Cervelott

Just purchased a used Pocket Rocket fitted out with some older IRC tires. Having a blast with this bike as I have it stored in Germany and have been out and about touring the villages on my business trips to Europe.

The tires are in need of replacing and the terrain I am riding on is often crushed gravel, cobblestones interlaced with broken glass, twigs, etc... Been doing a lot of reading about the 451 tire options and they seem very limited in terms of a "hybrid" tire. Love going fast and am a roadie at heart but need a tire that can be fast and yet survive the offroad riding and debris on the roads I am riding.

Was looking at the Intense Micro Knobby MK2 and the Primo Comet as they seem to have some tread to them. Like the idea of the Schwalbe Ultremo but don't think it looks to practical (basically a slick) for my purposes.

Any suggestions, recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

fietsbob

Germany, ? have you asked locally ? shipping a China, or Indonesia produced tire 3/4 of the way around the world, makes little sense.

jur

There's a Kenda Small Block 8 in 451, and a Maxxis Holy Roller (which I don't recommend - too fragile). The Intense Micro Knobby has a soft compound and may not last that well, but I like that tyre. Comes in folding version as well.

The Primo Comet is a robust tyre that will last and last.

prathmann

I haven't found there to be much need for tread (siping) on the tire for riding on crushed gravel and rocky trails. On my Pocket Rocket I use the IRC 1 1/8" tire on the front and the Primo Comet 1 3/8" tire on the back. Both have held up well on a variety of surfaces, although tire life is less with the small diameter wheels than eq. tires on my bikes with 622mm rims. I switched to the wider tire on the rear when I started using the bike for touring with my gear carried in rear panniers.

Cervelott

Prathmann, what is the difference in your opinion between the IRC and Comet as they look similar to me from pics. Does the 1 3/8 size slow you down much? I like the idea of the wider tire on the rear only. I think the Kenda 8 looks like too much tread for my purposes but appreciate the feedback....never heard of that tire.

I guess to me offroad capability, speed, and most importantly puncture resistance are my priorities.

Cervelott

What about the Durano compared to the Comet...any comments as to the viability of these tires given my needs?
Thanks!

kegoguinness

I have the Comets on my Pocket Crusoe. They are slicks, but the compound seems tough, not soft, as compared to my Schwalbe Kojaks, for example. They have lasted very well with little signs of wear after a couple of years of not-everyday use. I do find they slide around on looser gravel (that's pebbly) but do track straight on the finely crushed stuff, as an example of real-world use.

Dynocoaster 

Schwable Mow Joe
https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/bmx/mow-joe

prathmann

I don't think there's any significant difference in speed. The Comet has a nice flexible sidewall and minimal siping, so I'd expect the rolling resistance to be low and that's how it feels. Of course the wider tire will have a bit more air resistance, but that shouldn't matter much on the rear and isn't as big a factor anyway with smaller wheels. The Comet fits on my rim much more loosely which is a plus when changing tires (it comes off with a quick tug) but might be a problem on the front if there were a sudden flat while turning - I'd be a bit concerned that it could roll off the rim.

Cervelott

Thanks guys, any preferences between the Comet and Durano? Understand the Durano's are very hard to get on and off the rim. Must be a German thing, my Conti tubulars (road bike) are a bear! Schwalbe says the Durano is more puncture resistant than the Primo's and yet the BF website says the opposite.

Dyno I think the Mow-Joe is just too much tread for what I am after but thanks for the suggestion.

Prathmann the Comet 1 3/8ths only pumps up to 85 psi I see. Like running higher pressure, they must be noticeably slower than the 1 1/8ths if you are running those at 100psi?

Dynocoaster 

Tioga power block
https://www.amazon.com/Tioga-Powerblo..._sim_sbs_sg_12

Interesting tread pattern
https://www.amazon.com/Maxxis-60763JB...d_sim_sbs_sg_9

jur

I toured NZ with my Moulton on these.