MTB Slicks

brianthebard

How much of a difference would these make compared to the regular knobbly tyres? Thinking of getting a set, dunno if its worth it.

CheGuedara

Well if you're regularly using the MTB to cover distance on the road it makes a huge difference (way less rolling resistance)

You can pick up relatively wide ones (1.5-2.0in) pretty easily but if you search around you can also find narrow enough ones (~1in) which are similar in width and construction to a road tyre. Looks odd on a mtb but rolls wicked fast

brianthebard

Cheers. Any idea what companies would do those 1 inch ones? Looking to try and make things a bit less effort and a bit faster.

papac

I have a set of 28mm Continental Gator Skins. Same tyres I use on my road bike.
They make a huge difference (even over wider slicks.) I recommend them.(You will need a good pump though to get them to high pressure)
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Continental_Ultra_Gatorskin_MTB_Tyre/5360021704/

edit. Most mtb rims are too wide for a tyre less than 28mm imo.

CheGuedara

Hey, well if you can find them I can tell you for sure that Continental do/did a 26x1in tyre that fit x717 and crossrides perfectly.

Actually that's a fib - getting them on was an unholy PITA, but after that all was sweet

brianthebard

I'm thinking getting these; http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=45881

My regular tyres are 26x1.95 afaik, these would fit wouldn't they?

papac

these would fit wouldn't they?

Should be fine. I'd be a bit wary of cheap slicks in the wet though.

Sheldon has a chart for rim tyre rim combinations.Towards bottom of page.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

blorg

brianthebard wrote: »

I'm thinking getting these; http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=45881

My regular tyres are 26x1.95 afaik, these would fit wouldn't they?

They should fit fine, there is a wider range on rims than is generally promoted and Sheldon's chart is very conservative.

Slickness is MUCH more important than width though, there is no need to go crazy narrow, 1.5s would be fine and a big improvement on 1.95 knobblies. Make sure you inflate to a high pressure with a track pump.

All else being equal (which it never is) slicks will grip better on tarmac in the wet, it is down to the rubber compound not the tread pattern.

brianthebard

Dumb follow on question but are the inner tubes different too?

blorg

brianthebard wrote: »

Dumb follow on question but are the inner tubes different too?

Only the width and they are pretty flexible. It depends what size you are going from/to. If you are massively shrinking you may need to change tubes. In a spot you will probably be OK with any width tube although it may not be optimal, I have stuck 700x19-23 tubes (road race) into my cross tyres before and it certainly got me home although the tyre did look deformed around the valve.

brianthebard

Cool. Well I was thinking about getting a new set anyways just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get the wrong ones.

BostonB

I put a set of these nimbus-armadillo-26x15 on mine. Made a big difference. Not meant to be as grippy as some of the other slicks but I've not really noticed, and I've not much to compare them with.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/tyres/road/product/nimbus-armadillo-26x15-10089

Buy a decent pump. Like a JoeBlow.

Lumen

What would Mockler do?

keith_d99

Got these in 1.3 width - massive difference, includes tubes and never had a puncture to date

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18829

Robertd_07

I went from this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18853 to this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18824 for my 25km round trip.
Massive difference.
Also have kevlar layer, so only the HUGE pieces of glass you find in the city centre get through.
In retrospect, I would have tried to go as narrow as possible.

blorg

keith_d99 wrote: »

Got these in 1.3 width - massive difference, includes tubes and never had a puncture to date

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18829

I have the Sport Contact on my commuter in the 700x37 variant. This would be equivalent more or less to a 26x1.5. They roll reasonably nicely and came with a "puncture protection guarantee" where if they got a puncture within a year (excluding faulty installation or inflation) you got a new set of tyres.

BostonB

Those Sport Contact 26x1.3 look nice.

doozerie

I've been using Continental Sport Contact 26x1.3 for a few years and have been very happy with them. I have found them to have very good puncture resistance, they roll well, they grip well in the dry, but as ever you have to be careful with them in the wet.

My latest Sport Contacts have a reflective strip on each side, all the way round the tyre walls. It's available as an option but worth getting if you can as it certainly helps visibility if you are commuting. Not everywhere sells them with this option though. I'm not certain, but I think the version with the reflective strips is called "Sport Contact Reflex".

blorg

doozerie wrote: »

I'm not certain, but I think the version with the reflective strips is called "Sport Contact Reflex".

That is what it is called all right. Well worth getting, it massively increases side-on visibility in particular.

rubadub

doozerie wrote: »

Continental Sport Contact 26x1.3

I had them on my old MTB before it was nicked, was very pleased but did have a few punctures. I now have cheapo slick on the front and almost slick on the back and tyre liners (these seem invincible to punctures now), not as fast as the others but that doesn't worry me, I cycle to burn calories! I would not be on commuting on a MTB if I was that worried.

-definitely worth changing to slicks. In the cold weather I had only one close call with some black ice, cycled every day during the snow -the snow itself was no problem at all.

brianthebard

keith_d99 wrote: »

Got these in 1.3 width - massive difference, includes tubes and never had a puncture to date

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18829

You have to order two don't you? Or are they a set?

blorg

brianthebard wrote: »

You have to order two don't you? Or are they a set?

Generally tyre prices are for one tyre, unless it specifically says otherwise. From the comments it seems you may get free tubes included, I did with mine (not bought from CRC.)

brianthebard

Cool stuff thanks.

rubadub

Yeah, mine was single and I got a tube, I think it was a presta tube (like ones on racers, schrader is the fatter valve like a car, many MTBs have presta now though).

Now I remember I had a 1.3" sport contact on the front and different fatter one with some grip on the back. I find it is my back wheel which would slip in the mud or on wet leaves, I also preferred a fatter tyre on the back for comfort.

I think the only downside was they were difficult to get on & off.

CRC is free post so no harm in getting just one to see how you like it (i.e. no discount in getting 2 at once.)

doozerie

The Contintental SportContact Reflex 26x1.3 tyres are available for 16.95euro each here. The delivery charge of 17euro pushes them over the CRC cost, but obviously if you are buying anything else at the same time then you may end up making a saving.

Also, I bought various sets of these tyres that came with free tubes, so I ended up with several spare tubes knocking around for a while. I stored two of them in my attic and when I looked at them about 1 year later they had perished at the creases where folded and had to go, unused, straight in the bin. I've stored other (non Continental) tubes in the same place for longer with no such problems. Strangely though, the Continental tubes that I have been using across a number of tyres, which I think were also free with some older tyres, have been fine. So maybe I was just unlucky, or maybe (some?) Continental tubes shouldn't be stored somewhere where the temperature ranges from very cold in the winter to very warm in the summer.

brianthebard

Thanks for the link doozerie but I've already ordered from crc. Bumped because these were apparently shipped 5 days ago but I haven't got them yet, anyone able to tell me how long delivery generally takes pls and thanks?

rubadub

I ordered from CRC last thursday, shipped friday, got it monday.

The tyres would be usually folded up, if nobody was home it might have gone to the post office, but you should have got a notice.

All my CRC stuff is around 2 days.

brianthebard

Cheers, have been expecting to see a notice all right but haven't even gotten that. Might email them if it doesn't arrive by tomorrow evening. Perhaps something I ordered was out of stock but I don't remember seeing that written beside any of the products.