Mountain Biking - Who here uses slicks or semi-slicks on their mountain bike?

and...does it look funny? I tried putting a pair on mine, and they look really nasty lol...i got 26x1.4. And btw, has anyone tried Continental's Town and Country or Tioga's City Slicker or Ritchey Tom?

Nah, I don't think it looks that bad. It does make the bike look different, though. I'm using the Performance City ST slicks. My friend uses the Ritchey Tom slicks and they're actually supposed to be lighter.

Performance-wise, they are lighter and faster than knobbies, obviously.

Yes, I've 1.3 inch slicks on my wheelset for road use
on my Stumpie. Knobbies stay on the other wheelset.

Narrow slicks do make the rig look like it went through
the bike equivalent of WeighWatchers, but the speed
increase is phenomenal. You'll get used to the look.

I am using Continental Town &Country on my Rocky Mountain Hammer MTB/touring bike. They seem to be good for everything except wet muddy trails and I have my other MTB set up for that purpose.

I have Michelin Jet S semi-slicks.. doesn't look wierd, really, because they're 2.0 inches wide... they're so fast it's incredible, and strangely enough corner faster and harder on hardpack than anything I've ever tried.

I use the Tioga City Slickers 2.1" for commuting... I would not got to a 1.4 personally, because no matter what, I always find something to jump or huck while riding. The 2.1's are wide enough to give me a stable feel on the bike, and are not that twitchy in the corners. You will notice these tires roll really fast! Also, if you have disc brakes, modulate them and don't lock up the tires, you'll slid easy on hot pavement.

I've never ridden them offroad... always when I am commuting... I don't think I would like them on the trail.

Joe

1.5" Specialized Cordura (Armadillo technology) Tough tires.

I also use the Performance City ST's for town riding/commuting. Yes, they do look funny, but who cares?

I do like the faster ride, but I notice that the bike feels a little less stable than with my wide knobbies, especially on corners. Not enough to be unsafe...just have to be a little more careful and conservative on those turns.

mark
t

i usually have some Topo semi slicks on when city riding, but when I start commuting next month, ill throw on my specialized full slicks. i think they are 1.8 or so

I see lots of you guys use slicks too! Another curious question, if the tire is "wider" does that mean it'll be slower? Or are all slicks basically the same? I'm worried that the Town and Country will be too slow because of the tread design, but the Tioga will be faster since it's thinner and the treads are smaller, therefore less resistance. Does this make sense, or am i just paranoid?

I use 26x1.9" slicks on my bike, only the cheap ones, but they tend to last about 10,000km each anyway. I also find that they can handle 90% of dirt roads around here too, so that's a bonus. Thinner tyres are definitely faster, but not by enough to negate differences in riding ability.

Your instincts are correct Aquaria, thinner tires=less contact with the pavement=less resistance=more speed. Also, smoother (or no) tread is faster on pavement and should grab the road better in cornering. (This is why hi-performance motorcycle tires have little tread on them.) Still, wide street tires like Specialized Hemishperes and others mentioned above will be a world of difference from your knobby off-road tires and still keep a mountain-bikish look.

Originally posted by trappermark
I also use the Performance City ST's for town riding/commuting. Yes, they do look funny, but who cares?

I do like the faster ride, but I notice that the bike feels a little less stable than with my wide knobbies, especially on corners. Not enough to be unsafe...just have to be a little more careful and conservative on those turns.

mark
t

I did notice that they have very little grip on corners as compared to my dirt tyres. Maybe next time I get slicks I will get different ones and see what the handling is like with those.

I have a Geax Evolution on the front and an Avocet cross country on the rear. Both around 1.9. I intend on getting a Geax for the back, but I'm going to wear the Avocet out first. It's still a little too knobby for just the road.

I just want a confirmation on this before I put my new semi slicks on. I just bought 2.0 semislick tires to replace my 2.1 knobbies so I can gain a significant speed on pavement rides. Before I put them on, will changing these tires give me a significant speed improvement? or am I just wasting my money?

I can still return them if I decide not to use them, so any help would be appreciated especially riders who changed for 2.0 semi slick tire from 2.1 knobbies.

Thanks in advance.

IMHO, 1.5" or 1.75" will give you more speed than 2.0.

But, even the 2.0 will be a significant improvement.

Be sure they are fully inflated to the max on the side of the tire.

Inf, can't say for sure without seeing how "semi-slick" the new ones are and how "knobby" you originals are. I'll just say then when I put mine on, I noticed a big difference the second I started riding on them.

I have a GF Tassajara 2003 and the tires are very "Knobby" So from what people are saying this should be a good speed improvement on the pavement roads.

Hopefully I will get my old tires on so I can bike on some XC trails, but for now I seem to keep riding on bike trails with my buddies because they do not have a decent mountain bike to go XC. Alteast now I can maybe get more distance and speed on pavement with these semi slicks on.


Thanks a bunch guys.

I run semi-slicks on my SS. Kenda Krisp 1.95", cheap stuff from local sports store (no LBS here). Do the job for the gravel and unsurfaced roads that I use it on the most. More speed than knobblies on hard surface & more trustworthy cornering.

btw: narrow tyre does not equal less contact area. More pressure equals less contact area. Often, narrow tyres have higher pressure rating, hence the smller contact area.
Wide tyres are less aerodynamic (high speed effect), for sure, but have higher volume which can lead to energy loss in the things compressing and expanding, but will also, generally, be more comfortable.

I use Kenda Kross 26" x 1.95" tires on my MTB. Slick center with knobbies on the edges. They corner well and handle light trails good.

Wow! Thanks for all the replies guys. Just want to find your opinions on one more thing, which one would u purchase?

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_listing.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=581369&bmUID=1059106370621

I'm leaning towards the Cont. Town and Country (heavy) or Tioga City Slicker (a bit lighter, but not sure which size)?

Cont. is 1.9"
Tioga is 1.95" or 1.5"

Would it also be easier to take off/on ?

Wider = better.. should be the same taking them off and putting them on.

Got home last night and put my new semislicks on and the first time I started paddling I felt a big difference. Faster pickup from start, using less energy when riding at my regular pace (12.5 MPH) and rides very smooth. I do not feel the ground at all on smooth surfaces.

Never put tires on a bike before. Even with tire tool I had problems slipping the last part of the tire. Any recommendations on how to properly put the tire on?

I have the blue plastic tool with a little hook type of thing on one of the ends which I have no idea what it is used for.

That blue tool with the hook on it is just for that purpose.. it's a tire lever. You use it to pry the tire onto the rim.

You should install your tires by hand. Using a tire lever can pinch the tube.

Before you install the tire, put a little air in the tube. Just enough to fill it to where it holds it round shape, but no more than that.

I install one side of the tire, then I tuck the tube in, then start working the other side of the tire around starting at the valve stem and working both sides around the rim, meeting with the last little bit OPPOSITE the valve stem.

The key for the last little step is to squeeze the tire togheter opposite the final section, trying to keep the wire beads in toward the center of the rim. This gives you "just a wee little bit" more room. Then you grab the tire with both hand and using your thumbs, ROLL the last bit of wire bead onto the rim.

L8R

INF

Before I switched to a road bike I put specialized slicks on my mountain bike and I noticed a huge speed difference. A bit slower than a road bike, but fast enough to complete a century or two.

Happy "paved" trails

The Conti. Town and Country comes in a wider size, 2.1” but I find the 1.9 fine. Also the Conti 1.9 is 90 grams lighter then the Tioga City Slicker 26 x 1.95. The profile on the Conti is about 1 centimetre, so it does not have that much road contact.

Originally posted by Gordon P
The profile on the Conti is about 1 centimetre, so it does not have that much road contact.

If it has less road contact, does that make it go faster or slower? I would think, more road contact would go faster, since knobbies don't have much road contact.

So u're saying Conti, is slower? (If i got my facts right)

In a straight line less road contract = less friction = faster
On corners more road contract = more friction = faster

Originally posted by KrisA
In a straight line less road contract = less friction = faster
Wouldn't knobbies have less road contact too? (But i know of course they aren't faster)

Wouldn't knobbies have less road contact too? (But i know of course they aren't faster)

I wounldn't be surprised if the flex of the knobs on grippy pavement increase rolling resistance even though there is less contact. Maybe not, perhaps only the high air drag of knobs accounts for the speed variance.

Knobbies are slow BECAUSE of the knobs... the knobs create all sorts of friction to slow you down, not to mention wind resistance.

I just switched to 1.75's to do some paved path riding...I bought some cheap cross tires and they do move a litte smoother. I'm not sure if I notice a lot of difference, but they are real quite. Is it okay to do a little off road with these on (jumping curbs...etc)
thanks

Originally posted by kevntri
I just switched to 1.75's to do some paved path riding...I bought some cheap cross tires and they do move a litte smoother. I'm not sure if I notice a lot of difference, but they are real quite. Is it okay to do a little off road with these on (jumping curbs...etc)
thanks

You bought slick tires ? What are cross tires? XC? Or you mean semi-slick

I made up my mind. I'm gonna buy either 1.5" Tioga City Slicker or 1.9" Tioga City Slicker. Does anyone here think I should get the Cont. Town and Country ? The only drawback is the treads are bigger and deeper, so you can use it for some trails, but do you think that would make it any slower than the Tioga?

Does anyone here think I should get the Cont. Town and Country ?

I am not trying to sell you the Town & Country, but the tire rides as if it is a slick, but has the reversed thread for dry off road use. Personally, I wish this tire was a little narrower, but it is good for cycling on the dirt trail that exists along the rivers of my city.

it's a slick with some light tread. I guess you would call it a cruiser tire...not cross.... Here is a pic

Nice tires...i'm looking for a type like that. What width is it?

those are 26 x 1.75
just cheapo's from the local sporting goods store.. $10.00 ea
I picked them up to ride om the pavement...
I road them about 10 miles today, and they are faster and smoother

I have tires similar to those below (they're Performance City ST), but 26x1.5.

On another thread, someone stated that high tire pressure was more important than tire width in reducing road friction and increasing speed. This got me thinking, because my 1.5s actually have a slightly lower max pressure printed on the sidewall (60psi as compared to 65) than my knobbies.

What's even more confusing is...the very same tires are listed in Performance's catalog as being max 90psi. I'll have to ask my dealer what gives.

mark
t


Originally posted by kevntri
it's a slick with some light tread. I guess you would call it a cruiser tire...not cross.... Here is a pic

I ride 1.95" Vredestein Spiders - they have knobbles on the corners but these don't touch the road except on hard cornering if they're kept up to pressure.

Richard

I ride the Continental Town and Country slicks on my 2001 Homegrown Factory, love em. Since 90% of my riding these days is on the road these are perfect for me. After I get a road bike next year I may go back to knobbies.

Cool, i tried looking for an old cheap road bike, but no luck. So which one is faster, a wider tire or a thinner one? Or does PSI matter the most?

I love my Specialized Nimbus EX's (26.1.5) but I just bought a set of Continental Avenues for my girlfriend and have been impressed with their quality.

Originally posted by trappermark
What's even more confusing is...the very same tires are listed in Performance's catalog as being max 90psi. I'll have to ask my dealer what gives.

mark
t


I run my Performance slicks at 90 - 100 psi with no problems. They run very fast, smooth and easy (did a 40 mile trip on them today). Problem is that their cornering is sketchy, like I said before. But coming down the hill today, I was around 35 mph and the tyres performed very well.

Maybe it's just me.

http://pricepoint.com/product1824.html

Anybody use these? After this thread I really want a pair of slicks for my bike, although its gonna look really strange on an Enduro

Kinda heavy. The Ritchey Tom Slicks are cheaper (around $17 at Performance) and lighter (around 400 grams each).

Originally posted by Chi
Kinda heavy. The Ritchey Tom Slicks are cheaper (around $17 at Performance) and lighter (around 400 grams each).

Great price, i think i want something a little wider than a 1.4

I don't see the disadvantage of having a slim tyre ... you get less wind resistance and a slim profile. Aerodynamic advantage is what you want when on the road.

cornering is my biggest concern i think. I just started siding on the road because the rain lately has all but ruined my local trails. I know how my bike handles on dirt, but pavement is another story.

Edit: I should add that I am concerned about WET roads, not necessarily dry pavement. :)