Tires - Balloon/Urban type

From skeetab5780

"I use 26" x 2.3" specialized rhythm tires ($40 LBS) great multi-use tire with tread covering the entire sidewalls. It has minimal rolling resistance but yet enough tread to ride packed dirt trails without fear of a cruiser or hookworm tire kicking out on you. I find the tire to be the best at handling overall for packed trails and pavement/bumpy pavement. They are $40 tires but I have not used the hookworms since I found the specialized rhythm. My average cruise speed is 30-mph and live on a one-mile dirt road before I hit town. You would think that the tire would be HUGE at 26 x 2.3 but its actually a smaller profile tire than my Bontrager 26 x 2.125 that I had previously. The specialized tire is wide but lower/closer to the rim than a big fat cruiser/street tire"

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torker: "...Kenda K-Rad tires for 11 dollars each. I think they are 2.3 inches wide..."
wildnrg: "...26" x 1.5 Specialized Nimbus Armadillo..."
Crash Machine/Morph999 "...Take a look at Kenda Cross tires. They're 1.95 which is still a pretty high volume except they have a nice smooth center section with an aggressive tread on the cornering edges..."
GGoodrum: "...I put on Schwalbe "Fat Frank" big balloon-type tires, and then only inflate them to about 35-40 pounds. Smooth as silk now..."

Here's another thread (3 pages): "Tire size, what do you use and why?"
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10300
 
I got hookworms, but I'm interested in going bigger.

I don't want a full suspension bike due to the trouble of mounting batteries in the frame of a FS bike, but would like more suspension than the a 2.5 tire gets me.

Does anyone have experience with a surly endomorph 3.7 inch tires? Will they work in any bike besides the pugsley?
 
My Hank tires seem to last a long time. Mine aren't wearing much and their's only like 1/8" of rubber in the middle and 3/16" on the corners. 6000 miles on the front and still going, the rear got replaced due to sidewall damage from some road object.
 
What is the lowest ya'll run your hookworms?

The difference between 25psi and 35 psi is quite a lot when it comes to ability to soak up bumps. However they say 35-65 psi on the tire, so running them low makes me nervous.
 
+1 on these for me too, thanks Aura - only about 300 miles but loving them and 2.40 fits where 2.50 Hookworm might not.

Great find for affordable, durable fat tire. I try not to spend more than $15/tire and these fit the criteria. 'did the Schwalbe thing for a while but too rich for my wallet and no obvious advantage for my use.



spinningmagnets said:
 
im also a fan of the Specialized Rhythm tire. i shoulda never sold my last rim set with the tires still on em'

they are great for packed trails/road and i think they look cool with the side tread.
 
Bontrager changes tires like shoes. They won't hold a line for long. No more bontrager for me.
Tire lasted 10000 miles front, 7000 rear. 33 flats.

I just mounted michelin pilot sport 26x2.3. They are thin like the Hanks. Suppose to have better flat protection.
1lb 8oz weight approx. $26 each. Although only 30tpi rating.
 
They are very big and smell like new car tires. They spin straight and so does the stripe. No wobbles.
 
Ok. 50 miles on them. Running 35psi right now. A little less then the Bontrager. Looks like only about 1/16" of tread that sticks out.
At 32 psi it works good also. Easy on the turns though. My back likes it.
 
One negative on the michelins pilot sport. They seem to be kind of "squeaky" when going around corners. The rubber on the sides squeak if you rub your finger nail on it. It might be the texture. I applied rubbing alcohol to it and it went away but came back once the tire got dirty again. :|
 
I got a flat on the michelins. A thorn got me right in the cracks of the tire. Its real thin there.
 

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auraslip said:
I don't want a full suspension bike due to the trouble of mounting batteries in the frame of a FS bike, but would like more suspension than the a 2.5 tire gets me.

Pneumatic tires will never match the suspension of FS. The most a pneumatic tire will do is bounce the bike up and down like a basketball, not actually 'fully absorb' the shock.
 
Mine still squeak around corners. It depends on the rock content of the road. On cement, they don't squeak. Maybe my rims are not wide enough. :arrow: And way too many tits on the tire!
 
Has anyone looked into the Maxxis Holy Roller at all as they come in both 24"x2.4" & 26x2.2"

I have not used these tires but my mate uses them for dirt jumping and ramps and he loves them. They are Dual ply side walls so they should hole up well, They are my next choice of rear tire for me.

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My michelins don't squeak anymore. It took awhile though. :)
 
For those looking for a super fat fast rolling tire at a fantastic price: http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/TYOOBSC1/on-one-bsc-type-1

I have a pair of 26x3.5 tires, but I haven't tried them yet. Got them for my fatbike. Not sure what the minimum rim width would be.
 
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