Schwalbe Smart Sam: Tyres That Are Silent On-Road And Quite Aggressive Off-Road

I only meant that I would feel safer driving a car in summer with snow tires , compared to winter driving on summer tires and by extension that knobbier tires are the safer more all-around choice. I did not mean to say anything against the Electraks in particular , which I have never tried.
Steve, although I accept the car analogy, things might look differently on-road at high speed. Don't road racers use totally slick tyres?
 
Steve, although I accept the car analogy, things might look differently on-road at high speed. Don't road racers use totally slick tyres?
Of course but when summing up all of the riding I do here in the Pacific NorthWet in one full cycle of four seasons the knobby tires win out. If someone who lives elsewhere ( say Palm Springs ) never leaves the dry pavement then a tire like the stock Super Moto X would be the superior choice. Different horses for different courses.
 
I was converted by several notable members of these Forums to buy and install Schwalbe Smart Sam (standard issue) tyres on my Vado (47-622, 28 x 1.75"). It is impressive how quiet and fast rolling these tyres are on road, while I can ride them (with some effort) through the sand off-road. Smart Sams feel very sporty and dampen the road vibration very well even close to their maximum inflation pressure.

Some Forum member distrusted my word. Listen to Smart Sam compared to otherwise excellent but off-road only Maxxis Rekon. (It is hard to stand the trail-tyre noise on road for extended ride duration).

My Giant Explore e+3 came with 47-622 Smart Sams. I really like them but I had a sidewall puncture today and I feel better replacing the tire as opposed to just the tube. I’m having trouble finding them. Schwalbe NA is out of stock. Bike Inns has them but they call them “Smart Samoa.” Weird...any reason not to order from Bike Inns?
 
My Giant Explore e+3 came with 47-622 Smart Sams. I really like them but I had a sidewall puncture today and I feel better replacing the tire as opposed to just the tube. I’m having trouble finding them. Schwalbe NA is out of stock. Bike Inns has them but they call them “Smart Samoa.” Weird...any reason not to order from Bike Inns?
I suggest getting the Smart Sam PLUS model. These ( 700 x 40 ) will fit your bike nicely. https://www.rosebikes.com/schwalbe-...2810?product_shape=black&article_size=700x40C. You can get them for the same price at Rose bikes Germany and they will ship via DHL. Bikeinn is in Spain. I have used Rose bikes many times. Rose also gets a higher trustpilot score. IF you do not choose the DHL option be prepared to wait much longer.
 
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I suggest getting the Smart Sam PLUS model. These ( 700 x 40 ) will fit your bike nicely. https://www.rosebikes.com/schwalbe-...2810?product_shape=black&article_size=700x40C. You can get them for the same price at Rose bikes Germany and they will ship via DHL. Bikeinn is in Spain. I have used Rose bikes many times. Rose also gets a higher trustpilot score. IF you do not choose the DHL option be prepared to wait much longer.
Thanks. I think I can get the 700 x 40 from US suppliers. More research ahead 😉.
 
Thanks. I think I can get the 700 x 40 from US suppliers. More research ahead 😉.
So I can get the 700x40 from a few sources in North America, including direct from Schwalbe NA. Problem is that the delivery is 10 days to 2 weeks out. The sidewall puncture is not a major hole...more of an abrasion with a small cut (less than 2 mm) and the hole in the tube was a pinhole. I mostly ride on groomed trails, some paved and some stone dust. Any real risk if I continue to use the damaged tire with a new tube while waiting for the new one?

Thanks in advance for any input.
 
I’d say just boot it and carry on. The oldest trick is to wrap a dollar bill around the tube where the cut in the tire is... the fabric of the bill keeps the tube from pushing through. A Clif bar wrapper or an actual boot product all work as well, but I’ve used that simple dollar trick a few times in my riding career... including going across the Erie Canal a few years back where I was able to finish three more days on the trip and a good week after I got home before I replaced the tire.

Of course, it may all go to hell five minutes down the path as well, but that’s the game! Really, for a tear the size you’re talking about you should be fine. You can also take a bit of Gorilla tape and put it on the inside of the tire there as well for a little extra insurance
 
I was converted by several notable members of these Forums to buy and install Schwalbe Smart Sam (standard issue) tyres on my Vado (47-622, 28 x 1.75"). It is impressive how quiet and fast rolling these tyres are on road, while I can ride them (with some effort) through the sand off-road. Smart Sams feel very sporty and dampen the road vibration very well even close to their maximum inflation pressure.

Some Forum member distrusted my word. Listen to Smart Sam compared to otherwise excellent but off-road only Maxxis Rekon. (It is hard to stand the trail-tyre noise on road for extended ride duration).

Yep. The center bead does it all. Standard issue on NCM Moscow, Moscow Plus, and Magnum Peak. No surprise at all on their quiet ride. That's what the center bead is designed to do.
 
I was converted by several notable members of these Forums to buy and install Schwalbe Smart Sam (standard issue) tyres on my Vado (47-622, 28 x 1.75"). It is impressive how quiet and fast rolling these tyres are on road, while I can ride them (with some effort) through the sand off-road. Smart Sams feel very sporty and dampen the road vibration very well even close to their maximum inflation pressure.

Some Forum member distrusted my word. Listen to Smart Sam compared to otherwise excellent but off-road only Maxxis Rekon. (It is hard to stand the trail-tyre noise on road for extended ride duration).

The Smart Sam is one of the best All-purpose tires available... a smooth-rolling, durable design that is both road and off-road capable. ;)
 
I’d say just boot it and carry on. The oldest trick is to wrap a dollar bill around the tube where the cut in the tire is... the fabric of the bill keeps the tube from pushing through. A Clif bar wrapper or an actual boot product all work as well, but I’ve used that simple dollar trick a few times in my riding career... including going across the Erie Canal a few years back where I was able to finish three more days on the trip and a good week after I got home before I replaced the tire.

Of course, it may all go to hell five minutes down the path as well, but that’s the game! Really, for a tear the size you’re talking about you should be fine. You can also take a bit of Gorilla tape and put it on the inside of the tire there as well for a little extra insurance
Picked up some Park Tool boots today! Thanks for the tip! My folks live west of Schenectady, I’m looking for some good trails to ride in that area for when we are up that way next summer, Covid willing.
 
how about a pic of the boots?
You clean the spot on the inside of the tire, peel off the backing and stick this over the puncture.
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Thanks. I think I can get the 700 x 40 from US suppliers. More research ahead 😉.
Well I’m glad my Smart Sam Plus tires are on the way. In the category of, “it’s always something,” 13 miles into a 15 mile trail ride, my newly booted tire with a new tube went flat 🤦‍♂️. My wife found the culprit, a tiny, sharp bit of quartzite embedded in one of the tire nubs had penetrated the tire and tube. Totally unrelated to the previous puncture....go figure.
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My OEM Trigger Sport tire on the rear of my Vado had worn smooth. I wanted a tire that would give me better control on our often steep gravel backroads. I ordered in a pair of Smart Sams from bikeinn.com; 8 day delivery with their standard shipping. I finished mounting them yesterday as a part of my brake service and gearing change. I moved over the tire liners from the OEM tires; no flats in them for over 1,000 miles after putting in the liners! Hopefully they'll continue to do their job in the Smart Sams...🙄

First ride today!
 
Well my SmartSam Plus saga has taken a frustrating turn. I ordered a pair of 700 x 40c tires on Amazon. Third-party vendor is BikeSomeWhere.com. Big mistake! Even though the item was listed as “in stock” with delivery 10 days out from order, they still have not shipped, according USPS. The frustrating part is that they immediately created a USPS shipping ID which takes Amazon customer service out of the picture, prevents order cancellation through the Amazon app and generates a charge to your credit card.

After checking online reviews of this supplier, it turns out this is typical (TrustPilot gives them 2 stars) and they do not answer their phone.

I figured out a workaround to get to a live Amazon customer service rep (use the “call us” menu but select the “other” category as opposed to “orders”) and they agreed to get the order cancelled if it does not show up next week.

I could have ordered them direct from Schwalbe so that’s plan B albeit more expensive.
 
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Well my SmartSam Plus saga has taken a frustrating turn. I ordered a pair of 700 x 40c tires on Amazon. Third-party vendor is BikeSomeWhere.com. Big mistake! Even though the item was listed as “in stock” with delivery 10 days out from order, they still have not shipped, according USPS. The frustrating part is that they immediately created a USPS shipping ID which takes Amazon customer service out of the picture, prevents order cancellation through the Amazon app and generates a charge to your credit card.

After checking online reviews of this supplier, it turns out this is typical (TrustPilot gives them 2 stars) and they do not answer their phone.

I figured out a workaround to get to a live Amazon customer service rep (use the “call us” menu but select the “other” category as opposed to “orders”) and they agreed to get the order cancelled if it does not show up next week.

I could have ordered them direct from Schwalbe so that’s plan B albeit more expensive.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sometimes you never know what you are getting into with Amazon suppliers. Just recently had a similar experience. Had to dispute it on my Visa and they took care of the whole shabang! ;)

BTW-Big fan of the Smart Sams Plus. Look like a very well made tire for my needs. Next ones on my list.
 
Well my SmartSam Plus saga has taken a frustrating turn. I ordered a pair of 700 x 40c tires on Amazon. Third-party vendor is BikeSomeWhere.com. Big mistake! Even though the item was listed as “in stock” with delivery 10 days out from order, they still have not shipped, according USPS. The frustrating part is that they immediately created a USPS shipping ID which takes Amazon customer service out of the picture, prevents order cancellation through the Amazon app and generates a charge to your credit card.

After checking online reviews of this supplier, it turns out this is typical (TrustPilot gives them 2 stars) and they do not answer their phone.

I figured out a workaround to get to a live Amazon customer service rep (use the “call us” menu but select the “other” category as opposed to “orders”) and they agreed to get the order cancelled if it does not show up next week.

I could have ordered them direct from Schwalbe so that’s plan B albeit more expensive.
Unfortunately these amazon issues pop up from time to time, on my recent ebike build(with "smartsams" for the OP police), Im stuck without a rear brake now for now. All I can do is look at the bike

USPS shows the item as being received for just over 10 days now.

Just bought the same brake from another source, so I might end up with 2
 
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