The first place to get suspension and ride comfort from a bike is the tires.
A few years ago Schwalbe came out with their Big Apple tire: a VERY plump semi-slick tire suitable for road, dirt and sand.
I’m considering these tires as a solution to my own common Michigan mixed-condition riding problem: offroad riding up north is mostly sandy two-tracks that need lots of float. These two-tracks have lots of roots across them—they need float, too, to avoid pinch flats and jaw-rattling. Then you pop back out onto a paved road and desire an easy ride home: this needs some smoothness.
My regular 2.1″ mtbike tires are too rough for roads and narrow for sand.
The tip is the Big Apple 2.35″x26″. (Trip courtesy of an iBOB netizen who rides the roads and desert in Arizona.) The Conti Town&Country 2.1″ semi-knob with center ridge is also suggested. You can ride these tires soft offroad then pump em for the pavement. Sounds cool.
Apparently the huge, plump Big Apple tire inspired the creation of a bike company: BalloonBikes, of Germany.
They’re using the Big Apple to explode the comfort and versatility of dozens of bikes.
Check out their lovely website and all the wonderful versatile bikes that we can’t buy here in the USA. Be inspired. Be hopeful. They’ll be here someday.
https://www.balloonbikes.com/en/die_vorteile/
