All around MTB tire selection?

BP said:

Hey guys,

I have a pair of Ritchey's tom slicks on my Cannondale MTB hardtail('98
F-600). I recently bought a road bike so I have decided to put some
actual MTB tires on my mountain bike. The majorty of my riding is urban
but we have some rugged country here, with some great areas to ride in,
so I want something that could handle the occasional trail, but with a
fairly low rolling reisitance for my daily urban riding. I have started
looking and the selection is astounding, I dont know where to start its
been almost 5 yrs since I've had to pick out MTB tires. If anyone could
give me somewhere to start from that would be awesome.

Brett

I just put some bald slicks with thick rubber (26 x 1.80) and some
really thick thorn resistant tubes inside and I can ride over just about
anything. With 55 PSI (60 max) the rolling resistance is next to nil and
it coasts down about like a 700c road bike. Of course I can't get down
to a full aero position but I am not racing and don't need the sore
neck. I couldn't do it 30 years ago and I am not into neck pain just to
look like a racer. There is very little difference I have found so far
but I imagine mud would be the proving ground. If I hit soft sand it
washes out no matter what tire I have on. For trails they should be good
unless you want to really lean on some curves covered with forest tree
droppings, needles and leaves. The trade off I have found is that
knobbies roll under if you try to corner too hard on pavement.
I don't know if that's the advice you want, but it works for me.
Bill Baka

BP said:

Hey guys,

I have a pair of Ritchey's tom slicks on my Cannondale MTB
hardtail('98 F-600). I recently bought a road bike so I have decided
to put some actual MTB tires on my mountain bike. The majorty of my
riding is urban but we have some rugged country here, with some great
areas to ride in, so I want something that could handle the
occasional trail, but with a fairly low rolling reisitance for my
daily urban riding. I have started looking and the selection is
astounding, I dont know where to start its been almost 5 yrs since
I've had to pick out MTB tires. If anyone could give me somewhere to
start from that would be awesome.

Mythos XC. Light, cheap, good.

BP said:

Hey guys,

I have a pair of Ritchey's tom slicks on my Cannondale MTB hardtail('98
F-600). I recently bought a road bike so I have decided to put some
actual MTB tires on my mountain bike. The majorty of my riding is urban
but we have some rugged country here, with some great areas to ride in,
so I want something that could handle the occasional trail, but with a
fairly low rolling reisitance for my daily urban riding. I have started
looking and the selection is astounding, I dont know where to start its
been almost 5 yrs since I've had to pick out MTB tires. If anyone could
give me somewhere to start from that would be awesome.

If you can find them, Avocet Fasgrip "City" tire is an excellent slick
tire for 26" (559mm) rims. Alternatively, if you want more traction,
try Avocet "Cross" tires with its inverted tread works well too (but
not as nice as the Fasgrip):

Avocet Fasgrip:
http://www.avocet.com/tirepages/carbon12_specs.html

Avocet Cross:
http://www.avocet.com/tirepages/cross_2_specs.html

If neither of those are available, or you want something less
expensive, check out Performance City tire:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=15304&subcategory_ID=5425

No such animal. different conditions are best dealt with by different
tread patterns. Wide spaced knobs to shed mud, lots of knobs to hold
onto gravel and soft soil, smoother for hardpack and slickrock,
aggressive for rooty/rocky, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Best bet would get a few sets of tires that best match what you most
expect to encounter. For example, I have two sets of wheels, one with
close knobs for gravel and a center ridge for road, the other wheels are
for trails and have tires with wide spaced aggressive knobs for the
roots and mud of the Carolina Piedmont, and another set of tires which
have aggressive but closer spaced knobs for the root's and rocky terrain
in the mountains.

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

BP said:

Hey guys,

I have a pair of Ritchey's tom slicks on my Cannondale MTB hardtail('98
F-600). I recently bought a road bike so I have decided to put some
actual MTB tires on my mountain bike. The majorty of my riding is urban
but we have some rugged country here, with some great areas to ride in,
so I want something that could handle the occasional trail, but with a
fairly low rolling reisitance for my daily urban riding. I have started
looking and the selection is astounding, I dont know where to start its
been almost 5 yrs since I've had to pick out MTB tires. If anyone could
give me somewhere to start from that would be awesome.

Basically, in my experience:

Knobs down the middle = high rolling resistance.

Smooth in the middle = not so great for the soft dirt.

If most of your trail riding is on hardpack, then a knobby-edged
flat-center tire may be your best bet, but be aware that these can
wash out on you in hard cornering on pavement.

I've used fat slicks on hardpack and grass with good results...and
slicks are always streetable.

That's just my fiftieth of a drachma's worth; others will have other
recommendations and observations.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

BP said:

Hey guys,

I have a pair of Ritchey's tom slicks on my Cannondale MTB hardtail('98
F-600). I recently bought a road bike so I have decided to put some
actual MTB tires on my mountain bike. The majorty of my riding is urban
but we have some rugged country here, with some great areas to ride in,
so I want something that could handle the occasional trail, but with a
fairly low rolling reisitance for my daily urban riding. I have started
looking and the selection is astounding, I dont know where to start its
been almost 5 yrs since I've had to pick out MTB tires. If anyone could
give me somewhere to start from that would be awesome.

I use semi-slicks over 90% of the time. For me, losing traction while
pedaling or braking is rarely a problem. But I need side knobs for the
occasional loose corner. So the Bontrager Revolt SS is perfect for me.

If you need more climbing or braking traction, semi-slicks with low center
knobs are the way to go. I use the Bontrager Revolt ST, but the Revolt X,
Hutchinson Python, IRC Mythos XC, or Ritchey Speedmax would be similar.

Larger cross sections (>2.1"😉 allow the tire to conform
to the ground better, giving better grip without squishy knobs or greater
rolling resistance. Also, tires with a pronounced shoulder offer better
control in loose soil than ones with a rounder cross section.

Matt O.

Hi Bert,
I got a pretty good set form Perfomance( house brand) kavlar belled,for
cheep, because I did not want my kid on the street in the wet on knobbies!
"BP" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hey guys,

I have a pair of Ritchey's tom slicks on my Cannondale MTB hardtail('98
F-600). I recently bought a road bike so I have decided to put some
actual MTB tires on my mountain bike. The majorty of my riding is urban
but we have some rugged country here, with some great areas to ride in,
so I want something that could handle the occasional trail, but with a
fairly low rolling reisitance for my daily urban riding. I have started
looking and the selection is astounding, I dont know where to start its
been almost 5 yrs since I've had to pick out MTB tires. If anyone could
give me somewhere to start from that would be awesome.

Brett