Schwalbe has a new 27.5" fat tire, or at least I just noticed it. The SUV tire Johnny Watts is apparently also available in 27.5x 4.0. Certainly not a typical MUni tire, but probably a very puncture-proof, durable all-rounder. Has anyone ridden it?
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It’s a good tire for bikes and I don’t ride this tire but I think it must be good at the Unicycle. Most of the time I ride Schwalbe Magic Mary or Schwalbe Muddy Mary or Schwalbe Nobby Nic and all the tires are working for me.
The tread reminds me of the Holy Roller but higher.
And the height of the tread reminds me of the Jumbo Jim.
Seems fun (too bad it exists only in 27.5 or mild 29).
Jumbo Jim is the worst fatty tire for unicycles I know. It rolls brilliantly well, but is horrible to steer and has a lot of self-steering. It’s a real shame that this Johny Watts isn’t available as a 26x 4.0. SUV unicycle sounds good somehow. It would be exactly what I need, for example. I ride to work on asphalt and dirt roads. I want the tire to roll well on both surfaces and have enough grip. I don’t do downhill riding with it. I’m put off by the larger circumference of the 27.5x 4.0 (for example, it’s harder to get on when the hill is slightly uphill) and the heavy weight. Schwalbe says it’s 1610g, so experience shows it’ll be a bit heavier. You could probably use the Schwalbe 26" Fatty tube. I don’t know if my 26" TPU ones would work. They’re at least not as stretchy. We’ll see. When my shoulder has healed, I might give in and buy a tire like that to test.
Now curiosity has gotten the better of me, and I’ve ordered the Johnny Watts 27.5x4.0.
I’ve only ridden around the warehouse a few times with different tire pressures and can already give my initial opinion.
The tire is a pleasant surprise. Although it’s quite heavy at 1620g, it’s easy to handle. I’m riding it with the 26" Fatty tube (hopefully it will work with that), so the minimum air pressure is always relative to the TPU.
I’ve found the lower air pressure limit to be around 0.6 bar (topeak manometer, the schwalbe shows 0.72) with a 45mm wide rim, i=39. With a 65 or 80mm rim, it should be around 0.4.
The tire already runs quietly and smoothly and steers relatively well. Self-steering is limited, so far, nothing negative has been noticed. I’ll write more about that later. I’ll ride it on the Fatty for a few weeks.
Here are a few more specs (45mm rim i=39, TPU tube):
- Circumference at 1 bar: 239cm
- Width at 1 bar: 91.3mm
- Weight: 1620g (1610g manufacturer’s specification)
67 tpi - Folding tire
- Minimum air pressure 0.4 bar (manufacturer’s specification)
- on 45mm rim (i39): 0.6 bar
I really like the tire (except for the weight). It seems to be just right for my needs: a commute with lots of forest roads, no extreme terrain.
It would be nice if this tire were also available in 26x4.0.
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91mm - is that with or without the tread? I measured my Surly Nate 26x3.8 at 97mm (without the tread).
You have a wider rim. I measured with tire profile (45mm rim).
The Surly Nate is the only tire whose width I haven’t measured yet; I forget every time I ride it.
Other values (on a 45mm rim for comparison):
- Kenda Juggernaut Pro 26x4.0: 94.5mm
- CST BFT 26x4.0: 86.5mm
- Jlüer Sport 26x4.0: 89.5mm
- Love Tire 26x4.0: 85mm
- ONE4ALL (Maquisi) 26x4.0: 85mm
- Johnny Watts 27.5x 4.0: 91.3mm
You‘re right about the rim width; didn‘t think about that.