[2000m2]

Hi all,

I'm new on here and have a question about the 29r Big Apple tires.

:thumbsup: I am commuting on my new (used) Karate Monkey 1 x 9 and it has some pretty nobby mountain tires on it that seem excessive. I am riding on the street and some trails.

I like what I have read about the Big Apple tires, but part of my commute takes me on trails and I'm wondering how well they would take the dirt. I'm in San Diego, so no real mud issues, just rocks and mostly hard-pack single track.

I also like what I have read about the Marathon tires. Thoughts on those as well?

Thanks!

 

[Cloxxki]

There's more than one Marathon tire. And this very question has been discussed before. Search on marathon, big apple and twin rail, it should bring up some excellent experiences and opinions.

 

[2000m2]

I went through all of the posts on the 29r forum and didn't catch anything on the Big Apple, but this is where I found info on the Marathon.
I'll run another search, thanks

 

[BruceBrown]

I went through all of the posts on the 29r forum and didn't catch anything on the Big Apple, but this is where I found info on the Marathon.
I'll run another search, thanks

If you run the Big Apples tubeless and use a low pressure, you can get enough traction for hard packed "flat" trails, but I would not expect super fast speeds so you don't wash out in corners or spin out on easy/gentle climbs or slide out on easy/gentle descents. Great urban street tire, though. Bumps around fine on gravel as well with lower psi's, but it is not an "off road" tire. If you want a similar volume off road tire, try the Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.4. Pretty much the same casing size, but with knobs.

BB

 

[scuppy]

The marathon XR's are awsome dirt trail/ rough road touring tires. They are a little slower on sealed compared to commuting type tires. The 50mm ones can be hard to get (I had to order mine from the importer). I guess a lot of tourers can't get their heads around the wide tire thing.

 

[halo777]

I run the 2.35 Big Apples on my El Mariachi

I run the 2.35 Big Apples on my El Mariachi.

They are awesome tires. I commute 40 km a day on them on the bike path and downtown Toronto. They are so much fun for this type of riding. At 60 psi they run very fast, yet have the added stability and relative cushion of a wider tire.

Ive also run them in dry and slightly wet conditions on technical x-country trails at kelso at 35 psi. They are also super fast there and a lot of fun. However, you really have to stay balanced and aware in the turns, especially on gravel, as they begin to slide very easy.

Uphill grip on the trails was surprisingly good for a slick. Although I guess the 29 inch wheel helps.

If you're just running them over short sections of trail, and not pushing things to the limit, they are an awesome all around tire. And again, on the roads they are super fun.