LorenMiranda

Hey all...looking for a good sound tire for city life for both my older mountain bike s. I want solid stability in wet/loose conditions and reasonable flat Resistance with great roll. Any and all suggestions appreciated.

Skipjacks

Back when I commuted on a mountain bike I ran these...

Continental Race King's

For a knobby tire they roll surprisingly well on pavement. Not as well as a treadless tire, but decent.

Where they shine is when you get into something loose or muddy. They stick really well.

So if you want to cross a vacant lot with dirt and rocks or a gravely side street, these will help.

They come in a more expensive version with a rubber called BlackChili that supposedly makes them grip the road better. I've not tried it.

If you are 90%+ on clean dry pavement, find something less knobby.

for 50-50 pavement / muck these are decent

Rick

Schwalbe Marathon Supreme

2cam16

Check out the Continental Town and Country tire. I have a pair on one of my bikes and I like them. Haven't ridden them much in the wet though. Just damp conditions.

mrv 

I've been commuting / touring / dirt road coffee getting on CONTI - Contact (one flavor or another) - and have been pretty happy. Flats are very rare.
I just picked up some SERFAS Drifters. I used them briefly in the past. I can't say much about them yet, except I got them because my LBS sells them, and I want to support my LBS. I think they are a CONTI Town & Country knock off - so maybe they will be OK.

LorenMiranda

I ride in Spokane Valley Washington. My bike is my only means of transportation... Or both of them rather. I like the looks if the race king but do ride mostly on the street. All weather, committed car free. Keep the suggestions coming...i am researching as they come in. Thanks all for the knowledgeable response s

Dirt Farmer

Several years ago (4+) when I used to mountain bike, I was very, very pleased with the Bontrager tires I had. I'd poke around their website for a look-see. I would assume they are still pretty solid choices.

Retro Grouch 

26" tire advice. You need to be more specific. The numbers that come after 26" are important and it also matters if it's a fraction or a decimal.

zen_

I have been very pleased with my 26x1.75" Conti Contact Plus Travel (they used to be called Country Plus) as an all condition tire on a bike that I use for commuting, riding trails, and some gravel grinding. My only gripe with them is on gravel they struggle in the deep stuff, and are really heavy for climbing, but that tread pattern also makes them better rollers on flat pavement, and the puncture belt is most of the weight.

FrenchFit 

I have been using Vittoria Randonneur 26"s on the MTB tourer conversation for a few years. I was previously using SM Supremes. I could not be happier with the quality and rolling resistance of my V tires, no flats, great pricing too, but I don't think what I have been using is what is currently marketed -- be careful. Nonetheless, here's their current line-up: https://www.vittoria.com/us/tires/ur....html?size=217

When it's time to replace my 26s I will go back to Vittorias as first choice.

LorenMiranda

My true tire size for both bikes is 26x1.95....rims on the 1990s Raleigh m50 are weinmann 519's...the Jamis explorer has weinmann 520's. They appear identical if any of this helps lol

Skipjacks

I tried those a few years back and HATED them

The tread bulged out at the thinner portions, creating a lumpy feel when riding. Felt like I was riding over cobblestone. I disliked them so much I returned them.

I've not tried to Continental Town and Country's but I agree it's a very similar tread pattern and from seeing them in the store the tread looks more stable.

I might have just gotten a bad set. Who knows. But they didn't last 20 miles for me before I couldn't take it anymore.

mrv 

Now I'm nervous! I only rode the set I had before a little bit before the whole bike got sold. I don't recall hating the SERFAS. I'm on dirt roads a lot, except for commuting, so maybe I'll post a follow up with glossy pictures, lines, arrows, and circles, after I get them on the road and dirt roads.

cheers!

Skipjacks

You're going to post 27 8x10 color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one?

Anywhooooo

On dirt or any softer surface those Serfas ties might be okay. On pavement I hated them.

What happened was the thick part of the tread was pretty rigid. But the grooves in the tread bulged out when the tire was inflated. So each section of the tread pattern had this noticeable bump from where the tread was sticking out too far. Made the whole bike vibrate.

They cornered like they were on rails though. Beautiful in the turns. Horrible in a straight line.

Could have just been a bad set though. Also I imagine the high spots would wear down even with the rest of the tread in 100-200 miles. So there's that.

fietsbob

A collection of trade offs .. puncture resistance features adds mass, weight , to tire ...

Retro Grouch 

So in modern terms you need ETRTO 559 tires. That's a size term you will do well to get used to using.

fietsbob is right: Once you get the size figured out it's a matter of trade offs:
Expensive vs. cheap - Expensive tires tend to have features like better puncture resistance, lighter weight, or more supple sidewalls for better rolling resistance.
Puncture resistance. Bicycle tire manufacturers will offer various levels of puncture resistance. Tires with less puncture resistance will generally roll and ride better. I prefer tires with some, but only low level puncture resistance.
Tread pattern. It's easy to overstate the benefits that tread provides for a bike tire. If you do real off roading you'll probably like deep, widely spaced lugs for mud or trails with large size rocks but you'll pay a penalty on smoother surfaces.

I'm using Schwalbe Marathon Race tires on my recumbent trike mostly because that's what came on it. If I were buying tires tomorrow, I'd probably get the same thing. Before I gave up my beater bike I had Town and Country tires on it. They have a relative thick tread so they are relatively puncture resistance and last forever.

88Tempo

My wife has been running Kenda Kross Plus in 26 x 1.95 for a while on one of her bikes. Neither one of us is a speed demon, but they are quiet on pavement and work fairly well on the gravel roads we ride. I've had some punctures from goat heads running the 700 x 42 version on one of my bikes, but overall they seem fairly puncture resistant.

https://www.amazon.com/Kenda-Kross-F...reation&sr=1-8

Kapusta

For urban riding and cummuting, I have been really happy with a set of Bontrager H2 in 26x1.75. These are rhe standard model, not the hard-case or hard case light. They are wire bead so not very light, but they roll very fast and smooth. They cost around $27 each.

LorenMiranda

Thanks everyone... Now I have to choose lol

MikeyMK

Schwalbe Fat Frank