Replace the MTN tires?

[Ana]

I just got my Trek 830 and I LOVE it but it is a bit sluggish because of the tires. I'm inexperienced in the wheel rim parts.....can I just put any tire on it? I want to get a tire with less resistance (a little smoother).

Right now it's a mountain bike tire (lots of tread) and 26" x 2.1"

I would love any knowledge you can share on the subject!

Thanks in advance :D

[kenshinvt]

Getting a tire without treads is a good way to greatly decrease the effort required to get going and otherwise improve your commute. A narrower tire will also be faster as it has less rolling resistance.

Your primary limitation on tire size is how wide your rim is. I think the only way to check is to measure the width of the inside. Two common widths for a 26" tire are 20mm and 22mm. Here is a chart that shows the tires that would work on those size rims:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/sizecharts/szmwg1.gif

As you can see, if you have a 2.1 sized tire you should be able to go as low as a 1.5 regardless of which size rim you have. You should be able to find plenty of puncture-resistant 26x1.5 size tires for rather cheap.

If you want to measure the rim you may find that you can go as low as 1.25" or so. Even with just switching to 1.5" you will notice a big difference.

[lph]

I've put skinny tires on my mtb for road use, but it gave a pretty harsh ride. My bike felt almost as fast with lightweight but still fairly wide tires with a smooth center stripe and relatively high pressure, and a lot more comfy.

[Melalvai]

For commuting, a hybrid tire is nice. It's the happy medium between skinny road tires and knobbly mountain bike tires.

[Ana]

That means I can go tire shopping---any recommendations? :)

What tires do you ride on?:)

[Melalvai]

My wheels are 700x38c. Someone said they'd never ride on 38 but I've never had anything else on this bike so I don't know why. Next time I replace the tires I'll give the width some thought. It might be a trade-off: thicker tires get less flats.

I replaced the tires a couple years ago, it was one of the first replacements I made on this bike. I already had hybrids but I was getting lots of flats because the tires were old and brittle. The "new" (now 2 yr old) tires are armadillo tires. These are wonderful. They are kevlar lined. The only flat I have gotten in the past two years was a pinch flat. I can see tiny cracks in them, but until I start having flats I'll keep using them.

[Andrea]

I just got Kenda Kwick Roller Sports. Check out the Kenda website under "commuting" tires. I went narrow- 1.25", but I'm also accustomed to bumps & holes on a really stiff roadbike, so I didn't feel the need to stay wider for comfort. They have an "iron cloak" layer that is supposed to increase durability. They're folding bead, too, so they're slightly easier to deal with than wire bead

[Jolt]

My wheels are 700x38c. Someone said they'd never ride on 38 but I've never had anything else on this bike so I don't know why. Next time I replace the tires I'll give the width some thought. It might be a trade-off: thicker tires get less flats.


Glad to know I'm not the only crazy person here who rides on 38s! For riding around town, especially in this area where the roads are in such disrepair every spring, they make a lot of sense. I don't think I'd want skinny tires on our pothole-infested roads!

[lph]

I'm riding on Hutchinson Python tires on my mtb at the moment, fine for asphalt, packed dirt and gravel.

[Geonz]

My dahon has two-inchers :) I wondered if I'd like them when I took it home but told my guy I'd wear this set out and then decide... I *do* like them for bouncing over all the potholes!!!
There are good "city" tires out there with things like reflective sidewalls (mine have 'em).

[Ana]

I just got some Bontrager puncture resistant tires from my LBS and I can't wait to put them on and replace the chain! They're 26" x 1.5" which is a little narrower than what I was originally looking at but I'm still excited. If I don't like them I can always get fatter ones. I'm going to start maintenance this week so I'll take before/after pictures :)

I'm so excited! :D