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I only have the one (hardtail) bike and use it mainly for commuting - but will swap decent tyres on for proper (offroad) rides.
Currently commuting on 2.3in treads like a snail so looking to decrease rolling resistance considerably!
Is it ridiculous to want my bike to still look like an MTB rather than a road bike with suspension forks?
Thanks for your recommendations
Sorry for the shameless punt but I'm selling a pair of specialised hemispheres for 17.50 the pair. They sound like what your after.They're 26 x 1.95 and roll extremely well.
Is it ridiculous to want my bike to still look like an MTB rather than a road bike with suspension forks?
coninental make a tyre for this purpose. traffic. never tried it but they look alright.
High Roller semi-slicks. Got them on my 2nd MTB/off-road commuter. Quick enough on tarmac and have pretty big shoulder knobbies so not too bad for dirt cornering. Bit scary on anything damp or slippy though.
Big Apples are large volume slicks if you don't want to lose the MTB look. Used them on my 'road' MTB before I switched to City Jets for a little less resistance (and a little less comfort).
slainte 🙂 rob
I've just bought and fitted some intense micro knobblies 2.25 (replacing fire fr 2.4s), will re post in the morning to let you know how I get on!
Never found that much to choose between slicks for an MTB, size and lower overall speed usually makes up for less sticky / clever rubber on the road.
Continental Town and Country worth a look or look at one of the cycle touring tyres that comes in 26" - eg Schwalbe Marathons.
High Roller semi-slicks? Pump em up hard for road use, soft for off road.
I just got 2 pairs of these for when we go touring in June..
Not the lightest or best looking, but hell, for £6...
[url= http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/2062/products/nutrak-26-x-2-0-inch-mtb-semi-slick-tyre-black.aspx ]Nutrack tyres[/url]
Schwalbe Big Apples in the biggest size? That'll get you most of the function of a slick- though a bit heavier and slower- and still look pretty nifty.
Choosing offroad semi-slicks for road use just seems daft tbh.
Visuals if it helps.
Big Apple.
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High roller Semi-slick.
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City Jets.
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slainte 🙂 rob
Panaracer mach ss are good semi slick, I use them on road and off road. They role well, 1.95 and a good price 15 off chain reaction
Hookworms are a great tyre for turning an mtb into a commuter without loosing its looks
Schwalbe Supermotos, like a big apple only lighter (built on RR carcass apparently ?)
Roll well, comfy and still look good (Although not really faster than some Smart Sams that I swapped them for) 🙁
DMR Moto's, got some but not tried them yet, quite tempted for the rear of the pitch in summer.
If you are after reasonably priced, fast rolling semi slick that still grips in the rain then the Schwalbe City Jet fits the bill. But at 26 x 1.5 it might not fit the bill looks wise.
[img] http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/public/NTvSl1U2o3MZ9cVENCvIf-ALqKKO06b-QWS8QoB-dk6JqW3QY6-AU9i9B210Rua1ZFN1S_SgsFhH3lqUAx2irCznherbVCs46Xf83rGOHYxN5hS6277128CI6fqXKUnqDcOZ9wAGdEu9snzf2dCI4NEBUtCDBgMvabVp0HOqENI [/img]
If you'll be swapping tyres for off-road riding, then I'd get something like Schwalbe City Jets for the commute. I use them on my Inbred, although I bought a second pair of wheels as I couldn't be doing with swapping the tyres all the time.
Can you not fork out on a cheap set of wheels? I got some from my LBS and I think once I'd bought rim tape, cassette, tubes and tyres they came to £130. I think that I got a pair of City Jets from Wiggle that came with free tubes and the LBS threw in QR skewers with the wheels.
The wheels are Spesh wheels, the same as on my OH's Myka Sport, so I guess someone probably swapped them out from new from something like a Myka/Rockhopper....
I like the City Jet 1.9
if your after a decent slick I like spesh nimbus.
I used a pair of city gets (I think the 1.5 version) for bloody years on my commuter - great puncture protection, decent traction (except in snow) and barely every showed signs of wear and tear. They were a great tyre.
Currently riding a pompino and on about my 3rd pair of tyres which are always just not quite right!
So, my review on the micro knobblies.
They. Are. Awesome.
Ive always thought rolling resistance of tyres was a bit of an excuse, but these were a real eye opener, I absolutely flew to work this morning having always previously used full tread tyres (the fact that they are a pound lighter per tyre prob helped too...). Also, as they are a proper width, 2.25 in my case, you dont have to put silly pressuses in (running 45-50 psi) so they aren't harsh at all, plus the bike still looks like an mtb with proper tyres! I'd say go slicks, doesnt matter which, theyre the fastest things a-round. I'm here all week.