Newbie - Mountain Bike tyres for the road

[Bitstreams]

Hello, this is probably a very basic question - but you have to start somewhere..

I have a Kona Lavadome mountain bike that came with Tioga chunky tyres. The bike is about 3 years old now and I've never changed them, such that the back one is pretty smooth down the centre.

I use the bike almost exclusively on the road and this year I'm hoping to increase my distances to 60-80 miles on a good Sunday outing, culminating in a 110 mile trip during the summer. (you guys probably do this before breakfast, but this is quite a push from where I am now).

I do have a road bike that I picked up second-hand, but I've never got on with it so I was thinking of getting more road-friendly tyres for the Kona - I've had a look on Wiggle but I'm not really sure what I'm looking for.

Suggestions appreciated

Simon

 

[Rouge Penguin]

Get on the road bike, its more comfortable over longer distance, lighter so easier to get it round and will be geared better. 110 miles on an mtb, **** that.

 

[cyberknight]

I really liked these when i had a MTB ....

I used to cycle commute 10 miles each way on a subway till i decided to just go with road bike stuff to reduce the amount of stuff i was buying for mtb and road bike non compatible bits.


http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24629

 

[glb37]

Hi, it just so happens that I have this new tyre for sale - just one tyre, new, and road frendly, yet wide and grippy: http://edinburgh.gum...0/74761260.html
A £5 Paypal payment + postage of £3.75 (done by personal gift method in Paypal). Or can you collect in East Lothian?

Regards.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

I've got continental town and country semi-slicks on mine as it gets used off road occasionally. MTB slicks are best if you only use them on road. The wiggle customer reviews would probably more useful than my limited knowledge based opinion.

I'd second the idea of persisting with the road bike. Spend a little time checking you've got the body position somewhere near where it should be. You don't have to go all out on a bike fit but once you know this is as it should be it's worth sticking with it. On the other hand you'll be a beast on a bike by the time you can cover 100 miles on a MTB on the road :-)

 

[Bitstreams]

thanks for the suggestion glb37 but I'd definitely replace both.

Penguin, I know those sort of distances are better on a road bike, but I've never really got the hang of being so far away from the brakes.

I've had a look at the comments on the City Jet tyres and they sound like the sort of thing I should go for, but the performance in the wet seems a bit lacking. From the reviews the Schwalbe Marathon (or plus or supreme) look better. I know they're pricier, but they're not silly money and they should last me all year. Are Schwalbe a good brand?

Simon

 

[mcshroom]

Schwalbe are one of the best brands around, and the Marathons are good solid tyres. I have them on one of my bikes at present.

Another option is the Michelin city as well but there are a lot of happy Marathon, M+ and City-Jet users on here.

If you are worried about being too far from the brakes on your road bike then your could fit some cross-top levers like these to the bike so that you have brakes in a mtb-style position as well as the drop levers.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

I've got the schwalbe marathon plus (I think. I bought the one with thick layer of puncture resistance) on my commuter bike. They ride very well although I've only had them a month. Check the tyre size when you order and the riding presdure too as you may need new tubes and a better pump to reach the higher tire pressures. Apologies if I'm stating the obvious.

 

[Norm]

Schwalbe are one of the best brands around, and the Marathons are good solid tyres. I have them on one of my bikes at present.

Another option is the Michelin city as well but there are a lot of happy Marathon, M+ and City-Jet users on here.

If you are worried about being too far from the brakes on your road bike then your could fit some cross-top levers like these to the bike so that you have brakes in a mtb-style position as well as the drop levers.

Well, that saved me a lot of writing.

I've got City Jets on one bike, although both are punctured at the moment that is the city bike and get subjected to a lot of cycle lane detritus.

Schwalbe are an excellent brand.

And I have cross top levers on both of my road bikes. One, a Tricross, because it came with them and the other, a Secteur, because I used them so much on the Tricross. They cannot generate the same amount of power that the usual brakes can but they are amazing useful when you just want to scrub off a little speed, for instance, approaching a set of red lights when you know they are about to change or heading down a hill which has a step onto a pavement at the bottom of it.

The best bit about the cross top levers is that most roadies shun them, so I was able to grab them FOC from my LBS, as someone hadn't wanted them fitted to their own bike.

Oh, looks like I did a lot of writing anyway.

 

[chrispidgeon]

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/continental/travel-contact-tyre-ec005877

I use these. Seem fine to me.

 

[cyberknight]

I've had a look at the comments on the City Jet tyres and they sound like the sort of thing I should go for, but the performance in the wet seems a bit lacking. From the reviews the Schwalbe Marathon (or plus or supreme) look better. I know they're pricier, but they're not silly money and they should last me all year. Are Schwalbe a good brand?

Simon

Performance in the wet?

I ever had a problem with them i cannot see what you can mean?

You do not aquaplane on a bike , certain rubber compounds are less grippy when wet but i have run these tyres through rain, ice etc etc and always found them excellent, i could ride with confidence.
Tread patterns on tyres for road use are mostly for show , you really do no t need water dispersion tread on a bike tyre i run 23 mm slicks currently and i have never had a problem with grip in the wet.
The only problem i had was extreme conditions like thick ice/snow but you need studded tyres for them.

 

[Bitstreams]

Sorry, my comment about performance in the wet was only based on the reviews in the original link, where several people had mentioned it.

 

[cyberknight]

Sorry, my comment about performance in the wet was only based on the reviews in the original link, where several people had mentioned it.

Its ok , i just had a look at the comments I can honestly say i had no problem with mine , they all must have been psycho full bore riders no matter what conditions ....

 

[Headgardener]

thanks for the suggestion glb37 but I'd definitely replace both.

Penguin, I know those sort of distances are better on a road bike, but I've never really got the hang of being so far away from the brakes.

I've had a look at the comments on the City Jet tyres and they sound like the sort of thing I should go for, but the performance in the wet seems a bit lacking. From the reviews the Schwalbe Marathon (or plus or supreme) look better. I know they're pricier, but they're not silly money and they should last me all year. Are Schwalbe a good brand?

Simon

Bitsteam when I'm riding on the hoods, (the top of the brake levers) which is most of the time, my fingers are almost wrapped around the levers. Certainly along side the levers, so that all I need to do is extend my fingers to reach them and being on the drops is'nt much more difficult. Go on give it a try it will be much more comfortable on long rides.
Oh and welcome to forum BTW .

 

[biggs682]

another vote for schwable city jets , although swapping them of marin commuter for some michelin proteks and putting city jets on family tandem