Here's my 2 cents. Like Tom, I ride a MTB and don't really want a road bike. I bought a set of 26x1.95 Continental Town and Countries to replace the same some knobbies that were on the bike when I bought it after reading how they'd be quieter and give me a faster smoother ride. I used them for about a year wondering when the extra speed was going to appear before going to the Performance Forte 26x1.5 slicks that I prefer, and switch back to the Town and Countries during the early and late parts of the riding season when the deeper treads give me more reassurance when the weather can be bad. They allow me to ride more often than if I just had the slicks, and provide that feeling of extra speed when I replace them with the slicks after it's warm again. I can't say the Town and Countries were different enough than the knobbies I originally had to justify buying them, but they're the ones I put back on when it's time to switch to a bigger tire because I like them better than the knobbies. I love the smoother ride too, but not enough to keep them on when the weather is better. I also know that buying the Town and Countries may have cost me more than I wanted (I think I spent about $60 on the pair), but they allow me to keep riding (and that's priceless in a way) and I'm glad I have them.