Old 06-22-11, 06:54 AM
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contango 
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Originally Posted by Mysterious Lady
OK, thanks guys! Now, to further show my ignorance... I thought that have a wider/narrower set of tires would necessitate a completely different wheel (rim, etc) as well. Then after reading big_al's thread switching down to 700x28s I thought maybe all that didn't get replaced. So is that right? Can you just replace the actual tire, assuming the difference isn't too huge? And is that something I could learn to do on my own?
Replacing a tyre is a fairly simple job. The first time you do it you'll find it a royal pain in the rear. After that it gets easier. You should know how to do it as a matter of routine because the process has so much in common with fixing a puncture (OK, in a puncture situation you're putting the same tyre back on, but you know...)

Up to a point you can swap tyres without having to swap wheels. I've seen wheels that listed a minimum tyre width. I haven't seen a wheel that listed a maximum tyre width but then I've never gone looking for them so they may well be out there. Make sure your inner tube is suitably rated if you're changing the width of your tyre.

For general all-round use I've found my Schwalbe Marathon Extreme to be great. It's got enough grip in the mud to be useable and a low enough rolling resistance to work on the road too. I've taken mine on muddy trails and also done long-distance rides on the road on it. It's not going to hold up to extreme mud like other MTB tyres might but then if you're riding a hybrid you're probably not overly worried about that.
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