Slicks on a MTB, tubes?

Rew

Am I right in saying that Gatorskins (which are 26 1 1/8) on an MTB need slimmer tubes to match for example:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18905

Or are standard 1.75-2.5 tubes ok?

doozerie

Yes, you should use slimmer tubes to match the tyre. You can often fit a wider tube in, but it can be a real pain. A tube which is nominally too wide for the tyre makes it harder to avoid getting some of the tube stuck under the tyre bead when fitting it. Picture a magician pulling lots of coloured pieces of cloth from his sleeves and then imagine trying to get them all back in again!

Keep_Her_Lit

[SIZE=-1]I am using a pair of these Gatorskins intermittently on my commuter MTB at the moment. They are narrow, low profile tyres with a small volume, so I would guess that your chances of squeezing [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]1.75-2.5" tubes into them are about nil. Definitely not worth the hassle, just get the narrower tubes.

Also, [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]they are a VERY tight fit on my rims (Mavic XM-317). Make sure that you have good [/SIZE][SIZE=-1](i.e. strong) tyre levers[/SIZE], otherwise you could be left cursing on the roadside in the event of a puncture.

A couple of comments about these tyres:

• The reason I am using them intermittently is because their wet grip is not up to scratch (IMHO) and I consider them a liability in traffic. For that reason, I won't be buying another pair.
• That's a pity because they roll nice and fast (by MTB standards) and seem fine in the dry.
• If you've been using tyres up to now which comfortably accept [SIZE=-1]1.75-2.5" tubes, you will notice a significant change in your gearing. The Gatorskins will reduce the rolling radius of your wheels more than most MTB slicks [to illustrate: because of the huge clearance between the tyres and the fork/frame, a colleague who parks his bike close to mine was convinced that I had fitted smaller wheels!]. So if you're on standard MTB gearing (42/44T outer chainring), you may end up "spinning out" in top gear from time to time where you wouldn't have previously.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-1]I have had a couple of pairs of Continental Sport Contact, 26 x 1.3. Still pretty quick and somewhat better in the wet. I would recommend these over the Gatorskins, purely from a safety point of view.[/SIZE]

seve65

I put these tyres on my 'mtb' and they have been fine:
(1) Continental Tyres - MTB 26" Grand Prix MTB Tyre 26 x 1.1/8 Folding -Black/Black Skin

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=39338

And these inner tubes
(1) Michelin Tubes C2 AirStop Butyl Tube - 26"/650c 26 x 1.00-1.50 Schrader 36mm

gman2k

If anybody wants a pair of contis and matching tubes let me know, mine were used a couple of times and will probably never be used again!

Keep_Her_Lit

gman2k wrote: »

If anybody wants a pair of contis and matching tubes let me know, mine were used a couple of times and will probably never be used again!

Out of interest, what type of Conti and why won't you be using them again? Thanks.

gman2k

Keep_Her_Lit wrote: »

Out of interest, what type of Conti and why won't you be using them again? Thanks.

Too dark now to go to bike cave and check which ones! (Will check tomorrow)
I won't use them again, cos road bikes are for roads, mtb bikes are for no roads!
(If I want to go on the road, I'll use one of me road bikes!)
The gearing and sitting position on MTB bikes on the road is no fun for me!

Keep_Her_Lit

seve65 wrote: »

I put these tyres on my 'mtb' and they have been fine:
(1) Continental Tyres - MTB 26" Grand Prix MTB Tyre 26 x 1.1/8 Folding -Black/Black Skin

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=39338

I still have a spare pair of the earlier 26"x 1.0" Conti GP folders. They felt really great on the bike - very light and supple with significantly lower rolling resistance than any other MTB slick I have tried. Definitely in road bike territory! But they broke my heart with punctures, including plenty of pinches/snakebites, and I couldn't put up with them any longer for commuting. I wonder if that's part of the reason for the increase in width to 1.125".

How have you found them for punctures? What width rims are you running them on? Can you trust them in the wet? Am I asking too many questions ...??

gman2k

Here's one of mine, I have a pair, with matching tubes, probably 30 miles done on them. They just need a loving home!

BostonB

I have a set of Specialized Nimbus Armadillo 26x1.5 on mine. I use 1.5x2.2 tubes. Have had a few punctures over a few years, always glass shards. It thought that wasn't bad, considering all the stones and glass I find caught in it. Tiny tear in the tread of one of them at the moment, but its still holding together. I wouldn't mind trying something different, but not if its going to give me lots of punctures. Might depend on the route though.

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

I pump mine to 80~90 psi and I find after a day or so, they usually down to 60 or so. Is that usual?

seve65

Keep_Her_Lit wrote: »

I still have a spare pair of the earlier 26"x 1.0" Conti GP folders. They felt really great on the bike - very light and supple with significantly lower rolling resistance than any other MTB slick I have tried. Definitely in road bike territory! But they broke my heart with punctures, including plenty of pinches/snakebites, and I couldn't put up with them any longer for commuting. I wonder if that's part of the reason for the increase in width to 1.125".

How have you found them for punctures? What width rims are you running them on? Can you trust them in the wet? Am I asking too many questions ...??

No punctures. 19-559 rims. Only rode in the worst of the weather in the winter and no problems (maybe about 1000k). Was slipping a bit when ascending a gritty 25% gradient once, to be expected ! I would trust them, but I doubt Id be wanting to do much over 40K round any sharpish corner in the wet. Once I come off I wont trust them !

I came off once on the ice with my road bike with conti gp4000s 23, prior to that I had been cycling on roads with smatterings of hard snow with steep descents, I was very careful but not too worried, I would be worried now having since come a cropper out of the blue on the ice.

Keep_Her_Lit

gman2k wrote: »

Here's one of mine, I have a pair, with matching tubes, probably 30 miles done on them. They just need a loving home!

That's very decent of you, giving away quality kit like that gratis. I'm tempted to give them another go! But I think you're a wee bit too far South to make a handover practical in the short term (... just guessing from some of your other posts, correct me if I'm wrong; Dublin myself).

Maybe somebody closer to home can give them a loving pair of wheels? If you still have them when the SKT comes around, we might be able to cross paths then. Thanks anyway.

Keep_Her_Lit

seve65 wrote: »

No punctures. 19-559 rims. Only rode in the worst of the weather in the winter and no problems (maybe about 1000k).

Thanks. My 17-559 rims should be fine so.

Was slipping a bit when ascending a gritty 25% gradient once, to be expected !

I'd say! Not too many 25% gradients around - where was that? On those skinny tyres, I'm assuming it wasn't off-road.

I came off once on the ice with my road bike with conti gp4000s 23, prior to that I had been cycling on roads with smatterings of hard snow with steep descents, I was very careful but not too worried, I would be worried now having since come a cropper out of the blue on the ice.

Fair play to you for getting out there in all weather but when the roads are icy, maybe a turbo trainer or rollers would be an option?

gman2k

Keep_Her_Lit wrote: »

That's very decent of you, giving away quality kit like that gratis. I'm tempted to give them another go! But I think you're a wee bit too far South to make a handover practical in the short term (... just guessing from some of your other posts, correct me if I'm wrong; Dublin myself).

Maybe somebody closer to home can give them a loving pair of wheels? If you still have them when the SKT comes around, we might be able to cross paths then. Thanks anyway.

Cheers KHL - you'd be welcome to them, sorry if it came across as a freebie, but they would need cash to be exchanged:o

Keep_Her_Lit

BostonB wrote: »

I wouldn't mind trying something different, but not if its going to give me lots of punctures.

The Conti Sport Contacts that I mention above are pretty good in that regard and have a kevlar based layer for puncture resistance. You can still get the occasional puncture but nothing that would put you off them.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18829

I pump mine to 80~90 psi and I find after a day or so, they usually down to 60 or so. Is that usual?

No, that shouldn't happen. Do both wheels lose pressure this fast or just one? If it's just one, then a slow puncture would seem to be the most likely cause (though it is of course possible to have slow punctures in both tyres). If it's both, then the tubes may be suspect; maybe the valves are poor quality or dirty (do you use valve caps?) and are letting a lot of air past. Fill your bath with 3 or 4 inches of water, then submerge the wheels, one at a time, rotating them to check the entire circumference. A daily loss of 30psi will definitely produce fairly frequent bubbles under water, so you should be able to identify the approximate location of the leak. If it isn't the valve, remove the tube and repeat (at lower pressure!) to get the exact location.

I presume you're not using more exotic tubes, like these latex ones:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20472
They are featherweight but do lose pressure very quickly, so better suited to racing than commuting.

Keep_Her_Lit

gman2k wrote: »

Cheers KHL - you'd be welcome to them, sorry if it came across as a freebie, but they would need cash to be exchanged:o

No problem, they're worth cash!

BostonB

Just regular tubes. I've changed the tubes a couple of times. Both lose air, but the rear more than the front. Anytime I fixed a puncture, and stuck them in water theres nothing from the valve anyway.

seve65

Keep_Her_Lit wrote: »

I'd say! Not too many 25% gradients around - where was that? On those skinny tyres, I'm assuming it wasn't off-road.

North west of Lismore, I didnt have a gps when riding this, so may have been just 20 !!! who knows:) http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/32497510/