Slicks on a mountain bike?

[Angelfishsolo]

Sheldon deals with both of those issues. I prefer smaller ratios these days and have a hunch a lot of the notorious marathon plus ratios were with the bigger ratios.

You could well be right. I hedge my bets these days and carry tubes designed to cover the size of my tyres and larger.

 

[marinyork]

Oh dear, I'm sorry - you've all gone completely over my head.

I'm not very technical I'm afraid.

See if there is a tiny number stamped on your rims such as 599-21 or 599-23. If you can't find it as angelfishsolo say you should be fine with 1.75". If you do find it, look it up in Sheldon's chart what tyre sizes he recommends with those rims.

 

[Sara_H]

If you buy 26" 1.75 slick tyres you will be absolutely fine

Thank you and thank you Marinyork - never underesitmate how completely baffled I can get once people start talking in numbers!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Thank you and thank you Marinyork - never underesitmate how completely baffled I can get once people start talking in numbers!

Trust me many numbers quoted on here still confuse the hell out of me!!

 

[Sara_H]

Found the little number - 559 x 17, which according to the chart I think I can get 26 x 1 - 2.25"?

 

[Sara_H]

Thanks for the advice everyone - I've ordered a pair of these:

Schwalbe Marathon

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Thanks for the advice everyone - I've ordered a pair of these:

Schwalbe Marathon

Great choice. Just be prepared for the fact they may be a bugger to get onto the rims

 

[Sara_H]

Great choice. Just be prepared for the fact they may be a bugger to get onto the rims

Oh dear!

Well I've never changed a tyre before (or indeed an inner tube). OH is going to show me when these come.

He gets a bit sweary when things are "a bit of a bugger" - best warn the neighbours!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Oh dear!

Well I've never changed a tyre before (or indeed an inner tube). OH is going to show me when these come.

He gets a bit sweary when things are "a bit of a bugger" - best warn the neighbours!

They may be OK but Schwalbe beaded rim tyres do tend to be rather tight.

 

[Friz]

Lol. Only time I get sweary changing tyres is when I put the slicks on being all manly and don't use tyre levers. When I catch my finger the dog hides behind the couch.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Lol. Only time I get sweary changing tyres is when I put the slicks on being all manly and don't use tyre levers. When I catch my finger the dog hides behind the couch.

 

[marinyork]

Great choice. Just be prepared for the fact they may be a bugger to get onto the rims

Standards aren't too bad. It's the +s that are really nasty. As I said I reckon the smaller the ratio the easier they are to get on. Definitely one for good quality tyre levers.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Standards aren't too bad. It's the +s that are really nasty. As I said I reckon the smaller the ratio the easier they are to get on. Definitely one for good quality tyre levers.

Fair enough. I have the +s and broke 2 levers when I first fitted them

 

[marinyork]

Fair enough. I have the +s and broke 2 levers when I first fitted them

I can imagine that. I had a + that did many thousands of miles. They weren't the originals and one of them took an hour for me to fit - with tyre levers. Retired them and got standards. Had a puncture (very rare) out in the middle of nowhere in the peak district on one of the standards and was up and away fairly quickly. The standards seem to soften up over time more than the +s.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I can imagine that. I had a + that did many thousands of miles. They weren't the originals and one of them took an hour for me to fit - with tyre levers. Retired them and got standards. Had a puncture (very rare) out in the middle of nowhere in the peak district on one of the standards and was up and away fairly quickly. The standards seem to soften up over time more than the +s.

Always good to know