Another tire thread
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: upstate NY
Posts: 161
Bikes: Jamis renegade, surly big dummy, giant talon 29er
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Another tire thread
Just wondering what everyone is riding. I'm riding a drop bar bike with 700x40 WTB byways. Been mostly happy but will be looking into new tires sooner than later. Riding tubeless but not convinced it's worth it. I spend more time topping off air and etc than I did when I had tubes. I ride about 80% roads and the rest is double track and gravel rds. Looking at most likely going back to tubes and 700x40 seems to be a sweet spot for me.
#2
Senior Member
I have still been using gatorskins with tubes. Since I pack crazy light I have been using skinny sizes.
I absolutely love the tubeless setup on my mountain bike. I went from at least a thorn flat a week to zero flats, none. At home, I top off every ride any way, on tour I top off every couple days any way, so I don't consider that a big hardship for tubeless. I also like the supple ride of tubeless.
I also enjoyed riding my old 1990 race bike across the US on the ST with 14# of gear and 25 mm Gatorskins (actually I started on 23mm until I wore them out). I also enjoyed my old MTB on a mixed surface tour with 2.1" tires with lots of low knobs. They served surprisingly well on the pavement.
If I were to make a change and start with a new setup it would probably be tubeless, especially if I were running tires as wide as you are. I am less convinced about going tubeless for a skinny tire setup. I haven' been anywhere during the pandemic, but when I get out after it could be on either of those bikes again. That said, my ideal choice would be a new gravel bike maybe with two sets of wheels to accommodate different types of riding and with a tubeless setup on at least the fatter tire one.
I absolutely love the tubeless setup on my mountain bike. I went from at least a thorn flat a week to zero flats, none. At home, I top off every ride any way, on tour I top off every couple days any way, so I don't consider that a big hardship for tubeless. I also like the supple ride of tubeless.
I also enjoyed riding my old 1990 race bike across the US on the ST with 14# of gear and 25 mm Gatorskins (actually I started on 23mm until I wore them out). I also enjoyed my old MTB on a mixed surface tour with 2.1" tires with lots of low knobs. They served surprisingly well on the pavement.
If I were to make a change and start with a new setup it would probably be tubeless, especially if I were running tires as wide as you are. I am less convinced about going tubeless for a skinny tire setup. I haven' been anywhere during the pandemic, but when I get out after it could be on either of those bikes again. That said, my ideal choice would be a new gravel bike maybe with two sets of wheels to accommodate different types of riding and with a tubeless setup on at least the fatter tire one.
#3
Senior Member
Just wondering what everyone is riding. I'm riding a drop bar bike with 700x40 WTB byways. Been mostly happy but will be looking into new tires sooner than later. Riding tubeless but not convinced it's worth it. I spend more time topping off air and etc than I did when I had tubes. I ride about 80% roads and the rest is double track and gravel rds. Looking at most likely going back to tubes and 700x40 seems to be a sweet spot for me.
#4
Full Member
There's a great site with actual rolling resistance measurements for a wide range of tires: bicyclerollingresistance.com