mtorch67

In March I purchased a men’s GT Talera 4.0 hybrid from Dicks. Ive logged about 300 miles on the bike riding both road and light trails. I love the bike and the stock tires are perfect for road and light trails. Bike came with 700x40c Innova LandTracker tires. There’s time that the trails I ride on are too muddy and rough for the tires equipped on the bike. I’d like to purchase a 2nd set of wheels with different tires for rougher off road riding. What wheel / tire options are available for this model

hokiefyd 

The wheels are standard 622mm wheels that you'll find called by a number of names (700c, 29 inch, etc.). You'll need a basic set of 622mm wheels with Quick Release (not through axle) disc brake hubs, and disc rotors to match. There are two styles of disc rotor -- 6-bolt and Shimano centerlock. Neither is significantly better than the other -- you just need to ensure that the new disc rotors you buy are compatible with the hubs you have on the new wheels. I would not recommend swapping disc rotors from your current wheels to the new wheels -- it's a hassle and you will very likely find unevenness (a wave in the rotor) as the rotors get "clocked" differently on the hubs each time you swap.

Your bike may fit up to 2" tires (54mm), which means you could run 54-622 tires on it. That's definitely something to check for (measure) prior to tire purchase.

mtorch67

Thanks for the feedback, I’m going to a bike shop to consider this option. I’ll post my results afterwards

DorkDisk

There are many choices; aside from the rim diameter and axle type, there are a few other things to think of.

Rotor diameter must be the same, rotor location laterally must be in the same location, and the QR tensions must be equalized and maintained. Don't mix rotor types (metal vs resin) or live with horrible squeel. The easiest way to achieve this is to use the same hub and rotor.

Centerlock is better for speed of installation and better trueness, but 6 bolt will allow you to shim the rotors to a common center if the hubs have any variation in alignment.

If you're using different cassettes, the chain must be sized for the largest.

hokiefyd 

Another option is buying 584mm wheels (often called 27.5") -- this will likely allow you to run larger tires for rougher road riding. I have a set of these wheels with 54mm tires (2.1") and I've had them on my Giant Roam before (similar bike to your GT). The same things apply (like rotor size, hub types, etc.), but a smaller diameter wheel can allow you to run a larger tire and still maintain a similar overall diameter. It likely will be a little shorter than your 40-622s, but not by much.

Here are a few pictures of my Roam with the 584mm wheels (and Vittoria Mezcal 27.5x2.1" tires).

mtorch67

That’s exactly what I’m looking for. I want an extra set Of wheels that I can easily swap out when I fell like riding heaver trails instead of roads. I’ll have to measure the available clearance In the back and see if that’s an option. Thanks for the idea. Do you swap out wheels on that bike also?

mtorch67

Back clearance is 2 3/8. Front is no problem

hokiefyd 

I have, but it usually requires brake caliper adjustment. As DorkDisk suggested, I could probably buy shims for the disc rotors to try to get them perfect, so that I didn't have to re-adjust, but I don't do it enough to want to get that precise with it. If the brake rubs after swapping wheels, I just loosen the brake caliper, squeeze the lever, and then re-torque (to center it). It's not a big deal.

With that much clearance, I think you should be able to fit a 2.0" or 2.1" tire with no problem, especially with 584mm wheels. If you go real knobby, watch the tread profile -- some knobby tires have wide side knobs that could clip the chain stays. I had a 54-622 tire (29x2.1) on my Roam, and it barely fit. I ended up adding those 584mm wheels to my collection, and 2.1" tires fit better with those.