26X1.5 tires for winter
 

Alright, I bought a Bianchi Milano last summer. It's the first bike I've had since I was a kid (now almost 30 with wife and 4yr old son -- finaly moved to a bike friendly town, selling wife's car). I use it for commuting to work each day and for getting groceries on the weekend (with Cytcletote trailer [http://www.cycletote.com] - kicks ass with a 175lb capacity!!! Thinking about selling my truck too!). It came with 26X1.50 Kenda Kwest tires on it (and 8 speed internal hub rear wheel) -- which works fine for my commute up and down the hill about 2 miles each way. However, as winter (and snow) approaches, I've been looking into getting knobby or even studded tires. But, I can't find anything but slick tires in this size (26X1.5). Are these tires an anomaly or what? What the heck can I do? Do they make knobby tires in 26x1.5? What's the cheapest solution here? Thanks for being there for me! :roflmao:

(That's the trailer that has the 175lb capacity)

Aaaah ... I think I'm beginning to figure this out. Again, I'm new to bikes (last one was a BMX when I was 12). So even though the tires my bike came with are 26x1.5, you can fit other size tires on it? That make more sence then having wheels that can only fit slickys. What other size tires will fit on these wheels? Anything that is 26"? Of course I'll take into consideration the fenders -- I belive they can be adjusted upwards closer to the frame to accomodate a thicker or knobbyer tire.

At the med clinic where I work, both the X-ray teck and one of the Dr's ride most every day (even following a blizzard). So this is also my goal. I had to drive to Denver a couple weeks ago for work related training after commuting for a month on my bike within Boulder. I have to admit, after sitting static in my truck for 5 minutes (I was driving 70 mph but no wind and my body was not moving) I started to feel sick! I love biking now and will only drive if I absolutely have to. Thus I simply need to find some winter tires to get me through the next few months. Thanks again!

In theory, you should be able to fit any 26" tire onto the bike. That would be a range from 26x1.0 to 26x2.5. In practice, you are a bit more limited. I wouldn't go smaller than what you currently have. (Although you might be able to get away with a 26x1.25.) You should be able to find all sorts of knobbies in the 26x1.50 to 26x2.0 range. Here is an example:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

The real question is how big of tread will you be able to fit in your fork and under your fenders. The easiest thing to do would be to go to your local bike shop and start trying some out.

I'd recommend studded Nokian tires. If you are going to have the drag of a knobby tire, you might as well have something that works on ice. I use a 35 mm Hakkapeliitta 106 with no fender issues at all on my Kettler Silverstar. Peter White Cycles has a wider version, 26 x 1.75, which might be appropriate for your bike, although I am surprised that Bianchi fits such a wide tire. I'd suggest contacting Peter White (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp) and finding out which tire will fit.

Paul

Wow! Thanks for this info everyone! This really opened my eyes to other tire sizing options. I'll certainly consider studded tires (Nokian Hakkapeliitta 26x1.75) since ice is a real issue at certain times here -- if I'm going to invest in winter tires, might as well make sure I can use them all winter. (I guess I'll have to change my name to '26x1.75 Gopal' for the winter)

As far as fenders go, I can always ditch them if the tires don't fit. I change once I get to work anyway (incase I get slushy) and I'd rather go without fenders in winter then have to drive my truck to work when it snows or gets icy. I'll take heed of the tires fitting the forks and the decimal/fraction thing.

Do you know a good summer road tire for the Bianchi Milano? The 26x1.5 Kenda Kwest seems a little week (only about 65psi recommended)? Thanks again!

I'd look into seeing if the 26 inch, 35 mm Nokians would fit your rims. That's what I use -- on a bike similar to the Milano. They would almost certainly fit under the fenders. I think fenders are more important in winter than in summer, because, otherwise, the front wheel sends a steady stream of grit and brine right into the chain and bottom bracket. The hub gear bikes are far more tolerant of salt and grit than derailleur bikes, but I still feel that fenders are crucial.

For a summer tire I use the Schwalbe Marathon Plus. Low rolling resistance, great ride, and about as puncture-resistant as a car tire. After a year of using them, I would not consider riding on anything else.

Paul

In winter, full fenders are great for rain but can clog up with snow. Clip-on style MTB fenders don't suffer from this.
For summer, the things that make a tyre fast are high pressure, smoothe tread and low weight. You can get high performance tyres for MTBs in 1.5 and 1.25" width.
The Schwalbe Marathon is regarded as a tough but heavy commuter tyre, this is my winter choice but we have wet, not snowy conditions.

Schwalbe makes a 26 x 1.5 knobby. Schwalbe Light Black Shark mud (folding) I bought one for $50 Cdn and stuck it on my front wheel. I have a cheap Metro II 26 x 1.00 slick on the back wheel. I'm riding on ice and snow covered streets in Montreal. Works fine. Back end slips a bit on ice or loose snow but no problem with a bit of attentiveness. I might pick up another knobby for the back when I can afford it but knobbies feel sloppy after you get used to slicks so this feels like a pretty good compromise. The front end is where you need control. Back end is power.

I'm riding a customized road bike (new componenets on a 30 year-old frame) with oversized mountain bike wheels. Adding knobbies pushes the limit so there's no room for standard fenders in the forks. I improvised one attached to the frame. Works great.

hope that helps. -dx