Winter Cycling - (sigh) Another Tire Question

I'm looking at a nice 1995 Specialized Hardrock for a winter bike, but of course it has 26" wheels and they're frankly too small for me. I am used to riding 29" wheels with balloon tires, which unlike 700cs with thin tires is legitimately a couple inches bigger than a 26"er wheel.

My question is, are there any big tires for 26" wheels that have hybrid or street tread? I've seen plenty, even on crappy walmart bikes, that have the right size but they always have thick knobs rather than street tread/slick tread.

I'm looking at a nice 1995 Specialized Hardrock for a winter bike, but of course it has 26" wheels and they're frankly too small for me. I am used to riding 29" wheels with balloon tires, which unlike 700cs with thin tires is legitimately a couple inches bigger than a 26"er wheel.

My question is, are there any big tires for 26" wheels that have hybrid or street tread? I've seen plenty, even on crappy walmart bikes, that have the right size but they always have thick knobs rather than street tread/slick tread.

Sure there are lots of them out there. Performance has the Forte' Dartmore (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10052&langId=-1&sortBy=Dollar+Rank%2f%2f1&searchType=categoryId&searchTerm=400237&beginIndex=0&pageSize=16&ipState=c0%3di%253A1%253B3%253Biphrase%2bbundle%2btaxonomy%2bid%2bfrom%2broot%253B400237%253B%253A40 0237%253B1%252C1%253B0%26q%3d16%26a1%3diphrase%2bbundle%2btaxonomy%252F%252Fv%253A0%26a0%3diphrase%2 brelevance%252F%252Fv%253A0%26i%3dsitemap%2bid%26k0.0%3d400237%26qt%3d1288272677%26qid%3dqQikaneEPLn ps%26vid%3dvqJIo7H2zdIMB%26ioe%3dUTF-8%26s2%3dsitemap%2bid%252F%252F1%26qtid%3dqQikaneEPLnps%26s1%3diphrase%2brelevance%252F%252F0%26rid% 3drAa2ZZEenx7K8%26s0%3dDollar%2bRank%252F%252F1%26t%3d0%26m0%3diphrase%2bbundle%2bid%26mcmode%3dtest&cn1=f39%2f%2f26+X+2.0%2f%2ff%2f%2f0%2f%2f5%7c%7c&categoryId=400054) which is a 2.1" tire with a minimal center tread. They also have the Continental Town and Country (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10052&langId=-1&sortBy=Dollar+Rank%2f%2f1&searchType=categoryId&searchTerm=400237&beginIndex=0&pageSize=16&ipState=c0%3di%253A1%253B3%253Biphrase%2bbundle%2btaxonomy%2bid%2bfrom%2broot%253B400237%253B%253A40 0237%253B1%252C1%253B0%26q%3d16%26a1%3diphrase%2bbundle%2btaxonomy%252F%252Fv%253A0%26a0%3diphrase%2 brelevance%252F%252Fv%253A0%26i%3dsitemap%2bid%26k0.0%3d400237%26qt%3d1288272677%26qid%3dqQikaneEPLn ps%26vid%3dvqJIo7H2zdIMB%26ioe%3dUTF-8%26s2%3dsitemap%2bid%252F%252F1%26qtid%3dqQikaneEPLnps%26s1%3diphrase%2brelevance%252F%252F0%26rid% 3drAa2ZZEenx7K8%26s0%3dDollar%2bRank%252F%252F1%26t%3d0%26m0%3diphrase%2bbundle%2bid%26mcmode%3dtest&cn1=f39%2f%2f26+X+2.125%2f%2ff%2f%2f0%2f%2f5%7c%7c&categoryId=400054) which is a reverse tread tire. Schwalbe (http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires) makes a bucket load of different smooth/semi-smooth tread 26" wheel tires. Their Big Apple and Fat Frank tires go up to 2.35". Take your pick.