Phat tires on bicycles?

I recently saw something new; what looked like a variant on a mountain bike, only the frame was longer and lower slung. The biggest difference however was the back tire: it was the same diameter as a standard bicycle wheel but hugely thick, almost the same proportions as a motorcycle tire. Has anyone else seen these, and can you tell me what the design purpose of these are?

I’m guessing you have seen Schwinn’s new Sting Ray. Orange County Choppers had a hand in the design.

Or it could be a Giant Stiletto.

In this case, the main design purpose is aesthetics, and possibly comfort. Wide, low-pressure tires can also improve traction, but this is only an issue on mountain bikes. The disadvantage is that for the same air pressure, wider tires put more stress on the tire casing and rim. That means it must be run at lower pressure, resulting in increased rolling resistance.

There’s another big disadvantage to making tires much wider on a mountain bike, if you’re using it for mountain biking. Bigger tires pick up so much mud that the extra weight is death to your speed, stamina, control, etc.

Stock Trials bike? “Observed trials” or “trialsin.”
(example from Monty bikes)
Husband used to do this stuff-- tres macho. Watched him dislocate a shoulder. . . young love. Search for Hans Rey or Ot Pi, famous participants.