Looking for really slow MTB tires
 

I'd like to put some really slow MTB tires on one of my bikes (29"x~2") and my daughter's bike (27.5"x~2") for winter to keep speeds down. They'll just be used for smooth gravel riding. Anyone got any known slow rollers? :foo:

Just get some really knobby tires?

Drag a car tire behind the bike.

Kenda Nevegal have very high rolling resistance are very slow and sluggish.

Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires. At least for the 29". https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/schwalbe-winter-tire-hs-396

Also think the Nevegals would work. I have them on a 26" mountain bike. Great traction, though not fast.

Of course BicycleBicycleResistance.com will give you the slowest. https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com

Try anything from Walmart

The cheapest black-wall replacement tire from a big box store. Run them at around 15 psi.

I had some WTB Velociraptors on a 26er for a winter one season....slow as s#!t on pavement.

Pick up some pipe insulation like this https://www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-...on+tube&sr=8-3 and install instead of tubes.

Or maybe work on controlling your riding enthusiasm.

Like above, any aggressively treaded MTB tire will be slow on hard surfaces, particularly inexpensive ones, as they’re designed more for looks than performance. Lower your air pressure 25-30% for extra resistance.


I just don’t get the point of these “I want to make my bike harder to ride” posts.
I get that more resistance can technically ‘improve’ your workout, but turning your bike into a resistance trainer makes it a lot less effective at being a bicycle.

If your bikes can handle 2.4", I'd look for DH tires if you want slow. Schwalbe Big Bettys for instance weigh about 2.5 pounds apiece, have big ol knobs.

Slow tires at low pressure won't make as much of a difference as you're hoping they will, at least on pavement. If you average, say, 15 mph now, you'll probably average 12 mph with the slower tires at the same effort level. I've found that the difference in wind chill is barely perceptible.

But there are probably plenty of off-road trails to be found near Frederick, so consider switching to riding those trails, since your average speed would be much lower there. Or ride circuits on a grass field; your average speed will be even lower.

Actually, look for a Hans Dampf 29x 2.35 with the Trailstar compound. This is important. The Pacestar compound has great rolling resistance but the Trailstar compound is like glue.

Kenda improved their 29 Nevegal and is is miles better than the old 26" tires, which was like molasses.

Yeah, this is exactly what I was going for, less wind chill. If knocking 3mph off isn't perceptible then maybe this isn't worth doing. Hmm...

Wear gloves and a balaclava? Some are made specific to cycling.

Or get some pogies for the hands

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...fe55a594_b.jpg

Only a couple of degrees difference. For me, it would not be worth the frustration of unnecessarily slow tires.

Otto

+1 on the hand pogies & balaclava-- Huge difference for winter comfort. Another pro-tip... wear a ski helmet instead of a bicycling helmet. Warmth engineered in, mine even has adjustable venting if too warm.

Just ride slower. Thats free.
...or ride your normal effort with the brakes applied.

I was gong to recommend several, but then I realized the reason my mtn.bike is slow wasn't due to the tires. Damn!

Ski helmet is an interesting idea. I find winter biking to be like XC skiing. Cold when standing around but not so bad when moving. A decent microfleece balaclava breathes and allows moisture to migrate outward. I cover the nose when standing around but when riding, the heat from ones breath often warms the nose so you can pull it down around the chin so you still protect the ears and cheeks.

If you really want to ride slow, let all the air out of the tires.

You know all those complaints about people going "too fast" on the MUP? Well, Solution!

If wind and cold are the issue, look to what the skiers and snowboarders are wearing. Their clothes are designed to be wind resistant and allow a free range of motion.

I don't ride when it's cold (Tucson lifestyle), but when I lived in the NW, I used to ski....A lot, and I've skied at 10 below without a problem with the proper attire.

​​​​​​If speed is still an issue, wear a snowmobile suit. I doubt anyone can ride fast in one of those.

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Nokian Hakkapeliitta for the winter. I always found them a little slow, good traction in dirt, gravel and ice, not so much bare pavement.
With winter riding if you start to get cold just pedal faster, winter was always good for keeping my speed down a little and my cadence up.

Someone once said, "..there is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices.."

I'd look to clothing before greatly reducing the performance of a bike. Riding with poor tires really takes the fun out of it. (that's the polite version..)