[wotzapollohimalaya]

i'm interested to see if anyone runs slicks for commuting here?

would semi-slicks like bontrager SS and continental double fighter do the job or should i go with a full slick

anyway, i did take the plunge after my IRC metros cracked.... all in all, i thought they were pretty poor on grip and after 5 years, they were uselessly cracked all over..... i suppose at least they didn't wear too fast

i ended up on settling with a pair of Geax roadrunners.....

 

[jonowee]

Unless you live in Tazi or northern Australia during monsoon season, running full slicks are going to be no problem. Check out what the local messengers are using during the wet season.
Here in Perth it's still pretty damn sunny and most of them still run full slicks like Specialized Fatboy for example. Messengers are IMO the most reliable indication of what to run for commuting.

Cornering on asphalt on knobby tyres is scary, especially if you're like me I like pushing my cornering limits. Which can explain how I delaminated my Kenda Kinetics in 3/4 of a year considering I'm a lazy MTBiker (ride once a month, maybe twice) which is strange.
I 'strap' on my 'almost-slicks', run at my desired pressure which can vary from 40psi-70psi and do some sick cornering at high speed.

 

[Rainman]

When I was commuting regularly every day to work and back on the road, I actually had a set of wheels with slicks built up so I could swap em out quickly without having to change the tires every time I wanted to hit the dirt after work or on weekends.

I used 2" metros and used to push the limits in the corners as hard as I could too... [motorcycle racer from waaaaay back ] ..

Nowdays I dont bother changing to slicks for the road, I just enjoy the extra thrill of the big knobbies sliding and squirming around in the corners...lol..

R.

 

[Explosif98]

I use continental grand prix slicks. Excellent tyres. Roll very fast as they are all of 25mm wide. Before I got my road bike I did Around the Bay here in Melbourne on them and all my training for said event. I was never all that happy on the Specialized slicks. They were horrid in the wet compared to the Continentals, probably because they were so much wider and in the end the tyre haemoraged along the side wall for no reason in particular.

 

[LQQK]

I have been using IRC Metro (and Metro Duro) tyres for about 10 years and never had any love them. For the last 3 years I've been in Cairns, and in summer we can get some serious rain, and they have never been a problem (I run them 80-90 psi).
They are totally crap in sand and dangerous in gravel (along the edges of some roads here)

This is from http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html and worth a read if you want to know more about bike tyres, have a look at the part about hydroplaning.

"People ask, "But don't slick tires get slippery on wet roads, or worse yet, wet metal features such as expansion joints, paint stripes, or railroad tracks?" The answer is, yes, they do. So do tires with tread. All tires are slippery in these conditions. Tread features make no improvement in this."

 

[MWWH]

Just dont get hutchinsons

Ive tried many slicks over the years. From 1" to 2". If you want pure speed and dont want to do any off road shortcuts, go for the 1" conti grand prix. Ive found it hard to find 1" slicks generaly tho. 1.25/1.5/2 will be a bit more durable for the odd bunnyhop or rough sections at the expense of speed- Ive had mainly cheap brands ($25) which have been fine and save your knobbies. A great way to get out and do some road miles and get fit.

 

[MWWH]

about the hutchinsons-

I forgot to say avoid the hutchinsons- unless you can afford a new pair every 300km. They do feel nice a gripy but they wear out quickly and puncture easily.

 

[LQQK]

Ooops after reading what I just said I realise it is a bit ambiguous (I changed my train of thought mid way through writing it).

"I have been using IRC Metro (and Metro Duro) tyres for about 10 years and never had any love them."

Should have said “I have been using IRC Metro (and Metro Duro) tyres for about 10 years and never had any problems with them, I love them.

I should also add - these things seem to last for years. The side-wall seems to wear out faster than the tread!

 

[Trevor!]

Hey,

I actually bought some 1" slicks, but didn't like the way the bike felt, so I used my warn down pythons. I don't like the way I loose gears on the DHs - Well have lots of hills in Tasmania.

I bought a 700c disk wheelset too when I used my MTB on the road, it saved me swapping tyres and what not. (For sale )

I have a roadie now so it makes it all a lot better.

Cheers Trevor!

 

[slaw]

I've tried a number of slicks, commuting and touring. WTB Slickasaurus have been great. Long lasting. Got a Geax on the front at the moment. It's a bit narrower, but it's not perfectly round. Not that it's noticable riding, but I wonder about the quality control. On the rear at the moment I have a Schwalbe Marathon. These are wider again (and heavier?) but they are reputed to last a long, long time. Reflective strip is a little bonus for commuting too. Also put them on the wife's tandem and will probably get a 700c for my tandem, if I find them as good as their reputation.

The wife's tandem came with some Kenda semi-slick knobbies which roll OK. I've used them a bit for touring where there's a mix of sealed and dirt roads and they seem to work well for that. Not chunky enough for serious off-road.

Two sets of wheels are a great way to go if you need to swap over often. Now that I have a new ride, the commuter/touring mtb will probably just stay set up with slicks with the new bike being my main off-road trail bike.

 

[jonowee]

I love Continental tyres, unfortunately I wish I can afford Continental Gran Prix because the only bike shop that stocks Gran Prix overinflate the price.

Any good reccommendations ,even better if you mention the price and where and who you can get best deal from:
- From a tiny bit of research, Phantom Cycles stock Continental Sport Contact in 1.3" and 1.6" for $39.95 per tyre. I think that damn good value, not sure whether it's a folding tyre, the weights on the Continental website seem to indicate a folding weight. I might get them.
- Any more suggestions?...

 

[Explosif98]

I love Continental tyres, unfortunately I wish I can afford Continental Gran Prix because the only bike shop that stocks Gran Prix overinflate the price.

Any good reccommendations ,even better if you mention the price and where and who you can get best deal from:
- From a tiny bit of research, Phantom Cycles stock Continental Sport Contact in 1.3" and 1.6" for $39.95 per tyre. I think that damn good value, not sure whether it's a folding tyre, the weights on the Continental website seem to indicate a folding weight. I might get them.
- Any more suggestions?...

Cecil Walker here in Melbourne have the wire bead Continental Grand Prix tyres for $37.50 each. Their phone # is (03) 9600 9000. Not sure what shipping would be though. Another to try is Hendry cycles based in Ocean Grove near Geelong. Their # is (03) 5255 1627. Not sure on prices or availability but normally their prices are very good.

 

[MWWH]

Thats a good price. I recently bought a kevlar beaded one for about $45- but it was a LBS deal as it had ben sisting round for ages and retailed for $57 I think. My LBS tells me conti dont import the kevlar versions anymore, and they have just ordered me a wire version @ $44 - $40 with %10 discount.

 

[jonowee]

The bike shop I mentioned above sells the Gran Prix for $74.95 (per tyre!). Arseholes.