My wife has a new 29er with the stock knobby tires. Because she will ride 95% on paved roads and smooth dirt roads at camp, I plan on switching the tires to smoother and narrower tires: I'm considering 700x50 Big Apple Plus, her current tires are 700x54 so she shouldn't feel that the tire is harder but she will notice the smoother ride. She's a fairly new rider so she'll want tread and I think the tread of the Big Apple Plus will be sufficient to satisfy her wishes.