Hi all, I was hoping to tap some of your knowledge on bikes. I currently have a Charge Duster 2010 mid Mountain Bike, however I want to do quite alot of road cycling without purchasing another bike. The compromise I have made is to get some slick tyres for the bike, however I am unsure of what I really need. This is the bike: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/charge/duster-mid-2010-mountain-bike-ec020525#features and I think these are the rims http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wheels/rim/alex-rims/dp17-disc/prd_417604_139crx.aspx. It seems clear they are 26" rims, but when I go to buy some tyres, in particular these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marathon-original-greenguard-rigid-mtb-city-tyre/, it gives me not just 26" options, but 1.00, 1.25 etc, and I have no idea what this part means. Basically what I am asking is, what size of tyre do I need for my bike?! Secondly, will I need new inner tubes for the new tyres, or will my current tubes do? Thanks, Bogo
The other measurement you are seeing is the width of the tyre in inches. So with a slick, where the idea is to reduce your rolling resistance, you'll want to go for a fairly narrow tyre. Note that some MTB rims may not allow you to go too skinny due to minimum tyre width require to fill the rim. Your inner tubes should be fine, they should say what the minimum and maximum tyre widths they will support.
The diameter of the wheel is fairly simple to work out. Most adult sized bikes have 26" wheels. Kids bikes and park/dirt jump bikes often have 24" wheels and BMX bikes have 20". Some road bikes have 29" wheels as well. The other dimensions (1.5/2.0 etc) are for the width of the tyre. I tend to go for a tyre as wide as my frame will allow (don't want any rubbing), but if you want to be safe, check the dimensions of your existing tyres, which should be on the sidewall and pick the option that matches that one closest. When I swapped out the tyres on my Groove, they originally had knobbly tyres, and I wanted to go for something with less rolling resistance (so went for these). Because the tyres had smaller tread, I could have gotten away with a wider tyre, but played it safe with the same size as my originals.
A lot of people go this way, but even fat slick tyres roll really well, so I'd personally go for something a little chunkier on an MTB style bike. I think really skinny tyres look really silly on a chunky MTB, especially one with suspension forks. Wider tyres also soak up a lot of the small bumps, and make the ride really comfy. Whilst this wouldn't be much of an issue up front with suspension forks, it will be noticeable under your ass on the rear. So I suggest Bogomip to get some wide slick, or semi slick tyres in around 2.0-2.2 width. It'll suit the bike much better and will still roll really well on the road. I've recommended Bontrager Hank's in the past, because I find them really, really good, but I'm unsure how easy they are to find any more. Schwalbe make a good range, so I'd start there. Have a look at their baloon bike range, as I think they'd be most appropriate. Edit. I also recommend some Maxxis Flyweight tubes. For road use they are plenty durable enough, and they will reduce the rolling weight somewhat.
Skinny tyres will reduce your resistance, but you'll be limited by your rims as others have already said. What's the minimum width your inner tubes will accept? That's what I'd go for - it's just more convenient to have one set of tubes!
Alternatively you could just buy a totally different pair of wheels which if you have quick Release wheels wouldn't be such a pain to switch out.
On a very similar note, I have just tried to do the same, but with not enough research it would seem! I have bought these to switch to on my specialized rockhopper sport 2007: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...5721_37038051_pe_217191_31005151_3p_M3T1_dp_2 They are 1.6, and won't fit onto my existing rims, what would you guys recommend as a set of replacement rims to use with them on the road? (Which is probably best as I can then switch between them easily as the bike has quick releases).
Only spotted thsi now but if its any help ive been rolling around on some Schwalbe biog apple 2.1s for a little while, did a charity ride on them last weekend and the are ridiculously fast rolling. The large air volume means you get the softness of your existing tyres an speed of a semi slick.
