jfz

I have a Trek 820 with Bontrager Connection Trail, 26x2.0" tires . I would like to try slicks for my 20 mile round trip city street commute but wonder if the slicks will be more prone to flats, I have not had a flat yet in about 1,000 miles of commuting over glass and debris strewn city streets. I would also like to add that flat prevention is more important to me than a quicker commute.

Raiyn

Nope they aren't. Trail tires are just as vulnerable if not more so due to the thinner rubber between the tread blocks. Get a quality flat resistant slick like the All-conditions from Specialized or my favorite [url=https://www.specialized.com/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=5532&JServSessionIdroot=3gnu8nrrhx.j27010[The Specialized Nimbus Armadillo[/url] and you'll do fine.

noisebeam

I don't have experience with either tire, but can tell you that I have 1500mi of no flats with Specialized Crossroads ex tires (slick center of tire, knobs on edges) on city streets, glass, bits of wire, etc.

I wouldn't recommend them for street use only as the ride was still a bit rough on turning compared to slicks and they are heavy.

Al

Raiyn

I tried those and I wasn't impressed. First ride in the rain and they were worse than the knobbys they replaced. After that i switched to Nimbus EX's and haven't looked back.

Seanholio

I just wish Specialized would make something like the Nimbus in a 406...

AlanK

Go with a good pair of slicks. On pavement, they're actually more flat resistent than knobbies. I used to have a mountain bike for commuting, and whenever I had knobbies, they wore quickly. Also, knobbies are inefficient on pavement. With a 20 mile commute, efficiency is very important. Get a tire with a flat, but not smooth tread; you want some groves for a little better traction.

I'd like to throw in another endoresment of Specialized Armadillo tires. I've had a pair on my cyclocross bike for over two years, and only had one flat, and that was probably because I over-inflated the tube. These tires can take just about anything.

Allister

Off road tyres have a larger surface patch in contact with the road, they have large treads that pick up and hold debris more readily, giving it time to work into the tyre, they are generally run at softer pressures, which also aids in picking up debris. On top of that, they are slow, heavy and noisy.

The rule of thumb I go by with tyres is that you choose a tyre with features that match the surface they'll be used on. Soft bumpy tyres are best suited to soft bumpy trails. For hard, smooth roads, hard smooth tyres are best. The need for tread on a road tyre is a myth, even in the wet, according to Sheldon Brown. However, using the above rule of thumb, if you are likely to encounter gravel patches or other debris that makes the road slightly loose, some amount of tread would be potentially useful.

That said, in my experience, knobbies are no more or less resistant to punctures than slicks, but the added efficiency of slicks makes the choice a no-brainer for me. I couldn't get the Specialised ones mentioned above here in Aus. I run Geax Streetrunners at 100psi, which while not puncture proof, they do have a reasonably thick layer of rubber in contact with the road and soak up a bit more glass than the IRC Metros I used to use.

noisebeam

This is very true, but it is not just the inefficiency that makes knobbies a bad choice for pavement, it is also the rougher ride resulting vibrations which are both irritating and harder on joints and muscles making one tired more quickly. Traction on corners seems to be worse as well compared to slicks.

Al

bkrownd

I commuted for 10 years on the same pair of stock Trek 820 knobbies with just 1 flat. They had a narrow connected center tread strip for lower resistance, so I was only really grinding the knobbies up the hills if I kept 'em pumped up. I'm sure that extra 1/4 inch of rubber between the road and my innertubes helped prevent flats, but the tread should be wide and deep enough that it will throw most small bits of glass rather than trap them.

bkrownd

Huh? My slicked road bike is a much harsher ride than my knobbied mountain bike ever was. 125psi vs. 45psi? Maybe at the same psi a fat slick wouldn't feel so rough, but it wouldn't be way more efficient, either. However, not all knobbies are created equal. The ride will depend on the exact tread pattern you've got.

RainmanP

Rather than actual slicks you might try Specialized Infinity Armadillos. They have a shallow tread and a narrow stip of tread down the center that is the primary contact surface. I find that they don't seem to make any more noise than slicks as long as you are going straight nor do I notice significantly more rolling resistance. I have a 32 mm on the front and 35 on the back. It is a combo that works for me on my commute that includes some gravel and grass.

riderx

Avocet Cross Tires, low rolling resistance, thick inverted tread, virtually flat proof.

RainmanP

Riderx is right. Besides the above mentioned Armadillos on one bike, I have Avocet Cross II K 28 mm on another. These are great tires. Like the Armadillos they have a narrow stip of tread at the contact surface that minimizes rolling resistance. There may be a 26" mtb equivalent from Avocet.

jlin453

Some info I pulled from their site:



Wire Bead
Carbon 12 Smooth Tread
Model Size Weight g psi tpi
City 26 X 1.25 375 95 66
City 26 X 1.5 475 45-85 66
City 26 X 1.9 635 40-80 66

Wire Bead
Carbon 12 Smooth Tread
Protective Composite Shield
Model Size Weight g psi tpi
City 26 X 1.25 395 95 66
City 26 X 1.5 495 45-85 66
City 26 X 1.9 655 40-80 66

noisebeam

If you 'compare apples to apples': For example an 80psi slick to an 80psi same width knobby there will be less vibration with the slick. Folks switching to slicks on a mtb are not going to be changing tire width dramatically. Also if you are riding on a road you would probably want to put max pressure in your knobbies, often 60-80psi, or max pressure on your 1.5" slicks, often 80-100psi.

In my experience if I 'compare apples to apples': In this case an 80psi 1.9" knobbie to an 80psi Specialized Crossroads ex (slick center, knobs on corners) the Crossroads was definitely less harsh and less fatiguing from the vibration.

In my experience if I 'compare apples to oranges': In this case the above 80psi Specialized Crossroads on a steel mtb to 100psi 700x28mm Continental ultra gatorskin (almost a slick) on a steel frame cyclocross bike the Crossroads are much harsher and more fatiguing due to vibration on every corner. I was surprised how much smoother this cross bike is even though the tires were narrower and higher pressure.

Al

bkrownd

Sure, but does it really matter? The tread pattern of the individual tire makes a big difference. I never noticed much "vibration" on my (55psi max) knobbies beyond the roughness of the road, and the big tires take out a lot of the road "noise" to begin with. My point was that the ride on my Trek 820 has less vibration than my road bike, so it isn't really a big deal. The tread pattern is key. (My tires were made before "eXtreMe Earth-Shredding TreadZ" (dude!) came into fashion.) If I put on 55psi slicks they'd be slightly smoother, but not substantially, and I'd lose the ability to go off-road when necessary. Actually, if I switched the mountain bike to slicks I'd want narrow 100psi+ slicks, because the only point to switching would be improved efficiency on hills, which is where knobbies really start to suck.

My ex had a mtb with some really nasty off-road-only Earth-shredding knobbies a a a a a n n n n n d d d d d i i i i i t t t t t w w w w w a a a a a s s s s s s s s s s o o o o o n n n n n a a a a a s s s s s t t t t t y y y y y t t t t t o o o o o r r r r r i i i i i d d d d d e e e e e o o o o o n n n n n p p p p p a a a a a v v v v v e e e e e m m m m m e e e e e n n n n n t t t t t . . . . .

Well this thread was originally about puncture resistance. Some knobbies are naturally puncture resistant by creating more space between the tube and the road, but that takes extra rubber, so for the same weight I'm sure you could get thick/armored slicks that are similarly puncture resistant.

AlanK

Good advice. I've 700x38 armadillos on a cyclocross bike I use for just about everything except off-road. It's a good size and tread for general purpose use. It's a good idea to have shallow "groves" in the tires for a commuter bike. The increased resistence is minor, and they provide more grip in wet conditions and dirt road/grass/gravel.

I'm not a big fan of thin, slick tires because they greatly reduce stability and ride quality. The only riders who need ultra-thin slicks are racers because they're noticeably faster. I have a pair of 700x26 slicks I haven't used in two years because the ride is harsh and the thin width is unstable in wet conditions.

phillybill

I've been using the Continental Traffic 26/2" for about the past 5 months and have had good success as my commute on occasion takes me over some cinder pack trails. I have about 1000 mikes on these and have not had any problems.

As with everybody else, on my cross bike I ride the armadillos 700/28 for the past year and have had no flats. Before that ........is was a flat at least every other week.

tacomee

There's a lot to be said for cheap knobbie tires (the thick heavy ones that are almost made of plastic) They don't get flats, the're dirt cheap and they last for a really long time.

Of course they are heavy, perform like crap and have a harsh ride-- but cheap MTB tires will outlast any $$$$ touring style tire with less flats.

It all depends on how far you're planning to ride your bike. For longer commutes, get good thick touring style tires. For bopping around the 'hood, those cheap knobbies can't really be beat. Strip off all the derailers and shifters while your at it! Take an old MTB, convert it to single speed, spray paint it pink or neon green or some other shade not found in nature and put on those cheapo *motocross* tires.

Sure the beast will have a little road hum, but you won't get flats, it won't beak down and you can leave it unlocked outside the quicke mart becuase unless you're the biggest bike nerd on the planet, who would ride such a pile of junk?