I have a 1995 Specialized Rockhopper but have a question about the wheels.

I'm now 245 lbs (6'0") but want to get back into riding to lose some weight.

Does anyone know (or have an opinion) whether or not these wheels / rims would be able to support my weight?

Araya GP-710, 32-hole

Thanks.

Araya made good, strong wheels. At just over 220, I rode on a set on a gravel MUP with no issues at all. Unless you are riding hard, technical trails with jumps and logs, I'd ride it. If you are going to ride technical stuff, take the wheels to an LBS and have them trued and tensioned, then ride. Those old steel LBS brand mountain bikes are very strong with good wheelsets. HOWEVER, those tires look like OEM. At 20 years old, they need to be retired (no pun intended).

To clarify, (1) I don't think Araya ever actually made 'wheels' - they made rims and the bikes' 'manufacturers' built wheels; (B) Araya also made ultra-cheap steel rims that were as soft as cheese and used on cheap bikes... I recall a guy who bought a Vagabond or something from a hardware store primarily because the rims had Araya stickers on them and he figured that meant they were high quality, but was convinced after one or both wheels was no longer round (probably after a month or less) that he was just too tough on bikes and gave up riding; (iii) I am not familiar with the GP-710 rims, but Specialized generally included (includes?) decent quality stuff on their bikes, even less expensive ones.

Thank you both - much appreciated.

Thank you both.

I looked up the specs on the bike and the tires are 26 x 1.95". On the current wheels, would I be required to stay at the 1.95" or can I buy tires that are smaller than that?

How small can I go if I wanted to use this bike in more of a commuter fashion?

...as small as 1.25"?

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to wheels / tires.

Thanks.

You CAN go that small, but the ride will be harsh and you'll probably get more flats. I would say at your size not to go much smaller than 1.75, especially if you're worried about your wheels taking a beating.

I concur. There is very little advantage in using narrower tires.

If you do want to use narrower tires, though, that is your choice. The only general rule of thumb is avoid tires narrower than your rims, so that likely means 1.5" or more.

if you are dead set on skinnier tires then a set of quality 26x1.75 like these would work well
Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour Tire > Components > Wheels, Tires and Tubes > Tires | Jenson USA

Personally I like big tires and if your frame can fit them, I'd get these
Schwalbe Big Apple 26" Tire > Components > Wheels, Tires and Tubes > Tires | Jenson USA

Thank you.

Thank you. Novice question here - how do I determine the width of my rims?

Thank you for the recommendations.

Unmount your current tire and measure from the inside of one bead lip to the inside of the other on the rim itself.