3

I have a Santa Cruz hard tail mountain bike with 27.5 tires on a 40mm rim and I want to put smooth commuter style tires on it. I have looked at various charts and done some searching but I'm having a hard time figuring out which tires would work for this type of setup. Would I follow the general mountain bike guidelines and go with 2.4-3.0 width? I have also heard you can get away with significantly more narrow road-style tires and I was hoping to get something like 2.0s (or even slightly narrower), but not sure if that would be an issue.

Any guidance is greatly appreciated!

Improve this question
2
  • This sounds like a 27.5+ bike. If you're willing to spend a few hundred USD, you might consider buying a 29" wheelset with a relatively narrow width (25mm), which would enable you to run common 700c road and commuter tires (28mm, 32mm, etc).
    – Andrew
    Commented Oct 17 at 2:19
  • Get a Schwalbe Land Cruiser set. Bring the bike to the purchase and the staff will tell You if they will fit for free. Happy riding!
    – Vorac
    Commented Oct 22 at 9:11

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
6

40 mm rims (if really the inner width) are really wide. Forget any narrow tyres. According to the ETRTO specifications you need at least 66 mm wide tyres. That is 2.6". 2.0 should be a clear no-go. 2.4 at your risk.

If the inner width is actually narrower than 40 mm, consult the recommended rim compatibility of any tyre you consider buying. The vendor may relax the ETRTO recommendations in some way.

Improve this answer
1
1

Consider purchasing a second set of wheels. The new wheels will be lighter and allow use of narrower tires. A wheelset can be $100-$150 on ebay. If you stick with the original wheels consider the 42mm or 50mm version of Continental Contact Urban tires. They are relatively light, roll easily, and have decent puncture protection.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.