scorch

Im trying to do more road riding, but i have a hybrid bike that has 26 rim and some wide tires which don't help with the rolling resistance.

Anyone know of the smallest size and fastest tire i can get on a bike like this? I dont want to spend the money on a road bike.. much too expensive, i have no idea how bikes have gotten so expensive.

Im looking around performancebike.com and nashbar.com for some inexpensive tires.

Any help would be appreciated.

Id actually like to put a 700cc rim on there and see if i could put road tires. would this be possible?

Kojak

Scorch, without significant modifications to the frame, (and even then it may not be possible, a framebuilder might be able to answer this) you won't be able to fit 700c rims to this bike.

As for a narrower tire, you'll have to know how wide the rim is before you can know how skinny a tire will actually work for you. I've pasted in a link to our website https://www.schwalbetires.com/tech_info/tire_dimensions ; there's a paragraph and a chart near the bottom of the page that helpls explain how it works.

Narrower tires will definitely help with rolling resistance, as in most cases the max tire pressure will be higher for a skinny tire than for a wider tire, however there are other factors at play as well. Rubber compound, and carcass construction all have some influence on the rolling resistance of a tire. Another factor to consider if you're going to be commuting regularly is puncture protection. Nobody likes fixing a flat, especially on the way to work, and really especially (I know, bad grammer) if you've got an early meeting. Most manufacturers make a very wide variety of tires to ensure that they'll have some model that will satisfy most of their customers.

Captain Chaos

I've run Specialized All-Condition tyres in a 26x1.00 size on my mountain-bikes with both DT and Mavic Rims in the past. (This is about the same width as a 700x25C tyre). Despite their narrow size, they're not totally slick and have a little texture towards to edges for wet-weather grip on tarmac.

In regard to the 700c rim it's a little more complex...

1. Size - 700c wheels usually fit any mountain bike, depending on A- A 135mm width rear hub (MTB standard, as opposed to a 130mm road hub), and B- narrow 23/25/28C tyres to allow clearance between these larger diamater wheels and your seat-tube/fork crown.

2. Brakes - Even if you can fit a 700c wheel on your hybrid/MTB, you encounter a problem regarding rim-brakes. The larger diamater rim means your v-brakes no longer line up with the braking surfaces machined on the 700C rims. This makes no difference if you run discs and change to a 700C narrow-tyre disc wheel set-up. Otherwise, Mavic produces a "Speed-City" wheelset, complete with optional rim-brake adapters to position your V-brakes higher up on the frame.

Speed City Wheels -https://www.mavic.com/road/products/s....995625.1.aspx
V-Brake Adaptors - https://www.mavic.com/mtb/products/br....323944.3.aspx

scorch

Thanks for the info guys. Captain Chaos, thats a good idea. But probably sounds pricey for my budget! im going to look into the actual prices

But it seems the best bet is thinner tires. Ill check on the rim size and go that route.

Thanks guys, i appreciate the input!

NormanF

You can build a 69er but the issue of brake reach precludes a 700C wheel in the back. A 26 X 1.0 is the thinnest slick you can have but it produces a harsh ride without a suspension fork. That trade-off isn't worth it and I like superfat tires like Schwalbe Big Apples and Fat Franks. Comfort and speed.

markf

How wide are your current tires? Are they knobbies, slicks, or something in between?

Along with a harsh ride, narower tires are more vulnerable to pinch flats (tire gets cut by the rim when you hit a pothole, curb, etc.). Proper inflation also becomes more critical as tires get narrower, you'll need to pump up skinny tires much more frequently than fat tires. Switching to slicks without going too much narrower might be a good compromise between going faster and not giving up too much comfort or puncture protection.

How diligent are you about keeping up your tire pressure? Keeping your tires at or close to max pressure can help reduce rolling resistance and reduce the likelihood of pinch flats. It might even reduce the chance of sharp objects working their way into your tire.

Invisibl

I personally wouldn't go any narrower than 1.25...but that's just my opinion

rugerben

I recently bought these 1.5" tires for my MTB that I use as a bad weather commuter. For really cheap tires I rather like 'em.

The manufacturer suggests inflating to 40PSI. They were a little soft at 40, but at 55PSI they have worked very well for me for the last 2 weeks. that I've had them.

nahh

i run 26x 1 1/8 conti gatorskins, and I really don't notice any terribly harsh ride like everyone talks about with thinner tires... and i run at 120PSI, rigid everything.

dynaryder

What bike? If it's a MTB with wide rims,I wouldn't go skinnier than 1.5". I've got 1.3's on my Surly with Rhinolites,and they just fit.

I've ridden and liked WTB Slickasaurus's in 1.5" and Conti Sports in 1.6". Both are higher psi slicks. The Contis have puncture resistance and reflective sidewalls are optional. If you're willing to spend the dosh,Schwalbe Marathon Supremes come in 1.6". I've been running 2" Supremes on my commuter for almost a year and really like them.

700's will raise your gearing,but won't make you any faster than running 26's that are slick and comparable in width/psi.

treebound 

I've got a set of Serfas Barrista tires on a converted MTB set up as a commuter, 26"x1-1/4 @ 100psi (if I remember correctly). So far I like them a lot but they were a bit of a bear to put on.

Edit: this should take you to some MTB'rs talking about their Barrista tires

https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=276791

Jtgyk

Specialized FatBoy 26 x 1.25, 100psi.

scorch

The bike is a hybrid womens jamis(i forgot the model, its my gf's) The tires are city tires, by that i mean they aren't knobbies or slicks. Something in between, alto of thread but their are pretty silent when riding.

im going to get it from the shop tommorow(it has a tune up) then im going to look at the tires, other than 26 printed on the tires i dont know much about it.

It also has a suspension seat post which i know kills efficiency, so id like to get another one.

TheRocoLoco

I use Ritchey Tom Slick 1.4s.

But Actually these Forte Slick City 1.25 look really nice, I think if I was doing it again I'd buy these.

TheRocoLoco

100 psi is a good way to get a lot of flats ... at least in my experience.

Jtgyk

Nah...I've ridden these for a year now on my commutter. No flats at all, even when taking them on the odd off road jaunt. (and I weigh in at 370 lbs) They're just lurvley!

AsanaCycles

MAVIC SpeedCity wheelset
https://cgi.ebay.com/Mavic-Speedcity-...3A1%7C294%3A50

scorch

ahh so the bike is a jamis explorer 1.0 with a 26 1.9 tire

I took my rim and tire off my road bike and installed it on it and it fit, but you guys were right the brakes do not line up. Otherwise it would be a perfect little thing to do.

It also has a suspension seatpost which kills efficiency.

ronsmithjunior

These aren't exactly cheap, but they will be a fast option:

https://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/...ategory=704500

All of the Continentals and the Schwalbe Durano and Kojak would work. Personally I have used the 559x28 Gatorskin and the 559x25 Grand Prix.

oneredstar

You can change over to 700c wheels with this product from mavic. https://www.mavic.com/mtb/products/br....323944.3.aspx This will get you where you need to be. Now all you need are new wheels and tires.

Captain Chaos

Looks like the Jamis is a very upright bike, and designed more for comfort than speed or efficiency. That's by no means a bad thing! But I'd wager a whole new wheelset would be a bit of a waste of money, money better saved on a new, sportier hybrid when you retire the Jamis some years down the line.

Those little Mavic adaptors I mentioned earlier cost about the same as new 26x1.0-1.5 tyres, without even counting the cost of a new wheelset.

Just go down your local LBS and pick up some new 26" tyres and tubes. Specialized Nimbus or Conti Gatorskins would be your best bet for a mix of speed and comfort/grip. (I prefer Conti Contact Security 26x1.75s myself!)

dynaryder

Unless you're willing to throw serious dosh at it,you'll never make that comfort bike into a performer. Biggest improvement would be some skinny slicks. After that,flatten or swap the stem,and swap the seatpost and seat. Anything beyond that is diminishing returns. If she wants to go faster,get her a Coda or a road bike.