MTB Tire Test: Schwalbe Big One LiteSkin PaceStar

Published: by
  • Schwalbe Big One LiteSkin PaceStar
Performance compared to all other MTB tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

Schwalbe Big One LiteSkin PaceStar road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The Schwalbe Big One is a mountain bike tire designed for beach racing. Because of the beach racing requirements, the Big One has a huge volume, minimal profile and an extremely low weight for its size. Schwalbe claims the Big One, when mounted tubeless, is the fastest tire they have ever produced. If that claim is true, it should have less rolling resistance than some of the fastest road bike tires on the market.


I'm testing the LiteSkin version of the Big One, which is only available in the more popular 29 x 2.35 size. A Tubeless-Easy version is also available in 27.5 x 2.35 and 29 x 2.35 sizes, 26 is not available at the moment. I'm testing the LiteSkin version because I want to know how an extremely light, but big tire performs in the rolling resistance test. Although this tire is marketed as a beach tire, it should be useful as a rear tire in all-round cross-country usage as well.


It should be possible to mount the LiteSkin version tubeless to get the ultimate performance, but it will be much harder to get it to seal than the Tubeless-Easy version. If you want to use the Big One in a Tubeless configuration, I recommend the TL-Easy version because I've found there to be only a very minimal difference in rolling resistance between LiteSkin and TL-Easy.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand Schwalbe
Model Big One LiteSkin PaceStar
Year 2016
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number 11600805
TPI 127
Compound OneStar
Bead Folding
ETRTO 60-622
Size Inch 29"
Width Inch 2.35
Specified Weight 440 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 50
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 29x2.35

Schwalbe Big One LiteSkin PaceStar Test Results

Schwalbe Big One LiteSkin PaceStar  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 440 grams
Measured Weight 458 grams
Measured Width Carcass 57 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 57 mm
Measured Height 54 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 0.5 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 1.1 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall Members Only
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 35 psi / 2.4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Schwalbe claims a weight of 440 grams for the 29 x 2.35 LiteSkin. My sample comes in at 458 grams which is still excellent for such a big tire. Measured width on a 17C rim, at an air pressure of 35 psi is 57 mm. The measured height is 54 mm. Although the Big One is only 2 mm wider than a Race King 2.2, it looks gigantic because of the tiny knobs.


As expected, the 'knobs' on the Big One are tiny with a height of just 0.5 mm at both the center and edge of the tire. The total measured thickness of the tire excluding the knobs is just 1.1 mm. I suspect when the knobs are worn off, there won't be much rubber left over so tire life will be short. The sidewalls are very thin as well with a thickness of 0.5 mm. The sidewall thickness of 0.5 mm is in line with the other Schwalbe LiteSkin tires.


Rolling Resistance Test Results


Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube None (40 ml sealant)

(current protocol)
Conti MTB 29 (225 gr butyl)

(test protocol)
Rolling Resistance
55 PSI / 3.8 Bar
Members OnlyMembers Only
Rolling Resistance
45 PSI / 3.1 Bar
Members OnlyMembers Only
Rolling Resistance
35 PSI / 2.4 Bar
10.1 Watts
CRR: 0.00303
13.6 Watts
CRR: 0.00408
Rolling Resistance
25 PSI / 1.7 Bar
11.3 Watts
CRR: 0.00339
15.8 Watts
CRR: 0.00474
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 is extremely low. At the low air pressure of 25 psi, the Big One dethrones the Continental Speed King II by 3.3 watts (15.8 Vs 19.1 Watts). What's even more surprising is that at the high air pressure of 55 psi, the Big One with a 225 grams butyl inner tube has less rolling resistance than a Schwalbe One V-Guard or Continental Grand Prix 4000S II road bike tire at 120 psi!


What about Schwalbe's claim of the Big One being their fastest tire ever produced? I didn't test the Big One in a tubeless configuration, but when taking the numbers from my Tubeless Vs Latex Vs Butyl article, rolling resistance at 55 psi should be close to 9.3 watts. Even at the much lower air pressure of 25 psi, rolling resistance should be close to 10.8 watts when used in a tubeless configuration. This really is an insanely fast tire.


Puncture Resistance Test Results

Schwalbe Big One LiteSkin PaceStar  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 20 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle 6 Points
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle No Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness 1.1 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle No Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness Members Only

While the Big One has an extremely low rolling resistance, puncture resistance isn't that good. With a tread score of 6 points, it's one of the lowest scoring MTB tires. Sidewall puncture resistance is similar to other Schwalbe LiteSkin tires at 4 points. When used tubeless, the low puncture resistance shouldn't be that big of a problem as the sealant should seal most small holes.


Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results


Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average No Data
Wet Grip Center No Data
Wet Grip Edge No Data
Measured Knob Height Center 0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 0.5 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100
MTB grip test rim width = 30.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion


  • Schwalbe Big One LiteSkin PaceStar
Performance compared to all other MTB tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

If you're into beach racing, getting a pair of Schwalbe Big Ones should be a no-brainer as these will make you fly on the beach. Even when you're into more all-round mountain biking, the Big One can be an option if you want ultimate performance and the conditions suit this tire. Puncture resistance and tread thickness are very low so be prepared for short tire life when used on anything other than clean sand.


When using the Big One in a tubeless configuration, rolling resistance will be another 2.5 - 5 watts lower when compared to the results with a 225 grams butyl tube (Read Tubeless Vs Latex Vs Butyl Article). If you want a trouble-free tubeless operation, grab the Tubeless-Easy. If you want to push those last 1-2 watts of performance out of your tires, grab the LiteSkins.


RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended


Comments