume, the sidewall and contruction as a whole will make you think you float...
the 2.00 fit under the fenders but its close ....they are available as 20 x 2.00 or 20 x 2.35
Liteskins only available in 20 2.15 .... super tire but the lightweight comes with a price as well....
Bells... yes the little copper gem is sucht that a little gem ... may I suggest a alloy safety Bell from Reich in GErmany. Superior construction, super lightweight, a real ringing mechanism , comes in a couple anodized colors... and has a SUPER loud ring. especially if you consider the alloy dome and the low weight ... Yes I do sell them ..lol But other Dealers do as well. They are available from any dealer, who can order them trough J&B for example.

thor

So exchanged the 2.35 for another 2.00. Just got home and I'm about to slap them on . You might be right thor, but it says liteskin on the sidewall.

Had 2.0's on my P8, loved them (not for speed, but comfort--think Wedding Crashers )

We need more bike porn...you are letting us down!...

Aright Vik, I'll try to post some pics tomorrow. Is there anyone on here that is 180lbs that has Big Apples on a D7 (or the like) that can tell me what psi they have their Big Apples at to get a 15% tire drop? I don't really have anyone willing or able to check the measurement for me when I'm on the bike. I've been running them at 45 rear and 40 front. Unfortunately, I'm not terribly impressed with them so far. I notice a minuet amount of comfort gain, with some speed loss... thought no hands performance has improved quite well. I noticed when removing the Dahon Rotolo tiers that their side walls actually seemed thinner than the Big Apples. I'm starting to wonder if these are worth the $80 (they were $64 when I first called the LBS a couple weeks prior, but they recently raised the price, if I would have known that I wouldn't have asked for a $80 set of tires). However, I still need to try out different pressures before I'm able to give them a fair review.

I was disappointed with BAs too when I first tried them (which is why I ended switching to the larger liteskin tyre on the front). I think I weigh a bit less than you but I found the only way to get achieve a significant increase in comfort was to run them really soft, something like 30-35psi on the rear and around 23-25 on the front. Tricky to hit a sweet spot as a little too soft and they're sludge. I've not been won over by the tyre at all, I find the liteskin version much better and on the rear I run a cheaper brand folding bead tyre which works just as well as the BA.
Recently I've been riding a Curve SL with BAs and in that instance I'm really impressed with them. For some reason on 16" wheels they seem to perform better. . . I can't get my head around it.

You can just eye ball it by watching how much the sidewalls deflect. You are after 7-8mm that's ~1/4". If they aren't comfortable you have too much air in them. Also our brains are trained to equate high frequency vibrations with speed on a bike so measure your speed with a computer or GPS. Your brain will tell you that the harder tires are faster even if they aren't.

+1 on the speed thing. The sensation of speed seems to be to do with amount of feedback, kinda like fast shutter speeds in film action sequences intensify the sense of urgency.
However, I found my BAs to be 100g heavier than the stated weight, and the effect of that was very noticeable.

let me see.... what you paid for the liteskins is a deal even at 80 bucks for the pair .... they are significantly more than the regular ones... I believ you about the size ... we have only gotten 20 x 2.15 in so far and Schwalbe hasnt said anything .... buh ..lol

you might want to start a little different approach ... dont start low and go back and forth .. start with high pressure and slowly go down. You might find that even at significant more pressure than you think they will be much more comfortable than a smaller tire with even less air pressure.... added bonus is that they will not feel sluggish and slow ....

thor

Very interesting about the high frequency vibrations = perceived speed thingy. And Vik, are you saying eyeball them from the saddle? I still haven't run them at a higher or lower pressures yet (I've grown quite accustomed to the 45-40). It's just when I'm blissfully riding my bike the last thing I think of is stopping tinkering with the air pressure; why get off and try to fix something that isn't broken, when I can just keep riding. I do, however, have pics for your viewing pleasure. And in other news, I picked up these snazzy "front" panniers at a garage sale for only $3! They are vintage and were brand new old stock with the tag still on them. The company that made them was in Washington Sate and was called Wy'east, and the model is Overhill, which has a snail atop of the logo. They fit very nicely with only the very occasional heel strike. The color in the pics, unfortunately, makes them look a bit lighter blue than they actually are.