26 inch tan wall MTB tires
 

I am referbishing my old rigid mtb and the tires need replacing. The most trail use this thing will see is some dirt roads or lime stone trails. 95% will be on tarmac. DO they make any tan wall 26 inch road tires> I am thinking i want some that are smooth in the middle and have lugs/tread on the edge and was thinking of the kenda kross but i could go slick as well. Just wondering if they make any decent tan wall tires in 26 inch. I seem to remember browsing a few months back and thought i had found some from kenda but i cant locate them now and i have no idea what model they were.

Maxxis DTH (26 x 2.15):
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fbf5ea9c36.jpg

I got sick of rotting sidewalls and switched to blackwalls.

Smooth down the center and knobby on the sides? SwiftTire Ripp Johnson Jr
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...10e898aa37.jpg

Compass makes some stupidly nice 26" skinwalls -- the Rat Trap pass. If I was going to be on tarmac 95% of the time, its what I would take assuming money is no object.

I've ridden the Maxxis above. Stout tire, nice and versatile. But no where near the ride quality of the compass.

https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/co...rat-trap-pass/

https://www.compasscycle.com/wp-cont...0CmSX_1498.jpg

If you want something low cost, Panaracer Pasela is always an option. But I think 1.75 is as wide as they come.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/918/4...3c07d58f_z.jpg

+1, I've put many happy miles on 26"x1.75" Paselas. The puncture rate was very low, too. :thumb:

wow......i like these. How do they roll? The price is right at $20 per tire and the fact they are made by panaracer cant be a bad thing. I have used paseleas on my road bikes and have been happy with them.....only $6 shipping too....

Yet another choice: https://velo-orange.com/collections/...-26x1-75-brown

I'd say they roll pretty well on pavement, but most of my experience with them has been on gravel and singletrack. Since you're forecasting more tarmac than gravel, they might be too knobbly. But they are tanwall, and it's rad that they have a folding bead...

I'd also give another vote for the Paselas. I haven't flatted on any of my 700x35s yet, and they've been good for road, gravel, and even a bit of sand.

Ya'd think that since "upcycling" old MTBs into adventure bikes is gaining a meteoric rise in popularity tire makers would see the value in offering 26" versions of all the new-fangled 27.5 high-volume all-road tires. Maybe they will soon, and we're just getting in on the bottom floor of this cultural phenomenon. How cool would a 26" WTB Byway be?

I would totally buy the horizons or the byways if they came in 26". I have a 650b frame but my xtr hubs are not disc :(.

The Pasela's an excellent tire; I have these on a couple of my commuters. I've been using them (or Nifty-Swiftys) for years without disappointments.

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I would absolutely love some WTB Byways. I dont think that is going to happen but you are right. Old MTB frames are great at being trail / gravel / commuter bikes. The rigid frames were kind of short lived before hard tail took over which i never cared for much on anything other than rougher single track. There are so many good old rigid frames out there a small run of 26 inch tires such as the byway would be great.

I am also bummed that the Pasellas only come in 1.75 max width. I am a fan....just wish they were wider.

Yep, a Pasela that was a true 2" (I'd also accept 50mm) would be pretty sweet. Compass Rat Trap Passes are a little too big for some bikes at 52-54mm.

I've seen these in person, and they are really nice aesthetically. Hope to spec them on my bambu tourer soon. They come in 2.15 and 2.30 size.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...38a6b9aead.jpg

I've seen these in person, and they are really nice aesthetically. Hope to spec them on my bambu tourer soon. They come in 2.15 and 2.30 size.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...38a6b9aead.jpg

i am really thinking of going with Panaracer Pasellas.
Does anyone have them mounted on a 26 rim and running 1.75s? Id be curious to see what they measure out to be. That seems to be the widest you can get. I have had the 1.25s in the past and they were really narrow. Much less than the 1.25 size. I had a narrow rim on but they still seemed a bit under sized for width.

Mine measured right around 42mm at the tire carcass, 43mm at the widest part of the tread. On rims with a 22mm inner width. Hope this helps. :thumb:

If Panaracer made Col de la Vie's in 26", I'd recommend those - but they don't. I have Rat Trap Pass on my converted 90-something Giant Iguana, but haven't taken them off road at all (though they roll smooth and fast at low pressure). Can't speak to their durability, and they may not fit every bicycle (plus they aren't cheap). I see three enticing looking options offered already. I suspect that if you do any amount of riding on roads, those Rip Johnson's are going to be noticeably slower. Personally I'd lean towards the standard Panaracers, but you know what sort of riding you do better than we do. :)

Wow....thank you. That sounds plenty wide enough.

This is a topic I have thought a lot about.

I have run these tires:

-Maxxis DTH. Roll well. Pretty thick tread. I have been riding one regularly on pavement for 2 years and the tread shows little to no wear. No punctures. Thanks to it being a pump track tire. Very happy with it for a heavy city bike. Best option if you need wide and smooth but can't afford the $$$ Compasses.

-Pasela 1.75. Good all-rounder. Never really had an issue.

-Fairweather For Cruise 1.75. Panaracer-made. Same tread pattern and width as the Pasela, but uses an incredibly light and high thread casing. Super supple and quick rolling. Have gotten a few punctures on rough gravel. The casing is very thin, like the Compass ELs, but the tread holds its own. Doesn't wear quickly.

I have also run a Panaracer Smoke reissue, but this is an aggressive knobbie purely for mtb.

I am putting the Ripp Johnsons on a new build (cruiser/singletrack klunker).

Another vote for 1.75 paselas. That being said, I'm moving these to my wife's bike as I just snagged a stupid cheap deal on some folding black wall Panaracer T Servs in 1.75. Those don't come in tan, tho. So, count me as moving toward John's opinion about trying black for awhile. These measure just as Scott's did, so they seem to be pretty consistent.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...81f1ca4d31.jpg

A lot of people forget or don't realize that Compass makes 26" tires smaller than the RTP. I'm eyeing the Naches Pass 1.8 myself. Currently running 1.75 Paselas and they're pretty good, especially for the price. I wish they were a little wider, but then I'd have to get new fenders so it's ok:) They look good and get a nice hum goin on smooth pavement