chrys9989

Recently started riding, and still have a lot to learn. On my bike i have 26X1.75 tires with a decent amount of smooth tread. My question is, would slicks make a difference? And what is the thinnest that I can go?

birvine

I have a set of 26x1 slicks and when they are at max pressure they are fast. I use them for highway riding. Of course, they are not as fast as a road bike, but on light weekend tours in the region they can be great. That being said, for our upcoming tour in Cuba, we'll be using 26x1.5 or wider.

B

MichaelW

Im finding my Schwalbe Big Apples to be very speedy evn though they are 2" wide. The tread is quite fine but more significantly the carcase of the tyre is very flexible and high quality. This is what makes then efficient at city cruising speeds.
Thinner tyres can be run at higher pressure, 1.5 is a good general purpose slick with 1" and 1.25" for faster riding eg lightweight day tours, century (100km) rides, road-racing time trials.

chrys9989

oh, I also meant to ask, and what are the typical cost? I hate going into my lbs without doing my homework, they are real jerks

birvine

Can't remember what I spent, but must have been about $30 each. Do some research online, and if the LBS is so unpleasant to dealt with, go elsewhere or use the net.

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coldfeet

+1 on the Big Apples, there is a slight speed penalty, almost nothing if you pump them up to say, 50PSI, but you can run them as low as 25-30 without noticeable loss. They are very comfy, don't seem to puncture easily, ( important point! ) and can handle easy off roading. They run about $35 each, expensive compared to some, but I think they are worth it. Don't underestimate the importance of puncture protection, the fast slicks tend to come without it, and a puncture can really slow down your total journey.

Bill Kapaun

One thing you'll notice with "skinnier" tires is a definite increase in acceleration. Tire WEIGHT really shows up there.
With your current tires, pump them up to max + 5 {SI and give that a try. sometimes, it's VERY noticeable.
Too skinny of a tire may result in a harsher ride than you want.
I weigh about 230 and have found the 26x1.50" to be a good balance between rolling resistance and shock absorption. I sometimes ride on rough texture pavement and get too much "road buzz" on thinner tires, else I'd be riding 1.25".

Podolak

A smooth 1.75 is not bad a tall. Do you have puncture resistance? That might be the only thing you are lacking. I am loving my Schwalbe Marathon XR in 26 x 1.6. Great size and they feel pretty quick too. I bought them for their size, tread design and most importantly puncture resistance.

operator

No point recommending anything till you tell us what rim you are running. More specifically what rim width you are running so we can tell you what the minium tire size you can go to is.

Tread isn't going to make as much a difference as width if what you described is already true.