Best 26" MTB tyres for commuting + best SS gear ratio?

diddyfunk

Hi

I am looking to start commuting on my single speed mountain bike (about 11 miles each way).

Can anyone advise on a good pair of 26" MTB tyres that would be ok for commuting and also what ratio I should be running (roughly flat route)

Thanks

The Rookie

I have just decided to go to conti Gatorskins for my 26" wheeled commuter on the basis that they are the lightest and fastest rolling near PF proof tyre I can find.

Currently using WTB Slickasaurus, they have ben very good but are a little heavier than the Conti's.

Simon

AndyOgy

Worth considering Schwalbe City Jets too. Don't get me wrong, I love Gatorskins and I have a pair on one of my bikes. It's just that I've found the City Jets on my commuter bike to be damned near bomb proof, not to mention grippy as hell and nice and fast.

I've also recently been putting a pair of Marathons through their paces. Got a pretty bad cut after only 800 miles. But, to be fair, personal curiosity lead me to give them a pretty thorough test. I was riding through glass fairly frequently and not picking the bits out. With that in mind, they coped pretty well.

The Rookie

We'e just put SCJ's on my daughters commuter, not least as if you reserve online they are just £11.99 from Halfords, no real miles on them yet, so can't really comment.

Simon

senoj

Check out wiggle.
Schwalbe Land Cruiser £9.44 each
253 reviews 4.5 out of 5.

I bought some on Tuesday, waiting for them to arrive.
Ill let you know.

EKE_38BPM

No one can tell you what ratio works best for you.
If you have a geared bike, spend a little time riding only in one gear. Find a gear that works for you and then replecate that on the SS.

I use 73" (on a FG road bike), but its quite hilly where I live. If it was flat, I'd be up in the 80" range.
The BTwin Vitamin is 54" and that is really spinny, good in snow though.

Use this to investigate different ratios.
What gear are you running at the moment? Your chainring looks tiny. I've heard that having a bigger chainring and a bigger sprocket increase the life of the whole drive train (something to do with chain wrap). Just relaying what I've heard, I have no first hand experience.

tarbot18

Hi I've used continental travel contact s for the last 9 months in all weather s doing a 24 mile a day commute and had my 1st puncture a week ago. Very fast rolling and light think they have 2 kevlar bands and a lot of the guys that do round the world trips use them which was enough for me.

wgwarburton

EKE_38BPM wrote:

No one can tell you what ratio works best for you.
If you have a geared bike, spend a little time riding only in one gear. Find a gear that works for you and then replecate that on the SS.

I use 73" (on a FG road bike), but its quite hilly where I live. If it was flat, I'd be up in the 80" range.
The BTwin Vitamin is 54" and that is really spinny, good in snow though.

Use this to investigate different ratios.
What gear are you running at the moment? Your chainring looks tiny. I've heard that having a bigger chainring and a bigger sprocket increase the life of the whole drive train (something to do with chain wrap). Just relaying what I've heard, I have no first hand experience.

EKE, On a SS MTB a small chainring gives better clearance over obstacles- you'd normally be aiming for a low gear, too (54"?) as you'll need the torque for low speed maneuvres/climbing and will freewheel downhill, so you don't need a big 'ring.
For road use a bigger combination gives better wear (more teeth, lower chain tension) and an insignificant efficiency improvement.
I don't really understand gear ratio choice for road SS. Many people who post here seem to use a fairly high SS ratio, whereas it seems to me that the (only?) point of a SS is that you can freewheel, which lets you get away with a lower gear than you would use fixed... I must be missing something.

Cheers,
W.

Harry182

Mine has 26x1.5 Maxxis Xenith tyres and a 73" gear (44x15). All very good for a flat, fast London commute.

EKE_38BPM

WGWarburton wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

No one can tell you what ratio works best for you.
If you have a geared bike, spend a little time riding only in one gear. Find a gear that works for you and then replecate that on the SS.

I use 73" (on a FG road bike), but its quite hilly where I live. If it was flat, I'd be up in the 80" range.
The BTwin Vitamin is 54" and that is really spinny, good in snow though.

Use this to investigate different ratios.
What gear are you running at the moment? Your chainring looks tiny. I've heard that having a bigger chainring and a bigger sprocket increase the life of the whole drive train (something to do with chain wrap). Just relaying what I've heard, I have no first hand experience.

EKE, On a SS MTB a small chainring gives better clearance over obstacles- you'd normally be aiming for a low gear, too (54"?) as you'll need the torque for low speed maneuvres/climbing and will freewheel downhill, so you don't need a big 'ring.
For road use a bigger combination gives better wear (more teeth, lower chain tension) and an insignificant efficiency improvement.
I don't really understand gear ratio choice for road SS. Many people who post here seem to use a fairly high SS ratio, whereas it seems to me that the (only?) point of a SS is that you can freewheel, which lets you get away with a lower gear than you would use fixed... I must be missing something.

Cheers,
W.

Cheers Buns,
The small chain ring on a MTB (for offroad use) makes sense now.

I would have thought that for on road use though, similar gearing to a road bike would be what you want?
Harry182's MTB and my fixie both run 73" but Harry is SS. Seems like a good ratio to me in a hilly area, but if I lived in a flatter area and was riding SS, I'd go much higher.