Submitted by
tbalzer
a Weekend Warrior
from Ogden, Utah
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2010
Strengths: Good price, low rolling resistance, looks good.
Weaknesses: there is no tread, so be careful if encountering dirt or sand. I haven't had any problems with sand or dirt, but it could be a problem
Bottom Line:
I've had the Ritchey Tom Slick for years and thought it was a good tire. Then went to the LBS and lucked out and these were the only tires they had that fit the bill. There were the more expensive kevlar bead specialized, but for commuting $40 a tire is out of my price range. I am so glad that I purchased these tires. They roll fast and have enough width to make the ride comfortable at the same time.
Bike Setup: Electra Townie 7d w/ full commuting setup
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
bcrank
a Cross Country Rider
from El Paso, TX
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2010
Strengths: built in tire liner, low rolling resistance. skinny. easy to mount. i can do it by hand. don't know what problem others are having.
Weaknesses: sometimes hard to find locally. slices easily (of course anything does if you hit glass)
Bottom Line:
this is a good tire. i have been using it for almost 10 years and i have found nothing better. i have actually been using the latest set for over 3 years with no problems. of course, once in awhile you get a bad tire, but that is the same with any tire.
i do use liners despite the built-in liner, but have only had the rare large thorn or cactus needle penetrate through the tire, but not through the liner. i do use liners with any tire out here--lots of cactus and mesquite trees(thorns)that drop branches in the middle of your path.
the tires definitely add speed to your commute. comparisons on known road loops have yielded at least 5mph increase on average uphill, about 7 on flats and about 10mph on downhills. at least for me.
of course be careful in the wet and slick surfaces, but that is common sense. no tread. right??
Submitted by
HaveBlue
a Cross Country Rider
from Lakewood, CO
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2010
Strengths: Quiet; Low rolling resistance; High pressure
Weaknesses: Short life span; prone to cuts and punctures; difficult to remove and install
Bottom Line:
I'm really disappointed with this tire. While on a ride today, I got yet another flat in the rear. That was the third one this month alone. Luckily I was near a bike shop. They checked out the tire and recommended I replace it due to wear. They offered to extend the life of the tire by installing a thorn-resistant tube, but I opted to replace the tire completely. I only got 315 miles out of the rear tire. The Specialized Fatboy gets 1 chili for value and 2 chilis for the strengths named above.
Bike Setup: 1996 Trek 8500 converted to commuting/touring
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Todd
a Weekend Warrior
from Ogden, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2009
Strengths: Price, weight, rolling resistance
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
These tires are above and beyond the tom slicks they replace. The rolling resistance and weight are a huge improvement over the tom slicks. They are a bit more expensive however I think they are worth it in the time saved getting to and from work. I did not have the same problems mounting these tires as some others did. It may be the tolerance of electra's rims however.
Once winter rolls around I'll have to get some studded tires but I am not worried about the rain after reading previous posts. I have not ridden them in the rain yet but am not worried after reading previous posts. These tires are definately for the street because of the width and lack of any tread. Do not take these off road!
Bike Setup: Electra Townie 7D set up for commuting duty
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
sacrac
a Cross Country Rider
from Orlando, FL
Date Reviewed: January 13, 2009
Strengths: Excellent puncture resistance for a 1.25 tire.
Weaknesses: Cant think of any
Bottom Line:
Just put them on the wife's bike for a ride from Key Largo to Key West and back, +200 miles (http://www.bubbafestbiketours.com/). All I can say is that we passed numerous other cyclist fixing numerous flats. We had none to report. I was on Continental Town and Country tires, which I usually use to urban stupid riding in downtown Orlando. I keep a set of wheels with the fatboys for speed work as I never was a roadie kind of person. Anyway, what it comes down to is I bought about three tubes and many air cylinders to fix the flats that we were "going" to have with all of the glass and other nonsense, but never used a thing. In fact I was giving away cylinders and patches to all of the roadie riders that were on their, not kidding, 4th or 5th flat each day. I dont work for specialized, but these tires are... slick, 1.25 diameter, round, tough, and a noticably feel different from knobbies. Well worth the price. Dont know about the weight, but if you are buying slicks for a mtn bike... get a road bike if you are going to freak about weight.
Favorite Trail: Carter Road, Santos, Snow Hill (for training)
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At: Orange Cycle Works
Similar Products Used: Continental Town and Country
Bike Setup: Cannondale Hardtail, Specialized Hard Rock (wife's bike)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Sum1
a Cross Country Rider
from Fremont, CA
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2008
Strengths: Almost completely silent and very smooth ride on smooth pavement (unlike knobby mountain tires), excellent cornering.
Weaknesses: Makes bike look weak and skimpy. Not much faster than the Specialized Resolution Tires (standard on 08' Hardrock models). Also hard to get off rims.
Bottom Line:
I switch back and forth between these tires and my Resolution tires to save the tread on the Resolution tires. These are great commute tires. If you ride your bike to work or school everyday, these tires are the best you can get. I also would recommend these tires to people who ride on the road for fun. If you spend most of your biking time on very rough roads, keep looking for another tire because these tires would get annoying after awhile. Every little bump is transmitted up the bike with these tires at 100 psi.
give these a miss: expensive! very high rolling resistance & mediocre traction & flat protection. the $10 Nashabr slicks are an equivalent tire, and lower rollign resistance! I felt like i was pedaling the bike through an inch of sand, even at 100psi.
for this kind of money you can get real tires like Schwalbe Marathons, Conti Sport Contact, Panny t-serves, etc. Sorry but Specialized is trading on their name recognition.
Bike Setup: 1998 Schwinn Homegrown, Green, 2008 LX rear derailleur, older XT front derailleur and LX shifters, Avid 1.9L Levers and Arch Rival 50 brakes, A.R.C. carbon flat bar, Wellgo Mag pedals,
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Richard Moeur
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2007
Strengths: Very light & fast for a 26" tire
Weaknesses: Thin sidewall (on older skinwall versions) is susceptible to cut flats
Bottom Line:
I've used Fat Boys off & on for about 15 years now. They're excellent tires for 26" street riding. Wet weather traction & cornering is only an issue on oily or dirty surfaces. I usually get about 1500-2000 miles out of a tire (rotating F-R every 400-500 mi or so). I had one with only 365 miles blow out through the tread, but I think it had been sitting around for a while before I mounted it. IRC Metro 1.25 tires (the older version with skinwalls) also pump up to 100 PSI, and I've gotten 3000+ miles out of the Metros, but IRC doesn't list that model anymore (only a lower-pressure version). To those who complain about road shock: I'll take a 100 PSI Fat Boy any day over a 100 PSI 700C road tire - the added cross section (but nearly-same rolling resistance) makes a big difference.
Submitted by
Chvad SB
a Cross Country Rider
from Brooklyn, NY
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2007
Strengths: 1) Super sticky. Grips to the road extremely well. 2) Light 3) Quiet 4) Practically resistance free.
Weaknesses: 1) Difficult to mount. 2) Once mounted onto the wheel, the side walls are thin and it was hard to get the tire to set right into the wheel. Patching a flat on these will be a serious pain. I'd recommend looking into carrying a long a fix-a flat type of device with you instead of pulling the wheel of to patch it.
Bottom Line:
A great wheel. I'm worried about it's reliability in the long run as this is my first experience with it and Specialized Flak Jacket Technology but so far, riding has been a unique experience. Quiet, fast, corners insanely well and fun to ride on. It's like turning your bike into a stealth bomber. Recommended.
Bike Setup: 2007 Ibex Alpine 550, Marzocchi Marathon SL forks ('04), TruVativ Blaze cranks, Specialized Lo Pro Mag 2 Pedals
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Stephen B
a Racer
from Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2007
Strengths: . They are THE Mountain Bike Slick . Grip, These things just hang on and on and on. . Puncture Protection . Warp Speed . Whisper Quite
Weaknesses: . Mounting - hard to get on . WET WEATHER - DON'T BE A DOUCHEBAG - THEY ARE SLICKS, Slow down when it's raining, don't ride on grass, not dry grass, not wet grass, don't ride them on loose dirt, hard pack, hard over loose pack, mud, snow, ice, don't ride them downhill, ride them on the ROAD!
Bottom Line:
These tires are, quite simply the best slick for your MTB. They are extremely sticky, have a very low rolling resistance and they give confidence during hard cornering.
Lets not be stupid. These tires are not intended for you to ride them on anything other than Tarmac or Cement, not hardpack, not loose, grass(dry or otherwise), not snow not anything else. Tarmac or Cement.
There's alot of "These tires suck in the wet" in the reviews here. If it's wet, slow down, period.
I've ridden these things for almost 4 years and through maintenence(picking bit of crud out of them) have never had a flat, never blown out a sidewall, nothing. I ride on some of the sh*tiest roads in Australia. Use them everyday and treat them mean they won't last for ever, you'll wear them out, deal with it!
The biggest issue with these tires would have to be that they telegraph every vibration through your shoulders, if you're running 100PSi.
Want to go fast on the road on your MTB? Want to commute on your MTB and do it quick? Get the FATBOYS!
Weaknesses: Hard to fit, can cause hairy moments if trying to stop really fast.
Bottom Line:
I used this for commuting to work, I was cycling about 200miles a week on them, they work fine in the rain and hardly lift any rubbish from the road. They stop you fine unless the surface is very smooth and wet, or if you're going really fast and trying to stop very quickly because a van has stopped right in front of you. Only got two punctures, both super thin sharp shards of flint, loved them only problem is that they really do transmit every little bump, but then they are truely amazingly fast!
Strengths: The Fatboys have very low rolling resistance therefore making them fast. These tires are also light, smooth and they don't look that bad. I thought they would considering they are a small thin tire.
Weaknesses: Well maybe the sidewalls are a little thin but nothing to really gripe at.
Bottom Line:
I needed a road tire so I wouldn't waste my xc tires on the street and these turned out to be perfect. You can train on these, burn weight/calories, or if you simply need tires to commute in the city , these tires are for you. Would I buy these tires again? ---Probably.
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