Road tires on my cross..?

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ruechaos

Hey guys! I've been lurking around the forums for awhile, and for the most part I've found answers to all my questions in previous threads, until now.

I recently purchased an '06 LeMond Poprad Disc (it's super sweet by the way), and I was wondering if it were possible to put road tires on my current set of wheels. The stock wheels on the bike are Bontrager Select Disc Road running 700 x 32 Bontrager Jones CX tires. Is it possible to put 23mm tires on these particular wheels? If so, do you guys have any recommendations for decent, puncture resistant, road tires?

Thanks!

-Tony

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KeatonR

It is absolutely possible.

Jerl

should be fine to run road tires on cross bike...
Speciallized armadillos are great tires, reinforced with kevlar belt and tough sidewalls. Although I think that they stopped making them in 700x23 and are now only in 700x28. Apparently Continental makes a tire in 700x23 that is claimed to be extremely puncture resistant. Maybe Bontrager too?

good luck...

cyclintom

Most people do. The only difference between a CX bike with road tires and a road bike is the cantilever brakes.

flipped4bikes

Heck yeah! I've got skinnies on my Tricross now. Kind of looks like a white guy's first day on the beach in board shorts. (My apologies to board shorts everywhere -Keith Hernandez :D). I think the point everyone is missing, is whether the tires fit the wheels. I'm using my Velomax Circuit Comps from my old road bike , so not a problem. I was wondering the same thing with the Pave wheels that came with the TriX, they are much wider rims. Check with LeMond or Bontrager, or heck, just mount a pair of skinnies and see for yourself! I recommend Hutchinson Reflex or Vittoria Rubino Pros...YMMV

speedyone

I've bought my Poprad Disc in early March, and it quickly became my favorite bike. When I changed the tires, I put on Continental Ultragatorskins and have gotten good results (no flats). Love that Poprad!

251

Milice

im running 700/23 conti's on my Bontrager selects on my XO1. Wednesdays night group ride i took 2 out of 3 group sprints. Would have had the third but got cought on the inside lane and couldnt break out.

turtleguy54

I am running 22.5 mm wide Salsa Delgado Cross rims on my Gunnar. I'd like to run some road tires on occasion, but I'm not sure how narrow I can go. Anyone have any any experience running 23/25mm tires on the Delgado Cross rims? FWIW I run a 30mm SpeedMax on the back and a 32mm SpeedMax on the front.

http://david.filcoff.com/Images/bike/delgado.jpg

Dave
Dave, I have the same rims and I e-mailed Salsa about this. They responded immediately (i was impressed). The narrowest tire they recommend is 28mm. Hope that helps. Rick

Emerson

Hey, to hijack the thread a little, and with apologies to Ruechaos, how do the Salsa Delgado Cross wheel users like them? I've got the Bontrager Selects on my Cross-check, but I continue to worry about the low spoke count thing--especially with as much singletrack as I've been riding. I've thought about ebaying them and getting the Salsas. Do they seem pretty bomb-proof (I'm 210)? Where did you get them, and, if you don't mind, how much were they? Do you know what the weight for the wheelset is?

Thanks. (and just to, sort of, contribute to the thread a little, I run 35's and 42's on my Selects)

williumbillium

Speciallized armadillos are great tires, reinforced with kevlar belt and tough sidewalls. Although I think that they stopped making them in 700x23 and are now only in 700x28.

They're still available in 23s and 25s as well as 28s. (and also a range of mtb and hybrid sizes too...)

251

Thanks, 28mm it is.

Do they seem pretty bomb-proof (I'm 210)? Where did you get them, and, if you don't mind, how much were they? Do you know what the weight for the wheelset is?

The Salsas seem very stout. I don't race cyclocross (shh, don't tell anyone, they might run me out off the board), I use my cross bike for cross country, commuting, road, and trail riding. I've ridden on some mid to light technical singletrack with 6-8" rock shelves and big roots. But I usually ride hardpack dirt/gravel that are fairly smooth and frequently ride off 6" curbs with no problems. I don't like riding it through sand or boulder gardens, mostly due to the narrow tires, but everything else if great.

I chose the Salsa rims because the wheelset that came on the Gunnar was showing wear, and I did not want to destroy them (stock wheels from an '05/06 Tricross). My wheel build includes 32 hole Salsa Delgados, Deore XT hubs, DT Swiss double butted spokes (black/silver in 3x pattern), and black brass nipples. The wheels were purchased and assembled at my LBS, ~$250 for the pair w/o cassette + old wheels in trade. I would not classify these wheels as light, I do not have an exact weight, Speedgoat lists a similar wheelset (but with disc brakes) weight as 2240g for the pair. (http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp?part=118261)

For a comparison, my brother has an '05 Poprad with the stock wheelset. His low spoke count wheels are surprisingly strong. The hubs are questionable, the rear is getting a little noisy. He weighs about 165/170 lbs. and rides similar terrain.

Here is a video from one of the trials I frequent: (click to see video)
http://david.filcoff.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/GS-0328.jpg (http://www.ericfilcoff.com/Videos/Grindstone_032806.mov)

Dave

turtleguy54

Emerson, My wheels are built up almost exactly as 251's. My LBS mech. built them for me when I purchased my Cross check three years ago and they have held up great including some embarrasing crashes through some wash outs on the dirt roads off the canyon. The rims are 460g but I could not tell you what the wheels weigh total. I just think Salsa and Surly go together well. My Cross-check has Salsa bar, stem, seat post, chain rings and rims. By the way, your thoughts about the Cross-check parallel mine. Probably the most useful and enjoyable bike I have owned.

flipped4bikes

251- Cool footage, cool terrain! Doesn't look too much of a trial, though :D

SpongeDad

I like Continental GP 4seasons - pretty tough and nice feel to them on the road.. I'm running 23mm now, but if I was going to ride on packed trails I might go with 25 or 28s.

DonPenguino

Scroll until you hit a colored chart (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire_sizing.html)

B10Cycle

I run 23mm on my Salsa Delgado on my fixed Surly Cross Check. No problem even whilst commuting on DC's crummy roads. I might beef it up just to take out a bit of the sting, but I haven't had any issues thus far.

sgtsmile

The rims on my bike are Mavic MA3 and the tire I currently run on the back is a Michelin Speedium road tire which fits just fine on the rim. It is 700 by 23. Love the tire, and will put one on the front when I can afford it (curses!!)

phillybill

This time of the year I change out the Ridley to Conti's GP 4seasons 700/25 (Like SpongeDad, not a bad riding tire) and the Cannondale has a new pair of Bontrager Racelite Hardcase 700/32's for the city commute.

ruechaos

Thanks for all the great info guys! 251: Sweet vid. We have a similar looking trail around here (St. Louis) But I'm not quite to the point where I'd feel comfortable riding it (I'd probably kill myself).

Moving from cross tires to road tires, what differences will I notice? Increased speed? Better handling? Anything else?

Thanks again everyone!

late

I am running 22.5 mm wide Salsa Delgado Cross rims on my Gunnar. I'd like to run some road tires on occasion, but I'm not sure how narrow I can go. Anyone have any any experience running 23/25mm tires on the Delgado Cross rims? FWIW I run a 30mm SpeedMax on the back and a 32mm SpeedMax on the front.

http://david.filcoff.com/Images/bike/delgado.jpg

Dave

http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/tires_tubes/10043.html

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