Fat Bike Tire Test: Schwalbe Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin

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  • Schwalbe Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin
Performance compared to all other fat bike tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)
Pro Members get 9-point radar charts



Schwalbe Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The Schwalbe Jumbo Jim LiteSkin has been the fastest rolling fat bike tire since the launch of the fat bike section. The LiteSkin version of the Jumbo Jim (read review) comes with thin sidewalls that could be too sensitive for the more extreme fat biker. The SnakeSkin version of the Jumbo Jim solves this problem as it comes with reinforced sidewalls that can take much more abuse from rocks and other sharp objects. Another advantage of the SnakeSkin version is the much easier set up when using this tire in a tubeless set up.


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From previous experience with the regular sized Schwalbe MTB tires, there isn't much difference between the LiteSkin and SnakeSkin versions of their tires. Only at the lowest possible air pressures does the rolling resistance of the SnakeSkin versions become slightly higher. The biggest drawback is the higher weight that comes with the reinforced sidewalls. In general, I only recommend the LiteSkin versions if you want to gain those last few seconds from your tires.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specifications
Brand Schwalbe
Model Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin
Year 2017
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number 11600715
TPI 127
Compound PaceStar
Bead Folding
ETRTO 100-559
Size Inch 26"
Width Inch 4.00
Specified Weight 1090 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 30
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 26x4.80
26x4.40
26x4.00

Schwalbe Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin Test Results

Schwalbe Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin  fat bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 1090 grams
Measured Weight 1164 grams
Measured Width Carcass 97 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 99 mm
Measured Height 84 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 3.4 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 6.5 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 1.65 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall Members Only
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 16 psi / 1.1 bars on a 65 mm inner width rim.

Just like the LiteSkin version of the Jumbo Jim, my sample of the SnakeSkin version is quite a bit heavier at 1164 grams than the specified weight of 1090 grams. The maximum width of the casing of the 26 x 4.00 SnakeSkin is 97 mm. The edge knobs stick out a bit further resulting in a maximum tire width of 99 mm.


The knobs on the SnakeSkin version have a slightly smaller height than the LiteSkin version. The center knobs have a height of 3.4 mm and the edge knobs have a height of 6.5 mm while the LiteSkin came in at 3.7 mm and 6.8 mm respectively; this could be the result of normal production tolerances.


The most interesting measurement is the measurement of the thickness of the sidewalls: the sidewalls of the SnakeSkin version have a thickness of 1.05 mm while the sidewalls of the LiteSkin are much thinner at 0.55 mm.


Rolling Resistance Test Results


Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube None (60 ml sealant)

(current protocol)
Schwalbe SV13J (390 gr)

(test protocol)
Rolling Resistance 20 PSI / 1.4 Bar Members OnlyMembers Only
Rolling Resistance 16 PSI / 1.1 Bar Members OnlyMembers Only
Rolling Resistance 12 PSI / 0.8 Bar 23.7 Watts
CRR: 0.00710
29.2 Watts
CRR: 0.00875
Rolling Resistance 8 PSI / 0.6 Bar 31.1 Watts
CRR: 0.00932
38.6 Watts
CRR: 0.01157
All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs.

Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Rolling resistance of the SnakeSkin version of the Jumbo Jim is pretty much the same as the LiteSkin version (read review) at air pressures of 12, 16, and 20 psi (0.8, 1.1, 1.4 bars). At the highest air pressure of 20 psi (1.4 bars), the rolling resistance of the SnakeSkin even comes in slightly lower than the LiteSkin version; I attribute this to the slightly lower knobs on the SnakeSkin version.


At the lowest tested air pressure of 8 psi (0.55 bars), the rolling resistance of the the SnakeSkin version comes in at 38.6 watts which is 1.7 watts more than the LiteSkin version. At the lower air pressures, the sidewalls become a bigger part of the total rolling resistance. At even lower air pressures of 6 and 4 psi, the disadvantage of the SnakeSkin version will likely become even bigger. I don't have the exact numbers as I didn't test both tires at these lower pressures, but my best estimate is a disadvantage of the SnakeSkin version of 2.5 - 3 watts at 6 psi (0.4 bars) and 4 - 5 watts at 4 psi (0.3 bars).


Puncture Resistance Test Results

Schwalbe Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin  fat bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 27 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle 7 Points
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness 1.65 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness Members Only

In the puncture resistance tests, the SnakeSkin version scores slightly better in both the tread and sidewall tests. Altough the sidewall score of the SnakeSkin version has increased by just 1 point when compared to the LiteSkin version (5 points Vs 6 points), I expect the real-life durability of the sidewalls to be much better as the total thickness of the sidewalls has increased from just 0.55 mm to 1.05. The thicker sidewalls should help significantly in the cut resistance of the sidewalls.


Conclusion


  • Schwalbe Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin
Performance compared to all other fat bike tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 9-point radar charts

The LiteSkin version of the Jumbo Jim has been the fastest fat bike tire for quite some time. The SnakeSkin version is just as fast at the higher end of the air pressure range, at the low air pressure of 8 psi (0.55 bars), the rolling resistance of the SnakeSkin version is slightly higher (~ 5%). For this slightly higher rolling resistance (and 80 - 100 grams of extra weight) you do get sidewalls that are close to twice as thick (0.55 mm Vs 1.05 mm) which should result in a much more durable tire + easier tubeless set up.


At this moment, both the Jumbo Jim SnakeSkin and LiteSkin seem to be the tires to get if you're looking for some fast rolling fat bike tires. Check the fat bike overview page fat bike overview page to see if faster tires have been tested and how the Jumbo Jim compares to the competition.


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RATING: 5 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended


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