Originally Posted by
Ironfish653
I don't understand the constant push to put skinny tires on everything here. Refitting a 30 year old $40 MTB with a new 650 wheel set so you can run 32mm tires is the best course of action?
There is a whole category of high-performance, hard-surface tires in the same 26x2.0 that these old MTBs came with, so you can have high speed, good grip, AND the smooth ride of a big volume tire: They're BMX tires.
C&V might not be ready for that, but your kids are gonna love it.
Is all about the intended use, there are just situations where they make the most sense.
We have old school mountain bikes (rigid frames, straight top tubes) we take to trails and river beds. The best tires are the fattest that will fit under the frame. For straight road riding a fast rolling tall tire that also fill the frame is best. On my neck of the woods there is just too much gravel on the roads so my 700c 28mm tires on my touring bike are beginning to feel too skinny, I'm hoping to bump them to 32mm. I'm building a new set of 650b wheels that will be 37mm, those should feel awesome around here.
Sometimes you are actually going fatter, sometimes skinnier, you should always hope to use the largest rim that will fit the frame.
I did have a beater mountain bike for a bit I slapped 650b tires on. When I sold it for $50 bucks it went with the old 26" tires it originally had.