broncos730

Hi there. New owner of a Cannondale Catalyst 3 with 27.5" x 2.1" rims and using it to commute 6 miles round trip to work. It's all asphalt and I've got a bald rear tire with only about 100 miles on the bike. The original tires are pretty knobby so i'm sure the road conditions have worn it flat.

I want to get some commuter tires for it and would love to hear people's opinions on where to go and what to use. I'm awfully new at this! Thanks.

stringsonbikes

Look at the panaracer pasela or t-serv for speed. Schwalbe Big Ben for comfort or some of their marathon offerings.

fietsbob

You would hate the ride of hard durometer utility tires on a sporty bike.

broncos730

I've not hearod of durometer tires. I'll avoid them. I know as a MTB, this Cannondale isn't the best commuter. Any advise to help make it a better commuter is always appreciated!

Tombaatar

6 miles round trip could be done on a beach cruiser. Your MTB is fine for this commute. Don't worry about it until you want to upgrade. To make it a better commuter i doubt you can put on a rack or fenders so just add some nice dual use tires like these:

https://bike.michelin.com/products/m...n-country-rock
continental bicycle Town & Country

don't max out the air pressure. get a good light, front and back.

Be Safe!

tyrion

Good ol' Schwalbe Marathons make good commuting tires and they come in 27.5 sizes.

https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_t...s/marathon_420

Mondials also come in a 27.5 size.

https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_t...rathon_mondial

broncos730

Thanks everyone!

mobongofury

I'm using the Schwalbe Mondials (27.5 x 2.0) on my Giant XTC 800 MTB for my daily commute through the streets of urban China and love them! They give added puncture protection and run pretty smooth.

dabac

Durometer isn't a brand, it's an engineering term for how hard the rubber in the tires is.

Harhir

I am really happy with the Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS440. Running them on two bikes now. 700x35C. But local bike stores hardly carry them.

Bike Gremlin

Don't like "puncture resistant" tyres - they are heavier and less comfortable. Also, for pavement I prefer as slick as possible tyres. They provide the best grip.

Something like this should be fine, though I haven't tried these myself - one of the reasons I dislike 27.5" is availability of tyre models in that size.
https://www.bike24.com/1.php?content...5D=1;orderby=2

09box

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-essential-commuter-road-tyre/

I've had good luck with these in 700x32.

CliffordK

100 miles for a bald tire?

Perhaps you have a lot more wear left than you thought. Are you seeing threads?

Or, something else is wearing down the tires. Skidding? It can be awfully easy to skid the rear, but can be very hard on your tires.

Also note, many of the new road tires are smooth. Some come with wear indicators (maybe 1/16" to 1/8" of tread wear, but that can go for thousands of miles). Over time, one will observe a definite flattening of tire with wear.

DiabloScott

Agreed, there's no way 100 miles of even the worst roads and worst riding gives bald tires... Something doesn't add up.

broncos730

It was the knobby tires that came stock on the Cannondale and all I did was asphalt riding. That plus my 270 lbs. wore the knobbies off pretty quickly. No threads showing. I ended up changing them out for Schwalbe Big Bens and the difference is night and day!!

sweeks

I have several thousands of miles on these tires with no punctures. (20" tires on a folding Tern Verge S11i)

Yes, maybe so, but I would trade a little speed and even comfort for freedom from flats. Getting a flat in the rain when you're due at work is a real bummer. I haven't found comfort to be lacking either... just get the tire pressure right.
Steve

Hypno Toad

Another vote for T-Serv - I've used them and loved for years.

ThermionicScott 

There are a couple of Panaracer Pasela-derived tires in 650x38B or 42B that ought to do the job:

https://www.rivbike.com/collections/...ss-black-tread
https://www.rivbike.com/collections/...tire-blackwall

You don't have to buy from Rivendell, but Grant does a good job describing the pros and cons of these models, I think.

Bike Gremlin

Guess I'm lucky. Very few flats. Last one on a rainy night (home, from, not to work though) was with a Marathon puncture resistant tyre. They work, most of the time, but aren't 100% puncture proof - just resistant.

Since I get a flat about once a year (lower pressure, wider tyres, minding where I ride), I prefer the nicer tyres to puncture resistant ones.

fietsbob

there are different rubber types, Fast cornering needs a compound that will wear faster.

hard compounds wear longer.. it's all a series of trade-offs..

broncos730

My 3 mile commute went from 21-22 minutes to 16 minutes and I've moved from the middle ring to the outer ring on my crank! What a hell of a difference a set of proper tires makes!!

acidfast7

what tyres did you get?

I'd vote for the Marathons after breaking a few other tyres, including Gatorskins

broncos730

Schwalbe Big Ben 27.5 x 2.0

acidfast7

interesting, I didn't know MTB manufacturers were going with 650B or -584mm sizes now.

noglider 

I guess it's a good thing, as 559mm is pretty small, but I wish they didn't call it 27.5". It's just a dumb name, since the rim is smaller than a 27" rim.