29er Slicks...

.ak

I'm in the market for new tyres on my 29er MTB, there's a few cracks building and I'm constantly getting punctures in my rear...

I've never had a pair of slicks for a MTB so I don't know where to start. I use my MTB more on the road now than up the mountains as I don't get time to bring it up anymore. Any suggestions?

Also total n00b question, but when a tyre is measured as 29x'insert number here' what is the second number referring to? Does it matter, or will any 29" tyre work?

magicbastarder

usually the second number is the width of the tyre.

Mr. Grieves

Mountain bike tyres are described in inches, e.g. 29 X 1.5"

But a 29er wheel has the same diameter as a road/cyclo-cross wheel except they're specced in mm, so you can also look at tyres that are 700x32mm etc.

The narrowest tyre you can use should have a width approx 1.5 times the inner with of the wheel rim, so as long as you follow that rule of thumb, you can choose a 'road' or 'mtb' tyre.

.ak

Thanks for that, consider me learned! :P

Any recommendations for particular slicks or brand?

.ak

Trying to decide between these two... but can't really tell the difference, other than one may be slightly lighter but not as durable as the other.

Schwalbe Big One

Schwalbe G-One Speed

Alek

The Big One is undoubtedly the fastest ever MTB slick http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/mtb-reviews/schwalbe-big-one-2016 . As fast as many road racing tyres!

This comes at a price - only 1.1mm thread thickness + 0.5mm knobs... It won't last long at all.


Apparently G-one speed in this size is the new incarnation of the Big One, so they should be comparable spec-wise.

.ak

Hmm, so I'm using this mainly on roads... around the city centre... so lots of bumps, debris etc... maybe not worth going for? Or maybe I should look at coupling with kevlar tape?

Alek

I have impression that kevlar tape will ruin the benefit of fast rolling thin walled tyre... How about Compass Bon Jon Pass? (38mm) They're expensive but quite sensible cut-wise and will get you extra kudos for tanned sidewalls.

I have an used pair if you want to give them a try.

Mr. Grieves

.ak wrote: »

Hmm, so I'm using this mainly on roads... around the city centre... so lots of bumps, debris etc... maybe not worth going for? Or maybe I should look at coupling with kevlar tape?

You could put something robust like a Schwalbe Marathon on the back and something lighter on the front, like one of the ones mentioned above. Both in 38 mm, run the front at slightly lower pressure. I've a Continental ultra sport on the front of my commuter but I think it only comes in narrow sizes, and a Marathon on the back. No punctures in 18 months commuting with those tyres.

.ak

Cool... Think the plan is gonna buy a set of the G-One's, then a cheap Marathon and play around see what the best combo is.

If that doesn't work out or I keep getting punctures I'll look into a more expensive pair like the Bon Jon's...