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A friend and i have decided we want to cycle between our favourite football team's stadium for charity. We are starting at Wolverhampton and finishing at Bristol with a total distance of 109 miles.

We currently have cheap Btwin mountain bikes from Decathlon and plan to swap for a slightly thinner tyre. Our theory is that it will make pedaling slightly easier for us as we assume the majority of the trip will be road riding.

The current tyres we have on our bikes are 26 x 2.0.

I have been looking at Continental Ride Tours at 26x1.75 would these fit and do you think they would be good? Not very clued up on bikes to be honest.

Thanks

Neil

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  • I put conti comfort contacts 1.5s on a cheap MTB for commuting and they worked well. My goto tough road tyre now is the Schwalbe marathon supreme but they're pricey. I suggest you go for anti-puncture of some sort, knowing many of the roads you're likely to be on and that your own admission makes it sound like you'd rather reduce the risk of mechanicals.
    – Chris H
    Commented Oct 27, 2018 at 20:13
  • Slightly OT: If that 109mi is Molineux to Ashton Gate (Google's route comes in at 109 for that) then despite the large amount of A38 it's mostly fine south of Gloucester, though I'm not keen on the bit between Almondsbury and Filton. Actually if you're a Gashead going to the Mem the route is almost exactly the same just a little shorter You might want to take a look a cyclestreets.net (if it works, link is to something like your route.) Anyway you'll pass within a few miles of my house as you approach Bristol. Good luck
    – Chris H
    Commented Oct 27, 2018 at 20:16
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    The charity won't care what kind of tyres you have - its a 109 mile ride. Ideally round tyres, the sort that hold air reliably, and have relatively minimal tread (ie not rocky knobs - at least not on the tyre)
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 2:14
  • Thanks Chris great advice I will certainly check out cyclestreets. I will look at both sets, But at least i have an idea now. Hopefully I manage to get some quiet roads along the way.
    – neilgubbins
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 9:43

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Variations in this question must be one of the most asked on this site, but I can't find a good question and answer to direct you to, so I'll just answer it.

There are many rim width to tire width charts that can be looked up on the Internet. An example is on this Sheldon Brown page. It's highly unlikely that the tires supplied with the bikes are at the narrowest limit of the rims, so 1.5" tires will be fine.

If you are looking to decrease rolling resistance, go for a road oriented tire with minimal tread rather than an on/off road hybrid. Inflate to the upper end of the specified pressure range.

It goes without saying that you should have the bikes checked over and make sure the brakes and gears are properly adjusted. Also, make sure the drivetrain is super clean and properly lubed - that does actually net an improvement in efficiency.

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    But note that 109 miles is a morning jaunt for many road cyclists. It's good to be prepared, but don't get all anxious that you'll have to have everything perfect. Your butt and hands will probably be your biggest problems.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Oct 27, 2018 at 21:14
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    If the OP has to ask this, they're not the kind of people for which 109 miles is easy weekend ride. You do long road rides on knobbies all you want but please do not recommend it to newbies
    – ojs
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 6:06
  • Thanks again for all the advise. I realise 109 miles isn't a lot to most. But for someone like me it is a long way and I plan to do plenty of training beforehand. Hence why i want to help my self in the best way possible by having rhe most efficient tyre selection.
    – neilgubbins
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 9:57
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    @neilgubbins Actually, 109 miles is a lot to most. 100 miles is a significant goal for recreational cyclists and, while it's very common for people to do it, it's still a significant undertaking. For example, my own longest ride is 75 miles. Strava says I passed 36 other cyclists and only one of them did 100 miles that day. By the way, you might want to track your ride on Strava -- you can use your phone's GPS. GCN has a video guide to your first 100-mile ride.
    – David Richerby
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 11:34
  • Just to point out: Slick tires will optimize your rolling resistance. Most of the remaining resistance will be aerodynamic. Make sure your handle bar is low and narrow enough and that you wear tight clothes. Also make sure your seating position is good for optimal power output and comfort. Lock the front and rear suspension to avoid suspension losses. With all that done the typical 30km/h road bike speed shouldn’t be hard to ride.
    – Michael
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 19:47
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If you're on mountain bikes, I'd suggest Maxxis Hookworms. Yeah, they are not narrower than anything you are currently running, they are much wider. You can pump them up to 50 psi (or more but I like 50 as a max) and do amazingly well on the street, while still having plenty of grip on the road. And they work really well off road too down around 30 psi. They are a heavy duty tire that will take years to wear out.

Oh also, a lot of people think 2.5's won't fit on their bikes, but I have yet to ever come across a bike that couldn't fit hookworms with plenty of room to spare. Advertised tire widths are random voodoo.

ML8

Hightower LT

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  • It feels like you've completely ignored the asker's requirements and you're just plugging your favourite tyres.
    – David Richerby
    Commented Nov 20, 2018 at 19:55
  • I didn't see any requirements other than tires that will fit on their mountain bikes and be good for 109 miles. Hookworms are going to be the best for that.
    – l008com
    Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 2:01

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