Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - What to expect.

So I'm going down a size or two on my tires when I replace them do to a really bad puncture this weekend. Currently I'm running Kenda Kwest 26 x 1.95 with a max psi of 65 psi.

I ordered the new ones from my lbs and he suggested the same tire in 26 x 1.5 with a max psi of 100.

Now I'm a mega-clyde (400+ though losing at a good rate I think) and was just curious if anyone can tell me what to expect with this change?

Edit: this is on my 2009 Hardrock Sport.

This is a question I wouldn't mind having an answer to as well. In addition, would you want to make such a a change, or would 1.75" tires be a happier medium for any reason?

One of the big reasons I personally changed is because I can't get the back tire out from between the brake without taking the air out of the tire on the 1.95s. (Yes I am undoing the break) My LBS owner says that the Kwest are really fat for 1.95 and I trust his opinion.

I'm sorry, I wasn't asking you specifically, davin. I was just saying I had the same question and was adding one (whether 1.5 would be good for all cases or if there was a reason for 1.75).

I didn't figure so. I was just stating a few more facts. Hope we both get some answers. :lol:

It all depends on what your typical riding surface is. For street use, smaller, higher-pressure tires will have lower rolling resistance and less weight. Your bike will feel lighter, faster and more responsive with the new tires. I did a similar swap on my wife's comfort bike last year (before I got her onto road bikes). She was amazed how much difference the tires made to the feel of her bike and I was happy that it added a couple of MPH to her average speed.

Should give an extra 2mph for free as long as you stick to pavement.

I've used a couple of different tires in this size range: the 26x1.95 WTB All Terrainasaurus, the 26x1.6 Continental Sport Contact, and the 26x1.5 Forte City ST (from Performance Bike).

Of these, the Continental Sport Contact handles the highest pressure (80psi) and rolls the fastest. The profile is very rounded, so it also steers very quickly. Because of the high pressure, it also has the worst ride; you definitely feel every bump. I found this to be relatively annoying... The Forte City ST has a more square profile than the Sport Contact, so the steering is more neutral. I don't remember much about the ride; the tires wore so quickly that I replaced them after a very short period of time.

Obviously, the WTB All Terrainasaurus had the largest air volume and, as a result, the plushest ride. They don't roll nearly as well as the Continental Sport Contact but weren't too bad. Unlike the slick tires, the All Terrainasaurus worked well on gravel paths and dirt roads. Because of the more comfortable ride, I tend to use the WTB in preference to the Sport Contact even though they do require a bit more effort to pedal.

So I'm going down a size or two on my tires when I replace them do to a really bad puncture this weekend. Currently I'm running Kenda Kwest 26 x 1.95 with a max psi of 65 psi.

I ordered the new ones from my lbs and he suggested the same tire in 26 x 1.5 with a max psi of 100.

Now I'm a mega-clyde (400+ though losing at a good rate I think) and was just curious if anyone can tell me what to expect with this change?

Edit: this is on my 2009 Hardrock Sport.

My wife has the 26x 1.5" Kenda Kwests on her bike, and they are rated 65PSI, so you may want to check those new tires when they arrive.....

Kenda makes two types of the 1.5 Kwest. I purposfeully ordered the 100psi ones since I'm much heavier than most riders.

I'll answer my own question here for future searches and such.

Going to a small higher pressure tire did in fact make the bike seem lighter and faster. It rolls better and is easier to pedal in pretty much every gear (easier to spin it seems.)

The only bad thing about the tires is the higher pressure means that I pretty much have to put air in them everyday to keep them up to 100psi.

All in all, I'm very happy with this change.

davin, such are the Joys of higher pressure. My tires sit at 120psi and I need to check them before every ride. We just put continental 4000s on my wifes hybrid. Put them on Monday and put them to 110lbs - went for a ride last night and had to take them up again (dropped to 100)

Yeah that is what my lbs owner said too, I do enjoy them quite a bit though so I figur eI can deal with it. :)

I recommend that when in doubt turn to Sheldon Brown......... http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html

I have found that when I am ready to make an upgrade that will significantly effect the way my bike rides like tires or drive train parts I do as much research as I can. In my experience my LBS often means well, but there are some things that just don't work for me so I like to check with Sheldon and others to see what they think.

After a couple of days on my forte 26 x 1.25 slicks, I can say the difference from my 26 x 2.0 knobbies is HUGE. I find myself using a much higher range of gears because pedaling has become so much easier. I was hesitant at cornering at first, but I quickly got used to the slight change in handling. The ride is no more rough than before, but it could be due to the front suspension. Overall, I love the new performance. The only thing I will do next time is buy a tire rated to higher pressure. the forte slicks top out at 85psi. Im not going to risk going over. but they are great for the 10.99 i spent on each.

I put some 1.5" on my old Hard Rock and I agree with all the pluses everyone has posted. I ride it on pavement all the time and will not go back to wider tires. I haven't had the feeeling every bump issue, but mine are rated at 85 psi and I keep them at 75-80 psi.

Jerry

The only thing I will do next time is buy a tire rated to higher pressure. the forte slicks top out at 85psi. Im not going to risk going over. but they are great for the 10.99 i spent on each.

I realize you're probably going off the poor responses to your other thread, so I'd encourage you to do more research on BikeForums and elsewhere regarding proper inflation pressure depending on tire width and load. It's really up to you to determine what pressure is best.

You should check your air pressure at every ride anyway for maximum tire life, so this will just become the norm for you.

I think you'll like the change, by the way.


I'll answer my own question here for future searches and such.

Going to a small higher pressure tire did in fact make the bike seem lighter and faster. It rolls better and is easier to pedal in pretty much every gear (easier to spin it seems.)

The only bad thing about the tires is the higher pressure means that I pretty much have to put air in them everyday to keep them up to 100psi.

All in all, I'm very happy with this change.