On the subject of the Ralphs I remember them being a really fast tire but not particularly stable or grippy. I have a clearer memory of using them on my 36er (sewn up) than the 29er.
I remember them being very sensitive to pressure, at least on the 36er. They felt a bit buzzy at high pressure on the road and a bit sloppy with low pressure but there was a small sweet-spot where they handled well and had very little rolling resistance.
If you want a fast high volume tire and don’t need a lot of grip or stiff sidewalls I think the Ralph can preform quite admirably.
If you don’t mind the thin sidewalls and want more grip then there’s the Nobby Nic which has the same carcass but larger nobbles - almost as fast but lots more grip. I have a set of those on my spare bike wheels for use when it’s too slippy for the Ralphs - for XC type riding I’ve never needed more grip than those, though some might want more.
Well, I went for it! The website says it’s wired, but mine seems to be at least more foldable than it would be if it were wired. Not sure if that means it was packaged badly or I accidentally got a foldable
My review will be in two parts, as I’ve done about 15 miles on-road today with it, and tomorrow I’ll hit the trails
REVIEW #1: Road dash
Fitted it up, it went on without levers, just the brute force of my creepy giant bassist fingers, and pumped it up. It has two PSI ratings on the side - 85 for ‘road’, and 50 for ‘off-road’. I went to 65, figured it’s halfway.
First things first, this tyre is smooth. I’m talking, ice-skating smooth. And completely silent… I wasn’t prepared for that! I now have to shout SCUSE ME at anyone nearby Extremely fast and smooth tyre for road, but to me it feels a bit heavy. It does come with ‘puncture protection’ though, which I realise could be anything, but I assume that’s where the weight is.
Bad parts - because it’s so smooth, I found it a bit hard to control, and a bit twitchy. The slightest movement would send me round a corner, whether I liked it or not. I actually think this is a good thing, I’m just not used to it yet.
Next problem… Look at the picture of the tyre. See those two ‘rails’ going all the way round the middle? Yeah. When I got a bit tired and started to slouch, these rails started throwing me about. I have to ride DEAD-centre otherwise it feels like I’m rocking side-to-side over these rails. They’re not as pronounced as they look in the picture (In fact they don’t stick out at all, it’s more like the bit inbetween them dips and the rest of the tyre is on their level) but it’s something to be careful of.
Overall, for road, this tyre is amazing, and other reviews online say the rubber on it lasts for years (I’ve had it half a day so I won’t comment). If you’re a weight-weenie though, and all you’re interested in is road, I probably wouldn’t bother - It really does feel heavy.
Review #2 coming tomorrow, when I’ve decided whether or not I like it for trails
OK, so today I decided to give my new tyre a try on the rough stuff. It rained last night, so everything was wet and muddy (and invisible thanks to the deep, clay-coloured puddles). I rode down to the farm track, which despite their best efforts to smooth it over for their vans, is unfathomably rough, and full of half-bricks that are thrown all over the place (Their way of ‘smoothing’ the path is just to build a horizontal brick wall over some of the worst parts), not to mention full of churned mud thanks to the cows, horses and sheep that walk up and down it every now and then.
I went through the first bricky puddle, and instantly UPD’d. I felt like I’d been bounced, which I figured was because I’d pumped my tyre up to 70PSi for the road ride yesterday, so I undid my valve cap and let some air out. I didn’t measure it, just pushed the little valve pin for a second or two, and now the tyre was slightly softer (Not too soft, as I like my tyres hard no matter the terrain). This changed the ride instantly, and I didn’t UPD again all the way along the track. I rode through pools of mud, loose shale and gravel, more brick-filled pits, the tyre seemed to handle everything I chucked it at. Obviously this isn’t a hardcore MTB tyre with teeth sticking out all over the place, so it’s not going to off-road as awesomely as some others, but it seems to work just fine for where I go.
So far… initial impressions are great. It’s pretty much what I was looking for - an off-road tyre that rolls fast on tarmac too. It looks more like a BMX tyre to me, with it’s round profile and inverted tread (And I guess this is what the 20/24" version is mostly used for), but it performs pretty well as a 29er ‘all-terrain’ tyre, at least in my so far very limited test. It supposedly has ‘puncture protection’ too, but I suppose I won’t find out how good or bad that is unless I start getting punctures daily like I did with my Kenda.
I would say the main downside is that it’s fairly dependent on tyre pressure. It even says this on the side - Run it low for off-road, run it high for road. I mostly wanted a tyre like this because my rides tend to be, riding a few miles of road to get to a trail, riding the trail, then riding the road home, and so I’ll have to try and find a sweet spot somewhere inbetween. Hopefully this will work, otherwise I’ll be carrying a pump on rides Other downsides are the weight, and squirrely nature of the ‘slick’ centre tread as said in Review #1, both of which I think I’ll get used to.
Got my 29er tire today. I ended up going with a Bontrager Expert 29-1 tire. It’s 2" :). The sidewalls are thicker than those on my SB8 which is good, but they are still a bit on the thin side. We’ll see how it pans out once I have the unicycle together. I like the look of the tread, similar to the SB8, but slightly more aggressive. Perfect XC tire.
Nice reviews, but you didn’t specify what tyre/tire (Mfr., model, dimensions) you were reviewing in either review.
I stepped back a page and clicked the hyperlink, and it looks like you are running the new Halo Twin Rail 29 x 2.2". Is that correct?
I’m curious, I saw on this MTBR review thread (http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/halo-twin-rail-288434.html) that the Halos are a 700c sized tire. I also found that the Halo website (http://www.halowheels.com/products/part/TYHAT92) identifies these as 700 x 56c. Please check the sidewalls and let us know the size that is specified there. Also, and if you have a scale handy, I’d be curious to know the weight of the tire in grams. (It’s supposed to be about 890g.)
In the same MTBR thread one reviewer called these the “ultimate urban 29er tire.” I’m wondering if they will give the Schwalbe Big Apple a run for the money. It looks like they are available in the U.S. through Tree Fort B*kes for about $55, and the reviews folks have posted on the Tree Fort site are pretty favorable (http://www.treefortbikes.com/product/333222338026/544/Halo-Twin-Rail-29-x-22.html).
I’ll bet this would make a great commuter and light XC tire if you get the pressure right – although your comments about having to ride on the dead center on tarmac have me a bit concerned. How does the tyre/tire perform on off-camber (“crowned”) tarmac/asphalt roads? Do you notice any pulling towards the high side?
Thanks for bringing the 29er Twin Rail to our attention!
My review #1 quoted my original message, I guess that wasn’t clear enough Yes it’s the 29x2.2" Twin Rail. The sizing says 22x622 (Whatever that means…), and it does say 29x2.2" somewhere on it too… I don’t know much about tyre sizes so I don’t know what the first number means It’s as wide as my Kenda Karma 29x2.2". They do a skinny version too for road bikes: http://www.halowheels.com/products/part/TYHAT79N (Sadly the 29x2.2 version doesn’t come in the whacky colours )
Sorry I don’t have scales, but it feels relatively heavy compared to my Kenda (But still quite light). The surface of it is rock-hard too, so I guess it’s quite thick.
I’ve not tried it on any really hard-cambered roads yet, but I think my complaints about that were mostly because I was tired at the time (Riding home at 11 at night), I’ve since ridden it on the canal paths and not had any problem with having to ride dead-centre. I will find some crowned roads though and have a go The only real handling issues I’m still having are that it’s extremely sensitive - A slight turn can send you on a full 180 because the ‘rail’ part in the centre is really slippery. Going on some mild off-roading (some rough farm-type roads) yesterday, I stopped at a junction to let a tractor go past. I stayed on my seat, grabbed hold of a post, and couldn’t stay upright because I kept skidding sideways, much to the amusement of the driver I think this is just something to get used to though (And it already shows its advantages when I make intentional tight turns)
You’re right about getting the pressure right - It runs amazingly on-road when pumped to it’s maximum (85psi is the max, but I put it to 75-80), but as soon as you go off-road you bounce all over the place. I’m still looking for a sweet spot that’ll allow for both surfaces without having to adjust it all the time
Looking at their website, I’m now not 100% sure which version I actually have… There’s millions of ‘twin rail’ tyres! I assume it’s this one: http://www.halowheels.com/products/part/TYHAT92
A quick photo, for reference or in case someone might be interested, of tires that just came from pricepoint to try on my Rhyno Lite 700c rim: a Race V and a V10 both by Vee Rubber. Other than the tread patterns they look like they’re more or less the same tire. 120 tpi and 1-ply so they aren’t what you’d call burly, but they seem light. I won’t be doing anything hardcore on the square-taper hub in that wheel anyway (or on anything quite honestly giving my limited skill set) and it seemed hard to beat the price.
So I’ve been riding the Twin Rail tyre for a couple of months now, riding almost daily, across a variety of terrain, and it seems to work for everything I chuck it at.
HOWEVER, something is amiss. This week I’ve literally had FIVE punctures. All in different spots! When I check the tread on my tyre, there’s always a decent-sized hole (maybe 2mm) left, and it’s always on the ‘rails’ down the centre. Most of the time, I’ll dig a piece of glass or stone out of it.
Considering that this has suddenly sprung up this week (literally had zero punctures until this week…) I’m sort of worried I might have worn the centre rails down a lot and made them susceptable to puncturing. Is this a thing that happens? I usually run the tyre pumped up fairly hard, and in fact the rest of the tread isn’t worn at all, so I’m starting to think that because the rails are such a small contact patch with ALL my weight upon it, they’re having things forced through them that might not have made it through if there was more of a contact spot.
This tyre has ‘Puncture Protection System’ written on the side too…
For now, I’m going back to the Kenda tyre that came stock on my Qu-Ax 29er, but I’ll be on the lookout for something like the Twin Rail - Smooth but grippy
While browsing Maxxis website and beind depressed at their lack of Hookworm 20x2.5 (only 2.0), I happened to notice that it exists in 29x2.5 too.
I have searched the forum but most of the references are for the 24x2.5 and sometimes for the 26x2.5. And on the 29er front, usually it is the Big Apple that gets used (in 2.0 or 2.35 depending on taste & configuration).
Has anybody tried the Maxxis Hookworm 29x2.5 ?
That is true that the Hookworm is heavier (1,230g) compared to the Big Apple (930g for the wire bead 29x2.0 and 890g for the 29x2.35 foldable) but not by much (+ 1/3).
However, it has a bit more volume (63-622 vs. 60-622) and is constructed differently. I wonder how it behaves with road camber (the main complain for the Big Apple) ?
I looked for the Hookworm 2.5 to put on my 29’er in spring 2014. It was announced but not for sale yet. Good to know that it is now. I too wonder how it behaves on camber, one of the weak points of the Big Apple. And how it is in general, for road riding.
Yes, I have the Maxxis Hookworm 29 x 2.5 mounted on a KH Freeride (47 mm) rim and I am very happy with its performance thus far.
Although I have not done a proper controlled study on back-to-back rides, I have ridden the Hookworm on several miles of the route I used to take to commute to my old job on my NB Nightrider (w/ Nightrider 36 x 2.25 on the original Stealth rim) and on my KH G29 (w/ Big Apple 29 x 2.0 on a KH XC 38 mm rim). Road crown made parts of that ride a struggle on both the 36er and G29. Given the caveat that the comparison is based on the memory of these rides on the other tires/rims more than two years prior, I believe the Hookworm is substantially less susceptible to autosteer from road crown than either the Nightrider or the Big Apple 2.0. (I’ll try and do back-to-back on the 36" Nightrider vs the 29" Hookworm next weekend and report back for confirmation.)
Pumped up to between 40 and 45 psi, the Hookworm is very nimble, and has very low rolling resistance, since such a narrow strip of the tire touches the pavement, and since there are no lugs to engage and resist rolling and twisting. This low rolling resistance makes up for the slightly heavy weight of the tire (unfortunately I didn’t get an actual weight before mounting it, but it’s pretty beefy). As a result, and since it’s on a reasonably light 29er, I have been able to climb hills that I couldn’t quite ride all the way up on both the 36er and G29.
Note, however, at low pressures (e.g. 20 psi) the tire is a beast to turn on pavement, because it has so much more surface area in contact with the road surface, and all that surface area resists twisting. But this problem goes away completely at higher pressures.
Bottom line: Although I haven’t done a proper controlled study of the effects of road camber, I find the Hookworm a joy to ride, even on moderately crowned roads, and it’s certainly beefy enough for aggressive urban riding – so much so that I refer to my Hookworm-equipped 29er as my urban assault uni.
Thanks UPD in Utah for the review. My 29" Oracle has a Big Apple 2" on the Dominator rim and I have trouble with sloping paved bike trails. Maybe I should give the Hookworm a try. I’ve been thinking of getting a narrower rim but a tire change would be easier.
I only hope you like the Hookworm as much as I do.
As I said, I’ll try to do a proper back-to-back comparison of the Hookworm and the Nightrider on the same crowned road surface this coming weekend to confirm what I remember about the Nightrider on my commute.
Right now I am running an “UltraCycle” 29 x 2.1-2.35 standard black rubber, presta valve equipped tube. So, nothing special.
I’m sure you could shave some weight with a Foss or a stretched 26" tube, but I wanted the durability of a regular tube.
Yes, thanks for the review, and thanks guys for spotting that tire! I too have a Big Apple 2.5" on my 29" and I find it incredibly frustrating when it comes to road crown. I know I’m not the best rider around, but still I can’t get it in a straight line as soon as it’s not flat.
Really tempted to get one of those 29" HookWorm, especially as I’m in the US for 2 weeks - it doesn’t seem available anywhere else at the moment. I tried it on a 24" a year ago and loved the way it felt.
Before I take the plunge, feel free to post more feedback about this tire!
I have been weak and I pulled the trigger on a Hookworm for my commuter (I must really sell all my spare tires ! I must really sell all my spare tires !! I must really sell all my spare tires !!! ).
I was wondering how well it behaved in the rain as it doesn’t show that much grooves. Seems like the reviews on mtbr.com are quite positive regarding rain.
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When I check the tread on my tyre, there’s always a decent-sized hole (maybe 2mm) left, and it’s always on the ‘rails’ down the centre. Most of the time, I’ll dig a piece of glass or stone out of it.
I usually run the tyre pumped up fairly hard, and in fact the rest of the tread isn’t worn at all, so I’m starting to think that because the rails are such a small contact patch with ALL my weight upon it, they’re having things forced through them that might not have made it through if there was more of a contact spot.
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