Hi, I'm Matt. I've had my Emmelle Panther for about 10 years, but I haven't rode it for about 5-6 years, and I don't really know much about bikes, but I want to learn.

I currently have 26 x 1.95 knobbly tyres on it which are starting to wear down. I'm planning on taking it to university it September as I'm fed up of walking for about 30 minutes each way every day. As I'm not going to take it off road, I've read that slick tyres will allow me to go faster on the road.

My question is could I use narrower tyres on it, such as "Schwalbe City Jet 26 x 1.5 MTB Road Cycle Tyres" that I found on ebay, or do they have to be the same width.

Thank you.

I have a 26/1.5 MTB rim, that I use a slick 26/1.25 tire on. It doesn't give me problems.
I actually like that the tire is narrower than the rim, it means I don't have to mess with my brakes when I remove the wheels for flats.

There's probably a practical limit to how big the width descrepancy can be though. Try it and see. If the tire doesn't blow off on inflation you're fine.

Thanks for the reply. I'll probably buy those tyres in a few days. I can't wait to get back into cycling, just need to fix the bike up; 5 years in the shed has taken its toll.

You could probably go as narrow as a 26x1.25 Specialized FatBoy, Primo Racer or Kenda Kwest. I think you'll find that if you use a fatter, 1.5-2.0 inch wide slick, it'll still be nearly as slow as a knobby.

Depends on width of rim but I run 26x2.1 tyres as knobbles. On the same rim I run Continental Grand Prix which is 26 x 1.0. The narrower the tyre- as a general rule they will have less drag but will require high pressure in them that could be a bit harsh to ride.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I roughly measured the width of the rim today, and its a smidge over an inch wide. I could take the tyre off to measure it properly if you need accurate sizes.
I'll most likely stick with the 26x1.5 mostly due to the cost, and I don't really want to spend money on narrower tyres if they won't fit properly.

Most any good road tire should give you an improvement. If not in outright speed, then for noticeably less rolling resistance, less "squirming" as you go around corners, and much better wear on pavement.

I always recommend the Continental Town & Country; I've been putting them on the department patrol bikes for years.

I had a few hours spare today, so I took the front wheel off to measure it accurately. The outside width is 26mm and inside width is 19mm.

I've basically narrowed down to 2 tyres due to budget and being available on ebay, Schwalbe City Jet 26 x 1.5 or Kenda Sport Semi Slick 26 x 1.25. What do you guys think is best?

Either way, I'll have to get new inner tubes as the ones I have are 26x1.9/2.125, so I'm assuming they won't fit a narrower tyre.