tjax

I ride a 8.3 mile trail to work every day, it is mostly very loose gravel and sand. You may ridicule me, but I purchased a hybrid as not to stress my Raod Baby out, and cause any unneeded damage. I have a Trek 2.1 road bike, and now a Trek 7.4 hybrid. It has road tires on it though, and I need help finding some trail worthy tread. Does anyone know much about tread for a 700c tire?

Tim

Sixty Fiver

Favourite has been the Schwalbe CX Compe... should run around $25.00 - $30.00 from most shops.

They have excellent rollout on pavement and great off road performance with wonderful puncture resistance.

Blue Belly

Bike tires direct has some pretty decent tires. Reviews & desc from the MFG's should get you what you want. That's how picked my tires. Been pretty happy. They are sewups. Probably not going to help you.

Beachgrad05

No sin from what I can tell. I have a hybrid (7.2 FX) that I used for commuting with size 28 tires.

Mithrandir

Awwww, why not go for a Cyclocross bike? They're so much cooler...

tjax

I really want a cyclocross, but I have to save up for it, I needed an interim solution to not trash my roadie. So far it's working really well and I like it. Cyclocross is my next purchase though.

My wife is rather.... frustrated by having two bikes in my home, since I refuse to put them outside, I need to find a way to gain some leverage for adding a third HAHA.

EDIT: I bet if I lose 40 punds I could convince her of the "necessity." HAHA

Mithrandir

This is why I'm looking for a house with a 2-car garage. The 2nd bay will be for my bicycles.

tjax

Most often heard complaint in my household. "I don't understand why your bike, which was made for the outdoors must reside in the house."

To stay happily married I just bite my tongue and say "maybe someday we can find a rack for our house or something." So far I am still happily married, so a third bike might lead me through treacherous waters.

IAMAMRA

I ride a hybrid, didn't know I was sinning.

kjmillig

My commuter/light tourer is a hybrid. I don't even own a true road bike unless you want to count my 1978 Schwinn Traveller II.
Not great for sand or loose gravel, but I'm currently running on 700x42c Kenda Kouriers (which they no longer make for bicycles).

Erwin8r

I have Michelin Jet Cyclocross tires on my single speed On-One Pompino. Makes for a great camp bike and has very low rolling resistance. I also commute to work on it on occasion (7 miles each way). I'd recommend them for the type of riding you plan, and they'd fit great on your Trek.

brianogilvie 

Aside from the UJB 10-speed I had in high school and college (until it was stolen from my back porch in Chicago), the first grown-up bike I had was a Trek Multitrack 730 hybrid, purchased in 1997 and used regularly until I got my first drop-bar bike in 2008. I put a lot of miles on that bike, and I still have it now, set up for visitors and for use as an ice bike in the winter. I thought about converting it to drop bars; the geometry isn't that far off from a touring bike, but I decided that the cost of swapping out bars, shifters, and drivetrain was greater than the price of a new Long Haul Trucker.

As far as trail-worthy tread: I rode D2R2 (only the 100K) this August on Grand Bois Hetre tires, which have little appreciable tread, and I was fine. Unless your trail is essentially singletrack, I'm not sure you need much tread.

mrodgers

I want a hybrid and it's all I can maybe afford, so I am a future forced sinner, LOL.

Doohickie

Have you ridden the commute with the current tires yet? They might be fine. Anything that gives you more grip in the loose stuff will slow you down on hard surfaces, so there is a tradeoff.

Myosmith

I've got Schwalbe Smart Sams in 700c x 40mm on my gravel grinder and stuff has to get pretty loose before I'd want more tire. I've ridden them on the single-track through the sandhills in the area and only on a couple very loose, fairly steep grades did I spin out.

FrenchFit 

Until that's full of bikes and tool chests, then you have to go rent a storage unit for the run over.

tjax

I have there are two steep points on the trail where I suddenly lose traction and the tires slip while I try to struggle up the hill. Rest of the trail, no problems.

MikeRides

My hybrid still rides the fully stock Kenda K-192(w/K-Shield) size 700x35c tires. Seems low maintenance for the 1,000 + miles I've put on them so far, and runs smooth enough on the unpaved towpath (gravel, sand, stone dust, you-name-it).

BTW, I'd just like to echo others in this thread in saying riding a Hybrid is no sin, perhaps owning one but NOT riding it is though.

tjax

HAHA the sin thing is a joke, in response to all those posts I have read criticizing those who want to buy one. Mostly claiming people need to "commit to one or the other" and "you'll never lose weight from a hybrid." I don't give two poops about what other people think so I bought one, and gave the thread a mocking title.