Better tyres?

[medication25]

i have this bike:http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B2167.html

its about a year old and the tires are looking shabby, i want to get a new set but i have no idea which tyres to get...

I ride mostly on the road.. and the Canal's in London.. can you guys suggest some tires that would fit the bike well..

 

[Theseus]

Personally I like to ride on slick or semi slick tyres. Knobblies are a pain. For that bike I would put on one of the Conti tyres, either a city contact or a sport contact see the following for the conti comparison chart ...

http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/citytouring.shtml

 

[Angelfishsolo]

For road use I would be looking at something like the WTB Slickasaurus Comp Tyre.

 

[medication25]

Thanks guys.. and here comes the newbie question... the tyresi have on there now say:

26 x 2.5

is the 2.5 how fat(?) the tire is.. and can i put a 1.5 on the rims?

 

[Theseus]

Broadly speaking, yes the 2.5 refers to the fatness of the tyre. As for putting 1.5 on the rims, it depends on your rims ...

... and now we enter the minefield of historical sizing standards and marketing disinformation ...

The best resource on the web I can think of is the one by the late, great, Sheldon Brown.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tyre-sizing.html

Near the bottom of that page there is a section called "Width Considerations" which may help.

 

[Ivan Ardon]

1.5 may be too narrow.

 

[willem]

I think the 50 mm Schwalbe Big Apple is by far the most suitable tyre for riding this kind of bike on the road and the occasional gravel road or towpath. It is fast, comfortable, reliable and affordable. There is a wider 60 mm but I don't like it (too mushy to my taste).
Willem

 

[medication25]

Thanks guys, im going to check out the big apples

 

[Llama]

i'd put sport contacts on that

 

[willem]

I've had both on an urban atb, and the 50 mm Big Apples are much more comfortable than the 1.6 Sportcontacts. My Sportcontacts were only fast if I kept them at high pressure. The Big Appels are significantly more puncture resistant, last longer (that may not matter to you), and lacked the reflective sidewall. The Sprtcontacts are unsuitable for a sidewall generator (again, that may nog mater to you). The Sportcontacts are quite a bit lighter, however.
Willem