hairytoes

In 2008 Vittoria are bringing out the Rubino Pro Slick in 559 x 40 (26"x1.5). It's going to be a lightweight slick like the 700c Rubino Pros. The catalog lists the weight as 210 grams.

For those riding long distances on 26" wheeled bikes, this could be a great summer tyre. I haven't definitely found a UK importer yet, just keeping my finger's crossed.

I've read quite a few discussions about using something called a grand bois (right name and spelling?) in 650. This Rubino Pro slick could be the equivalent in 26"/559.

StephenH

Okay, stupid question...but why would you use a slick instead of a tire with normal tread?

hairytoes

They roll better - lower resistance. If I switch from Pasela TG to Sport Contacts, it feels like a tailwind. But the sport contacts weigh a ton in the fatter sizes.

Although Vittoria call the rubino pro a slick, photos of the tyre seem to show a fine diamond pattern.

vik 

From Sheldon Brown's site:

"Tread for on-road use

Bicycle tires for on-road use have no need of any sort of tread features; in fact, the best road tires are perfectly smooth, with no tread at all!

Unfortunately, most people assume that a smooth tire will be slippery, so this type of tire is difficult to sell to unsophisticated cyclists. Most tire makers cater to this by putting a very fine pattern on their tires, mainly for cosmetic and marketing reasons. If you examine a section of asphalt or concrete, you'll see that the texture of the road itself is much "knobbier" than the tread features of a good quality road tire. Since the tire is flexible, even a slick tire deforms as it comes into contact with the pavement, acquiring the shape of the pavement texture, only while incontact with the road.

People ask, "But don't slick tires get slippery on wet roads, or worse yet, wet metal features such as expansion joints, paint stripes, or railroad tracks?" The answer is, yes, they do. So do tires with tread. All tires are slippery in these conditions. Tread features make no improvement in this."