Rim/Tyre Dilemma

andy9964

I have a 29" wheelset I want to put on my Genesis Longitude, but I'm not sure if I'll need to re-rim them.
Currently, they are Hope Pro2 Evo/Sapim Race/H+ Archetypes.
I'm looking at using these for communting duties with a 2.0 or 2.2 tyre - Big Apple or similar.
@ 17.5mm internal width will this result in death, or worse . Or would I be better off rebuilding on a wider rim.
Also, will I need to remove the spacer for the 11-28 road cassette when fitting a Shimano CS-HG50-10 / 11-36
Thanks

The Rookie

Will be absolutely fine. It wasn't long back that most XC rims were 17mm internal and were used with tyres up to 2.25".

Not sure why you want to commute on fat tyres rather than something a bit lower drag though!

No you don't need to remove the spacer, the only difference in cassette widths between road and MTB is that 11 speed MTB will fit a normal 8/9/10 speed freehub (as the lowest gear overhangs the end of the freehub) while road 11 speed needs a wider freehub as the sprocket can't be made to overhang.

andy9964

Thanks for that
Regarding tyre size choice: I've used the wheels with 32mm and 35mm on my CAADX, and while fine for road use, they don't have much comfort on the off road sections, which have been made worse recently after heavy works access.
The 2.8 and 2.4 MTB tyres (both 27.5) are just going to be ruined by road use, so at least I'll have two wheelsets to choose from depending on what I'm doing
Thanks again

The Rookie

Yes if you are going off road that's fair enough!

billycool

The original rims on my HT in 2006 were Mavic 317's, therefore 17mm internal rim. 2.1's were the standard tyre size so you'll be fine.

I used to ride a bit on the road with it and Panaracer XC Fire Pro's in 2.1 and 1.8 were ideal. Could run them up to 60 psi but also really good off-road. I used to be tubed but now have new rims and run them tubeless. Great tyres.

steve_sordy

Take a look at this rim vs tyre chart from Schwalbe. That should reassure you.

https://www.schwalbe.com/en-GB/reifenmasse.html

Click on "which tyre fits which rim" and page down a bit.

Internal rim widths across the top, tyre widths down the side (all in mm)

andy9964

Good info, thanks

cycleclinic

Try a 40mm gravel tyre. There are a few 29er Road tyres 50mm wide. IRC do one called the intezzo. Schwalbe marathon comes in 47mm width. Id use one of those and they will be fine for light off road use.