Tire width options
#1
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Tire width options
Hi all,
have tried to dig some for an answer on this but just can’t get a solid answer.
the short of it:
Purchased an older Murray mountain bike from 1984ish.. Brand new, never used and was stored in basement for last 30+ years. Tires are in great shape and have been flawless. Have ridden it about 180 miles so far. Bike has 26x2.125 tires on it.
I would like a thinner tire but am really not sure what would fit on the rim. I don’t want super thin but maybe a touch under 2” and a less knobby tire.
what sizes
would fit
this rim.
have tried to dig some for an answer on this but just can’t get a solid answer.
the short of it:
Purchased an older Murray mountain bike from 1984ish.. Brand new, never used and was stored in basement for last 30+ years. Tires are in great shape and have been flawless. Have ridden it about 180 miles so far. Bike has 26x2.125 tires on it.
I would like a thinner tire but am really not sure what would fit on the rim. I don’t want super thin but maybe a touch under 2” and a less knobby tire.
what sizes
would fit
this rim.
#2
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Check biketiresdirect.com - it’s a good website w categories and pics and you could probably fit anything they carry
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You'll probably do best going into a shop with the bike. You may have better luck in the MTB forum, this one is "for" shiny tire bikes with drop bars, a lot of the people here don't ride mountain bikes. If you can measure your rim width we might be able to help you.
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Michelin Country Rock 26 Inch Tire
This popular tire is excellent for riding on both asphalt and hard-packed dirt. Tightly packed, super low profile knobs create a tire that rolls almost as smoothly as a slick on the road, but provides more traction than a slick on dirt surfaces. More pronounced edge knobs offer better cornering off-road. The tread is very puncture-resistant and long-wearing.
Wire bead. 33 TPI. 560 grams. 73 maximum PSI. 26" x 1.75". Black.
Review excerpts:
Best way to turn a mountain bike into a street bike. Fast rolling and great puncture resistance.
For what I got, I'm stunned at the low price. I replaced some old knobby tires on a MTB that I inherited and hated. Now I love it and I'm using it as a bad weathertouring bike for the days I don't want to risk using my road bike
This popular tire is excellent for riding on both asphalt and hard-packed dirt. Tightly packed, super low profile knobs create a tire that rolls almost as smoothly as a slick on the road, but provides more traction than a slick on dirt surfaces. More pronounced edge knobs offer better cornering off-road. The tread is very puncture-resistant and long-wearing.
Wire bead. 33 TPI. 560 grams. 73 maximum PSI. 26" x 1.75". Black.
Review excerpts:
Best way to turn a mountain bike into a street bike. Fast rolling and great puncture resistance.
For what I got, I'm stunned at the low price. I replaced some old knobby tires on a MTB that I inherited and hated. Now I love it and I'm using it as a bad weathertouring bike for the days I don't want to risk using my road bike
Good on the road, trails. I ride mostly on trails and I find that this allows for a smooth ride without picking up lots of stuff in the tread
Performs well on pavement and minor hard-pack. Used for around-town commuting, with occasional light trail use. Works great, rolls easy, all around good tire.
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Wrong forum!
Tires still good after 30 years? I'd definitively inspect them for cracks. Rubber always end up drying & tearing.
Tires still good after 30 years? I'd definitively inspect them for cracks. Rubber always end up drying & tearing.
#9
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- Any bike tire with an ISO of 559 will fit your wheels. Just google 26" MTB tires and what you see will almost certainly fit. Any decent website will list the ISO# on each tire's page.
- Tread is good for loose surfaces. Slick tires are good for hardpack and paved surfaces.
- Inexpensive tires are heavier and roll slower than lighter tires.
- A quality 2.1" tire could very well roll faster than an inexpensive and heavy 1.85" tire. Keep this in mind because wider doesnt necessarily mean slower.
There are tons of options, depending on what you want to spend. No point suggesting $60 tires if you want to only spend $15. So list what you want to spend.
- Tread is good for loose surfaces. Slick tires are good for hardpack and paved surfaces.
- Inexpensive tires are heavier and roll slower than lighter tires.
- A quality 2.1" tire could very well roll faster than an inexpensive and heavy 1.85" tire. Keep this in mind because wider doesnt necessarily mean slower.
There are tons of options, depending on what you want to spend. No point suggesting $60 tires if you want to only spend $15. So list what you want to spend.
#10
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It really depends on what kind of riding you want to do. If you're using this mountain bike as an ersatz street bike for just getting around town and whatnot you'll really want tires with little to no tread, since knobs wear off quickly on the street. If you're actually going to be riding it off road, then of course you'll want an appropriate knobbed tire for good grip in the dirt. I put around 9000 miles on a mountain bike that I was using as an ersatz road bike when I first started losing weight and weighed around 350 lbs. The knobby tires I started with wore out within 300 miles or so on the street. I put on somewhat narrower "slick" or semi-slick road-style tires on it and loved it for the rest of the time I was using that bike on the street. If using it as a street bike it'll also be a much more comfortable ride not to have aggressive off-road knobbies on your tires.
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Bike was stored indoors for last 30+ years effectively.
Ive ridden the crap out of it for last two months and no issues. Stay tuned for a pic.
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That's impressive! I bet recent tires wouldn't last as much if stored for that amount of time.
The industry use to make long lasting products until they realised they would make a sh*t load of additional money if they'd limit product's lifespan. Got to love planned obsolescence! I know, I'm getting off topic (again).
The industry use to make long lasting products until they realised they would make a sh*t load of additional money if they'd limit product's lifespan. Got to love planned obsolescence! I know, I'm getting off topic (again).
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Also have an old Schwinn cruiser I’ve had since from mid 80’s. Greased the hubs and cranks. Rides like a dream - zero rust.
Had to get new tires for that btw 😁😁
Had to get new tires for that btw 😁😁
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That's impressive! I bet recent tires wouldn't last as much if stored for that amount of time.
The industry use to make long lasting products until they realised they would make a sh*t load of additional money if they'd limit product's lifespan. Got to love planned obsolescence! I know, I'm getting off topic (again).
The industry use to make long lasting products until they realised they would make a sh*t load of additional money if they'd limit product's lifespan. Got to love planned obsolescence! I know, I'm getting off topic (again).
#15
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That's impressive! I bet recent tires wouldn't last as much if stored for that amount of time.
The industry use to make long lasting products until they realised they would make a sh*t load of additional money if they'd limit product's lifespan. Got to love planned obsolescence! I know, I'm getting off topic (again).
The industry use to make long lasting products until they realised they would make a sh*t load of additional money if they'd limit product's lifespan. Got to love planned obsolescence! I know, I'm getting off topic (again).
If so, do you have any bit of backing to that claim?
...or are you both just speaking in generalizations that dont actually apply?
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It really depends on what kind of riding you want to do. If you're using this mountain bike as an ersatz street bike for just getting around town and whatnot you'll really want tires with little to no tread, since knobs wear off quickly on the street. If you're actually going to be riding it off road, then of course you'll want an appropriate knobbed tire for good grip in the dirt. I put around 9000 miles on a mountain bike that I was using as an ersatz road bike when I first started losing weight and weighed around 350 lbs. The knobby tires I started with wore out within 300 miles or so on the street. I put on somewhat narrower "slick" or semi-slick road-style tires on it and loved it for the rest of the time I was using that bike on the street. If using it as a street bike it'll also be a much more comfortable ride not to have aggressive off-road knobbies on your tires.
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I cleaned out most of my garage a few days ago. Dozens of tires and tubes hanging up, and in cabinets. Some of my tires were from over 30 years ago, and strangely enough, some of the old ones were just fine. And some were so bad they cracked and fell apart when I squeezed them.