FAT ALBERT is designed for Hardcore Bikers, looking for a real "slippery" tire.
Increased cross section permits low pressure riding for great shock-absorbtion and ultimate traction.
For Hardtail Freeriders, there is no better call than FAT ALBERT.
Recommended use as rear and front tire.
Folding bead.
Submitted by
budgie
a Cross Country Rider
from Bay Area, CA Date Reviewed: June 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
you know, THAT one...
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
bro deal
Strengths:
Unbelievably grippy, rolls surprisingly well
Weaknesses:
Brings half the trail with it, quite spendy at retail
Similar Products Used:
WTB weirwolves, Schwalbe Nobby Nic, Conty Mountain King
Bike Setup:
Titus Motolite, 140mm trail setup, Hope Pro 2 Hubs, w/Stan's Arch Rims run tubeless
Bottom Line:
Note: this review is for the newest Fat Alberts, front & rear specific, 2.4 front, 2.25 rear, both Snakeskin sidewall protection. As above, run w/Stan's sealant on Arch rims, about 20/22psi front/rear.
I've gone from a Weirwolf devotee to a Nobby Nic fanatic, and with a couple rides on the Fat Albert may have found my new religion. It's true that most of the hardpack trails in my area really call for a fast rolling tire with relatively round profile. And it's true that $60+ per wheel is really far too much to spend for a bicycle tire. But when the summer dirt gets dry and churny, and you start looking for those new gnarlier lines, is it so wrong to be wanting a bit more in the grip department? And this is where the FA comes in ... in spades.
Compared to other Schwalbe tires like the Nobby Nic & Racing Ralph, the FA is noticably more square, with super-aggressive side knobs. I've yet to exceed their cornering capacity, and so far there's be none of the dreaded knob "fold-over" that can plague tires like the weirwolf. The FA's really seem to excel in loose rocky conditions. Our rocks are relatively small & loose, but still the FA really does a great job of plowing through them with relatively little deflection. I've noticed they pick up a LOT of rocks to fling at your shins & down tube (not gravel, like baseball-sized, or cricket-ball sized, to put it in metric terms). It's a little painful, but I see that as proof that they're doing their job.
On loose & loamy stuff, they seem to drift only slightly, but I haven't really put this to the test yet to see how predictable or limited this is.
As for rolling resistance, which is one of the selling points of the Nobby Nic and high on my list of priorities, it's a little early to tell. I was expecting it to be far worse, though, and I can't really say that I notice much of a difference, surprisingly. There's a little added weight over the NN, so some of that may be part of it. Overall, I'd say that the FA feels like a faster tire for unpredictable conditions, since whatever you may lose on the flats & climbs is more than gained by superhuman confidence and speeds on the descents.
The new church is open. See you there.
*I don't own a caliper to do any measuring, but the 2.4 looks big. There is no way it would fit in the rear on my frame, whereas I've been able to fit other 2.3 tires in the past. So I would say that the prevailing wisdom of subtracting .1" from all of Schwalbe's reported dimensions does not apply in this case.
**Incidentally, setup with Stan's sealant was a total breeze. I've had really good success with durability of the Snakeskin sidewalls in rocky conditions, and it does seem like this helps the beads seat properly for a tubeless setup. And I'm hoping the wear will be excellent, as with past Schwalbe offerings (better be... given the price!).
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Submitted by
bigfatadder
a Downhiller
from Wollongong, NSW, Australia Date Reviewed: June 11, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Hills
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
German imported
Strengths:
Good for soft riding eg hard XC
Weaknesses:
Good only for soft riding eg hard XC
Poor cornering
Unpredictable handling
Hates landing drops and going straight
Similar Products Used:
Many, many.
Bike Setup:
Ventana La Bruja
Bottom Line:
Use this tyre for aggressive XC riding on dry hardpack, nothing more. It is still only as good as many others, lacks any specific ability, eg Nobby Nic climbs like crazy, Big Betty does what??
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Submitted by
Kyle
a Cross Country Rider
from Logan, Utah, USA Date Reviewed: April 3, 2008
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
Came on Focus
Strengths:
Very durable, Somewhat quick rolling
Weaknesses:
Wire bead, A little on the heavy side for me.
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager Jones AC
Bottom Line:
Good all around tire. It took forever to wear out. I can't believe how long it lasted. It's a little too heavy for me to get excited about buying it again, but if you're not too worried about weight I highly recomend it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jarno
a Weekend Warrior
from Finland Date Reviewed: June 4, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Very stable behavior, large volume, relatively low weight
Weaknesses:
Rolling
Similar Products Used:
Manymany
Bike Setup:
Heckler
Bottom Line:
Five chilis for value, as this tire is exactly what I was looking for. There ain't too many allround all-mountain tires to suit my "one-bike" setup. I take my bike to 6 hour epics as well as to the bike park. I don't like to change the setup meanwhile and these are one of the very few tires on the market to actually accommodate that.
They aren't really "super" or "amazing" at any one condition, but they are good anywhere. I like the stable handling, no surprises ever. Generally grip is good, but remember nothing will grip on wet rocks or roots. Not enough experience on mud to judge them there.
Rolling resistance is not the greatest but hey, it's an off-road tire.
At around 700 grams they're not too bad for a big volume do-it-all tire. Sidewalls (the new snakeskin) seem ok after a couple of months' bashing.
So overall a great tire. Ofcourse anyone would like a 200g tire that would roll like a slick and grip like a chihuahua on your leg, but let's face it - ain't gonna happen. So full five chilis to this donut!
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Submitted by
Kimoeng
a Cross Country Rider
from Jakarta, Indonesia Date Reviewed: April 19, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Fat Albert
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$4.00
Purchased At:
Indonesia
Strengths:
Good
Weaknesses:
No weakness
Bike Setup:
Hardtail racing
Bottom Line:
It's great tire with great price. In Indonesia it's only US$4 !
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Submitted by
Tomas
a Weekend Warrior
from Germany Date Reviewed: October 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Great grip, huge air volume, price
Similar Products Used:
Fat Albert UST (also great tires), continental vertical 2.3 (sucks!)
Bike Setup:
Nicolai Helius FR
Bottom Line:
This is a review of the Schwalbe Big Betty 2.4 (mtbr refuses to add that product for whatever reason)
The big betty's are great tires for serious trail riding and at bikeparks. You can run on the lowest air pressure without risking getting snakebites.
This is a wide tire so many CC/AM bikes out there will probably have issues with tire clearance with this tire.
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Submitted by
frankenstein
a
from the dungeon Date Reviewed: October 22, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
fast rolling all around dry conditions tyre
nice round profile
Weaknesses:
the rear 2.25 knobs are breaking off? these r the light versions. thin.
Similar Products Used:
nevegal/blue groove minions
Bottom Line:
nice rolling.
Get them:
if you are a lighter rider
dont go tooo fast,
ride dry, hardpack.
these seem like great tyres for So Cal.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Magnus A
a Weekend Warrior
from Lund, Skåne Date Reviewed: July 13, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Sandsjöbacka
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Actionsports.de
Strengths:
Good, deep thread, high volume, keeps the traction through turns.
Weaknesses:
Not a good roller.
Similar Products Used:
Michelin Comp S Light, Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.4
Bike Setup:
5-spot with Minute 1:00, XT drive train and handbuilt wheels with XM321 rims.
Bottom Line:
Really good tire for rooty and rocky trails, climbs too good, rolls poorly but that is expected, nothing noticable off road. Good in the wet too!
Since I live among sandy singletrack I have changed to Racing Ralph 2.4" which rolls considerably better.
I buy tires online from Germany which gives me good value on Schwalbe, about half price.
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Submitted by
rj
a
from across the sea Date Reviewed: May 13, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
All around great tire. Rolls fast.
This review is for 2.35 on the front.
Weaknesses:
Weaker cornering than others.
Similar Products Used:
kenda bg/nevegal 2.35 panaracer fire xc wtb weirwolfs
Bottom Line:
This tire is awesome. When cornering very fast, they give more than the sticky bluegrooves. Seems like more of a hardpack specific tire. Overall, I prefer the bluegroove up front. slower but holds better.
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Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Nor. Cal Date Reviewed: September 25, 2004
Favorite Trail:
i'll never tell
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$34.00
Purchased At:
Mountain High Cyclery
Strengths:
high volume, knob placement, tracks real well
Weaknesses:
Tallness, Psi really impacts tires ability to perform as a all conditions tire, a little slow
Similar Products Used:
2.3 conti vert protection, 2.4 WTB Mutanoraptor and 2.5 Weirwolf, 2.1 Kenda Blue Groove & 2.1 Nevegal
Bike Setup:
med Turner 5 spot
Bottom Line:
I'm using this as a front specific tire. Im using the "light" but not the "light front only" version. This is a good large volume tire that will rollover almost anything. Nice all conditions tire that tracks real.
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Submitted by
Bortis Yelltzen
a Downhiller
from A little place called ASSSPEN! Date Reviewed: August 1, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Them dirt ones I reckon?
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Schwalbe.com
Strengths:
Good and fat, more cushion for the pushin'! UST! Finally a fat UST trail tire that is actually fat. Good cornering. Works well on the conditions I ride most often, dry rocky hardpack single track and fire roads with wet rooty rocky stream crossings. The occasional wet patch does not effect these tires. No problems over wet roots and rocks, seemed to release mud OK. Easy to mount on UST rims and no leaks (with 2 scoops of stans for punctures).
Weaknesses:
does not climb as well as some others on the rear, but it will hold it's own. A bit more rolling resistance than some others but not an issue on a trail bike.
Similar Products Used:
Conti Vertical pro 2.3 UST (too skinny, no good up front), Various different Hutchinson tires (too whimpy), Geax Sturdy UST(wow! thats a big tire, it too rules, run it up front for rough trails) Kenda Nevegal and Blue Groove (they rule but no UST yet)
Bike Setup:
Intense 5.5 with all the fixins!
Bottom Line:
A good choice for CO mixed conditions trails. Ran it both front and rear on rides in different parts of the state so I hit many different trail conditions. I like it as a front and rear tire so far. But I like the Geax Sturdy up front on really punishing rocky trails. Good ride on loose rocky stuff, good on hardpack, good cornering, good all around. There may be other tires that are better at some things, but this is a good all arounder. And did I mention it is UST and Fat! Much better than the Conti Vertical Pro 2.3's for my riding location and style. Probably run it front and rear until Kenda steps up and makes some more UST stuff.
Come on tire makers, give us some more fat UST tires! These will work for now. I'll post a longer term review as well.
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Submitted by
Jonathan
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, ON, Canada Date Reviewed: May 23, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
schwalbetires.com
Strengths:
Light (for their size) tires that grab like crazy. Suck up a pounding.
Weaknesses:
Probably a bit more rolling resistance than what I am used to. (If you are a racer this would be a problem. If you are out to have fun, who cares?)
Bike Setup:
Cove Stiffee frame, Marzocchi 2.0 Atom Bomber, Race Face cranks/head, XTR/XT derailers
Bottom Line:
Just got these tires. Took them out and went to a singletrack trail that is fun to rip through. Mostly soft and hard pack dirt. The tires sucked up roots, rocks, and some small drops with no problem. Best of all, the traction was fantastic. There are three short but very steep climbs on this trail that I spin out on every time I ride it. I rode through all three of them today, and the only difference was the tires. If you want an agressive trail tire that doesn't weigh a ton, I would recommend these tires. Worth the money I paid for sure.
Tech notes: I have the regular Fat Albert Light on the rear and the softer "Front Only" up front. Some people ride the "front only" on both, arguably for even better traction. Ran the PSI just under 30 which seemed to work well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Robson
a Downhiller
from Liverpool, UK Date Reviewed: April 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
nanerch
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came on bike bought locally.
Strengths:
This tyre is very light! Very fast rolling...
Weaknesses:
Don't get me wrong this tyre works great in dry, but show it some mud and where does the grip go? Here in the UK endless blue skies and blazing hot sunshine are reserved for pictures in travel brochures. Whilst this tyre is also very light, it also makes it very hard to find the right pressure. To hard and everything gets wishy washy and to soft and i'm pushing my bike home. They are not very confidence inspiring on drops as they squirm like a son of a beeatch. I've had three pinches and in one case even a slash in the tread big enough to put your thumb through! These tyres now reside on my hack bike with duct tape over the hole.
Similar Products Used:
Michelin high countrys, Panaracer Fire XC + FR, Maxxis High rollers. Oh and not forgetting Tioga DH's (giant pencil erasers not tyres)
Bike Setup:
03 Scott high octane, 5th el, Boxxers (not very nice either), Azonics cranks n stuff
Bottom Line:
A great tyre if you live in the land of eternal hardpack. If you live in the uk buy this tyre if you only ride in straight lines or like to pucture and fall off alot.
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Submitted by
Douglas
a
from Palmdale Date Reviewed: January 19, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
Still not a lot of miles on these - but I have to mention the last couple of rides on them.
Yea I still love the traction and handling, but man are these things tough! I slammed hard into some embedded, sharp rocks, glanced off a few that I was sure would slice a few knobs right off, and these things are still good as new! No cuts, no pinch flats, and no missing knobs. Sweet. I'm impressed!
On the last ride, I hit something so hard, it slammed into my bike and the guy in front of me wondered what the hell that loud noise was. Had to inspect the bike. Nothing bent, no new dings. And the tires were still holding air. Nice.
And I can really feel the light weight compared to my 2.4 FRs. Especially when maneuvering the front end around, pulling the front wheel over things, and such. How they make them so tough and reasonably light is really cool.
At $32 these really are an incredible discovery!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Douglas
a
from Palmdale, CA Date Reviewed: January 10, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Bottom Line:
Great tire! Everything they claim for these tires is true. And everything I've read is true. Great traction, fairly light weight (very light weight when considering the large volume), and tough.
I've been running Panaracer 2.4 FRs over the summer for Mammoth mountain. Great tires. But overkill for local trails that I will be riding over the winter. So I needed large volume, traction, and light weight.
Here are the numbers. The 2.4 FRs weighed 960 gms and measured 2.175 inches wide (at the sidewalls). The Fat Alberts weighed 750 and 740 gms (manufacturing tolerances). That's 1 full pound of rotating weight saved!!! And here's the kicker - they measured 2.190 inches wide!!! That's larger volume than my 2.4 FRs! Of course the FR's have a more aggressive and taller knobby, but I don't need that on the local trails.
So I can run low pressures (30-35 lbs), they grip awesome, the knobbies are wide so they don't squirm - they dig in, and they grip great. I did "cheat" and I got the grippy "front" compound for both front and rear. But that's exactly what I wanted - traction.
At $32 these were a steal. Highly highly recommended.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
traildog
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria, BC, Canada Date Reviewed: November 12, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Graceland
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
Experience Cycling
Strengths:
Good weight for a big trail tire. Hooks up well in all conditions from slimy rocks and roots to dry hardpack. Strong enough for aggressive trail riding with big rocks and medium sized drops. Great puncture protection. I haven't flatted yet!
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
A little bit of everything.
Bike Setup:
Epic Custom titanium with lots of goodies.
Bottom Line:
Good tire for heavy trail riding. Great tire for big boys over 175lbs or for those who like to ride real hard. Not really the best for weight wienies!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
a Fatman
a Cross Country Rider
from Feldafing Date Reviewed: August 27, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$38.00
Purchased At:
www.hibike.de
Strengths:
big, light for volume 720g), smooth on hardpack, very grippy in every terrain, and very comfortable!
Weaknesses:
hmmm, none, hitherto. Perhaps the sidewalls are to thin for use in a rock garden.
Similar Products Used:
Michelin: Jet S (got bubbles in the side wall), WG XLS(very good XC race for mixed soils), Ritchey (all very fast tyres, a bit skechty in deep gravel): ZMAX 2.1WCS, ZMAX 2.35 Millenium, ZED 2.1WCS, Excavader/Elevader 2.1WCS, ZED 2,1PRO, Conti: Vertical Pro, Explorer Pro, Dual Fighter, Twister Supersonic (use only if below 70kg!), WTB Mutanoraptor (verrry good and grippy, except of deep gravel)
Bike Setup:
Hot Chili Zymotic Hardtail (has a big cnc yoke as chain stays, so no problems with the width of the tyre).
Bottom Line:
This is for the soft compound (Front Only FO) Fat Albert light 2.35, front AND rear (wanted endless grip for the fall period). I use it 2,5 bar front and 3.0 rear, just to be on the safe side for 120kg).
On hardpack and tarmac it feels very simmilar to the ZMAX Millenium 2.35, astonishingly: it rolls very smoothly, in spite of the wide open profile and keeps relatively quite. Rolling resistance is higher with the Fat Albert, though. (the ZMAX 2.35 rolls amazingly well, indeed). The soft rubber of the Fat Albert Soft Compound may explain this, in part. Both tyres are the most comfortable ever. Even the Mutanoraptor, which has in fact, as a wide 2.24, a only slightly lesser volume, is not as comfortable by a wide margin; the thicker sidewalls of the WTB may explain this. The Fat Albert, in contrast to the Ritchey 2,35 WCS grips like hell in every soil, especially in the wet it is superior to any tyre I 've used. In deep Gravel the Ritchey gets a bit sketchy (as does, to a lesser extent the Mutanoraptor, the one and only drawback on this else very grippy tyre), also in the wet the Ritchey's grip deteriorates quite a bit.
So who might buy this Fat Albert tyre? 1. check width of chain stays! 2. you want a big, comfortable tyre that grips like hell in all conditions, especially in wet? 3. you want a tyre which on tarmac doesn't give you the feel of going on a chain saw, but rolls smoothly and has still a reasonable rolling resistance? Then this tyre is your ticket. If optimal grip is no priority and you want super fast rolling big comfortable tyre, try the Ritchey 2,35 WSC Millenium. If you want a big hard core tyre with thick side walls and very good grip in most conditions, you might be happy with the WTB Mutanoraptor. For the other tyres I've used (see above): only weight weanies might sacrifice the assets of a big tyre for some 300g of lower weight.
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Submitted by
Loli Pop
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin Date Reviewed: June 1, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
35
Strengths:
Lite. Fat. Round.
Weaknesses:
None, yet.
Similar Products Used:
Conti Vert Pro, WTB MotoRaptor 2.4, Hutchison Mosquito Lite 2.3, Nokian Gazzilodi Core 2.3
Bike Setup:
Vrrooooommmm... Mavic F219
Bottom Line:
When I first laid eyes on these tires and then Charles at Hammerhead told me how much they weighed on the scale (sub-700), I knew I had to try em. So why not drive several hundred miles to Utah to break em in!
My first ride was actually in Durango, but didn't ride long. We hit Slickrock but that didn't tell me much since anything sticks to that trail. They did roll well and kept a stable footing. No pinch flats either. We hit up Bartlett's Wash the next day and same story there. Then Klodike Bluffs. No real surprises on the jeep road and dusty rock. I did manage to ram into a slickrock ditch thingee, but the tires kept on keepin on. Then Amasa Back; good traction and still no flats even plowing downhill. Finally, Porcupine Rim. Traction was still good on the climbs even in low gears, and the wheels were solid and stable on the oh so fun downhill. And again, still no flats.
Came home and hit up some swoopy hardpack through tight trees at Walnut Creek. Fine. No unexpected slideouts. Had a better idea on what to expect and I'd compare the tires to the Motos exccept a little more bouncy and lite. Rode the Greenbelt and still kept on going until we came back on the main trail and I hit a sharp rock coming down the root/rock chute near that popular swimming hole. Not bad, I'd say. One flat in all this time is good for me. Rode Flat Creek the other day and traction was still on. Last ride out here, I had a horrible time keeping upright in the sandy corners. It's been dry since with little rain, so all we have is dust now and the tires held up great. It didn't feel at all like I was lugging a fatty tire up the climbs and I was floating over lots of the loose rock. And no flat.
It'll take a while longer under different conditions to tell how these tires hold up against the Vert Pros and Motos and Gazzi, but so far, so good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pascal Lemieux
a Weekend Warrior
from Kimberley, BC. Canada Date Reviewed: March 20, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Montreal
Strengths:
Great Grip Light Accurate Size Great for loose or semi-hardpack trails
Weaknesses:
Light Grey Sidewalls degrade easily in the sun. Sidewalls tear easily on rocky downhills.
Similar Products Used:
Michelin, Nokian,
Bike Setup:
Kona Roast
Bottom Line:
Stay out of rocky areas. Keep out of the sun. 2.35 Reduces Pinch Flats. However, you must run them more than 30lbs or U R F-cked.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
GT
a Weekend Warrior
from Seoul, South Korea Date Reviewed: February 27, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Mt. Kwanak
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
light weight, width, well designed treads, folding kevlar bead
This is the best all-round tire I've ever used. It's really light for a 2.35 inch tire. It only weighs 720 grams!!! I have to ride up hills to go down and the light weight really helps. It's wide and it has enough traction for fast downhills. It's very predictable on both hard and loose ground. Also, it has great puncture resistance. I had only one puncture in 6 months.
I'd give more than five chillies if I can. This tire is an excellent choice for freeriders looking for lightweight yet performing tire. Get it now, you'll never regret. Keep riding~!
Check out the URL below for a picture of my bike with Schwalbe Fat Albert Light 2.35 Tire. http://mtbreview.com.ne.kr/images/mybike.jpg
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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