Glynis27

Hello all. I have been using 26x1.5" Primo Comets on my DF bike for 2 years. I have been quite happy with them, but they will need to be replaced next spring. While looking for replacements, I have found that they are marketed as recumbent tires. Why is this? Is there any difference between a recumbent and DF bike tire? Any reason they should not be used on a DF bike?

purplepeople

Go ahead and use them. Recumbent bike tires tend to be more aerodynamic and more comfortable than regular bike tires.

;)ensen.

JanMM

Primo Comets are bicycle tires. They should work equally well on a 'bent or an upright bike. I suspect they are on a lot of 'bents because of Primo's connection to BMX bikes. Most BMX bikes use 20"/406 tires, as do lots of 'bents.

I'm considering putting them on our upright 26" wheeled tandem when the current tires wear out.

JanMM

Does the recumbent position of the rider somehow make the tire aerodynamic?

Jeff Wills

They're stock equipment on a lot of recumbents because they're available in different sizes to accomdate recumbent designs. There's nothing that makes them "recumbent" or "upright" tires per se.

Glynis27

Ok cool. Thanks for the info. I couldn't think of any reason they would be different and I have used them happily for 2 years, so I didn't think it was a problem. Having never owned a bent, I wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing.

BlazingPedals

They may be called recumbent tires because 20" and 26" are the most common sizes on recumbents, and any road tire in one of those sizes is liable to be popular with recumbent owners.

cranky old dude

I think I read someplace, maybe the General Cycling Forum, that recumbent tires always think they're going downh...........oh never mind! It's probably just some silly rumor anyway.

Tires are tires. The quality and properties of the tire should be mated to it's intended use. 'Bent or DF doesn't enter into the equation other than perhaps from a marketing standpoint.

purplepeople

Onus

Seems to me, a lot of people around here would probably say so... ...

BlazingPedals

Yeah, well... that's obvious.

JanMM

[QUOTE=cranky old dude;9798161]I think I read someplace, maybe the General Cycling Forum, that recumbent tires always think they're going downh...........oh never mind! It's probably just some silly rumor anyway.
QUOTE]

That's just Crazy Talk!

layedback1

Yep tires are tires, if they fit they are fine to use. I do ride a bent with Comets. Several bents use more narrow tires, but personally I dont think they are as safe. Two reasons, small tires are more prone to snake bite flats. Second, wider tires dont get caught in cracks in the road as easily. Somewhat personal experience there. Two friends were on a tour following a guy on a mountain bike. He rode right over a crack in the hiway, but the tandem my friends were on with more narrow tires dropped into the crack. My friends went down, and one broke his hip. It has screwed him up for years.

One other thing. Since the Comets are 100lbs tires, they really arent losing much in the way of friction looss.

BlazingPedals

Comets are racing tires. They have a light carcass, and a thin layer of rubber under the herringbone tread. To get acceptable longevity, they use a relatively hard rubber compound, so they don't grip quite as well in some conditions (namely in the rain,) and their thin rubber makes them susceptible to puncture flats. Aside from those shortcomings, I have found them to be one of the fastest tires for available 26" or 20", and being relatively inexpensive gives them great bang for the buck.

karjak

Hey Blazing Pedals,

Caught your reply post on the relative speed of Primo's. Just bought a 26" used Hed front wheel for my High Racer that came with a Primo 1.0 racer on it. Have been using Stelvio's and Conti Grand Prix's before. Recently just purchased some 26" Durano's. Do you think there is any significant difference in speed of any of these tires? If you could rate them on paved surface under good weather conditions what would be your opinion? I now have all these tires availabe to me and don't know what is best for Time Trials.

Thanks - Karjak

BlazingPedals

I don't know how Durano rates but if I were to venture a guess, I'd say they're probably similar to Stelvios (since they're the replacement for Stelvios.) They're definitely a different tire from the Stelvio, though. But I'm reluctant to recommend them since I went through 6 Stelvios in the past and all of them failed before they were worn out -- some in as little as 100 miles. A week-old tire having the rubber peel off in strips in the middle of a race probably isn't a good thing! Stelvios and GPs are both faster than Primo Racers, but not by a lot. Ride-wise, the GP was the harshest tire, followed by the Primo, and the Stelvio was the most supple. I have a Durano on the front of my NoCom, and it seems to be fast and supple, like the Stelvio was. I sure hope it lasts longer, though!

Tom Bombadil

Primo Comets came as original equipment on my Rans Stratus. They do roll very well, but are not the optimal tire for me. Speed isn't an issue for me and much of my riding is on dirt/gravel rail trails where walnuts lie in wait to puncture my tires. A more heavily armored tire with more tread would be better. But the Comets are nice & quiet on paved surfaces.

karjak

Thanks BP

Onus

I thought walnuts were the big green round ones; aren't sycamores and chestnuts the spiky ones?

Tom Bombadil

Once the big green husks come off, they have needle-nosed ends.

shortboat

Others have rcommended Schwelbe Marathon Slick and Conti Top Touring. I have used both with good wear and ride. Too bad they stopped making the Tioga Compool.