tires for 26in wheels
 

does anyone have a recommendation for a good road/gravel/dirt tire that
would work on sun rhyno lite rims. i'd like to run higher pressures( 75-90psi)
and have low rolling resistance. the bike is a khs comp if the makes and difference( i don't know how wide a tire width the frame can handle). i was thinking slicks or semi-slicks.

thanks,

steve

You'd fare much better in asking this question on one of the two following forums:

Tandems in General: Tandem@Hobbes
More info: http://home.att.net/~thetandemlink/hobbes.html

Off-Road Tandem Enthusiasts List: Double Forte
More info: http://home.att.net/~double_forte/

Both lists are frequented by folks who have extensive experience with 26" wheeled tandems, including many who live and ride in Texas. Tire recommendations can be somewhat regional given the different types of roads, hazards, and terrain.

Just a suggestion noting that our 26" wheeled tandem is only used off-road and none of the tires we use are of any use on asphalt.

I have some Ritchey Tom-Slicks on my KHS Comp (26x1.5). I run them at about 100psi and haven’t had any problems.

There are all kinds of slick and semi-slick tires available for your 26" wheeled tandem (wire beaded of course). I'm not sure that you are going to find one single tire that will be perfect for pavement, gravel and dirt - but you will certainly be able to find plenty that can handle one or more of those surfaces. I run the Sun Rhyno Lite rims on my Cannondale MT800 and have a pile of tires that I use (depending on the occasion).

The Tom Ritchey Tom Slick Comp comes in 2 sizes and can be inflated to a 100 psi. It comes in 26x1.0 (300 grams) or 26x1.4(400 grams) and should sell for around $16-$17.

IRC makes the Metro Clincher which comes in 26x1.5 (555 grams) or 26x2.0 (735 grams). PSI is 45 - 85. It's a heavy, wire beaded slick and sells for about the same price as the Tom Slick.

Hutchinson makes the Top Slick at 26x1.2 (385 grams) that can be run up to 90 psi.

You can go with an ultra big slick, huge volume for super suspension with the Schwalbe Big Apple's at 26x2.0 or 26x2.35 (my all time personal favorite tire). I road RAGBRAI this past summer using the big meats 26x2.35's and had a blast on them. Talk about a tire that absorbs hits. I also commute to work each day on a pair. They do very well on gravel and dirt as well as they are not a pure slick. They are double the price as the above mentioned tires, but you get what you pay for. I also have a set of the 28x2.0's for my 29" wheeled mountain bike. A nice benefit to these tires includes a reflector strip which aids in the night riding scene (something I do a lot of) if that is a feature you might find useful. Probably not the tire to satisfy all of your rolling resistance requirements, but I thought I would mention them because of their coolness factor.

Schwalbe also makes the excellent Marathon Slick series (26x1.35 and 26x1.75). Both are much lighter than the Big Apple's. Their Marathon Plus at 26x1.75 has a little tread on it and is designed for everyday cycling that includes glass, thorns, shards and other puncture possible material. Not a light tire, but there is always a payoff for protection.

Panaracer makes the UrbanMax, Kenda makes the Kwest, Hang Chen has a few models (and makes many of the other brands tires anyway), Specialized makes a number of slicks for 26" wheels and most of the mail order joints like Nashbar, Performance, SuperGo, etc. have their "house brand" slick for 26" wheeled bikes which you can often pick up for about $10 a piece. If you move into the semi-slick area of tires, there are models from all of these tire makers that have 26" wheeled semi's available that might meet the "one do-all tire" for pavement, gravel and dirt.

Plenty to choose from and the wire beads will keep them hooked up in the Sun Rhyno's just fine.

BB