Cruiser Tires. Schwalbe ReTurner HS 361

[1FJEF]

This is all you can see on the website. It is a rendition rather than a picture & isn't good for much. 26x2.125"

Purchased directly from Schwalbe, packaging & delivery were good.


First impressions were 1) very weird tread, 2) they seemed small! Like 1.9" or smaller, instead of 2.125" wide.


Having the name embossed in the tread is a little odd.


Once inflated they looked smaller than my old Sun 26x2.125" tires & a caliper confirmed it. The Sun measured 57mm on a 25 or 34mm wide rim. The Schwalbe measured 53.7mm on a 34mm rim & a little less on the 25mm rim.

I know 99% of us aren't cruiser riders, but in case you are, here's what I've found after 508 miles.
1)They are undersized in every respect & were extremely difficult to get mounted, which I've never run into with this type of tire. When you put them next to the Sun tires, the Schwalbes look like they would almost fit inside the Suns. (And they are marked exactly the same size).
2)I have trouble getting a soft "cruiser ride" on them. There is a narrow window of pressure where you get an acceptable ride. Vary from it & you either have a harsh ride or risk pinch flats. The previous Sun tires were superior in this respect.
3)The tread pattern looks nice I guess BUT be careful in the wet or on damp leaves!! Traction is noticeably worse than my previous tires.
4)I thought cosmetics were underdone. The white labels in the picture are the only ones on the tire, & are only on one side. At least label it on both sides, or top & bottom of the sidewall. Perhaps a partial white reflective strip too?
If you are lightweight (which I'm not) or ride slowly in fair weather these tires may be fine for you. I think they ran about $55/pair, so they're cheap, but I won't but them again- I'll go back to the Sun Tires or to a Schwalbe Fat Albert or Big Apple.

[Bill]

Those are weird conditions, I would've thought they were "fatter" for a cruiser. Really appreciate the information and sorry they were not what you thought they were.

[1FJEF]

Yes, I've noticed, as I'm sure most of us have, that tires tend to be a bit undersized as a manufacturer strives to list the least amount weight for a given size, but this surprised me, as we are talking cruiser tire here, and an inexpensive one at that.

[Bill]

Yea at that rate would have to order two sizes bigger then they need lol.

[1FJEF]

Yeah, 26x2.5"! And by the way, I forgot to mention that they make the oddest sound at speed in the wet.

[Bill]

Really? Almost sounds like one of those big tires on a monster vehicle when going down paved road?? Probably the way the inner tread is designed. They holding up ok?

[1FJEF]

Holding up very well considering the load on them. The bike & I loaded are 310lbs+. It's a big cruiser, 7 speed, 3 baskets, big tool & spare kit, groceries and locks. (I am a good tire tester! I wore down a rear 27x1 1/8" touring tire in a few hundred miles once on my old touring bike, I mean NO tread left!)
The sound in the wet is between a hiss & a buzz & sort of oscillates. I think the little air pockets & the labels stamped every 90 degrees have something to do with it.

[KC-Steve]

Thanks for the info. I wonder what their rationale is for designing the tire that way? It makes no logical sense to me no matter what surface you're riding on.

Maybe it's one of those ceramic bearing thingies again.

Steve

[nfmisso]

In approximately this size (26 x 1.95); I like the Bell Kevlar from Wal-mart. Even being considerably heavier than Jeff - no problems at all in thousands of miles on them (liner and TR tubes of course). The Bell Kevlar has a continuous center bead for a quiet ride, with more aggressive tread toward the sides. For me, they worked well in the wet, in sand, gravel and on pavement. Never tried mud.

[1FJEF]

What kind of inner tubes Nfmisso?

[nfmisso]

Hi Jeff;

TR = thorn resistant; I have Avenir brand tubes now. Before was Slime Brand tubes with Slime goop inside. I have found that the Slime goop is not worth it - the TR version is fine, accept the valve gets gummed up too easily. The standard version is no better than any cheap thin tube.

[1FJEF]

I bought a used bike that had two bad slime tubes. They weighed a ton compared to the replacements I bought.

This pic shows the old Sun 26x2.125 on the front & the Schwalbe Returner on the back. If you stood back and looked at the bike, the size difference was obvious. If I ever find someone (that I trust) to make me a back wheel, I'll go with a Schwalbe Fat Frank or Big apple on the rear in 26x2.375".

---

Nigel, I forgot to ask, whose liners do you use?

[nfmisso]

(03-26-2012, 09:41 AM)1FJEF Wrote:  ......
Nigel, I forgot to ask, whose liners do you use?

I started with SLIME brand liners - thick, heavy and the sharp edge does NOT work well with high tire pressures. Now use Stop Flats2 liners.