minimum tyre width for mtb

cullend2

hi guys,
i commute into town every day on my pretty basic suspensionless mountain bike. i was toying with the idea of getting myself a proper road bike, but because it would be left outside most of the time, where it could well be damaged/stolen as well as at the mercy of the elements, id stick with the cheap and cheerful bike i have for now, and just stick a set of slicks on it.

the stock tyres on it are 26x1.95, and i was thinking of throwing a set of continental sport contacts on. these come in 2 widths; 1.3 and 1.6.

am i right in thinking that narrower tyres usual means less rolling resistance? in this case i suppose i'd like the 1.3s. but is this too narrow for my stock rims?

thanks
dave

DirkVoodoo

What rims are they?

Probably best off taking it into your local bike shop and asking them.

Dr_Colossus

Yes narrower tyres do mean less rolling resistance. I presume your stock rims are alloy? The older steel type rims were alot wider and not really suitable for thin slicks. Alloy rims are usually pretty narrow so 1.3 should be fine and give a nice quick cycle.

cullend2

well the bike itself is maybe 2 years old, and the wheel looks considerably narrower than the tyre thats on it, so i wouldnt imagine its an old-style rim... thanks!

Turbulent Bill

I run 26x1.125 (I think) Conti Ultra Gatorskins on cheap MTB rims (Matrix 550?) without any problems; the stock knobbly tyre was 26x2.0. When inflated, the maximum width of the slick is only about the same as the rim, looks a bit odd but works fine.