General Cycling Discussion - need new tires......suggestions?

Need suggestion for a type of tire to use for mostly pavement riding, but has some offroad capabilities. My current mountain bike has really aggresive 26x2.10 tires. I dont take it offroad very much, Im usually pulling my kids, however I may get frisky from time to time when I dont have them. Thanks!

Need suggestion for a type of tire to use for mostly pavement riding, but has some offroad capabilities. My current mountain bike has really aggressive 26x2.10 tires. I dont take it offroad very much, Im usually pulling my kids, however I may get frisky from time to time when I dont have them. Thanks!

Generally,,,,,, you don't really need knobby tires unless you play in the mud (or snow).
For any kind of moderate riding off-road when it's dry, a milder "street" tread will work fine.
The Hutchinson Acrobat is 1.95" wide and has some measure of puncture protection (which I highly recommend) and doesn't cost much.

The thing to be careful of however is if you live where it is mountainous; you can go off-road riding when the weather is nice and a sudden rain can fall, making your bike nearly impossible to ride in the mud--especially if you need to climb any hills to get home. In that instance it may be better to just suffer with some "cross-country" style tires all the time, that have moderate knobbies all over.
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no "mountain biking" for me, at least not with my current bike. too darn heavy for that. was hoping to get a new specialized, but that didnt work out. however, i would need something for dirt trails. im stopping by my LBS after work to get some ergonomic grips, I'll see what they suggest.

no "mountain biking" for me, at least not with my current bike. too darn heavy for that. was hoping to get a new specialized, but that didnt work out. however, i would need something for dirt trails. im stopping by my LBS after work to get some ergonomic grips, I'll see what they suggest.

Mainly road but some dirt trails points to one type of tyre. It is called a "Semi-Slick" and I have been looking for a picture but can't find one.

Basically it looks like a bald Mountain bike tyre. Knobbles at the side of the tyre and the centre section is slick or just very small grooves on it. On road you will ride on the centre section and this will also work on most smooth trails. But hit some dirt or a little bit of mud and the knobbles come into play and give you grip.

If you are fast, I think Nashbar has some semi slick Kendas on sale for like $4.19. A 72% off sale.

If you're looking for something in a 26" tire, may I suggest a 700C? If real speed and dexterity is the goal, a 26" is not part of the plan. The wheels and design of the frame is not what these are about. They are "Mountain-Bikes" which is kind of telling you where they are meant to be ridden. I tried before. No dice.

Slicks would be your best bet, but you'll be going pretty slowly compared to people on road-bikes. Maybe you could look in a road-bike on Craig's List that would be more suitable? Actually from your description of riding roads and some dirt trails, a Hybrid would be an excellent alternative. They are fast and tough enough for trails. As long as the trails aren't full of boulders and pits.

In either event - Good Luck & Happy Trails!

Need suggestion for a type of tire to use for mostly pavement riding, but has some offroad capabilities. My current mountain bike has really aggresive 26x2.10 tires. I dont take it offroad very much, Im usually pulling my kids, however I may get frisky from time to time when I dont have them. Thanks!

get Schwalbe Marathon Extreme, that's what i use, because i do a lot mix roads between asphalt (city roads) and dirt (city road pot holes, park trails, dirt trails, grass fields, etc.)
https://www.schwalbetires.com/marathon_extreme :thumb:

Everybody has favorite tires. Unless you ride a gajillion miles I don't know how one can test enough different tires to form a valid opinion.

My beater bike gets similar use. I've got 1.9" Continental Town and Country tires on it. I got them because I liked the way they look and because they have a good reputation for puncture resistance. I like them fine.

Just ordered some Maxxis Holy Roller BMX/Urban tires. These should roll better than the knobbies on paved bike trails and back roads but still provide traction on packed dirt and campground roads.

http://www.amazon.com/Maxxis-Holy-Roller-Urban-Bike/dp/B0021GE4WQ