MTB Slicks - Please Advise?

[mrfacetious]

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

 

[rnscotch]

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

 

[chris667]

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

 

[Randochap]

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.

 

[Ivan Ardon]

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.

 

[mrfacetious]

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.

 

[rnscotch]

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.

 

[chris667]

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

 

[mow]

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

 

[threefingerjoe]

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.

 

[mrfacetious]

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.

 

[fossyant]

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 !

 

[4F]

Continental sports contacts are my fav for mtb slicks

 

[ACS]

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

 

[kyuss]

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.