Originally Posted by
Kapusta
If your focus is going to be trail riding (vs some trail and a bunch of pavement), would jump on that ASAP. These would be my preference by a wide margin over anything else suggested or mentioned in this thread so far. I live on the East Coast now, but lived and MTBed in Nor Cal for several years, and this would be my choice there as well.
Not only is the tread totally appropriate, but those are folding bead tires (as opposed to wire bead) and therefore lighter.
For that price it would be a no-brainer if you are trying to keep this dirt cheap.
If you want tires for actual mountain biking, get mtb tires with real treads. Don’t waste you time with hybrid tires.
Tires like the Small Block Eight (SB8) and Fast Track are OK for the rear (though personally I like something with more tread), but I think they are not good for the front.
On the othet hand, if you use the same bike for a lot of paved roads, this will likely wear out fast.
You know, I looked at those, and the shipping made me hesitate. It’s funny you should mention the Kenda Small Block, because I found a used pair with minimal wear that were local and cheap. I think they’ll be perfect to get me started, based on the reviews I’ve seen.