Fitness & Heavier tyres – how long should I give them?

For various reasons (including taking on a second job)I've not been cycling properly since before Christmas. Since then I've built up a new bike along similar lines to my old machine for a mix of on and off road riding. I picked some different tyres for this build and thought I'd try some Schwalbe Marathon Extremes as they look like they might be a good on/off road option. Now the Extremes are a bit heavier than I'm used to, my previous 2 sets of semi-slicks have been in the 530-550g range, the Extreme's quoted weight is 570g, which doesn't seem too over the odds (although on my scales they come out around 630g!!) and Schwalbe go on about how fast rolling they are, so I thought that they'd be worth a go.

The thing is it feels like I'm cycling through treacle at the moment, it could be the the heavier tyres and/or the different compound but then again I've been off the bike for 5 months plus so I'm not exactly at the top of my game fitnesswise. I'm not a racer so optimum acceleration isn't a priority but I do like a good climb and I don't want a tyre that's going to sap energy excessively.

How long should I give my fitness to get back to where it was before deciding to ditch the tyres or not? A couple of rides seems a bit premature but I don't want to end up spoiling my enjoyment of cycling either.

I've been off the bike for 5 months plus so I'm not exactly at the top of my game fitnesswise

Type less, ride more 😉

you should try commuting with 2.5" 1200g tires!

spend less time weighing things?

It's not just weight that makes a tyre feel slow.

I doubt you'll ever enjoy those tyres, get something better/narrower.

Any particular reason you think I'll never enjoy them? I appreciate that it's not just weight that affects things. I tried some Kenda Small Block 8s that were considerably lighter than the tyres I was using at the time and yet they felt incredibly draggy. I've been using Panaracer Razers and rather like them but they seem to wear incredibly quickly – but then there's always going to be a trade off between weight and durability.

My main concern though is whether it's just a case of being out of shape in which case I just need to keep going before I decide.

try a dirt jump tire inflated to about 60psi

Your crying over 100 grams Each wheel tops…..

Seriously think your judgement is clouded by previous fitness levels and your now lower fitness levels….

And your found razers less draggy than sb8s – had you inflated the small blocks at all ?

PJay – Member
Any particular reason you think I'll never enjoy them?

The tyres feel slow – no matter how fit you are they will always feel slow. Light, fast bikes are fun! Head in that direction.

Seriously think your judgement is clouded by previous fitness levels and your now lower fitness levels….

I'll echo these thoughts…

There's no substitute for getting out and riding more, no matter what we might like to think.

Though of course, if you do still have your old tyres, it might be worth popping them back on for a quick back to back test, to confirm one way or the other…