# MTB Slicks - Please Advise?



## mrfacetious (19 Jan 2009)

Hi guys
sorry to keep pestering you for your infinite cycling knowledge. 
Finally woken up, smelled the coffee and decided to go to road tyres on the MTB.
My budget is £30 for a pair (which isn't a huge amount - i can stretch but not much)
I've had a look at a few, but there aren't a huge amount of reviews on the internet and those which are there are varied.
I'm looking for 26x1.5s preferably. 
Currently pushing knobbly 26x1.95s.
So far I've come accross:
*Schwalbe Marathons* (which i have been recommended but I'm not too sure)
*Scwalbe Speed Cruisers *(£22 for a pair with tubes, currently winning in my opinion)
*Scwalbe City Jets *
*Nokian City Runners*
*Specialised All Condition Pros
(and a few more, these are the strongest few)
*
Or anything else really between 1.3 and 1.75 and around that price
does anybody have any experience with any of the afformentioned tyres or any similar? would love to hear
thanks guys


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## rnscotch (19 Jan 2009)

Although not a slick i thinking of changing over to these Continental


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## chris667 (19 Jan 2009)

I have 1.5 Schwalbe City Jets on a mountain bike. Excellent, and I bought a pair for £20.


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## Randochap (19 Jan 2009)

The Marathon's are a good quality, well-wearing tyre, though not particularly a performance tyre.

But then they're going on a mtb.

Continental also make a folding 26"X1" version of their Grand Prix. Don't know what they'd cost in UK.


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## Ivan Ardon (19 Jan 2009)

I've used WTB Slickasaurus (Wiggle) - very little tread, Schwalbe City Jet (Chain Reaction) - a bit more tread pattern and Michelin Country Ride (also CR) - a fairly normal block road tread pattern. The Michelin are £14 the pair, WTB's around £17 and the Schwalbe around £25. WTBs were fastest but not all that substantial, the Schwalbe and Michelins similarly built, the Schwalbe a little faster but more grip on imperfect surfaces from the Michelin.


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## mrfacetious (19 Jan 2009)

thanks for all this guys
apparently the Speed Cruisers are similar to the City Jets but lighter so i might just give 'em a gamble, thanks chris. Where'd you get the £20 pair of CJs from?
lee: Those Spec All conditions look the utter business but are a bit more pricey-
if it's worth dishing out for i'm certainly open to it (though i am worried whether a 26x1.0 will fit on my rim tidily) Do you only do roads? What kind of effect on your speed do the SAC's have? 
also for anybody who knows;
What kind of lifespans do these sort of priced /type of tyres get?

this forum cannot be beaten for friendly help and advice- I hate not being able to put anything back in being quite the newbie, so if there's anything i can repay all the members here, let me know.


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## rnscotch (20 Jan 2009)

What i should have also said is at the moment i am using *"*Continental City Contact Reflex" there about £18 a tyre they come in 1.5 and 1.75. I use the 1.75's there a good tyre fast rolling tyre also easy to pop on and off when you get a visit by the puncture troll.


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## chris667 (20 Jan 2009)

mrfacetious said:


> thanks for all this guys
> apparently the Speed Cruisers are similar to the City Jets but lighter so i might just give 'em a gamble, thanks chris. Where'd you get the £20 pair of CJs from?


In fact, it was £21.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SCHWALBE-26-X...ryZ27954QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## mow (20 Jan 2009)

I currently have Schwalbe marathons on my hybrid, I bought them to replace some rubbish kenda's that were standard. They are a good tyre, I've had no punctures and cornering stability is vastly improved. On that note watch out for slick middles with knobbly edges they are usually awful when leaning on bends.
I used to have Michelin transworld city's on my mountainbike and they again were an excellent choice especially as you can get them for around £16 a pair! 


http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Michelin-Transworld-City_10874.htm


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## threefingerjoe (20 Jan 2009)

I like the Continental Sport Contact, low rolling resistance, and so-so on the punctures, but I am willing to risk SOME punctures for the fast tire. I think it's a good compromise. I know you can get tires that are virtually bullet-proof, but roll as bad as a mountain bike tire. I presume that you are looking for a faster tire. 

My other bike has the Schwalbe Kojaks, and I think it seems to be a comparable tire, but I've only been running them for a short time, so I don't know how long they'll last. My Sport Contacts have 6000 miles.


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## mrfacetious (20 Jan 2009)

threefingerjoe said:


> I presume that you are looking for a faster tire


got it in one
all i'm looking to do is improve speed without completely changing my bike.


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## fossyant (20 Jan 2009)

Hutchinson Top Slick 2's 26 x 1.2 - £9.99 from Decathlon (or cheaper) - much a road tyre, only one deflation in 6 months (glass shard)....fast....carbon bike chaser capable..JUST !


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## 4F (20 Jan 2009)

Continental sports contacts are my fav for mtb slicks


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## ACS (20 Jan 2009)

chris667 said:


> I have 1.5 Schwalbe City Jets on a mountain bike. Excellent, and I bought a pair for £20.



+1

Abused them senseless on the winter hack and the p*n%ture fairy has been bugging other forum members


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## kyuss (21 Jan 2009)

I got on okay with my Specialized Nimbus EX when I had the slicked up MTB. Did about 1000 grippy, fast puncture free miles, then the frame broke.

I see there are a few conti sport contact fans. I'm assuming the 26" version is better than the 700c ones as I got less than 500 miles out of my rear before I had to bin because it was cut to shreds. More than a handful of punctures in that time too.


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## doily (21 Jan 2009)

Thirding the city jets, rode them over all sorts of crap on my London commute, never had any problems. They were about £25 a pair, I think, a couple of years ago at the LBS, which has now appeared online here, http://www.chamberlainecycles.co.uk (but they don't seem have much of anything for sale on their site)


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## mikeitup (21 Jan 2009)

*re*

+1 for the Marathons!

They have been fine. Done 2000 miles on mine. They don't like wet manhole/drain covers though.


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## Royalrider (21 Jan 2009)

+1 for Continental Sport contact. I put these on my mountain bike for exactly the reasons you seem to be looking for ie Long rides part road part trail, of the disused railway line type. I have found them to be excellent and have not had a p****** since swopping to them. I have marathons on another bike and to be honest I think the contis are better.


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## mrfacetious (21 Jan 2009)

looking at Continental Sport Contact and Hutchinson's now
MOST IMPORTANTLY BEFORE I BUY:
*Can a 26" wheel take ANY 26" tyre? *
there isn't much about this anywhere.. my current tyres are 1.95s


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## threefingerjoe (22 Jan 2009)

mrfacetious said:


> looking at Continental Sport Contact and Hutchinson's now
> MOST IMPORTANTLY BEFORE I BUY:
> *Can a 26" wheel take ANY 26" tyre? *
> there isn't much about this anywhere.. my current tyres are 1.95s



NO! Check out Sheldon Brown. http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html He explained it all.


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## fossyant (22 Jan 2009)

More or less............ my rims took the 1.2's fine.....with a bit of luck it will be back to MTB duties and knobblies soon.......


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## 4F (22 Jan 2009)

kyuss said:


> I see there are a few conti sport contact fans. I'm assuming the 26" version is better than the 700c ones as I got less than 500 miles out of my rear before I had to bin because it was cut to shreds. More than a handful of punctures in that time too.



Funny you should say that. Absolutely fine on the mtb but when I tried the 700 size on the road bike I had several punctures and a sidewall blowout. 

On my commuter road bike I currently use 700 x 25 schwalbe marathon + which have been bomb proof to date and on the fast bike I use 700 x 23 michelin krillon carbon's.


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## DaveP (22 Jan 2009)

MrFace...

Have a pair of these on my son's bike and they seem to do the biz!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Continental_Town_And_Country_Semi_Slick_Tyre/5300002816/

Good Luck...


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## mrfacetious (22 Jan 2009)

threefingerjoe said:


> NO! Check out Sheldon Brown. http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html He explained it all.


thanks for the link joe, 

[26 x 1.00 through 2.3 | 559 mm | Most Mountain bikes, cruisers, etc.]

He seems to say that 26xanything is applicable..
did i miss something?


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## fossyant (22 Jan 2009)

Sounds about right - 1.2 is about as narrow as you'll get !


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## mrfacetious (22 Jan 2009)

thanks fossy.. sure i wouldn't manage a 1"? those Specialized All Condition Pros are awful tempting..


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