Long Distance Cycling - Tire recommendations for Trek 820

I just completed my first 100 mile ride (In a Trek 820), and feel an immense sense of accomplishment. I started really riding 5 weeks ago, and have done 5x30 mile rides to help build up my endurance. I'm interested in replacing my decade old 26x1.5x1.75 Continental Semi-Slick tires that are starting to disentegrate. My wheel size is 26x1.5 and I'm pretty big at 6'3", 250lbs. I'm interested in a bullet proof, narrower tire for road use. What would you recommend for tubes and tires? Thanks.

Hmmm. How wide is your rim in actual width (i.e. measuring it with calipers or a ruler)? That'll have a lot of sway in deciding what kind of tires you can run.

If you have something in the realm of 1" actual width, almost any 1"/1.25" slick will work. I'd lean toward the 1.25" setup, given your weight. And much as their tires are often lambasted around here, I've had excellent results in terms of ride quality and durability with the Performance City ST-K tires. The 1.25" model is durable, and has a kevlar liner that's amazingly resistant to many sharp objects. I managed to get over 3,500 miles out of my last pair - a heck of a deal for the asking price, which is usually around $10 a piece.

As far as tubes are concerned, I usually run a basic Presta valve tube - nothing fancy, just your garden-variety tube. You could go with a lightweight tube, but you have a higher risk of punctures with such tubes. However, if you keep the things properly inflated, they should work fine. And be sure to talc the inner surface of the tire so the tube doesn't stick to the tire's innards and cause chafing (which can lead to premature tube failure).

Good luck!

If you want bullet-proof, I recommend Specialized 1.5" Armadillos. You can run them at very low pressure if you need to get a smoother ride, or up high for easier rolling. Very tough tire.

The Performance Forte 1.5 tires that run $7 are pretty good.


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