[VeloCruzer]

...and how'd that work out for ya?

Looking speed up my 17 mile commute which is 90% road and 30% hills. Anyone gone as low as 700x32?

Yeah I know, someone will shout just get another frame. :nono:

But I just can't kick the Monkey habit.

 

[JAGI410]

It's not the monkey, it's the rims. What rims are on your monkey? There will be specs on what the minimum tire width is.

Monkeys with skinny tires are just fine in my book. That's the beauty of Surly bikes, you can throw whatever damn tires you want on 'em.

 

[VeloCruzer]

DT Swiss TK 7.1. I know can go down to 25c, maybe even 23c. But that's not the point.

I want to know from others who tried road tires on their Monkey what worked well for them in practice.

 

[Leopold Porkstacker]

If you go too small, you’ll increase the likelihood of getting flats. Just a thought. 28c is probably the best size, Continental Ultra Gatorskinz come to mind; if that ain’t fast enough, I’d work on tuning up the engine first.

 

[Mojoe]

I've run 32's. Mine were a Ritchy cross tire. I use them for gravel and road touring. Love how it lowers the bottom bracket for loaded touring. Makes the bike feel stable.

 

[pointerDixie214]

I've run 32's. WTB Crosswolfs. On my MTB rims and they worked fine.

 

[SSSasky]

I happily run 32mm on my commuter frame, which has a 70mm BB drop, compared to the KM's 28mm, so pedal strike shouldn't be a problem for you at all.

On a long commute I certainly wouldn't want to run anything smaller than 32mm, that's for sure. Schwalbe Marathons are my tire of choice, but they are stiff and thick, so not the fastest or most comfortable tire.

If you want a fast, light 32mm tire, you could try Grand Bois or Panaracer Pasela's. Both have a thinner tread and sidewall, which make them more comfortable. Popular randonneuring tires.

http://www.talltreecycles.ca/products/Parts-Tires/Grand-Bois-Cypress/

 

[riiz]

The skinniest I ran on my monkey was a 35mm, because of the rims width. I used a Maxxis cyclocross tire, it ran smooth on the street and was still plenty stable on singletrack,

 

[VeloCruzer]

Thanks for the insights.

As luck would have it, a riding buddy lent me a pair of Marathon 32s this morning, which I quickly mounted and took out for a 15 mile spin. I see what you mean by stiff and heavy, for a 32s, but Jesus did they roll a lot better than the Vulpine 2.1" shoes I used to run!

Am inspired to try the Paselas in 32 now. Grand Bois too rich for my diet. Thanks again.

 

[twinnie]

28mm blunts and 28c kenda kwests on a pugs

 

[SSSasky]

The Paselas are really nice, and certainly a better rolling tire than the Marathons. They still have decent flat protection in the tread, but the tread is much thinner, so it is less long-wearing. The sidewall is not reinforced on the Paselas, and that is the trouble point most people seem to have with them over many miles of use.

I like the Paselas a lot, and would happily spec them on a randonneur type ride. My commute and most of my riding in general is entirely dense city core, so the marathons make more sense.

 

[dfltroll]

Panaracer Paselas and T-serves would be great choices along with Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. A great larger tire that's supple is the Rivendell Jack Brown green although it's probably not the ideal tire for a commuter. You could try the Jack Brown blue which is sturdier. But really, I'd go with 700x32 or 35 Marathon Supremes.

http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/jack-brown-green-blue/10-092

http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/schwalbe-marathon-supreme-folding/10-102

 

[VeloCruzer]

Just checked out the Supremes. Pricey, but they seem to "have it all" - low resistance, lighter weight, puncture protection, good rolling - or at least that what the Schwalbe ad men say. Will throw this into the mix with the Paselas...Thanks.

 

[dfltroll]

The problem I've had, and others, with Paselas is the sidewalls are prone to blowing out or easily getting cut. T-serves roll nicely but are more durable. I have 700x35 Supremes on one of my bikes now and really like them. Hell, I'll probably roll them for next weeks 200k brevet.

 

[western high plains]

I put 700x23 tires on every now and then. They're fast but the lower BB makes for some interesting pedaling around corners.