Hi all,

I would like to change my 26" knobbly tyres to road tyres on my MTB. I currently have 26 x 1.95. This will be first time road tyre purchase. I am not sure whether to go for 26 x 1.5 or 26 x 1.95? Is it a trade off with grip and stability vs road resistance and speed?

Has anyone tried both widths? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone!

I had 1.75 and went to 2.0 on my converted mountain bike. The biggest factor, from my experience, is the weight of the tire. The larger size tires that I went with are half pound (227 grams) less each.

Road tires really don't go above 28mm, so what you are really looking at is slick MTB tires, not what would be considered a road tire.

Going narrower will mean you need to run higher pressure, it's a trade off between comfort and speed (up to a point).

For weight, without knowing the specific tires, it's pretty irrelevant, as you could have a heavy thin wire bead slick with high roll resistance or a high volume light weight Kevlar high TPI tire with low roll resistance, what you will find is to get light weight, you will pay for it.

For running slicks, years ago I was using Vredestein s-licks 1.3 tires (these are long since discontinued) am now riding the same bike on 1.9 semi-slicks, and they are much more comfortable than the 1.3's and the loss of speed is minimal.

i run 25mm to 28mm on my old MTBs.

I run 26x1.25" tires on my commuter bike. Standard mountain bike rims. Works great. Bought the tires from Performance for $15 each. Ride is a little harsher than with wider tires, but for commuting, that isn't a big deal.

26X1.95 Kenda Kwick tires...............

I have had both sizes... the 26x1.95 were knobby like yours, and the 26x1.5 were slicks. They were on different bikes, but both bikes were 90s MTBs, so at least they were similar platforms.

Its been a long time but I think the 1.95s were basic knobby Kendas (think standard 1995 MTB tire) and the 1.5s were the Forte Metros from Performance. I think I gave $12 or $13 each for the Metros, and they held up pretty well. I put about 1500 miles on them before I sold the bike. I had no issues at all, running about 65PSI. They didn't ride too rough, and they made the bike feel like a rocket. For an old MTB, it handled well and was really fast. It had WAY more grip on the pavement with the slicks than with the knobbies I took off. I am going to buy the same tires again in a few days to mount on my current MTB for the winter commute season.

It depends on what kind of riding you are doing. I run 26 x 1.5 slicks on a mtb that I use as an all rounder and run 26 x 1.75 or 2.0 slicks on my commuters.

I had the LBS put 26"x1.25" to replace 26"x1.75" mountain bike tires so that I could tackle the hills in my neighborhood easier. It was a very noticeable improvement. But I also noticed that the trail I ride on the weekends, which is basically wood decking through wetlands, rode much rougher. No big deal, since I can head south on a paved trail instead. The other thing I noticed was that you have to be more careful riding over debris (like pine cones and leaves because the road tires will slide around on that kind of stuff easier.

GaPavedTrailRdr

that's only because you did it wrong...

it's best to first buy 1"x26 tires, pump them up to the max. ride that trail for a month or two, THEN put on those 1.25x26's with about 65PSI. you'll think you died and went to heaven!

More important than the size is the construction on the tire. 26" street tires can be rather utilitarian dogs and few are good. If you want affordable, speed, comfort, light weight, and grip in the wet, a Panaracer Pacella is pretty much a given. Maybe not the look everyone wants...

I will say that Bontrager H2 26x1.5 tires are CAKE to mount up. However I can't comment on how they feel or durability. I put Serfas Drifter 26x1.5 tires on my 90's MTB/utility bike, and those are HARD AS HELL to mount/dismount. I've broken a couple of tire levers mounting those things. But other than that issue, they've been pretty bullet-proof.

26x1.75 Michelin country rock for me. a bit heavy. will switch to 26x1.75 paselas once they wear out It should save me 100g per wheel.

hueyhoolihan, you make a good point! I have heard you can let the air out of them a little to make boardwalks easier to ride, but I haven't tried it yet.

Go for slick tyres as wide as you can. You can then use a lower pressure for a comfortable ride. I have 26x1.5 and they are great for pavement and semi-packed earth; I'd like something a bit wider for gravel.

I've run from 1.3-2" street tires on a MTB;didn't notice any difference in handling or stability,did notice a difference in comfort and weight. Skinnier tires will be lighter and help if you're climbing steep hills(or carrying the bike up stairs),wider tires will give a smoother ride.

okiride,what's your budget? What's more important,speed or comfort? Are your roads clean,or do you have to deal with glass/debris? For budget tires,I prefer Kenda Kwests or Serfas Drifters. For mid price,Schwalbe Big Apples(comfort) or Kojaks(speed). If you can afford them,I'm a big fan of Schwalbe Marathon Supremes;fairly light,excellent puncture protection,super grip,good ride,but expensive.

Thanks everyone for the fantastic and helpful responses!

I suppose I should my priorities in this order of importance for my commuting bike as a whole, where number 1 is the most important:

1) Safety
2) Reliability
3) Comfort
3) Speed
4) Style and aesthetics

I am contemplating actually changing the bike before spending time and money on new tyres. I am commuting on it daily now and seeing the flaws of the bike. Such as:

- Bike seat keeps rotating back if I hit a bump hard. Even though I am tightening it up good. Not sure how tight I can go without damaging the fixing?
- Gears are not changing smoothly, especially when I need a quick shift to pick up speed, etc. It sometimes does not go onto the low gear on the crank without playing around with the gears to get it to shift.
- Top gear on the flywheel slips

I am not sure by the time I spend the time and money changing the drive system, tyres and maybe a new seat. That I couldn't sell the bike, put a bit more on top and buy a more reliable and higher quality road/hybrid bike?

I am so eager to buy a road bike (like a little kid that wants a Ferrari!) however I am not sure a road bike would be the best solution to match my priorities listed above

At the moment I am really enjoying commuting on it, even in the wet and cold. This bike was always going to be a stepping stone to a better commuter, but that next step might come earlier then I initially thought.

Thanks again everyone!

Those are great tires.

A 1.5" wide slick tread tire should fit on your rims. less rubber = lighter tire.

IDK if USA sellers Brands, Such as NC based 'performance bike' applies to England.
hit Halfords (etc.) and see what you can find..

Any co-ops or bike kitchens near you? Sounds like your bike just needs some going-over,although it may need some consumables.

1.5 slicks at 40-50 psi are OK for pavement and hard dirt IMO (my weight is 70kg).

Are the puncture resistant tyres worth it? Any experiences of the community vwould be much appreciated. Thanks

Depends on your roads. I wouldn't dream of riding around DC without puncture protective tires. Too much broken glass and junk. I've pulled many pieces of glass and other FOD out of my tires over the years that didn't cause a flat;most of those would have been flats on plain tires.

I have a Trek 3700 with Michelin City tires in 26 x 1.85 tires. The combination is a comfortable commuter bike with Graf grip in rain or dry weather. I adjust the psi for certain conditions and my weight but overall 1.85 wide slicks are nice on this bike.

I have experience with a few. Forte Metro (aka Nashbar streetwise) 1.5, panaracer pasela 1.75 and continental sport contact 1.85.

the conti's arent as wide as they claim, barely more than 1.5. the paselas and contis may be a hair nicer riding than the metros. but the metros are still incredible and way less expensive. I would go with those in a heartbeat if I need to get another pair.

if anyone knows of a light 26in street tire wider than 1.5 (other than pasela), I'd love to hear what it is.