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MTB Slicks question...wide or narrow?

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Old 01-10-05 | 06:51 PM
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MTB Slicks question...wide or narrow?

Alright guys here's one for you. Thinking of switching my tires to slicks. Question is should I purchase a set of wide 1.95's or 1.5's? Ride primarily on paved bike trail in the winter so I need something that is gonna last till June. Any drawbacks between the two? Thanks for the responses
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Old 01-10-05 | 07:17 PM
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Go for 1.5s as 1.95s are pretty wide, and will be slow as a result.

1.5s are wide enough to offer some absorbtion (for your butt and your rims), but still offer a rolling resistance advantage (for extra speed).

Resist temptation to go to 1.25s or 1" - they are very harsh (but fast).
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Old 01-10-05 | 08:48 PM
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Comes down to comfort or speed. I use 2 mnt. bikes in my commute. I ride Specialized Armadillos 1.5 on the longer distance bike and 1.95 conti Town and Country for the shorter ride. I much prefer the narrower tire but as said before ....harsher ride. Both tires are fairly flat resistant.
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Old 01-10-05 | 08:50 PM
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I put 1" slicks on my recently assembled commuter bike, and I like them, they're fast, and I've got a long commute.
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Old 01-10-05 | 08:50 PM
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1.5's. You will have less rolling resistance, look cooler, and will go faster. Just remember to keep the air pressure up to avoid flats.
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Old 01-10-05 | 09:04 PM
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Like everyone else said. 1.5" tires are going to be noticably faster. FWIW, 1.25" tires may be faster still. I have 60 psi 1.5's on my MTB/commuter and my son had me put 90 psi 1.25's on his bike for road/bike trail. He now passes me on coast-downs, and I have a weight edge on him. But it takes him longer to pump up his tires (I tell him it's good for muscles).
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Old 01-10-05 | 09:28 PM
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I've ridden the Town & Country tires on my previous MTB and liked them quite a bit. I've got 2.0" semislicks right now and they're pretty fast, though I'm probably going to go with a set of Nimbus Armadillos soon. I don't do enough off-road riding to worry about traction in dirt and mud.
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Old 01-10-05 | 09:48 PM
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1.25" don't need no wide tires for paved roads.
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Old 01-10-05 | 11:42 PM
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I run a set of Specialized Nimbus EX's 26x1.5 that I've had for about 4 years now. I can almost assure you they'll last untill June
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Old 01-11-05 | 08:23 AM
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I had 1.95 slicks; they were comfortable and faster than knobbies. I switched to 1.25" 90 psi slicks, they are noticeably faster and plenty of comfort especially with my front suspension. I am equally as fast on the flats between my road bikes and mtb.
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Old 01-12-05 | 03:41 AM
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Paved? Skinny every time. You only need the air volume for cushioning on bad surfaces or if you're bunnyhopping. 1" front, 1.3" rear here.
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Old 01-12-05 | 11:42 AM
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Fat tires rule! I went from 1.5" semi-slicks to 2.125 semi slicks and I can tell you that the I didn't notice much difference in speed, but the ride was SO much smoother it was worth it. The real speed hit came when I put in thorn resistant tubes with slime in them. That combo is so dang heavy that acceleration is tough!

The other side to look at is that its a commuter bike, and you want to leave your options for fenders open. I didn't do that, and I DO want fenders on my bike. So, I have to go back to 1.5" slicks in order to do that. With the 2.125's there's just no clearance.

Hope this helps with your decision!
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Old 01-12-05 | 12:11 PM
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I recently switched to Schwalbe Big Apple 2.35" slicks, and like them a lot - smoother riding AND faster rolling than the 1.95" Tioga city slickers I used previously.
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