Originally Posted by
mjoekingz28
Hey. I like this forum the best so I posted this general question here..
I understand having mudboggers, clodhoppers, aka mudtires on a pickup truck that can get stuck in mud.
But
On a Trek 820 or just a simple 'ride-around-town' cruiser, why not have slicks? Do knobby tires protect the rim when off the pavement?
I ask, because, I have this mountain bike yet there are no mountains pretty much in my whole state... I do possibly take slight curbs, ride through grass, some mud and dirt, cut-up in some gravel, etc, etc, but IMO nothing to justify a mud tire that will probably degrade most of my riding which is on pavement.
I have a road bike with near slick tires, so I am not thinking full slicks for a mountain bike, but possibly just a few grooves-not thornbird type knobs.......
I really doubt I can generate enough torque to spin the rear in mud or ride at the edge to tuck the front end around some sand in a curve......
I am referring to what I think are the stock Bontrager 26X2.00 LT3 tires.
Or is there even a benefit to be had by having road centric tires versus what appears to be a 50/50 blend? I typically ride under five miles at a time with this bike, so distance should not be a factor IMO......
First, I wouldn't call the Bontrager LT3 a "knobby" tire. It's not that different from the Geax and two Kendas suggested above. It falls more on the road side of what are referred to in mountain biking as a "hardpack" tire. The side knobs are low and it would be a sketchy tire to ride fast on gravel or hard surfaces with bit of gravel on it. it would tend to wash out on fast, loose corners which can be very scary when you are going fast off-road. They would be much better than the other tires suggested above but not by much.
A tire on the more mountain bike end of the hardpack spectrum is something like the
Dartmoor from Performance. It's got a more aggressive side knob which grabs the surface better in corners and doesn't wash out as easily.
That said, I would say that your tires are completely adequate for the type of riding that you describe. The would be far more adequate than the Kenda Kwest or Geax tires and lighter than the Kenda K-193. The problem with those tires is that while they work well for road riding...they roll fast and stick to pavement well...when the road or trail gets slick or is covered in gravel that resembles marbles, they don't have even the minimal side grip that the Bontragers do.
Side grip is more important for off-road tires on bicycles than the center knob. The center knobs do provide a bit of traction but with the limited power we little monkeys can put out, they don't provide as much traction as you can get with a more powerful engine like an internal combustion one. The real reason to use a knobbed tire with a tall side knob is for cornering grip...especially on the front. You
really don't want the front wheel to slip or slide sideways while riding. With a small contact patch and only two wheels, even a slight slide sideways on the front can end up with you on the ground. You want a tire that is going to hold onto the ground until you get around the corner.
On pavement, this isn't a problem because pavement is a fairly consistent surface. A slick tire can depend on the inherent stickiness of the rubber to grip and pull you around a corner. But when the surface is soft or inconsistent, a side knob digs down into that surface and pulls the bike (and rider) around the corner rather than just skip over the surface. Sand, mud and softer trail surfaces can utilize a taller, more aggressive knob better while you can get away with a smaller less aggressive knob on hard pack surfaces. In mountain biking, the problem is that you should plan for the surface you are likely to encounter and most people will probably go for a taller knob to cover more surfaces. They lose a bit of speed but falling over has a huge impact on your overall speed as well
I would say just keep the tires you have and find places to ride that push their limits. You don't need mountains to ride a mountain bike. Flat, fast, twisty single track on flat ground can be as much fun and as challenging as steep drops and huge climbs...sometimes more so.
Originally Posted by
Bretonbikes
You don't need any tread unless you are on a surface that only offers grip when you cut into it - dense (not deep) mud and wet grass being typical - otherwise almost all surfaces, tarmac, gravel, cinder paths, smooth rock are best using a slicks whether wet or dry - faster (often very much faster) and longer lasting for a given weight.
Slicks on pavement or smooth trails like rail-trails are fine but I wouldn't say that they are "best" for almost all surfaces. Outside of those two surfaces, the limitations of a slick tire are quickly...and often painfully...found by the rider. In my experience, the world has more surfaces where a knob is a benefit rather than a detriment...unless you stick strictly to pavement.