BobbyG

I rode in to work today on the new 26x1.85 WTB "Slick" tires. As expected, they were smooth and comfortable even at their 65psi max; and grippy, especially cornering, as they have a rounded shoulder, smoother tread and are more supple than the 26x1.65 tires they replaced.

The "Slicks" felt like they had a slight increase in rolling resistance over the previous tires, and in fact, on three stretches of my commute my speed was down slightly 18mph vs 20mph and 21mph vs 24mph.

But I was in for a big surprise when I arrived at work. My average speed was consistent with the previous tires at 13.5 mph, and the ride time was consistent for this route on this bike with the previous tires, 38 minutes.

I had recalibrated the bike computer with the new tires, measuring the circumference by rolling the bike on the pavement and measuring, and the distance displayed at the end of the ride was within .05 miles over 8.6 miles as confirmed by three different bikes (and GPS).

The tires are WTB Slick 1.85's which I bought on clearance at Performance Bike for $13 each. They only have graphics on one side of the tire, and although they proclaim they are "flat resistant" and include a picture of a machine screw on the sidewall, I believe in this case "flat resistant" merely means they hold air. I do have my Mr. Tuffy tire liners in there as has been my practice for a few years now.

I wonder if the "Wanted Poster" of a machine screw on one sidewall is enough to actually ward off machine screws, and would it also be a deterrent to nails, thorns, broken glass and my apparent incompetence at mounting tires correctly.

At only $13 each, and considering this bike is no longer my #1 commuter, I am very happy with these tires for their comfort and cornering grip. But if this were my only bike for commuting (which it was for 15 years) I would trade some comfort for lower rolling resistance, plus more speed and robustness (Which is what I had in the previous tires).