Mountain Biking - Whats the widest tire I can put on my bike?

I have a 1998 Specialized Hardrock sport FS

I wanna put huge tires on there, but I have only limited space around in the frame.

WHat do you think is the widest tire I can put on? How would I measure?

26x 2.1 is always a safe bet.

I'm going to have to recommend the Nokian Gazzolodi 3.0 on there.

I'm going to have to recommend the Nokian Gazzolodi 3.0 on there.


I dont think it would fit! :D

I measured using a measuring tape, the width of the opening is only 2.5 inches. When I first bought the bike, it came with 1.95 wide tires, it still had about a 3/8 of an inch on each side. :D

So then you have your answer... less than a 2.5 because you need mud/rock/deadbody clearance so the tires don't wear away the frame or lock up in muddy conditions.

I believe the max you can fit in there is a 2.24. Stick wiht a 2.1 and be safe.

even if you put huge tires on it, and it clears the chainstays, you might end up with the chain hitting. I currently have that prob on a beater huffy that I have. I stuck a 2.4" WTB tire on it becuase the 2.4 was on sale at dicks sporting goods, and I was tired of pinch flats...a bonehead move though, becuase the chain rubs and makes a motorcycle sound when I'm in the granny or middle ring (99.999% of the time)

Why would you want to put "huge" tires on your bike? It is not the type of bike that should have large tires. Are you having pinch flat problems? If so look at Stans No-Tube system. It's pretty cheap and works really well.

http://www.notubes.com/