Road tires for my MTB
eaglelakebill
Posts: 120 Member
Since I got my first flat today on a ride I really would like to
replace the nobby tires on my big box store MTB.
Currently the tires are 26 x 2.10.
I plan on riding 95% roads as I have been and maybe a
dirt trail/road on occasion the dirt trail and roads are not
very rough at all it's fairly well packed dirt.
Any suggestions ?
replace the nobby tires on my big box store MTB.
Currently the tires are 26 x 2.10.
I plan on riding 95% roads as I have been and maybe a
dirt trail/road on occasion the dirt trail and roads are not
very rough at all it's fairly well packed dirt.
Any suggestions ?
0
Replies
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I switched to Schwalbe Marathon Plus (26*1.75) on my commuter MTB and have never looked back.
Long life, good puncture resilience and low rolling resistance.0 -
I use my MTB to commute and also have the Schwalbe Marathons, done 3000km on them with no issues. Mine have the reflective strip around the beading which is great if you are commuting in the dark.0
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Thanks for the suggestions guys.
I probably grab a tube tonight so I can keep riding
while I weigh my options but I like what I am reading
about these tires!0 -
If the Schwalbe's are too $pendy, Performance Bike has some slicks and semi-slicks (Forte and Metro I think) that I used for year commuting with little to no issue with them. Think it's around $18 each and if you're worried about flats, run with some Stans (or similar sealant) in the tube and you should be golden. Caveat...it's been awhile since I've used these so quality and durability may not be what I remembered.0
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I put some road tyres on my MTB and the difference in speed and effort on the road compared to knobblies is amazing. Think they were just ordinary Michelin commuter tyres - very durable.
Completed a few charity rides on them including a couple of 60 milers - it's what got me started into cycling decent distances.0 -
Awesome thanks guys.
I will be doing a 25 mile event in Schroon Lake, NY in about a month.
The mileage doesn't concern me but the 1200 feet of climbing will be a challenge.
Hopefully I can get some new road tires before then.
Between now and then I'm going to start doing more climbing in my rides to
get ready.0 -
A month is plenty of time to get in a little climbing practice. Best advice I can give is just find a steady comfortable rhythm and don't rush it when you are first starting out. Good luck and have fun!0
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If you want comfort, a cruiser tire will be good for both street and trails. So long as it isn't a square section tire, it will likely be a lot lighter than your current tires.0
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I have a 10 mile route with 600 ft of climbing picked
out for today after work. 600 ft is a lot more than I'm
used to. We shall see what happens.0 -
I think it all depends on one's definition of hills and where you are in your climbing journey. I have a friend who lives in FL who considers the Interstate overpass a mountain!!
I live in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains so virtually every ride is a hilly one. When I started riding 4 years ago, I remember the first hill I climbed, about a quarter mile @ 4% or so. I thought my heart and lungs were going to explode, my form was all over the place and my legs were screaming. I was about 250lbs at the time (down from 307) 4 years later and after literally millions of ft climbing (and another 58lbs lost) I managed to learn a few things
1. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!! The only way to improve climbing ability is to climb (losing weight helps too )
2. Make sure you have the appropriate gearing on your bike. For most people in hilly/mountainous areas that means a compact crank or triple up front and at least an 11-28 in the back. Staying in the big ring to look macho is a recipe for disaster. FYI, even Alberto Contador uses an 11-32 on the back of his bike during Le Tour!! Since you have a MTB I imagine you are good here.
3. Concentrate on your form and breathing. Try to make smooth circles when pedaling, concentrate on 'scraping your toe' at the bottom of the circle and pulling up on the upstroke. This will increase your climbing efficiency. Sit up in the saddle with your hands lightly on the top of the bars. This allows easier breathing. Keep you're upper body still and relaxed, rocking your shoulders and pulling on the bars just wastes energy. Don't forget to breathe!!
4. Find a cadence that works for you and settle into a rhythm. Ideally you want to be able to spin at 75-85 rpm on the steep stuff if possible. I'm a bit of a masher so I tend to churn at slower rpms. Changing my gear ratios has helped tremendously. Spinning will delay the onset of fatigue.
5. On long climbs, every once in a while change down a couple of gears and stand for a bit. This will recruit other muscles and give your butt and overtaxed muscles a rest. When you sit, shift up again and you may find it a bit easier.
6. Learn to suffer That means keep pedaling even when your brain says stop! 0 -
I will be doing a 25 mile event in Schroon Lake, NY in about a month.
Beautiful country up there... enjoy the riding.0 -
I will be doing a 25 mile event in Schroon Lake, NY in about a month.
Beautiful country up there... enjoy the riding.
Thank you we love it up there.
I have a place up there about 15 miles from Schroon Lake.
I did the following ride up there last weekend.
http://www.strava.com/activities/1777242530 -
Very nice. I try to get up to Keene Valley/Lake Placid a few times every summer.0
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I think it all depends on one's definition of hills and where you are in your climbing journey. I have a friend who lives in FL who considers the Interstate overpass a mountain!!
I live in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains so virtually every ride is a hilly one. When I started riding 4 years ago, I remember the first hill I climbed, about a quarter mile @ 4% or so. I thought my heart and lungs were going to explode, my form was all over the place and my legs were screaming. I was about 250lbs at the time (down from 307) 4 years later and after literally millions of ft climbing (and another 58lbs lost) I managed to learn a few things
1. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!! The only way to improve climbing ability is to climb (losing weight helps too )
2. Make sure you have the appropriate gearing on your bike. For most people in hilly/mountainous areas that means a compact crank or triple up front and at least an 11-28 in the back. Staying in the big ring to look macho is a recipe for disaster. FYI, even Alberto Contador uses an 11-32 on the back of his bike during Le Tour!! Since you have a MTB I imagine you are good here.
3. Concentrate on your form and breathing. Try to make smooth circles when pedaling, concentrate on 'scraping your toe' at the bottom of the circle and pulling up on the upstroke. This will increase your climbing efficiency. Sit up in the saddle with your hands lightly on the top of the bars. This allows easier breathing. Keep you're upper body still and relaxed, rocking your shoulders and pulling on the bars just wastes energy. Don't forget to breathe!!
4. Find a cadence that works for you and settle into a rhythm. Ideally you want to be able to spin at 75-85 rpm on the steep stuff if possible. I'm a bit of a masher so I tend to churn at slower rpms. Changing my gear ratios has helped tremendously. Spinning will delay the onset of fatigue.
5. On long climbs, every once in a while change down a couple of gears and stand for a bit. This will recruit other muscles and give your butt and overtaxed muscles a rest. When you sit, shift up again and you may find it a bit easier.
6. Learn to suffer That means keep pedaling even when your brain says stop!
Thanks for all the great advice I really appreciate it.
I have been finding it easier when I concentrate and try
to peddle " all the way around"! I live in the Hudson River Valley here
in NY so I have my choice of nice flat runs or as hilly as I can take it.
I have a triple up front and I spend most of the time in the 1st or 2nd
granny gear on the hills. They are getting a little easier.
I'll keep your tips in mind as I try to increase my climbing
footage over the next few weeks0 -
Schwalbe Durano Plus' come in a 26" x 1.35; a little heavy, but good puncture protection and ideal for road use (IMHO of course...) I have them on my old commuter
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/tour/durano-plus/0 -
Stay away from Rubena V99 City Hoppers. They have low puncture resistance and wear out very quickly.0
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I am a big guy and had to reduce climbing to a simple problem of physics, that is climbing equals work. Work is just work rather it is done on the flat or on grade. Try this; while riding on a long stretch of flat with little wind, try to find the pedal pressure that you apply under these conditions, then apply the same pressure using the necessary lower gearing on a climb. This method allows you to do the same work per unit time that you are accustom while on grade. Both conditioning and weight affect climbing rate, conditioning come with time and ride miles, weight loss is for me the harder of the two, but more rewarding is the gain in faster average ride speed. After good conditioning, each 10 lbs of weight loss increases ride speed by about 1 mile per hour on average. That 1 mile per hour is as much as 20% increase on grade by climbing at 6 rather than 5 mph.
Quick fix if you are not already, run on a road tire 32mm (1-1/4") or less in width with a pressure of 100psi or better, the above is still true.0 -
I have been incorporating more climbing into my rides
I am surprising myself with being able to peddle longer up the hills
and being able to climb hills in the second lowest gear as
opposed to the first. I'm getting better at it and I truly enjoy
the fast descents after the climb!0 -
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