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since 2002
Schwalbe Big Apple 26 Inch Performance Tire (HS 430)

SchwalbeBig Apple 26 Inch Performance Tire (HS 430)(Return to Product Page)

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(23 customer reviews)
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User submitted reviews

Review by Maht45

Reviewed 8/31/2023
by Maht45
Cycling Enthusiast
Los Angeles
Value Rating
Overall Rating
0 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
It's really great

This has been my first experience with this brand. My regular trip includes about 3 miles bike track full of dry leaves and a total 33 miles ride. I found about 8 or 9 goatheads on my tires when I came back home without any puncture. They are very comfortable with a good grip on dry and wet surfaces.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 8/25/2020
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
5 of 5 customers found this review helpful.
Great tires. Really improved riding experience.

I purchased these tires for use on my 2000 KHS mountain bike for commuting. They replaced a 1.25� Continental. The rolling resistance of these seemed less than the 1.25�s when properly inflated, and virtually no road noise. I would highly recommend if you are considering putting a road tire on your mountain bike.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Jimbo

Reviewed 7/27/2018
by Jimbo
Portland
Overall Rating
5 of 5 customers found this review helpful.
Biking in balloons

I bought 4 of the big apples and 2 of the big bens. Good on cargo bikes and cruiser bikes. Recommended for heavier riders and e bikes.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by SDEbiker

Reviewed 9/15/2017
by SDEbiker
Daily Commuter
San Diego
Value Rating
Overall Rating
5 of 6 customers found this review helpful.
Great EBike Tire! Unbelievable ride!!!

Just put on a set of the 26 x 2.35 on my full suspension StumpJumper EBike and I am so glad I bought these. The original MTB tires rode so rough I was scared to go full speed (25 MPH). Just got back from a quick test ride and no worries with the ride at high speed. These tires are awesome for the bike trails I commute on not sure of wet or muddy conditions but I live in SoCal so not much of a worry.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Ed C

Reviewed 8/17/2013
by Ed C
Casual Cyclist
Los Angeles, CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
7 of 7 customers found this review helpful.
Never thought I'd be running fat tires. So glad that I am.

I put these on a Surly Big Dummy, like many people recommend, and ride around the neighborhood doing errands. The daughter and myself together are a respectable 300 lbs and the tires don't have issues with that load. Very comfortable, really good traction and not too much rolling resistance for such a fat tire. No puncture or flat problems so far. With discounts, these tires are a good value proposition.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 7/23/2013
by Anonymous
Casual Cyclist
ATL
Value Rating
Overall Rating
9 of 9 customers found this review helpful.
Great road tire, looks good too!

Bought a set of these for my old Cannondale F700 mtn bike converted for the street. These look the part, almost like a moto gp tire, with 1/16" depth tread. Nice reflective stripe on the side wall, too. These are by no means a lightweight tire, you will need to push a bit harder than with a 1.5 width tire, but they look proper on a mtn bike and make me want to ride.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by XtraSven

Reviewed 5/14/2013
by XtraSven
Cycling Enthusiast
Ann Arbor, MI
Value Rating
Overall Rating
5 of 5 customers found this review helpful.
So Smooth-perfect for my cargo bike.

Great tires-I keep them minimally inflated and they smooth out a lot of the bump which is great when I'm carrying a heavy load and have to remain seated.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 1/16/2013
by Anonymous
Value Rating
Overall Rating
13 of 15 customers found this review helpful.
Slower than I expected

26 x 2.35 (60 x 559), actually measured 685.8mm (27) tall, 57.75mm (2.27) wide on a 32mm (external width) rim. This is typical for Schwalbe on wide tires in the 559 size, most I check are about 3mm under specified width.

I was surprised by how sluggish the ride felt just with one Big Apple 26 x 2.35, not as bad as a Maxxis Hookworm, but a definite increase in drag, enough to take the lively feel out of the ride. Not as cushiony as I expected either, some other tires in this class have a softer ride.

The Lite Skin sidewall reminds me of sort of a canvas like feel.

I will try the 26 x 2.15 (55 x 559) size next I think.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 10/12/2012
by Anonymous
Casual Cyclist
Greenfield, MA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
4 of 4 customers found this review helpful.
These are the right tires for commuting across town.

I ride these tires a few times a week to class. It's an 8-mile round trip on streets with some traffic and traffic lights. The tires are light because of the very thin, supple sidewall, though they have a Kevlar layer to resist puncture. I have them inflated to about 40 psi, and they ride crisply, just like typical road tires, but don't jolt me around. Very low rolling resistance, lots of cushion. Only negative thing I have to say is that the front tire seems prone to shimmy on downhills. Nothing that is hard to control, but would discourage me from letting go of the handlebars. Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase. I no longer wish to get rid of my bike.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by trikebulder

Reviewed 10/8/2012
by trikebulder
Casual Cyclist
Mankato, MN
Value Rating
Overall Rating
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.
Best all around tire I have used.

I use this as my rear drive tire on a home built tadpole tricycle. It is great, the ride is very comfortable. I want to put this on the front wheel soon.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by JCNVA

Reviewed 7/19/2012
by JCNVA
Cycling Enthusiast
Washington, DC
Value Rating
Overall Rating
4 of 4 customers found this review helpful.
Great tire for E-Bike

I bought this tire to use because Schwalbe lists this as one of their E-bike ready tires. I am guessing this means its capable of supporting heavier weight and higher speed than a normal tire. I have a marathon on front, and put this on the rear because I have a hard tail MTB. I love the cushion it provides and rolling resistance does not seem to suffer compared to the 1.5 armadillo it replaced. Make sure you measure the clearance, this tire just fit in my frame. Also, wide rims will help as I have heard that narrow rims may not hold this tire very well. Overall, very happy with this tire so far after several hundred miles commuting on road, gravel paths and Multi use trails.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by d1975

Reviewed 6/9/2012
by d1975
Cycling Enthusiast
Charlotte, NC
Value Rating
Overall Rating
5 of 5 customers found this review helpful.
Transformed MTB to Hybrid

I've only ridden 15 miles so far on these tires & just had to post a review. If anything bad occurs, I'll be sure to update.

I put these on my mtn bike. I've been looking to get a hybrid, but just put these on & voila! I felt confident in jumping curbs & general things I usually do on the trail & these tires seem really sturdy. I rode mainly on streets & sidewalks doing an urban trekking adventure.

CONS They're costly, but I don't regret it one bit. Don't let this turn you away.

Get 'em. You'll like 'em.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by BE from ME

Reviewed 5/25/2012
by BE from ME
Cycling Enthusiast
ME
Value Rating
Overall Rating
4 of 4 customers found this review helpful.
Rolls as good as a road bike - well, almost.

I put these on a commuter bike for summer riding. Even with all the claims about lower rolling resistance of the magic balloon tires, I don't quite buy it. I consistently turn out faster commute times on my skinny tired bikes over the one with these. Don't get me wrong, for a 26 tire these roll smooth and fast. Just don't believe the hype.

ON THE OTHER HAND! These are quite comfortable on quite a variety of trails including ones with rocks and roots. Try that on a road bike.

They are on the heavy side and I have had 1 puncture flat in 500 miles. No big deal.

I might go for the 2.15 next time, or I might stick with the 2.35.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 5/4/2012
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Value Rating
Overall Rating
10 of 10 customers found this review helpful.
not round

Neither of the tires I got were round. I remounted, and in fact the casing isn't even. Bumpy ride is noticeable at higher speeds and pressure. Not noticeable on the gravel I mostly ride.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 3/1/2012
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Value Rating
Overall Rating
6 of 6 customers found this review helpful.
The ultimate urban bike tire.

These tires are worry free! I have been using them for 4 years now and I estimate that I have put very near 30,000 miles on them, riding 26ers and a 29er. They last 12-15,000 miles (probably longer, but I change them when they look pretty worn) and don't get flats! I have gotten two flats with them, both of which were from the tire getting impaled by a shard of glass. I recall hearing a clicking sound and thinking that it was the brake pad spacer on my disc brakes that had finally worn out. I rode about a half mile from that point to find that my tire had lost air pressure. What I found was a fingernail sized chard of glass stuck into the tire perpendicular and it took a half mile of riding over it for the razor sharp glass to cut the kevlar liner of the tire. I'm not sure why, but the latest ones say 55 PSI vs 60 PSI, but I still pump them to 60 PSI.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 1/26/2012
by Anonymous
Casual Cyclist
nyc
Value Rating
Overall Rating
6 of 7 customers found this review helpful.
Perfect for the city.

These are very smooth rolling, very puncture resistant tires. Never had a flat in over a year in NYC, and the streets are paved with glass here. You can run the 2.3s as low as 15psi. I usually run them 20 front and 25 rear.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Dudley Dawson

Reviewed 1/16/2012
by Dudley Dawson
Cycling Enthusiast
Southwest Florida
Value Rating
Overall Rating
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful.
Soft comfortable tire wplenty of cushion and flat protection.

I've only got a couple hundred miles on 'em so far, but haven't had a flat yet. I usually run them at around 37psi. This gives me a nice soft ride, but I don't really notice a lot of rolling resistance.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by momule

Reviewed 12/20/2010
by momule
Cycling Enthusiast
Missouri
Value Rating
Overall Rating
8 of 11 customers found this review helpful.
GREAT FOR CATRIKE EXPEDITION REAR

I left Marathon Plus tires on front but put a 2 Big Apple on back of my Catrike Expedition tadpole recumbant and with about 40PSI the ride was smooth as silk. Rolling resistance is very fast. With several thousand miles on the tires both front and back I saw very very little wear from some pretty hard use. I highly recommend this tire for that application.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Midniterider

Reviewed 12/5/2010
by Midniterider
Cycling Enthusiast
Southern California
Value Rating
Overall Rating
22 of 22 customers found this review helpful.
Excellent

My bikes have replaced my vehicles, road & mountain. The road bike was having a tough time. I broke spokes once or twice a week and experienced flats at the same rate. I went to a mountain bike in an effort to mitigate the problems. The incidence of broken spokes was reduced. However, in Southern Calif., in some areas, we have a lot of new arrivals who love to break glass. In the street on the side walk it does not matter to them.

Last May I had a bad crash. About midight I was riding down a sidewalk. There were plates over a permanent trench type drain. The plates had opened up abot a 2 12 inch gap. It was dark. My front wheel went in, I went over the bars and damaged both wheels. I had been running 26x1.50.

Due to my size the LBS wanted to special order some extra heavy wheels on 12ga spokes. I said ok. We paired them with 1.95's inorder to gain greater weight distribution. However, the tires were still just the cheap $12-$15 variety. The LBS did not carry anything better. The spoke problem was solved but the tires contiued to fail at the same rate.

I have been a customer of BTD for some time so I decided to see what they offered. The Schwalbe Big Apple was the only tire that stated a 330 lb weight capacity. I ordered two with Innova thorn resistant tubes. I did have a problem with the Innovas. They could not handle expansion to 2.35. The salesman suggested I try the Michelin tube.

I believe the Michelin tubes showed up in early July. I just had my first flat 3 days ago on December 2nd! That was 5 months before a single flat. I rode the same areas I have always ridden To work, the market, the mall and to visit friends. This tire and tube combination has been outstanding. Instead of being in the LBS twice a week I have not been back for 6 months ($$$)! I love these tires. I do my best to avoid the glass but sometimes I will hear a crunch. However, the crunch has yet to be followed by pssssssssst. I am 6'4 and in September weighed in at 363.4 lbs.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by CCFla

Reviewed 10/27/2009
by CCFla
Cycling Enthusiast
Cape Coral, Fl
Value Rating
Overall Rating
37 of 38 customers found this review helpful.
Comfort, safety, and performance make this the dream tire for cruising or touring.

I had to measure carefully to make sure that it would fit. On my Schwinn Sierra there is about 38" clearance everywhere. In Florida we have few hills mostly bridges so I use 12-21 to get the close ratios that I like. I was using 30mm slicks before and the Big Apple tires changed the gearing about 9% 2 gears. My rims are a bit narrow, but these were the easiest tires I have ever mounted without tools. On my rims they measure 59mm wide. These tires are simply the best. They are quiet and soak up any imperfections in rough asphalt. They absorb sidewalk divisions and deliver a really comfortable ride, even with an overly stiff aluminum frame. I have ridden about 500 miles so far and they show almost no wear. I ride mostly on the street. The usual debris has no effect. I have tried a range of pressure from 20 to 60 psi, but find that 25f and 30r work best for the 215 pound gross weight. There are several sections where I ride across fields with deep silt or fine sand. These tires have enough flotation that I ride on the top of the soft stuff with no tendency to knife in during turns. The reflective sidewall makes for more visability while riding at night to avoid the heat. I was considering buying a new touring bike, but these tires have made my existing bike almost perfect, so I intend to stay on my much improved existing bike. Wet surfaces are handled very nicely and the increased width seems to divert the spray more to the side and away from the rider. The customer service at BTD was nothing short of stellar. I made an error and ordered 29" tubes with the 2.35x26 tire. BTD was nice enough to call and inquire if I wanted 29" or 26" tubes. All told, I had a great shopping experience and am more than pleased with the tires.

Thank you for your feedback.

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