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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    848

    26" in tires & wheels question

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    hey all,

    i learned that there were diff widths for 26" tires. 26 x 1.5, etc.

    I can keep the same wheels on my mtb but use thinner tires for commuting, right? I don't have to buy specials wheels in order to have the 1.5 vs whatever the standard is.. right??

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    2,556
    Be aware that not all tires labeled 26 inch are the same. MTB 26" tires are a different bead seat diameter than 26"x1 3/8" 3-speed tires. See

    http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

    A rim of a given width can take a range of tire width, but it has limits. You can measure the inner rim width and use Sheldon Brown's rule of thumb:

    "A general guideline is that the tire width should be between 1.45/2.0 x the inner rim width."

    He also has a chart on that page or rim width vs tire width.
    Oil is good, grease is better.

    2007 Peter Mooney w/S&S couplers/Terry Butterfly
    1993 Bridgestone MB-3/Avocet O2 Air 40W
    1980 Columbus Frame with 1970 Campy parts
    1954 Raleigh 3-speed/Brooks B72

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Traveling Nomad
    Posts
    6,763
    Quote Originally Posted by roguedog View Post
    I can keep the same wheels on my mtb but use thinner tires for commuting, right? I don't have to buy specials wheels in order to have the 1.5 vs whatever the standard is.. right??
    Yes, that's true. I put urban 26" 1.5" width tires on my mtb when I was riding on the trainer recovering from my fractured pelvis. Once I wanted to ride outside again, the 2.1" knobbies went right back on. Your rims will have a range of how narrow/wide you can go with tires, so if you don't have the product literature that came with them, you should be able to look up your rims online (that's what I did), and find out the range of tire sizes you can use. Since mountain bikes (and thus 26" tire sizes) are so popular, you'll likely find a large selection of 26" tires in a variety of widths and tread depths at your LBS.

    HTH,
    Emily
    Emily

    2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
    2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
    2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow

 

 

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