dualresponse

I'm redoing my 26 inch mtb. I considered going to 700c conversion (no big deal to convert), but I like the idea of the 26 wheel. Well.. actually the project gravitated towards keeping the 26 wheels, so here I am! I can put on a MTB wheel for off road tours, and, after throwing on a set of spare 1.25 slicks, I am blown away about how fast the slicks are.

My question to the BF braintrust is as follows- if you do ride slicks, what are you riding loaded? 1.0? 1.25? 1.5? 1.75? What is the sweet spot for loaded 26 inch tourers....

PS- here are my Jandd panniers on the front that I have been talking about in another thread. I am completely blown away by how stable they are out in front. wow!

Pics please....

...Here's the rough copy mockup of my Schwinn 26 with (currently) silly looking but potently fast 26x1.25's. I plan on getting all the details sorted out, then strip and repaint the frame. I have not re-circumferenced the 650 fenders yet. On the way to a local restaurant, a teenager decided to race me while I was riding in this configuration (not that it is a race... but oh well!) . He lost, so with these wheels it's fast, but I wonder how that size will hold up under load.

3speed

Nice! I'm planning on moving to 26" on my next touring bike. I have ridden a mtb with slicks a fair amount for commuting one summer. It definitely transforms the bike compared to big knobby mtb tires. Personally, I'd be comfortable running a 1.25" tire as long as your tire pressure isn't too soft(pinch flats) and if your weight isn't too high. 1.25" is almost 32mm, which is what a lot of people use on a touring bike. It's usually 700x32 rather than 26x32, but I don't see why the circumference should affect the tire volume/width much at all. If you wanted more tire, go 1.5" That translates to a 38mm tire. That's plenty for road riding, even loaded up with four panniers. The other route you could go, though, is something really smooth and supple riding like the offerings by Compass(Rat Trap Pass, etc.). That would probably make for a really nice ride, and look cool in a skin wall.

Miele Man

I have a few MTBs converted to drop bars. I build them for touring gravel roads or logging/mining roads where the surface is often loose with stones, rocks and sometimes pretty deep sand. Therefore I like wide knobby tires in the 2" to 2.125 size. For the road I like 1.5" slicks.

My GIANT MTB with dropbar and barend shifters.






The stainless steel thermoses keep the water cold even on long hot days. The big tarp is covering my tent and lets me sit in a vestibule-like area and it also keeps the rain off when I'm packing up my gear and the tent.

Here's my MIELE MTB converted to dropbar and barend shifters for light touring off-road.



Cheers

staehpj1

I don't have any pictures handy that show the bike real well, but I did an on/off/dirt road tour on my old 1990 Cannondale mountain bike. It had Kenda Slant Six 26x2.1 tires for the trip. The low and numerous knobs worked well on all the surfaces I encountered on the trip including dirt, gravel, and pavement.

In those pictures I was on a trip packed with 14 pounds of camping and cooking gear. The trip was kind of a failure as I had to bail early with altitude sickness (HAPE) with the added irritation of forest fire smoke and a heat wave. I flew in from sea level to Denver and immediately rode to higher altitude. To make matters worse I wasn't fully recovered from a concussion. I shouldn't have been there, made some mistakes, and got some bad breaks. The bike and gear worked out well though.

BTW, since then I have switched to drop bars with 7 speed brifters. I have found they work okay for me even on the occasional bit of fairly technical single track.

Tourist in MSN

If I am predominantly going to be on pavement, I am using 40mm wide Marathons (with Greenguard). But if I predominantly will be on gravel I am using 50 mm wide Dureme in front and Extreme in rear, both of these tires are discontinued but mine have plenty of tread remaining.

Photo with 40 mm Marathons. I do not re-adjust teh fenders when I change tires, so the fenders are set for 50 mm.



Same bike with 50 mm tires (Dureme in front, Extreme in rear).



Yes, I know it looks odd above when I say that I had my pavement tires (40mm wide) with snow capped mountains in the background and my gravel tires (50mm) in Washington DC, but the first photo was when I did the Glacier Waterton loop which mostly was on pavement and when I was in DC, I did the GAP and C&O which was gravel.

***

But on my expedition bike I usually use 57mm tires when touring, Extremes front and rear.

alan s 

26x2

gauvins

Old pictures, but WTH.

1. typical setup traveling alone or with my wife
2. typical setup traveling with the kids

Riding on Marathon Supreme 2". Have now switched to Almotions 2.1" (slicks aren't that great on gravel/dirt; Almotions have much stronger sidewalls).



Usual setup


Traveling with kids

dualresponse

Thanks All! I was going to take some pics of my bike with the local mtns in the background tonight, but instead ran into a tourer from oregon, who is about t reach the east coast- so we got talking, and I got sidetracked.

I love seeing 26'ers because of all the flexibility in the setups. As far as tirewise, I'm looking for something with a fairly smooth middle, and perhaps some light grip on the sides, if possible, in kevlar bead. something for road/ light gravel/ hardpack terrain. These pics give a good range of sizes to look for based on conditions.

Also, these pics bring up another, but not thread related question. (I'm derailling my own thread!) I've been looking at bags, but it is hard to gauge how big they are on websites and internet pics. Out of curiosity, what size ortiebs are on the front panniers in this pic (type/ or Liter wise?) (Basically- what do I hit "buy it now" on ? Gauvin's front panniers seem to be about the same size. Me likey....

p.s- I think I have stock in the yellow/black bar tape here in Va. If ever in Va, and you need free bar tape- please feel free to hit me up!

Thanks again,
Ron

djb

1.5 inch are a good mix of reasonably fast rolling on pavement, but at 38mm on gravel etc still allow lower pressures and reasonably good on dirt roads.
I've ridden a lot on 1.5 inch regular marathons, and a lot on 2in Supremes.
1.6 in Supremes would be fine also, but rather expensive.

If on good paved roads, 32 can be ok, but I very much prefer wider now for nicer comfort over rough pavement and more sure footedness on dirt.

Like I always repeat here, I also find wider tires with lower pressures help a lot with rider and wheel set comfort, makes life easier for your spokes and rims due to the suspension effect.

gauvins

Ortlieb's front roller (12.5L). (I try to ride with different colors. Makes it easier to pack and remember which pannier goes where)

dualresponse

^Thanks!

Happy Feet

26" x 4.6

Rob_E

Clockwise from the upper left: 2.3 Compass Rat Trap Pass*; 2.25 Schwalbe Almotion ; 2.4 Panaracer Swoops ; 3.0 WTB Ranger front & 2.8 Vee Speedster Rear* ; 2.5 Surly Extraterrestrials

* I haven't actually toured on these combos. They all ride pretty good, but I don't think I have the miles on them to know how they wear.
Complaints/issues/considerations: Did not care for the Speedster as a front tire. Felt like there was too much self-steering, although different inflation might address that. ; My ETs wore out pretty quickly, but I gather there were some questionable batches early on. Most people report them as long-lasting. ; Swoops are buzzy as hell on pavement, which is to be expected given their tread, but they were a pretty easy-rolling, off-road tire.
The Rat Trap Pass rides like a dream. I hope they wear well. I've been enjoying my plus wheel set for rolling over curbs, cutting corners, shortcuts through the dirt, etc., but for for comfortable, fast (well, fast for me), easy rolling miles, on fairly level surfaces, the Rat Trap Passes are great.

djb

Rob, I have to ask about the seat angle-- obviously you prefer this downward slant as it stays the same from setup to setup, but it's generally acknowledged that this shifts more weight on your hands.
Again, its clear that you must prefer this, have you always ridden like this for years and years?

Neat range of tires that's for sure.

djb

There's always one joker in the class isn't there?
;-)

Tourist in MSN

Looking at the loose sand under the tires in the photo, that tire probably made sense.

Rob_E

I've toyed with the angle, and I guess it always ends up there, so I guess that's my spot. I try and keep a comfortable handlebar angle and grips and don't notice any strain in my daily riding. Long days in the saddle can cause more noticeable strain, but that's why I try to have multiple positions. Also the bars may be high relative to drop bars, which means more upright and more weight on the seat. The other day I was practicing riding no-handed, which I hadn't done in a while. Since I was able to stay on my seat with no weight on my hands, that makes me think it must not be that bad.

Happy Feet

Couldn't resist

That was just a small part of it. Lot's of trail stuff too. Trip report coming as soon as I edit pictures.

alan s 

Would you please invest in a color camera? We’re in the 21st century now, and color photos are kind of the norm.

Tourist in MSN

He is trying to become another Ansel Adams.

Happy Feet

? My camera is red. Ps. You will hate my next trip report...

It's true! I have been thinking of getting a dedicated camera specifically for wide landscape shots.. maybe a Widelux

phughes

Sorry about the non-drive side image. I have a mirror mounted on the other side, so it is difficult to lean it against that side without knocking the mirror out of position.

I have Schwalbe Marathons in 1.5 on it at the moment. I will probably go wider next time, though these are fine. I like the 26 inch LHT a lot. I am able to mount my pump behind the seat tube. The bike seems fairly noble compared to the 700 frame, though that may be my imagination. The rims have held up very well over the years, and have stayed in true.

djb

sorry, I still think he's a joker. Sand is no excuse.

djb

boy, I havent seen a Widelux for probably about 20 years.

Tourist in MSN

Wide angle lens sometime not needed.



I bet you recognize the rear panniers.