Mountain Biking - Best MTB Tires for riding on asphalt

Hi,

I am mainly ride on asphalt with a little light trail riding (mainly flat to rolling on grass and dirt). Can you give me suggestions as to the best MTB bike tire for this type of riding?

Thanks!

Maxxis Holy rollers are good but they are heavy.You might look into the Maxxis Larson TT

My Hutchinson Rock N' Road work pretty well on pavement and dirt/grass(the dry kind). Just don't take 'em out on any technical/wet trails like I've been doing. Dry tires + dry rocks=good traction, wet tires + wet/dry rocks=lots of cursing....

the hutchinson python airlights work great on stuff like that and you can get a set for like $30 at pricepoint. i have a part and they are fast and very light.

Maxxis HighRoller semi-slick. Nice tires, not the best traction on dirt for a drive tire, but decent.

Specialized crossroads ( I ran them for a bit) work both on and off road, the center ridge on the tires helps keep the vibration away on the road, and the knobs are still there for offroad.

I once had a set of "City Slickers". I can't recall who made them though. Pumped up to 100 psi, and literally NO rollin' resistance.... They were "slicks" though.... Only a few channels for the water to escape....

I hit my top speed on a Mtn.Bike using them on the Blue Ridge Parkway: 46 mph (actually breaking the speed limit).

If you want to go with slicks I am running the IRC Metros @ 100psi and I average nearly 3mph faster on them than I do with the crossroads, but that's also a pound less of rolling weight...

Avoid the Michelin Transworld City's like the plague.
i have a set (26x1.5) on my commuter that have been maintained well, inflated to the proper psi, etc, but the rubber started cracking badly within the first year. They look pretty bad now (less than 18 mos. later) and will have to be replaced. Pretty crappy considering the limited mileage I've put on them.

maxxis hollyrollers look nice also check out arrow launch

I once had a set of "City Slickers". I can't recall who made them though. Pumped up to 100 psi, and literally NO rollin' resistance.... They were "slicks" though.... Only a few channels for the water to escape....


I had some of these once....I tried to ride in the rain! I came down a hill, banked left for a corner and went straight on (on my side)!

Truly slick tires (as in NO TREAD) are perfectly acceptable for use during wet weather, and are no more prone to slipping than a conventional treaded tire. Any grooves or patterns are strictly cosmetic, and do nothing to 'let water escape.'

Find out why at http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html.

OK, maybe I just leaned over too much!!!!!!!!!!!!

Specialized crossroads ( I ran them for a bit) work both on and off road, the center ridge on the tires helps keep the vibration away on the road, and the knobs are still there for offroad.

I used these for a few months, and was very happy. The ones I ride are the 1.95s, and I want to try something lighter, faster, and more narrow. I am waiting for a set of the Panaracer T-serv 1.5s to try next.

I have a friend who uses a wide Crossroads tire on the rear, and a narrow Conti Top Touring tire on the front, and he loves it. I can't do the mis-matched thing, but whatever floats yer boat, right?

<snip>I am waiting for a set of the Panaracer T-serv 1.5s to try next.<snip>
http://www.universalcycles.com/images//products/large/1076.jpg <--T-serv vs. Spec. Xroads -->http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/equip/04TireCrossroadsEX_d.jpg

I just wanted to report that after riding the 1.5 T-serv tires for about a week that I think they are great!
It seems a no-brainer, but the difference in rolling resistance is remarkable.

I had only recently started commuting with an early 90's rigid MTB I had rescued from the dark corners of the garage. Now, after replacing the Crossroads with the T-servs, the bike is noticably lighter, faster, smoother, etc - a much more enjoyable ride.

Riding with a higher psi do make the potholes hit back a little harder, however - and I had to alter my commute route slightly to avoid some construction areas that I previously rode through without fear of flats...

I run a set of Specialized Nimbus EX's on my commuter, never had an issue in the last 4 years

Anyone ever use the WTB Slickasaurus? Looks like a cheap tire (Around $16.00/tire).

Where did you but your Panaracer T-Servs?

Where did you but your Panaracer T-Servs?

After some web searching, I found the right size/color combo (26x1.5, black) at
Universal Cycles (http://www.universalcycles.com) out of Portland, OR.

Anyone ever use the WTB Slickasaurus? Looks like a cheap tire (Around $16.00/tire).
The Nimbus EX is only $4 more

This is a pretty good tire that I use.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile_moreimages.cfm?category=121&subcategory=1084&sku=7124&brand=

On fire roads and mainly the street.