Road tires on mountain bike rims?
04-03-15, 07:23 PM
#1
Biking Viking.
Thread Starter
Road tires on mountain bike rims?
I'd like to put some 700x28s on my 29er Bontrager mountain bike wheels. Is there something physically different about the rim that would result in issues? I've seen mtb rims recommend a certain width tire (say, no less than a 35), although road rims are getting as wide as narrow mtb rims, so I don't really understand the issue.
04-03-15, 07:26 PM
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04-03-15, 07:44 PM
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Well yes...the rims are wider on most mtn bikes! If you take a mtn bike rim designed for 2.25" tires and put a 23c tire on it the smaller tire will not be able to securely bulge out to ensure the bead is tight. That's why they will explicitly say to not use a tire under such and such size. That said, their recommendation for minimum tire size is done with lawsuits in mind and you can almost always get away with a skinnier tire than what they claim is the minimum size. Mtn bikes vary greatly in the type of tire they use and my personal advice would be to feel free to use a tire that is one size lower than recommended. With a bit of research you should be able to more carefully determine the safe tire size by learning the rim and tire sizes and matching things up. Tire Sizing Systems has a chart with recommendations on what tire sizes will work with what size rims. Things like whether the tire is a steel bead or kevlar bead can make a difference in how secure the tire is, as does the shape of the wheel bed.
04-03-15, 07:47 PM
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How wide are your particular rims? If the interior width is roughly 15-19 mm, you're within the ideal range for 28 mm tires according to Schwalbe and the ETRTO, as well as Sheldon Brown (click the links for more tire/rim sizing info).
04-03-15, 08:50 PM
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i've been touring thousands of miles on my sun M13II rims with 32mm tires on them now for a number of years. the "13" in M13II represents the inside width.
04-03-15, 09:20 PM
#7
Biking Viking.
Thread Starter
How wide are your particular rims? If the interior width is roughly 15-19 mm, you're within the ideal range for 28 mm tires according to Schwalbe and the ETRTO, as well as Sheldon Brown (click the links for more tire/rim sizing info).
04-03-15, 10:05 PM
#8
Non omnino gravis
I'm running 700x28 Schwalbe Ones (tubeless) on WTB Frequency i19 MTB rims. All day, every day, @ 80psi. No problems at all. I could have actually opted for the i23s for a fatter contact patch, but the price was right on the i19s. Also of note, the WTB Frequency CX "cyclocross specific" are just i19s with a different sticker. Aside from width, one common difference between "road" and "MTB" rims is weight and strength-- my i19s are not lightweight wheels (built with XT high-flange hubs) but they sure are strong.
04-04-15, 01:31 AM
#10
Steel is real
depends on the inner design of the rim, i found on 26" wheels anyway, some are interchangeable yet others won't bead hybrid tyres and will only accept wide mountain bike tyres.
