Before moving to MI I was living in Louisville KY and commuting about 4 days a week 3.8 miles one way. Now that I live in MI my commute has changed to about 28 miles one way (a dramatic difference). My bike is a 98 CDale M500, not the greatest bike but it was cheap, it fits well and I enjoy riding it. I swapped out the knobby mtn tires when I got it and put on some fat slick type tires that are pretty wide and do not hold a lot of air pressure. The rims are Sun AT18's 26". From the information I can find they look to be about an inch wide (I may be wrong but its hard to find information about the exact rim; 98 compared to 2010).

What is the narrowest tire I can run on these rims?

I would like to get as narrow as possible in a gatorskin or something of that nature so I can decrease rolling resistance and increase my pleasure factor in the commute.

I'm thinking either of the following

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/pcocu...6_inch)/pp.htm
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/pgfst...er_tire/pp.htm
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/pscm2...26_tire/pp.htm


Help me out!

Links don't work

Take you pick:
https://www.everybicycletire.com/Shop...8-26-inch.aspx

Best I can tell, the AT18 is a 23.5mm wide rim (outside measurement). Since that is a similar width to the Velocity Dyads (24mm) that I run on my commuter, I'd say no narrower than 28mm. The Gatorskin 26x1.125 has an ISO size of 28-559. I'd probably err on the side of caution and go with 26x1.25 tires

A more narrow tire does not necessarily translate to a faster commute. You can crank up the tire pressure to reduce sidewall's flex, which will reduce rolling resistance. The downside to a hard tire is the loss of traction on bumpy roads. To me, it's a wash.

I'd stick to 28 or 32 mm tire for long distance commuting. A larger tire improve handling and stopping. Another big bonus is a more comfortable ride. Finally, look into a sprung saddle like the Brooks Flyer to dampen road vibration.

Links fixed

1 inch = 25.4 mm. If this is your outside measurement, then the true rim width (which is measured on the inside from bead hook to bead hook) is likely 23mm. If I were you I would measure the inside dimension so that you know what you have. If you don't have access to a caliper, take a thin piece of cardboard, and keep trimming it down until the cardboard just touches the bead hooks. Then, measure the length of the piece of cardboard.

If you in fact have a 23mm rim (technically would be a 559-23), then the narrowest tire that you'd want to install is a 37mm tire. Anything narrower, and you're going to run the risk of blowing the tire off the rim when inflated to max pressure. If it's a 21mm rim, then you can get away with a 35mm width tire.

It appears to me that Continental does not make the Ultra Gatorskin in a wide enough version for your rims (someone correct me if I'm wrong about this). The Marathon that you linked will work, I've also read on these forums that the Pasela TGs and Pasela Ribmos are well liked.

Your best bet may be to look through some of the tire threads that already exist on Bike Forums (there are plenty) and see what people are saying about their tires. Make a list, and then check with the manufacturer websites to see if thes tires are made in the size(s) that you need. If you have any specific questions about Schwalbe tires, I'm happy to provide answers. If I know anything about the other brands, I'll let you know that too.

If I were in your situation, one of my major considerations would be puncture protection. Doesn't matter how fast a tire rolls if you're getting a flat every 3rd day. The distance you are now riding increases the odds that you'll have some unpleasant patches of roadway on your commute. When you're looking at tires, be aware of what type of puncture protection they have. A good aramid (kevlar) belt is generally sufficient unless you have some really gnarly debris to deal with.

Here are some links that discusses tire and rim dimensions:

https://www.schwalbetires.com/tech_info/tire_dimensions

or

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

Did you ever come into the Bike Couriers Bike Shop on Frankfurt Ave last summer and do you wear snakeskin cowboy boots? There aren't many M500s around here and I love them so when I see one, I remember it.

Cant say as I ever went into the bike messenger shop on Frankfort. When I was unemployed for a while I thought about stopping to see if there was any work but ended up getting a job right around the same time. Also I would most definitely never wear snakeskin cowboy boots! I am more of a DC's or flip flops type of guy.

Thanks for the information kojack, I am going to pull the tire off tonight and see what the sizes are. I should be able to figure it out I would hope.