PirateJack

I've got an old (90s era) Cannondale T700 touring bike that I love and have recently got back into riding. I'm planning to complete a 50 mile ride for the American Cancer Society in the middle of September. The T700 has some pretty good but heavy/knobby tires that make sense for a touring bike, but I think the rolling resistance is probably not as smooth as it can be.

I've never ridden 50 miles before, (I did 32 last weekend , it took me 4 1/2 hours with a couple of breaks) . As an amputee I'm looking to move the needle as much as possible on rolling resistance to ensure that I can stretch the distance out.

Are there any cheap slick tires or any other tunings that anyone could suggest that would move the needle for less than say $100 ?

jpescatore

Check out the site Bicycle Rolling Resistance - they do great testing.

Look here for their "Best Low Cost Road Bike Tire" where they recommend Continental Ultrasport III or here for "Touring/eBike Tires" where the Continental contact Urban tires rate well in puncture protection and lower rolling resistance. - both of those tires are under $35 each.

shelbyfv

I've enjoyed riding these in 28, 32 and 38.

noimagination

Hey, Pirate: I rode a 1995 T700 for about 28 years (just replaced it with a new bike, though the T700 lives in my basement as a back-up).

My most recent tires on the T700 were Panaracer Passela Pro-tites, in 35mm, which were in the $35/tire range. They're OK. I didn't have much experience on them, I was only on my 2nd set after my favorites wore out.

I suggest doing a Google search for "35mm slick tires", you'll see several options, and you can compare to find your sweet spot among price/TPI/max PSI/etc. Unless you want to go wider (as I recall, my bike was originally equipped with 38 mm tires). IME, tires with higher TPI (threads per inch) and max PSI usually gave a better ride, and tires with lower TPI and max PSI generally gave a poorer ride (I rode some inexpensive Bontrager tires I got from my LBS in an emergency, and riding on those felt like riding through molasses - I dumped them after a couple of weeks, I think they're still haunting my basement).

Sorry I can't be of more help, but if you're looking to reduce rolling resistance (and vibration, incidentally), then you're correct in focusing on tires, though of course making sure your bike is tuned and lubed (including hubs) properly can help as well.

Unfortunately, the tires I liked best, and about which I could talk most knowledgeably, are no longer made. My favorites were Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks, which were made for Performance Bike (there's a tire that's still available if you Google Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick, but it's not the same tire and it only goes up to 30 mm width), I also liked the Avocet Metro K's. Both were in the $30-$35/tire range.

indyfabz

Heh. I have a T700 that's been rotting away in the basement since 2000. It's a 1998 model. Bar ends and canti brakes. Toured 10,000 miles on that thing during 1999-2000. Wonder if yours in from '99. IIRC, they switched to brifters that year, which is why I went for the '98 model. I bought in the fall of that year, so I got a great deal. IIRC, I paid less than $800 for it.

Iride01 

Sad maybe but there is a lot of truth to it, more expensive tires roll better and require less energy to move the bike.

They also give a more comfortable ride. So don't cheap out on your tires. I don't tour, but if you are going to be on paved roads, then knobby tires are not needed. I'm not even sure they are needed for gravel. Don't buy a tire for conditions you might only ride for a few miles out of the many miles you will ride.

icemilkcoffee 

Kind of out of your $100 budget, but tubeless is where it's at. Continental GP5000S TR on tubeless wheels will roll much faster AND far more comfortably than what you got now. Also takes away the hassle of punctures and flats too.
These tires are about $80 each and a good Shimano/ Mavic tubeless wheelset could be ~$250 on the used market. If you want to continue to tour on your bike beyond this one event I would most definitely bite the bullet and go that way.

PirateJack

Lots of great responses here, giving me some good details to consider. Thanks everyone, I appreciate all of these thoughtful responses.

chaadster

So we’re talking 700c wheels, here?

If so, I’d suggest a pair of American Classic Timekeepers in 28mm, which are $40 apiece:
https://www.amclassic.com/collection...42150132940957

Grab a pair of RideNow TPU innertubes off Amazon for $13 ea:
https://www.amazon.com/RideNow-Ultra...51&sr=8-5&th=1

That combo will roll fast and efficiently, and come in at $106 before shipping.

If you really gotta stay under $100, keep with the TPU tubes but go with a 2pk deal on Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance 25mm tires from 365Cycles for $69 shipped:
https://365cycles.com/products/2-pac...T5e1bgF8mt5Txk

I use both the Timekeepers in 25mm and the Fusion 5 Performance in 28mm— the opposite sizes of the ones above, by chance—and they’re both excellent tires which don’t give up a whole lot compared to the much more expensive, full race rubber I run on other bikes, though I do give a slight edge to the Timekeepers for ride quality. Paired with the fast TPU tubes, either tire set will feel like rocket sleds compared to what you’re rolling now, and will definitely help you complete the ride as quickly as possible.

79pmooney

Another vote for Panaracer Paselas. They come in all widths between 23c and 38c. Up to at least 32c and maybe 35c, the cheaper versions with wire beads are available. All are good tires. I have many thousands of miles on 28c which is my preferred city/rain fix gear tire.

These are solid $35 (give or take) all around tires. There are tires that do any one thing better but the Paselas are a compromise that is decent on rolling resistance, wear, picks up little flat-causing debris, not great in the rain but not awful either. My two city bikes live on them and when money was tighter, the narrower ones saw a lot of winter and rain use on my good bikes.

Ironfish653

The rims on that bike look a little too big for 28s; so tubeless 25mm racing tires are going to be right out.

I was going to suggest the Ultra Sports as well, but they only come in 28mm, and I don’t think they’ll fit. (Shame, because I find that it’s a tire that really punches above its weight)

The Conti Contact/Top Contact would probably work well; avoid the “Plus” models with the extra armor if you’re looking for less weight/more speed.

The Panaracer Paselas are an evergreen favorite as well, they’re a lightweight all-arounder at a decent price. They seem to be a little more vulnerable to road hazards than something like the Contact, though

chaadster

What?! No way! According to ETRTO standards, the internal width would have to be in excess of 25mm to be too big for 28mm tires. 700c rims that wide didn’t exist until very recently, and definitely don’t look like the rims in the picture. The rims in the pic actually look like 26” rims to me…

Ironfish653

Went and did some digging on VintageCannondale.com, and they’re more than likely Mavic T231’s which are 17mm;
a 700c version of the popular M231 MTB rim, which is flat and square like that, so it looks wider. OPs tires look kinda chunky, too.

28s or 32s would be fine in that case then. My recommendation still stands, though: For a 1-day, 50 mile ride, on a budget, UltraSports or Paselas would do fine.

GhostRider62

Continental GP5000 700x32 or 30mm with light tubes can be had for about $115. These will be your fastest and worth the money. Paselas are dogs for rolling resistance.

BTinNYC 

Continental Ultra Sport iii in 32mm is a good value and performance tire. The Conti GP 5000s are great. If you go GP5000, don't get the Tubeless Ready as they will be harder to mount on your rims.

PeteHski

I would highly recommend Pirelli Cinturato Velo tyres for their combination of good rolling resistance, grip, durability and excellent puncture protection. They are available in various widths and I have 32 mm on one of my bikes.

There are slightly faster race options, but I think the above would be a huge step better than your current tyres and well suited to your intended use.

pdlamb

As far as inexpensive tires go, the Panaracer Paselas or Gravelkings are hard to beat for $100/pair.

However, I'd concentrate more on training to try to speed up. OP's got a disadvantage with the amputation, but a month of riding four times a week is going to do more than any tires (unless you can put a battery and a motor inside the tires . One of those rides every week, see how fast you can ride between a couple telephone poles, then ride easy for a few more poles, and repeat that sequence 4-5 times. You should be tired when you get home that day.

Broctoon

I just put two new Cinturato Velos on my road bike, in 26mm width and tubeless. I've only done a couple rides on them, but they seem really nice. I got them because they're a little cheaper than other options and they are reportedly very tough, without giving up much in efficiency and ride feel.

PirateJack, I second the recommendation for Continental UltraSport. I've used these before, and they give a surprisingly nice ride, for cheap price. I have a lightly used set I could send you, but they're only 25mm, and I assume you want something wider.

PeteHski

Their test report on BicycleRollingResistance was very positive when they were new on the market a few years ago. I think they are still the top scoring road tyre for puncture resistance, while rolling resistance, grip and feel is significantly better than other puncture resistance tyres (gatorskins etc).

I run them on my second road bike and they are almost as fast as dedicated race tyres (I have the latest GP5000S TR on my other bike).
Grip level in any road conditions is excellent and they feel reasonably supple. I’ve done several fast group century rides on these tyres.

I run them tubeless, but that’s not a requirement. They were designed for both tubed and tubeless use.

rsbob 

“Improving” or “decreasing” rolling resistance, you be the judge. Improve is to make better, so it could go either way.

soyabean

Sounds like you have a lot of questions.

Your Local Bike Shop can both tell you about and sell to you the tires you need.

79pmooney

[QUOTE=GhostRider62;22994817]Continental GP5000 700x32 or 30mm with light tubes can be had for about $115. These will be your fastest and worth the money. Paselas are dogs for rolling resistance.[/QUOTE]

Compared to much more expensive tires and systems, yes, But in the big picture that includes the OP's tires and much slower, Paselas are not bad at all, especially for a low priced and very versatile tire.

Fun slow tires, the green Vittoria CX clinchers I had a few years ago. Cyclocross tread and long green hairs. That green rubber was sticky and super in the wet. Even gripped pretty well on ice. In the dry, rolling resistance was so high I kept expecting chunks of asphalt to get pulled up and lodged in my fenders. I was always looking for wet, sand, gravel; anything that rolled faster than dry pavement. 28c Paselas went on that same bike. What a difference!

SoSmellyAir

Yes, assuming that we are talking 700c wheels, buy these great and inexpensive (not cheap) tires: Continental Grand Prix Urban Road Tire Excel Sports | Shop Online From Boulder Colorado, for $30 each.

And you would still have $40 remaining to get some latex tubes.

PirateJack

I suppose I could go to a bike shop, but can I ask questions here too? I appreciate getting advice from folks that do not have a financial stake in the advice and are motivated by their enthusiasm and comraderie.

soyabean

Wow.

Your LBS is not out to fleece you out of a teensie tiny pair of tyre sales.

They're already busy as it is from forever truing wheelsets, popping out headsets and bottom brackets, re-aligning rear derailleurs with a DAG-3, and the occasional Specialized S-Works sale.