[Downhillin]

I know there has been a couple of recent posts about what kind of tires are best, so on and so forth. But my question is a little different..

Running the Kendra Klaws on Salsa Delgado rims on my geared KM and I'm looking for some smoother, road type tires to do a little pavement training for a 60 mile ride coming up soon. Going to run it on my KM just for something different and I'd rather not run the Klaws for that long, so something like a road tire would be nice... so go ahead and throw out your thoughts...

Cheers

 

[Krackity Jones]

You don't need to look any further than the Schwalbe Big Apple. 2.3 and 2.0 available. I have 2.3s (26") on a old Bridgstone MB-3 and love them. FYI: they call the size 28, but it is the same as a 29.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/on_tour.php?Nickname=BIG APPLE&Image=TireImages/big_apple.gif

 

[LionelCSG]

True that. But keep in mind that the big apple ist quite heavy:
Big Apple 28x2,00: 835g
Big Apple 28x2,35: 935g.

Alternativeley you could have a look at some kenda tires:

http://www.kendausa.com/bicycle/kwick.cfm

ciao, Franz

 

[Cloxxki]

It's for training, so he better first his tubes in the 28x2.35" with mostly water.

 

[GlowBoy]

Maxxis WormDrive 700x42

Although its real width is only about 38-40mm, other than the Big Apple it's the largest near-slick tire I know of. It's very fast-rolling, has excellent grip on both wet and dry pavement, and is about 500g with Kevlar bead..

The Mythos Slick 700x42 is slightly larger, but has substantially more RR and generates a LOT of buzz on pavement. Better offroad than the WormDrive though, so it all depends on what you plan to use the tire for.

 

[Greenfix]

I am just curious.

Why are all the reccomended tires so large? Is it because of the delgado rim? Do you want road tires? If so I say go narrower if the rims will support it.

I run 700 x 25 maxxis detonators (on open pros) for early season road rides to help cope with frost heaves and residual sand/debris. The nice thing about "oversized" road tires is that you can usually pick them up very cheap. Most roadies think 700 X 23s are fat so the 25s and 28s do not sell well.

Edit:

This is where I picked up my maxxis tires, and they have a killer deal on a set right now ($6 each for a 700X25):
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/TI607B00-Maxxis+Xenith+Un+Categorie+Tire.aspx

 

[Krackity Jones]

Why are all the recommended tires so large?

Big tires = pneumatic suspension.

For me, when it comes to tires, bigger is better. Comfier ride. I don't sweat the weight. Also, as long as the rolling resistance isn't too much, once you get them up to speed it seems that the inertia keeps them rolling so nicely.

Most roadies think 700 X 23s are fat...

Well, I only ride road because that is how I get to work. My road bike sports 700x28 Rivendell Ruffy Tuffys. Biggest tire I could fit under fenders (had to cut the hell out of the fenders to get them to fit). I'm not fond of pavement, can't imagine choosing to go on a "road ride" when there is dirt to be had. Personal preference I guess.

 

[Krackity Jones]

Why are all the reccomended tires so large?

One other reason for me is that when I ran skinny tires on an MTB, I thought it funked up the handling of the bike. Couldn't tell you why.

 

[29erchico]

Slicks?

I'd go with 28mm ft & 32mm rear. Run that setup on my touring bike when I want to go fast unloaded. Plenty cushy for road work. Just buy a decent brands cheaper tire.

29erchico

 

[shiggy]

You can use any 700c tire larger than about 28 mm. I tend to like bigger tires on mtb frames as the bike tends to have a harsher ride.

Panaracer makes some very nice light road tires in the 35-40 mm range.

 

[Cloxxki]

I love my 28mm Rivendells for crits and getting to the course.

>One other reason for me is that when I ran skinny tires on an MTB, I thought it
>funked up the handling of the bike. Couldn't tell you why.
Yes, narrow (low) tires change the handling. The bike's trail figure is shortened, making or snappier handling. Going from 26" knobbies to 700c skinnies is less of a difference and in the opposite direction, slightly slower handling.

Although is sure does feel quick to have a bike that won't go stright on without constant corrections, it's actually slower than a lazy geometry, as road tend to go from one place to the other, over the shortest route : straight on. Road pro's back in the days liked how their crit bikes handled, but found that it totally wore them out on the long striaghts of a classic race over 250+km. Constant corections, that takes brainpower(or at least brain workload) and fysical effort.

I love how 28x2.35" slicks turn the bike into a tank. Once it rolls, it definately rolls, and I can maintain pretty good speeds. Oh, and it just feels totally bomber. Road bikes are scary after riding it.

 

[the_eleven]

True that. But keep in mind that the big apple ist quite heavy:
Big Apple 28x2,00: 835g
Big Apple 28x2,35: 935g.

Alternativeley you could have a look at some kenda tires:

http://www.kendausa.com/bicycle/kwick.cfm

ciao, Franz

Franz has a valid point about the Schwalbe tires. And they are heavier than spec. at least on the two pairs that I own.

I LOVE my Kenda Kwick EZ Ride in a 700 x 45; it actually measures closer to 43mm.
Super low rolling resistance on tarmac, and work for light duty off-road use. Just don't push them too hard through turns in loose dirt!

 

[Cloxxki]

My 2.0's are lighter, the 2.35's heavier than claimed, but each only by about 50g.
I'll sell a good part of my soul for a SUPERMOTO version in 28x2.35", which would be sub-700g, and roll like nothing else in this world. The 26" SM is popular with UST rims and DIY tubeless, too.