Originally Posted by
BROOKLINEBIKER
Hi everyone,
I have a question for the forum. I just “winterized” my 26” K2 Zed aluminum beater bike by mounting some very knobby WB Velociraptor 2.1 26x47/52 (52-559)tires. Unfortunately, it is now really hard to spin at a respectable cadence & produce speed over 8 mph when on dry pavement. I use the granny gear but often feel like I am spinning without really moving. I can speed up the bike by riding in a lower gear or standing up on the pedals but that beats on my knees. FYI-I use a 22/32/42 "MTB" IsoFlow Truvativ (triple chainring) crank arms. I would prefer to stay off my road bike with thinner & slicker tires until spring. What can I do to improve the situation? Did I buy the wrong tires?
Thanks,
Neil
If this were the Road Forum, I just say HTFU
But I suppose we have to be nicer here
8 mph on dry pavement with knobbies seems a little slow. When I ride pavement with off-road tires, it slows me down some but not that much, especially with a low geared bike like yours.
What pressure are you running? If I'm going to ride knobbies for any significant amount of distance on dry pavement, I boost the pressure to around 65 psi. If I need extra traction or want to ride off-road, I lower the pressure to something more appropriate.
How long have you been riding? Some of your problem may be strength related if you haven't been riding long or if you've only been riding road bikes...we're back to that HTFU issue.
How cold is it? Cold will make you ride slower. It usually has a 3 to 5 mph effect on my speed, depending on the temperature. Below 20F, it's just plain harder to ride. From 35 down to 20 is easier but I'm still slower than I am at 60, 70 or 80F.
You may also want to gear up in the front. Riding in a 22 tooth granny means that you are doing a lot of rpm to go anywhere. Ride in the middle chainring unless you really need that 22 to go up steep hills or negotiate deep snow.