Maxxis  Hookworm Tire

Preliminary impressions . . .

. . . are, from the perspective of an out-of-shape rider in his early antiquity, very positive. These tires turned my stodgy-looking Townie Electra 9 into, by flabby old-person standards, a leg-powered road rocket. Rolling resistance is significantly reduced from the bike's original Schwalbe beach-cruiser skins, at the expected price of a stiffer ride and more attention required to dodge potholes so as not to bend these garden-variety aluminum rims, which I'm pretty sure weren't designed for curb-jumping. I'm only running the Hookworms at 47 of the max. 65 PSI, and still find them a little on the unyielding side, which translates to being able to zip across our small town, over one medium-sized hill, in less than ten minutes. Despite being ostensibly designed for deliberate youthful abuse on topography not normally thought of as bicycle-appropriate (e.g. flying off the front steps of the county courthouse), these things corner on smooth pavement like a Yamaha R-1 sportbike. The enhanced lean angle seems obviously attributable to the wraparound tread. Although I've only logged less than 30 miles thus far, and can't attest to long-term durability, it's notable that the manufacturing mold flash remains intact. That usually goes away much more quickly, if recall serves. The rubber compound, as described elsewhere, appears to be quite tough stuff. GET THE RIGHT TUBES. I blew an extra twelve clams, thinking I could get by with the generic fits-all kit from a famous retailer that's known for being patronized by people in pajama bottoms. Ended up ordering the correct ones online, spec'd at 2.5" - 3" and made of noticeably thicker rubber than the aforementioned substitutes. A little heavier, but they work beautifully, albeit with a little more wrist-wrestling to install. BTW, don't forget to partially inflate your tubes beforehand, to avoid pinch flats. Frame clearance: more than adequate with this kind of bike. Might be a squeaker if you have caliper brakes or narrow forks. "So why," I wondered, "did they name these things after a noxious intestinal parasite?" The answer became apparent upon noticing the pronounced bead "flange" that hooks over the inside of your rim. It makes for a nice secure feel to the mounting process, but you still have to exercise a bit of caution making sure the index line is evenly centered before final inflation. I found that vigorously massaging the tire around its perimeter while 1/4 inflated helps to assure good bead seating. Despite my semi-recumbent bike's long wheelbase, the Maxxis tires make it handle a bit more "squirrely," which is helpful in tight quarters, but requires slightly more attentive steering control while sailing down a long hill. Transitioning from pavement to pea gravel is likewise no longer a completely carefree endeavor, but the reduced traction compared to the old soft cruiser tires has thus far been easy to accommodate, and has been, as previously mentioned, a cheerfully acceptable price for the delightful improvement in road handling. One last thing: since there seems to be no specified rotational orientation, I mounted the tires with the bright-colored company logo on opposite sides at each end, based on the theory that this might make it slightly more visible to cross traffic from both directions. ~e