Recreational & Family - Looking for more modern alternative to an OLD SCHOOL tire.

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gr8fzy1
10-02-10, 09:43 AM
Hey, I have a question for all you people out there that are knowledgeable about tires.
I have a 26" Mongoose 10 speed in my basement that I have been riding for the past year, and I REALLY LOVE the tires. Trouble is that they are old and starting to crack on the sidewalls. They were old when I got the bike from a friend, and he says that the bike is about 10 years old.

I like these tires a lot because they are knobby enough to use off road, but have a wide center tread in a solid band that makes the bike ride really smooth on pavement. This band also makes the tire very long lasting, I believe I've lost 1/16" of tread in the past YEAR'S use!

I need to find a replacement for them that is made of more modern materials (I believe these old ones are Vinyl or rubber...something.) But all the tires I can find for mountain bikes are these ones with agressive angled tread that is noisy and end up needing to be rotated/replaced every few months. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you for your time.

Tire treads are shown below.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/gr8fzy1/DSCF6855.jpg

jgedwa
10-02-10, 01:12 PM
I am pretty sure that all pneumatic tires made since about 1890 have been made of rubber. Some have different formulations to make them stickier or longer lasting. But they are all rubber. So, a newer tire will be made the same way a ten year old one will be.

If the only problem with your older tires is that the sidewalls have cracks, I would keep using them. Cracks on a car tire are bad news. On a bike tire it makes no difference. The rubber on the sidewall is essentially cosmetic, anyway.

If you wanted to change out for cosmetic reasons, then I think you will have no trouble finding a million options that would be just like the ones you have now.

jim
DnvrFox
10-03-10, 05:59 PM
You might check the wide variety of tires at

www.nashbar.com (http://www.nashbar.com)

or

www.performancebike.com (http://www.performancebike.com)

or any of ther other scores of bike sites.

I just picked up some very neat Pinarellos from Nashbar - excellent tires, moderate tread - for $10.95 each at a closeout at Nashbar. My LBS guy was very impressed - loves the tires - I didn't tell him the price!

I would replace 10-year-old tires.

gr8fzy1
10-04-10, 03:26 PM
The trouble is, unless I shop at an expensive bicycle store, the only kinds of tires I can find for mountain bikes have treads like these...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/gr8fzy1/DSCF6893.jpg

I don't like these tires much because, although they have good offroad grip, there is no center strip of tread (useful in avoiding most flats), they make a lot of noise, and feel like they are about to slide out from under me if I make a substantial turn.
gr8fzy1
10-04-10, 03:35 PM
You might check the wide variety of tires at

www.nashbar.com (http://www.nashbar.com)

or

www.performancebike.com (http://www.performancebike.com)

or any of ther other scores of bike sites.

I just picked up some very neat Pinarellos from Nashbar - excellent tires, moderate tread - for $10.95 each at a closeout at Nashbar. My LBS guy was very impressed - loves the tires - I didn't tell him the price!

I would replace 10-year-old tires.

Hehehe, thank you! Saving those links! Now to browse... >:D