I took a few tyres that had been hanging around in the back of the shed for about a decade to my LBS to be recycled. £5 for some giant pile of ancient bits of rubber that would otherwise go to landfill.
It was a fascinating look back in time to the olden days.
26" MTB tyres! So tiny! What on earth were we thinking of? Fine for kids and people of reduced stature, but they just look like toys!
Old-skool road tyres (OK, not that old-skool, but still). "23mm", i.e. about 20mm. But worse than that - they're all so hard and smooth! How did anyone stay upright in those days?
I found my first set of 26" wheels with both discs and a moderately worn rim-brake track, Deore cup-n-cone hubs (still running just fine). That brought back memories of riding around Skyline at Afan, brakes squealing in the continual rain, hoping they would stop me. They still had trees back then on the White's level climb.
I would still happily ride a 26" MTB and still ride on 23mm tyres and I even manage to stay upright off road on them too, amazing.
Any chunky 26 inch tyres? Magic Mary or similar?
Off to BPW ON 21st and a mate is taking my old bike, it’s ace but tyres a bit meh.
Also: Panaracer Fire XC Pro, with the yellow stripe! I'd forgotten how badass they were.
Any chunky 26 inch tyres? Magic Mary or similar?
My 26" tyre collection predates Magic Mary by about 5 years. I might have an ancient and very worn Racing Ralph kicking around.
Blimey, you should see my garage. 3 mountain bikes all on 26", all 3x, none with dropper posts.
2 road bikes, both on 23c as I don't think anything bigger would fit on the back.
Panaracer Fire XC Pro, with the yellow stripe! I’d forgotten how badass they were.
And how much their sidewalls had all the integrity of clingfilm!
I've just over hauled my neighbours 8 year old Carrera and fitted an old set of red Fire xc's to it which I used to use as training tyres from my xc racing days. They are tiny in both diameter and width, after riding 29+ and modern trail tyres for the last few years it's hard to imagine we used to ride off road on them.
Think a mate has some original Specialized Ground Controls. About 35 years ago!.
26 ain't dead in the MoreCash household.
My lads Inbred is still running Fire XCs I think. Daughter is on Nobby Nics, I'm on Mountain Kings, can't remember what the wife has on hers.
The spares pile has some unused Nobby Nics, some Trail Rakers, and some Ice Spiker Pros.
Strangely my road bike collection has nothing narrower than 30mm.
Think a mate has some original Specialized Ground Controls. About 35 years ago!.
They were 'the' tyre to have back in the 90s!
about 20mm. But worse than that – they’re all so hard and smooth! How did anyone stay upright in those days?
Those days being last week? I only just replaced the 20s on one of my old road bikes because I ran over something that cut it from bead to bead. The other one still has them. I even use them like gravel bikes.
What's wrong with 26"? Barely any difference in size to 650b. Can't tell much between the two when ridden.
They were ‘the’ tyre to have back in the 90s!
That was the late 80’s!
(Brown) Ritchey z-max were the tyre to have in the 90’s!
I don't think tyres can be recycled
I don’t think tyres can be recycled
depends what your calling recycled. My LBS send stuff tubes and tyres so a woman who turns them into furniture.
Panaracer Fire XC Pro, with the yellow stripe! I’d forgotten how badass they were
I think you’ll find real gnarheads had the red stripe
OP my MTB is still 26” and probably will be for a while, happy for you to upgrade it for me though if it’s that terrible?
26″ MTB tyres! So tiny! What on earth were we thinking of? Fine for kids and people of reduced stature
Remember about 10years or so ago posting a (For me) serious question on STW should I buy a Ti Merlin Rock Lobster 29er on special along with my height and stupidly accepted the advice that I,d look like a kid on a grown up bike...so my 26" Airborne Lancaster is great but wish I,d also got the Rock Lobster
Quite happy with my 26" Enduro, it still holds it's own with its 2.35 Minion tyres.
It was good before the industry change and hasn't fallen off a cliff overnight.
Would I like a more modern geometry bike, of course, but this one does me fine right now.
My hard tail is a MK 1 dialled bikes PA...classic!
29″ MTB tyres! So massive! What on earth were we thinking of? Fine for giants and people of reduced adequacy
STW, 2030
I used to have 19mm vittorias on my TT bike in the early 90's
I thought the OP had taken them to Henry Burton in Stafford. The description of all those ancient bits was pretty accurate.
I think there are still some STX/RC hubs there, there are certainly some Campag 36 hole hubs with screw-on block and an XT Sharkfin.
Keeley - interesting - I see they started as the first tyre recycler in 2019
joepud - that's re use or upcycling
And whats wrong with cup and cone hubs, i'm still running several sets of wheels on them, easy and cheap to service, last for ages, just like square taper bottom brackets.
That was the late 80’s!
Oh yes, so long ago, couldn't remember which decade it was..
I'd still love to see a proper review comparing the original Ground Control with some equiv modern XC rubber - would love to know how much things have improved.
I love my 26" IRC kujo downhill tyres on whatever hard tail they can fit on, never been near a downhill track the tyres or me
I've got some un-used 26" bonti mud tyres (not sure exactly what without going out in the cold and dark!) if anyone is interested.
Not many decent original Ground Control’s left so the ones that are cost a fortune. Standard fit on early 90’s Orange.
Jésus, I remember thinking 5e the Ground Control was the widest and fattest tyre I had ever seen on a bike. Now I have a Hans Dampf that makes it look skinny.
As for 26”... it ain’t dead. Commuter and Stumpy are both running that and both still work well. Parts are just getting a little challenging.
Red stripe was the fastest you could buy in the Fire XC Pro. I bought a pair for my first proper hardtail because the frame was red. I think Merlin put them on the Malt 2 when I bought it in 2008.
(Brown) Ritchey z-max were the tyre to have in the 90’s!
I had one of those on the back, and a Conti Vertical Pro on the front. Perfect set up.
@oop north
You need to try 650b wheels, they could really bring things alive in the carpathian mountains 😁😉
My hard tail is a MK 1 dialled bikes PA…classic!
Ditto - although I do have a Scandal 29 as well, but that's the only 29 mtb out of 9 in the house.