i just mounted a set of these for a friend. they are heavy but look like a very durable tire and and seam to roll well. so far he has nothing but great things to say about them.

Inverted tread tires like Serfas Drifters and T&C are good for the road and smooth trails, but tend to flat on sharp rocks. I think the tread pattern catches rocks that can cause punctures in the recessed area.

Schwalbe Big Apples get good revues, I'm going for puncture resistance
of the Marathon Plus, myself.

Yeah, if you need a tough tire, Schwalbe gets great reviews here on bikeforums. I gather the ride isn't bad, either. I'm riding some kind of Schwalbe tire on my English 3-speed, and it's good.

I'm on the cheaper end, I use high pressure Kenda Kwests with Mr. Tuffy liners. They work very well for me.

I've got Country Rocks on my '89 Rockhopper. I've put about 300 miles on them so far. They're a nice tire for the price, I think. They're good for a mix of surfaces like paved bike paths and hard-packed trails, which is what I use them for. On pavement they're OK but not great. The only flat resistance they offer is a lot of rubber. I've gotten one flat from a piece of glass working its way through the tire on a rainy commute.

I had the high pressure Kwests on my MTB, but moved them to my tandem last week. I like them a lot (I have a 700c set on my current commuter,) but I just discovered an odd handling quirk when less than fully inflated on the tandem: On sharp turns, they feel squishy like a nearly-flat tire that's about to roll off the rim. I suppose 50 psi is nearly flat on a tandem, so I need to pay more attention to the pressure. I never encountered that behavior on the single bike.

I've got a set of monstrous CST Cyclops Pros on the way, but I'm not sure if they'll fit between the chain stays on my MTB. I'm kind of curious how a bulky, nearly slick tire compares with a 1.5" slick in terms of rolling resistance.

FunkyStickman, where did you find those blue Kwests?

I found them on Amazon, they also come in yellow and red. They may be re-labeled as "Action Messenger" tires, but it's a Kenda Kwest.

I had a set of these briefly and felt the same way about them. They were a bit lighter than the Michelin City (which feels sluggish to me,) and they rolled at least as well. I felt that the tread loaded up with gravel pretty easily when I rode them on a levee topped with crushed coral, but I didn't get any flats. Nice for the price.

Very cool, thanks!

No problem. The only thing I don't like about them is they're not really puncture resistant, but for the price, I can live with it. They're half the price of Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

I ride these on my MTB. If you can't afford something like a Pasela TG or a T-Serv, these are pretty good.

For a quick fix, I think I'll get 26*1.5 Nashbar Streetwises. They're like ten dollars, may friend has them and likes them, and I don't want to dump a bunch on money into tires I don't like. Some other options look good, but I'll wait till I have more money. I spent most of my bike money for the month on this Rockhopper. (which is awesome)

i got my first flat with the k838s.. it was a pinch flat though which i got from practicing hopping curbs in a parking lot :lol: .. the tire might have simply been under-inflated though, I didn't check the pressure before going out

one thing i like about the k838s is that you can take turns very fast and they stick to the ground when you might expect them to slide out

And I'm guessing you got your name from your riding style? ;)

go figure 5 days later my back tire blew out. -_-

I haven't used those but Nashbar also has 26x1.25 Streetwise (or similarly branded) slicks. I ordered some as spares a couple years ago for like 7$ each and now they're my primary - I've found them totally bulletproof and long-lasting.

I third or fourth the Serfas - last forever.

Sold this guy last year - I think he was a '93.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_h...A/s800/Jed.JPG

I recently started using Drifters, and got my first flat commuting in 3 years. I am not sure I should blame the tires, but it was a bit of a surprise considering how heavy they are. The rolling resistance was also higher than I expected.

Nice bike! I have the exact same color... it's tough finding matching bar tape...

These aren't quite slicks, but the CST Cyclops that I ordered came in earlier in the week and I had a chance to try them on my Rockhopper, but as I suspected, they won't clear the chain stays. At 2.4" wide, they rub slightly on both the stays and bridge. They clear the fork legs though so I got to try one out briefly, but it's impossible to guess what the bike will feel like with two of them mounted. The tire feels firm at 40 psi and they're rated to 65, and they're very ballon-like and tall - they gave me an inch increase in stand over height vs. the Kwests.

They are really heavy (like a Maxxis Hookworm,) and it took me a few minutes to adjust to the weight of the 24" version I mounted on my unicycle. At any rate, for around $10 at Niagara, they seem like a great deal if you have a bike with clearance to run them. That's my excuse to look around for another mountain bike :).

Comparison (l to r) of Kenda Kwest 1.5", CST Cyclops Pro 2.4", and Geax Sedona 2.0":

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_T...cyclops_01.jpghttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_T...cyclops_02.jpghttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_T...cyclops_03.jpg

Today I was riding down to the shop... there is a nice stretch with an ever so slight decline where it is not trouble to spin out the bike and then at the end the road starts to rise.

I had the mtb spun out (109 gear inches) and as I hit the rise and geared down a step and approached an intersection a roadie pulled up from right behind me and alongside and gave me a little nod and a smile... I can usually hit close to 45 - 50 kmh on this stretch so either this guy was some kind of fast or he latched on to my back wheel and enjoyed a little pull.

Schwalbe Hurricanes FTW... :)

those look awesome.. too bad they don't fit in the back :(

I can't see why anyone would run the Marathon Plus or Armadillos unless they had to deal with goatheads or ride through glass strewn minefields... they are expensive and heavy and a tyre like the basic Marathon will stand up to a lot at rolls out much better.

I probably sound like a shill for Schwalbe tyres but over the last 5 years and well over 50,000 km I have tested a lot of tyres and always found myself coming back to Schwalbe.

The new Silentos are making me a pretty happy camper... the more I ride them the more I like them for their smooth sure ride and good handling qualities but have yet to take them off road. For $21.00-$27.00 (reflex) they are a pretty good deal.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/files/l_img_silento2.gif

Not slicks but good on the road and off pavement.

I run the Specialized Hemisphere 1.95 on the front and a Specialized Crossroad in the rear. I have put around 1500 commuter miles on them with no flats and no complaints. The Crossroad is rate 75 (or is it 85) PSI and has a locked ridge down the middle that really cuts down the foot print. When getting off pavement in dry dirt, sand and gravel I have no complaits, it bites well. Mud they will move you but the Hemisphere has no side bite and wants to wash out.
The Hemisphere likes to pick up pea gravel and rattle it through the fender. The tread seems to be just the right size to grab it. The Crossroad is a cross tire and while it does great in a straight line be careful taking hard corners on pavement as it will try to slide out once you get over on the sides of the tire especially at max pressure.
Wearing like iron. Unless you compare them to a brand new tire you cant tell they have 1500 miles on them. I bet they would go an easy 4500 miles.
I was hoping this picture would show them better. then it does.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...0&d=1216686595

Interesting, I always had the feeling that any tire for much under $40 wasn't really up to quality (flat protecting, in particular) that I need.

I really like my Serfas Drifters, but for that price, I would definitely have tried these. Nice looking tire, and cheap.

I was previously running 26x1.5 Primo Comets and loved them, but I wore them out in about 2500-3k miles. Not a single flat though. I decided to try 26x1.5 Schwalbe Marathon Racers this time. I weighed them at 340 and 380g/ea. for the folding bead. So far I've been very happy with them too. Hoping they will last a bit longer, but I would buy them again even if they only last to 3k.

I am really enjoying the new Panaracer RiBMo 1.5"s I just put on my new commuter. Goofy name and I was initially a bit surprised about a fairly pronounced V profile to the tread, but in practice, they are working out fine.

I've been on 1.25 Panaracer T-Servs for a while on a different bike and while they were OK -- smooth, easy rolling, light and fast -- they were definitely not up to Marathon par for flat protection. The RiBMos definitely have more meat to them, while being substantially lighter than Marathons. No idea about longevity, so far, but initial impression is all out goodness.

If these don't work out, I'll probably try Marathons next. I've rode them on a few different bikes and know what I'm getting with them, and not that I dislike them at all, but just wanted a lighter tire.

Hurricane: Schwalbe now gives these their highest durability rating and it is one of the fastest and most bulletprood 26 inch tyres they offer.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/I...Full/36216.jpg