Tires

In article said:

I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead of
her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek 830 with
these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do to make her
bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with tires that are
about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Any help will
probably add to our marital bliss.

Use a smooth tire, smaller size, higher pressure. A 1.5" slick usually works pretty well for
mountain bikes on the road. Narrower may also work OK depending on the rim.

--Paul

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead of
her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek 830
with these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do to make
her bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with tires that
are about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Any help will
probably add to our marital bliss. -Dan

PS; I realized on the way home that my bike is geared higher than hers, but gears are probably too
expensive to change.

Actually, gears aren't much (if any) more expensive than two tires if you do the work yourself.
However, you'll still waste energy, just at a different cadence. Get rid of the knobbies and get a
couple of slicks, and you'll see a huge difference in how easy it is to pedal at a given speed.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Get some Kenda Kwiks they hold 100 psi and roll fast .I use them on my Mtn bike when the weather
gets nasty.I have a nice road bike but save it for century rides and summer riding .It will make a
difference.

--
J/O Trailblazer At large !!

Arpit <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

(Paul Southworth) said:

In article said:

I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead of
her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek 830
with these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do to
make her bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with
tires that are about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
Any help will probably add to our marital bliss.

Use a smooth tire, smaller size, higher pressure. A 1.5" slick usually works pretty well for
mountain bikes on the road. Narrower may also work OK depending on the rim.

sigh, I always struggle on the roads with my mtb tires, but Iiff I replaced the,m, I wouldnt be
able to go offroad 🙁

Quoted message said:

One option that you may want to look at is Avocet Cross tires. The tire has an inverted tread that
allows you to have low rolling resistance on paved roads, yet the "inverted" tread allows you to go
"offroad". For more info see here:

avocet.comcross 2 specs.htmlOpen ↗

Your LBS should be able to get them or they're available online here:

sheldonbrown.com559.htmlOpen ↗ or here: gtgtandems.com26c.htmlOpen ↗

In article said:

i have 1.35" on my mountain bike...theyre hutchinson acrobats...recommended 58psi max 86psi.. im
running at somewhere around 80psi and theyre terrific so far. havent had a pinch or had the wheel
go out of true

It would be interesting to find out what kind of sidewalls they have.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

Arpit said:

(Paul Southworth) said:

In article said:

I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead of
her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek 830
with these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do to
make her bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with
tires that are about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
Any help will probably add to our marital bliss.

Use a smooth tire, smaller size, higher pressure. A 1.5" slick usually works pretty well for
mountain bikes on the road. Narrower may also work OK depending on the rim.

sigh, I always struggle on the roads with my mtb tires, but Iiff I replaced the,m, I wouldnt be
able to go offroad 🙁

I've got ordinary MTB-size tires with smooth where they contact the road, but I pump them up to 80
pounds (max on the sidewall). I think I need to replace/fix the front tube, it only holds that
pressure for a few days.

--
Cheers, Bev
==============================================================
Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't.

Arpit said:

(Paul Southworth) said:

In article said:

I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead of
her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek 830
with these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do to make
her bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with tires that
are about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Any help will
probably add to our marital bliss.

Use a smooth tire, smaller size, higher pressure. A 1.5" slick usually works pretty well for
mountain bikes on the road. Narrower may also work OK depending on the rim.

sigh, I always struggle on the roads with my mtb tires, but Iiff I replaced the,m, I wouldnt be
able to go offroad 🙁

Quoted message said:

--Paul

My older brother rides his rigid frame mtn bike in any conditions from city to canyon on the same
set of "semi-slicks". Sorry I don't know the brand, but about 26 x .75 with smooth middle and lugs
on the edges. He and I rode lots of miles in Death Valley on those tires. (I used Kenda Kwiks 26 x
1.7) on my old rigid Norco. He calls his ride his "Swiss Army Bike" because it is useful in so many
circumstances. It is obvious that semi slicks are good unless you are doing extreme rides = or at
least they are worth a look.

Bernie

(Paul Southworth) said:

In article said:

I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead of
her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek 830
with these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do to make
her bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with tires that
are about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Any help will
probably add to our marital bliss.

Use a smooth tire, smaller size, higher pressure. A 1.5" slick usually works pretty well for
mountain bikes on the road. Narrower may also work OK depending on the rim.

sigh, I always struggle on the roads with my mtb tires, but Iiff I replaced the,m, I wouldnt be able
to go offroad 🙁

Quoted message said:

--Paul

Bernie said:

Arpit said:

(Paul Southworth) said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Dan Hall <[email hidden]> wrote:

>I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead of
>her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek 830
>with these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do to
>make her bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with
>tires that are about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
>Any help will probably add to our marital bliss.
>
Use a smooth tire, smaller size, higher pressure. A 1.5" slick usually works pretty well for
mountain bikes on the road. Narrower may also work OK depending on the rim.

sigh, I always struggle on the roads with my mtb tires, but Iiff I replaced the,m, I wouldnt be
able to go offroad 🙁

Quoted message said:

--Paul

My older brother rides his rigid frame mtn bike in any conditions from city to canyon on the same
set of "semi-slicks". Sorry I don't know the brand, but about 26 x .75 with smooth middle and lugs
on the edges. He and I rode lots of miles in Death Valley on those tires. (I used Kenda Kwiks 26 x
1.7) on my old rigid Norco. He calls his ride his "Swiss Army Bike" because it is useful in so many
circumstances. It is obvious that semi slicks are good unless you are doing extreme rides = or at
least they are worth a look.

Bernie

I've had good luck with Continental Travel Contacts. Similar, if not the same, as what you describe-
wide smooth center with distinct lugs on the edges. On the road at 60 psi or so, they roll very nice
and the lugs don't come into play (on an extreme turn they might, but I don't do fast tight turns
very often). Drop the pressure to 35-45 and I am able to go down most trails. Not the same as full
knobbies, but then I can actually *get* to the trails with the semi-slicks.

The Continentals are on the heavy side- 700 grams? 26" x 1.75. Very solid, long life, no punctures
in months of city riding and no flats off trail.

Bernie said:

Arpit said:

(Paul Southworth) said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Dan Hall <[email hidden]> wrote:

> I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead
> of her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek
> 830 with these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do
> to make her bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with
> tires that are about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
> Any help will probably add to our marital bliss.
>
Use a smooth tire, smaller size, higher pressure. A 1.5" slick usually works pretty well for
mountain bikes on the road. Narrower may also work OK depending on the rim.

sigh, I always struggle on the roads with my mtb tires, but Iiff I replaced the,m, I wouldnt be
able to go offroad 🙁

Quoted message said:

--Paul

My older brother rides his rigid frame mtn bike in any conditions from city to canyon on the same
set of "semi-slicks". Sorry I don't know the brand, but about 26 x .75 with smooth middle and lugs
on the edges. He and I rode lots of miles in Death Valley on those tires. (I used Kenda Kwiks 26 x
1.7) on my old rigid Norco. He calls his ride his "Swiss Army Bike" because it is useful in so
many circumstances. It is obvious that semi slicks are good unless you are doing extreme rides =
or at least they are worth a look.

Bernie

Ooops! I meant he rides on 26 x 1.75 tires, not .75. Bernie

Dan Daniel said:

Bernie said:

Arpit said:

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 22:19:02 GMT, [email hidden] (Paul Southworth) wrote:

>In article <[email hidden]>, Dan Hall <[email hidden]> wrote:
>
>>I went for a ride yesterday with my spouse and thought that I was doing so well to stay ahead
>>of her for the first couple of miles until she asked me to ride her bike back. She has a Trek
>>830 with these really big tires and I was working my butt off just to get home! What can I do
>>to make her bike run down the trail easier like mine does? I have a Trek 720 Crosstrainer with
>>tires that are about an inch narrower than hers so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
>>Any help will probably add to our marital bliss.
>>
>Use a smooth tire, smaller size, higher pressure. A 1.5" slick usually works pretty well for
>mountain bikes on the road. Narrower may also work OK depending on the rim.
>
sigh, I always struggle on the roads with my mtb tires, but Iiff I replaced the,m, I wouldnt be
able to go offroad 🙁

>--Paul
>

My older brother rides his rigid frame mtn bike in any conditions from city to canyon on the same
set of "semi-slicks". Sorry I don't know the brand, but about 26 x .75 with smooth middle and lugs
on the edges. He and I rode lots of miles in Death Valley on those tires. (I used Kenda Kwiks 26 x
1.7) on my old rigid Norco. He calls his ride his "Swiss Army Bike" because it is useful in so
many circumstances. It is obvious that semi slicks are good unless you are doing extreme rides =
or at least they are worth a look.

Bernie

I've had good luck with Continental Travel Contacts. Similar, if not the same, as what you
describe- wide smooth center with distinct lugs on the edges. On the road at 60 psi or so, they
roll very nice and the lugs don't come into play (on an extreme turn they might, but I don't do
fast tight turns very often). Drop the pressure to 35-45 and I am able to go down most trails. Not
the same as full knobbies, but then I can actually *get* to the trails with the semi-slicks.

The Continentals are on the heavy side- 700 grams? 26" x 1.75. Very solid, long life, no punctures
in months of city riding and no flats off trail.

Haven't heard of that tire, but Continentals of course have a good rep. I'm riding my "winter
beater" old Norco with the Kenda Kwiks on a commute that consist of city streets and railway
[censored]/ballast. I keep em pumped around 50 - 60 psi. They feel like good and tuff winter tires so far.
You mention city riding. Does that mean you cycle commute? It's definitely a personal choice, but
best of luck to you if you do. Bernie

Bernie said:

Dan Daniel wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've had good luck with Continental Travel Contacts. Similar, if not the same, as what you
describe- wide smooth center with distinct lugs on the edges. On the road at 60 psi or so, they
roll very nice and the lugs don't come into play (on an extreme turn they might, but I don't do
fast tight turns very often). Drop the pressure to 35-45 and I am able to go down most trails. Not
the same as full knobbies, but then I can actually *get* to the trails with the semi-slicks.

The Continentals are on the heavy side- 700 grams? 26" x 1.75. Very solid, long life, no punctures
in months of city riding and no flats off trail.

Haven't heard of that tire, but Continentals of course have a good rep. I'm riding my
"winter beater" old Norco with the Kenda Kwiks on a commute that consist of city streets and
railway [censored]/ballast. I keep em pumped around 50 - 60 psi. They feel like good and tuff
winter tires so far.

The Kendas look like nice tires. They struck me as a touch too slick and thin for going on dirt,
which the Travel Contacts handle ok.

Quoted message said:

You mention city riding. Does that mean you cycle commute? It's definitely a personal choice, but
best of luck to you if you do. Bernie

Hard to read what you wrote here- do you think it is a questionable choice I am making?

I'm in San Francisco where using a car is asking for aggravation and delays and parking tickets. I
got rid of the car years ago. The bus system is good all in all, but has its own aggravations and
delays. Bicycling is the best way to get around. I have very few problems with cars. It's almost
like playing that old video game, Asteroids, just always expecting giant 'rocks' to come flying in
from anywhere and being prepared.

Most days it is other bicyclists doing stupid things that create more hazards than cars, it seems.
The Critical Mass crowd is a two-edged sword to me. Some of their actions pushed bicycling into
public attention in ways that I don't think would have happened otherwise. All bicyclists here did
benefit from this, if only because more mainstream cyclists' demands were then seen as acceptable.

But the cowboy pseudo-anarchist types can make day-to-day cycling hazardous as they run red lights,
go the wrong way on streets, etc. If the same percentage of car drivers made as many boneheaded
moves as cyclists do, traffic would grind to a halt from all the accidents.

Dan Daniel said:

Bernie said:

Dan Daniel wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've had good luck with Continental Travel Contacts. Similar, if not the same, as what you
describe- wide smooth center with distinct lugs on the edges. On the road at 60 psi or so, they
roll very nice and the lugs don't come into play (on an extreme turn they might, but I don't do
fast tight turns very often). Drop the pressure to 35-45 and I am able to go down most trails.
Not the same as full knobbies, but then I can actually *get* to the trails with the semi-slicks.

The Continentals are on the heavy side- 700 grams? 26" x 1.75. Very solid, long life, no
punctures in months of city riding and no flats off trail.

Haven't heard of that tire, but Continentals of course have a good rep. I'm riding my
"winter beater" old Norco with the Kenda Kwiks on a commute that consist of city streets and
railway [censored]/ballast. I keep em pumped around 50 - 60 psi. They feel like good and tuff
winter tires so far.

The Kendas look like nice tires. They struck me as a touch too slick and thin for going on dirt,
which the Travel Contacts handle ok.

Quoted message said:

You mention city riding. Does that mean you cycle commute? It's definitely a personal choice, but
best of luck to you if you do. Bernie

Hard to read what you wrote here- do you think it is a questionable choice I am making?

No, I think semi-slicks like you describe are a good choice. I'll likely end up with a pair in the
future. I already have the Kendas, so I'll try to wear them out. My rides are mainly pavement with
some crushed stone and rough shortcuts thrown in.

Quoted message said:

I'm in San Francisco where using a car is asking for aggravation and delays and parking tickets. I
got rid of the car years ago. The bus system is good all in all, but has its own aggravations and
delays. Bicycling is the best way to get around. I have very few problems with cars. It's almost
like playing that old video game, Asteroids, just always expecting giant 'rocks' to come flying in
from anywhere and being prepared.

😉 yeah, i find city riding to often be like a video game too. I've biked in the Bay area several
times, mainly Oakland and Berkeley, and the watershed past Skyline. I don't think driver behaviour
is worse than in Vancouver, although I expected it to be less tolerant. It's not though, IMO.

Quoted message said:

Most days it is other bicyclists doing stupid things that create more hazards than cars, it seems.
The Critical Mass crowd is a two-edged sword to me. Some of their actions pushed bicycling into
public attention in ways that I don't think would have happened otherwise. All bicyclists here did
benefit from this, if only because more mainstream cyclists' demands were then seen as acceptable.

But the cowboy pseudo-anarchist types can make day-to-day cycling hazardous as they run red lights,
go the wrong way on streets, etc. If the same percentage of car drivers made as many boneheaded
moves as cyclists do, traffic would grind to a halt from all the accidents.