crazyravr

S currently my Giant Roam 1 has a bit wider tires that are "knobby" on the outside for some more grip when I go through mud. Since we mostly do road riding would it make a difference if I were to change them to something more road worthy? If so what would you guys recommend and what size?

Bill Kapaun

You need a tire for your "worst" conditions.
What are they?

Another option is to buy a cheap set of wheels with different tires mounted for the "oddball" usage.

joelh

My GT ZUM came with Kenda Kwick-Trax. I am sure it is not a high end tire, but it is really pretty comfy. Just a bit of tread. Feels plenty stable on gravel, but is plenty smooth on the road.

crazyravr

Bill... I think whats on the bike now would be for the worst conditions (gravel and mountain bike easy paths).
Do you guys think getting a skinnier and less stubby tire will help on road? If so will I notice an improvement and if so in what regard?

Doohickie

I have a hybrid with 35 mm wide Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. Almost slicks with just a little tread, they are great for urban riding.

corwin1968

I highly recommend the Vittoria Voyager Hyper tires. They are 120 tpi (threads per inch..... higher is generally better) and are slicks. They come in 32mm, 35mm and 38 mm sizes. They come highly recommended by riders online and based on that advice I bought a set of 32mm tires and they are fantastic. I highly recommend them. They are light in weight, very fast, corner extremely well and are very comfortable.

When I switched tires I discovered that possibly the BIGGEST change you can make to improve the ride of your existing bike is to invest in good tires. Well worth the money.

Bill Kapaun

A skinny slick will be fastest on the road.
How skinny depends on how smooth the road and how much you weigh.
My Globe came with 35mm Specialized Flak Jacket Armadillo tires and now sports 26mm.
The original tires were total slugs. I initially went with 28mm, but the Serfas Seca's were getting too many flats for a "flat resistant" tire. I now run Panaracer Stradius Sport and am very pleased with them.
The biggest thing you'll notice is acceleration. Lighter tires simply "spin up" much easier. Depending on "how bad" your current tires are, I'd expect between .5-3 mph increase with the same effort. There's a lot of variables there-

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...t-tire-folding

dynaryder

If you can afford them,Schwalbe Marathon Supremes,otherwise Vittoria Randonneurs or any other commuter tire in 32-38mm.

Doohickie

I went from a skinnier tire to the 35 mm wide and I think if anything the bike is faster.

pierce

doohickie: then I suspect you must have been under-inflating the skinny tires... although, once you get down under 28mm, its all about the same

kaliayev

+1 on the Vittoria's. I got a set of 700X35 Randonneur Hypers (renamed the Voyager Hyper) on cloesout. Big fan so far.

pierce

yeah, ++1 on the Vittoria Rando Hypers, too. mine are 700x32 on my Globe, they rock. FWIW, i think the Randonneur Hyper are now the Randonneur Pro, the Voyager Hyper is a slightly different tire and isn't foldable.

Rootman

Wow. I just got my Roam 2 with Giant P-RX2 700X40's and was thinking last night how the tires are practically silent. What pressure are you pumping the to? I do 65 lbs and it's remarkable how quiet they are compared to my more knobbier tired old hybrid. The wind in my ears is louder than my tires. I often spook pedestrians because they don't hear me coming.

pierce

i run about 80-100 psi in my x32 tires. fatter tires == lower pressures. the pressure also should be matched to the rider weight, and to the front/rear weight distribution. somewhat lower pressures on dirt gives you better traction, even with slicks, but too low of a pressure can lead to 'pinch flats'.

Doohickie

I think it was the tread. I'm pretty good about monitoring tire pressure.

crazyravr

The tires on my bike are also very quite and I pump them up to 65psi front/back. But my questions was for a more road friendly skinnier tire that might make spinning easier and make me go a bit faster

Bill Kapaun

Is yours the 8 or 9 speed version.
In either case, changing the cassette to something a little closer spaced would also help.
The 11-3x's have pretty wide spaced gears.
A closer spaced cassette will allow more efficient cadence ranges.

crazyravr

9 spd version.

badger1

"Skinnier" has -- within limits not really applicable to the kind of cycling you or most of us on these forums do -- absolutely nothing to do with speed (both acceleration and over the ground). What matters much more is a) the quality/construction/weight of the tire and b) setting it to the correct inflation for it/your weight. A high-quality 32 road tire, e.g., run at the correct pressure will be both more comfortable and 'faster' than a crap 23 - 28 tire run at correct or 'high' pressure.

So, anything around 32 to 35 (even 38) should work well as an upgrade. As others have suggested, Marathon Supremes (folding), Vittoria Randonneur (now Voyager) Hyper, would do what you want. Another option would be Panaracer Pasela TG (folding). If you really want to notice a change, you might consider something like this: https://www.compasscycle.com/tires_gb_700_32.html

lewdvig

Amen! Bump because there is a ton of ignorance about tires and pressure on these forums. In addition to the countless years of expertise accessible via forums, the science is unequivocal; everything else being equal fat tires are almost always faster.

I too was once an idiot riding 120 psi 23mm tires around.

yashinon

It seems that tires are personal preference, I see a lot of different brands in this thread. I have posted tire questions in other threads to gain more knowledge. As I read and learn more, the more I think about things. The Bontragers on my "new" used 7.3fx are in great shape but are 700 x 35. I dont see much in terms of reviews for Bontrager so I am thinking ahead to next season. I would like a light tire with better rolling yet maintain the toughness of puncture resistance.

Wanderer

I love my Marathon Supremes in 35 and 40. They are an absolutely great tire, but they sure don't like ice or snow.

Greybeard712

Now this is interesting. I had Bontrager 32mm Hard Case Lite's (w/liners) (100psi) on my Sirrus and went to Bontrager 28mm Hard Case (110 psi), thinking, 'Less width, less rolling resistance'. But the 32's were a little smoother and the 28's don't seem to be any faster.
Thanx for the info.

yashinon

My 7.3 FX has the Camino rims. Will I have to change rims if I want to go with a thinner tire, say 700 x 28?

Wanderer

What is the internal width of your rim? That is the determining factor. If it is 18mm, you would be OK, but a 32 wide tire would be better.