I've ordered 2 sets of XT X717s on blowout a few years ago. They both have DTH 2.1s on them. The wheels arrived quickly, well packed, and they are problem free.

Currently I have 5 sets of DTHs and 1 set of Pasela 1.75. The Paselas are rather thick, and a bit different from the thin 700c paselas.



Edit: I now like the skinwall DTH better than the black ones. They look nicer on vintage bikes IMO withut the yellow logos

They look good; I should get pics of my DTH's. They do ride plush, don't they?

Smooth, fast, and versatile. They work on dirt roads and light off road. I wish they made a 1.9" also.

These are the 2.3"



I need to get a few pairs more.

I’ve used RTPs in the dry seasons and Race Kings in the winter and when the MUP trails get softer. Both are really good.

I’m also liking the Continental Contact Speed in the 26x2.0 size. Also a fast road and dry trail tire.

Otto

Just received and mounted a pair of 26x2.15 Schwalbe Big Ben's on a tour-bike in the making(drop bar conversion eventually).

Nice tires..seem to roll very well.

Update..Just did a quick 25 miles to see how they ride..very nice. Quiet, cushy, fast. While I don't doubt the Rat Trap Pass tires are much nicer, they should be for $100 more per pair than what the Big Ben's cost.

I have a winter bike I break out when there is Ice on the street. my set of these

was bought in 1990 and 30 years later they're still fine
though Below 0C it has been dry & cloudless in the winter, for several years.. , so low actual mileage..

My other 26" wheel bike is this Koga WTR.



OEM Pick, Continental travel contact, shown, were great, but tread design got so many people telling me I'd worn the Knobbies down in the middle,
though they were fine, that I put Schwalbe Marathon Plus on which have been fine ever since..








...

Compass / Rene Herse rat trap pass in 54mm (2.3in) roll nicely and work well in light gravel. I prefer not to economize on tires, which can transform ride quality. Big Ben and Fat Frank felt like lead, comparatively (Schwalbe).

Nice. RTPs are my aspirational tires; someday, when I win the lottery.

Until I win the lottery, here are my Drop The Hammer (on my toes) tires on my perpetually unfinished Princess.



Hey, what's in the big pink box?

I have been using the 26"x1.8" Compass Naches Pass tires on my 26" wheeled bike. They are about the same size as the Continental Sport Touring and a bit faster. Provide a nice ride as the same time.

I had been waiting a few years to finally wear out a set of Maxxis Holy Rollers I had on my ‘91 Rockhopper and recently decided it was time to retire them. Not because they were worn, but because it was just taking too long. I got them for a bargain and got more than my money’s worth. Still plenty of life left, so I’ll drop them at a co-op. For replacements I got a 2.4” Trail King for the front and 2.2” Race King for the rear. Only a couple short rides so far, but very happy with them.









Yes, the frame is small, but the fit works and feels like a burly BMX in a way. More saddle to bar drop... It was my father’s bike, so good reason to keep it doing. The stock wheels are about due for replacement as the brake track has put in a solid work load. Everything else has been slowly swapped out over the past several years. Super fun bike!

ETA: I have a pair of 1.95” WTB Wolverines that I throw on in the winters, they work very well for me.

I have like the Maxxis DTH on my Trek 950 mt bike converted to urban cruiser.

For me they seem to be a good balance of flat resistance and good rolling resistance .

I think they weigh in at around 550g.

That weight sure beats some of the 900 to 1000 gram 26" tires I tried.

Yesterday I repaired a front flat on the DTH's.
Found a small piece of truck tire wire in it.

Those dang £$@=$%*&¥ wires would flat Fred Flintstone's rock wheels.

I thought Tioga Power Blocks rode pretty similar and weigh close to the same.

I have been pleased with Continental Contact Speed tires in 700c and have 3 pairs.

I noticed they offered a 26 x 2.0 size and ordered a set I have yet to use.

I had to look around a bit to find the 26 size.
If you need a good reliable 700c tire it's not a bad choice in that size either.

My next build of a Schwinn High Plains will be running my 26" pair.

That's the tire Rivendell offered for a while in 700c, maybe they still do, for what its worth.
They called it something like the basketball tread tire.

Hey all; hubby's looking for some fairly aggressive 26"x1.5"ish tires for his new 1984 silver Stumpy. Any suggestions?

What does "aggressive" mean in this case?

I’ve been running the 26x2.0 version of the Contact Speed as the rear tire on my ‘88 RockHopper for about a month or so and have been very pleased.

It replaced a Compass RTP that had worn thin after something like 3000 miles or so. So far it has been a worthy successor and the bike still rolls fast.

The RTP in front has less wear and has never flatted, so I may keep one of those in front when I need to replace it, or I may just go with another Contact Speed.

Otto

I ride mostly packed gravel rail trail mixed with some pavement.

Kojak 2.0: feels fast enough, secure on pavement, went down on wet dirt.
Schwalbe Marathon winter plus: OMG slow, have to pedal downhill, but that beats falling on ice.
Schwalbe Big Apple 2.35: Surprisingly OK. Perfect when you hit a rock hidden in the grass.
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme: A little faster, and a little harsher than Big Apples. Running a little more pressure
Panaracer Gravel King SK, 2.0: Probably the best all around. Secure, not slow.

Not currently in use
Hutchinson 559x32 vintage French made. Not bad, but take the road bike.
Continental 559x40 "Cross Country" Very light knobby. Used for mountain bike in cross race. Good on grass.

I've never had a flat with any of them, but I'm 135 lbs. and lucky.

Knobby. Those tires appear to be original, so not rideable. The bike is a time capsule, and he wants to ride it pretty much as original. Before getting his sanity back and slapping on some big squishy tires. So, know of any 1.5" knobbies?

I thought the bike wasn't his size? Weren't you going to flip it?

It's on the small side for him, but he wants to ride it before deciding.

See post #86 above from Sir_Name .
Looks like two flavors of "aggressive" to choose from.

The T&C is one of the all-time great tires. They're a bit slow on good pavement, and that's the only bad thing about 'em. They work quite well off-road, unless you're doing steep climbs on decomposed granite or shale. Way better than you'd think on dirt. Crappy roads, gravel, fire roads, etc? Top shelf. They wear like train wheels. The ultimate jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, pretty-good-at-almost-everything tire.

For a 26"-wheel utility / commuting bike, where you never know what you're gonna be riding on? They'd be my first choice.

--Shannon

It might not be particularly fancy, but I was surprised by how much I enjoy the pair of SE Cub tires I put on my Schwinn High Plains. My local LBS swears by Kenda K-Rads, but they had a recent build where they used SE's instead of K Rads. Seeing that inspired me to buy a pair. I think they look great with the skinwalls, especially on the older mtbs with a bit of a 80s-90s BMX flair. Nice hum, perfect for riding on trails/around town.

I have also wanted to try Genuine Bicycle Product's 26" snakebelly tires on something. I bought some pieces from them for my Schwinn Klunker build and all their parts seem awesome.

I took my bike on the highway Tuesday, where CalTrans is tearing up the shoulder for (car) safety reasons. I have to say, the DTHs handled it all with aplomb. The scraped, textured section was mildly amusing, the loose tarred up gravel was barely there, and the ledges were merely mildly annoying. I think I love my tires.



Hey, what's in the big pink box?

If you are looking for an expensive option, the SimWorks Super Yummy is available in a 26" tire for $72. https://www.sim.works/collections/si...35667130024102

Rene Herse makes a 26x1.8 that would be the absolute business on an XO-1. Hella spendy, but it's an XO-1... rad bikes should have rad tires. (It's also not my money!)

WRT to your non-round Serfas, you might try airing them down to as low as you can get away with and riding 5 or so miles on smooth pavement. I used to do this with crappy sew-ups and it rounded and smoothed them out a heck of a lot.

--Shannon