slicks on a mtb

ricktabor1

HI, I was wondering if anyone knows what size tyres I can put on my 26" x 1.5" rims. I want some Schwalbe Marathons for touring on but i'm not sure how thin I can go.

I read somewhere that you shouldn't go thinner than the rim itself (so 1.5" being the smallest), but I've seen MTB tyres with 1.25" tyres on.

Also, what size would be the equivalent of a 32c road tyre?

Any advise would be cool.

70\ʹspenguin

http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

Scroll to the bottom of the page and it will show you what you can fit.

Just make sure you measure the rim correctly.

YeehaaMcgee

you have rims that are 1.5" wide? What are they from, a snow bike?

chez_m356

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

you have rims that are 1.5" wide? What are they from, a snow bike?

this....unless he's running these http://www.rocknrollbikes.com/trials/ri ... ml#Size=26

YeehaaMcgee

mm, same idea, and almost equally as rare.

supersonic

1.5 probably external width (38mm), internal could be 29 or 30mm. Still pretty wide!

ricktabor1

Ha ha, nice to cause some kind of controversy.

Perhaps I've got it wrong but the rim does say "araya japan 26"x1.50 he vp-20"

They're on a 1991 kona Mountain bike.

I measured the inside width and it is 20mm. The outside actually measures 1 1/8

With this new info to hand, does that mean I can get 26 x 1.25" tyres on (20mm x 1.45 = 29mm)
29mm = 1.142 inches.

supersonic

Ah, I had a feeling too it might be an old rim, as they measured differently. Internal width is what to go on. 29 would go on, but I'd go a little bigger for better support.

ricktabor1

Thanks. Do you think 1.5" would be ok then? That'd make a decent touring tyre.

supersonic

would be a good choice.

paul.skibum

I toured on a set of Continental road tyres 1.5" wide on my old bike - they were a decent compromise of rolling speed and comfort, I think any narrower and lesser volume and with the weight on the rear wheel I'd have felt too much of the road any wider and it would have dragged too much.

Cant find a link to the tyres I had but they were contact sport or something and lasted forever, never punctured and gripped well.

70\ʹspenguin

paul.skibum wrote:

I toured on a set of Continental road tyres 1.5" wide on my old bike - they were a decent compromise of rolling speed and comfort, I think any narrower and lesser volume and with the weight on the rear wheel I'd have felt too much of the road any wider and it would have dragged too much.

Cant find a link to the tyres I had but they were contact sport or something and lasted forever, never punctured and gripped well.

Continental Sport contact 1.6? Excellent tyre and very resilient!

ricktabor1

Cheers,

I'll check those babies out.