LBCwanabe 

These are going to be for a mtb to road bike conversion I am helping my aunt with.

thank you!

RustyJames 

Skinny enough for you?

ThermionicScott 

CompassRene Herse “Elk Pass” are also about 28mm wide.

And Continental makes a 559-28 Grand Prix.

Just in case your aunt is willing to trade some puncture protection for a faster ride in that size.

bulgie 

One wonders why you'd want them to be skinny though. The bike obviously has room for balloon tires, so why put up with the harsh ride, poor durability and decreased safety?

Rene Herse 'Rat Trap Pass' (2.3") is probably the best road tire you can get for such a bike, but they're expensive, so maybe look for something similar in a cheaper brand? If you do spring for RH, I'd recommend the Endurance casing for best durability. Sometimes the ones with Extralight casings die from a sidewall failure well before the tread has worn out.

No connection to Rene Herse, don't even have any of their tires, but I do believe they are the best for what you're asking

You don't have to go all the way to 2.3 inch, but something 1.5" or wider will get fewer flats than 28 mm, and will be safer for dealing with railroad tracks, sewer grates and narrow cracks in the road. And much more comfortable. Oh yeah and you don't have to pump them up as often.

Even the pros ride 30 or 32 mm tires for some races, and we mortals shouldn't ever be riding tires narrower than pro roadies.

Mark B

Korina

I agree with bulgie; why skinny? I love the Maxxis DTH tires on my bike; they're cushy and don't have a lot of rolling resistance. Just keep the pressure around 30 - 40 psi, and they'll soak up a lot of bumps while looking stylish.



A Princess on the Mad River

smd4

Sounds like the OP’s aunt is a pretty smart woman to me.

C9H13N 

Ritchey “Tom Slick” is available in 26x1.0.

panzerwagon 

For a more economical option, Panaracer makes their 26" Pasela tyre in various sizes as thin as 1.25" (if I'm not mistaken). For example: https://www.modernbike.com/panaracer...bead-black-tan. Also available in folding bead for a lighter option, although a bit more pricey.

I would echo the advice from others-- don't go for thinnest. I personally wouldn't put less than 1.5" on a 26" rim... something about the smaller rim diameter being slightly worse than 700c/27" rims at masking road imperfections.

bamboobike4

+1 for 1.25, and Panaracer makes a 1.25 in a blackwall city tire, also. I can't remember the name, had them on an old MTB adapted for paths.

smd4

In my experience, "cushy" tires, by definition, have quite a bit of rolling resistance. Especially with lower pressures. I totally understand why the OP or his aunt want skinnier, higher-pressure tires, especially when riding on paved surfaces. I appreciate their willingness to see beyond the current groupthink regarding tire size and pressure and see that there are other ways of doing things.

For now.

steelbikeguy

Recumbents use some weird tire sizes, including mine. I've got one bike that came with 650C wheels, typically using 23mm tires. I built up a set of 26" (559mm bsd) wheels so I could run a "fat" 25mm tire.

I've got Schwalbe Durano 559 x 25 tires on there now, but I think the Durano has either changed name or been eliminated.

I do recommend checking shops or vendors that cater to 'bents. There is a big shop in Wisconsin that I order stuff from. It's called the Hostel Shoppe.
https://hostelshoppe.com/

Their website doesn't show any 559 x 25 tires right now, but maybe you can contact them and see what they can do?

Steve in Peoria

52telecaster

Pasela 26x1.5 were terrific in my exp.

swampyankee2

A number of years ago my Trek 820 become my road bike. I had a set of Richey Tom Slick 26 x 1.4's put on it and they did the trick for me, and have held up well over the last 10 years or so.

bikemig 

+ 1. I've run skinny tires on road bikes that take a 26 inch tire and it will be a harsher ride than 700c/27inch. I wouldn't go narrower than 1.25 and 1.5 is even better.

Smokinapankake

If you can find them, Tioga City Slickers come in a 26 x 1.0" size.

Korina

Okay. I just like the comfortable ride.

bulgie 

No need to rehash the argument over again, but you saying "by definition" makes me think maybe you aren't aware of the studies that show the opposite. You can disbelieve the studies' results, you can critique their test methodology, but talking like there's no controversy makes it sound like maybe you aren't even aware of the controversy? The idea that wide tires were necessariuly slow was widely believed for a long time, and the idea that might be wrong is gaining traction more recently. So people who don't follow the latest research may not realize there's been a shift, with even the pros gradually changing to wider and wider tires.

For example, Schwalbe claimed their "Big One" at 57 mm wide, when mounted tubeless, was the fastest tire they had ever produced. As of whenever they said that, a few years back probably. I don't think they even make a tire called Big One anymore, but they were comparing it to road tires not MTB. Lowest RR of all tires.
Ah, here's a mention of it, from 2016: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...e-big-one-2016

Wide tires used to be only made to low quality standards, with thick casings made with thick threads, and thick energy-sucking rubber treads. But a wide tire made like a race tire, with a supple casing and minimal tread, can be very low RR. Especially when you consider energy lost on rougher surfaces from jiggling the rider's body. Testing tires on a big metal drum with no rider aboard ignores that type of energy loss, so those tests only tell part of the story.

Wider tires, all else equal, will be heavier, and will probably have more air resistance due to a larger frontal area. So there's still a place for skinny race tires. I just think they're a poor choice for most people who aren't racing.

Who wants to bet on whether the pros will eventually switch to even wider tires than they're using this year? They were using 32 mm in Paris Roubaix, and still many favorites had their day ruined by flats, so I predict whoever is the first to use 40 mm + tires will win in Roubaix. Their dumb tight-clearance frames are preventing that so far, but some smart pro team is going to figure this out soon, I predict.

Mark (my word!)

smd4

The studies I've seen seem to compare wider and skinnier tires at the same pressures. Is that correct?

cooperryder

Great looking Rockhopper you have there!

bulgie 

I think tires are tested at a suitable pressure for their width. If a 21 mm tire needs 130 psi, you sure can't compare that to a 60 mm tire at the same pressure. Anyway to get the suspension effect, you need to have some cush in the tire. Remember suspension isn't just for comfort, it actually makes you faster.

As far as I know, no one has gotten a reliable number for the energy lost from jiggling the rider's guts, muscles and connective tissure on a rough surface, but Bicycle Quarterly's tests using a "rumble strip" next to a highway do seem to show it is significant. Cushy tires are definitely faster there. No one rides on ruble strips on purpose (hmm well Paris-Roubaix is even worse, in the cobbles sections), but even the roughness of real-world conditions like chip-seal or smooth gravel is putting energy into your body in a bad way - wasted energy that you can't use to propel the bike, it just makes you sore.

Sorry I can't quote the numbers, or where to find these studies, I'm not a scientist, just a rider who reads stuff and remembers some of it. I'm really not trying to change your mind, I seriously am only making sure you know there is some controversy around the subject. If I were a betting man I'd put my money on "fat is faster" (for all but glass-smooth surfaces) but I'm not claiming this has been proved. I just don't like when the "fat is slower" camp try to make it sound like that is well-proven fact, end of discussion.

Unless you're a pro, you can ride whatever you like. If that's skinny tires then ride in peace and tailwinds be upon you! I only studied this enough to decide for myself that my next go-fast road bike will have 40 mm tire minimum, maybe more like 50 mm. With an efficient, supple casing and tread, and pressure chosen to result in about 15% drop under my body weight.

Yeah I drank the kool-ade.

Mark B

smd4

Thanks for your response.

In fact, I do know there's controversy, which I am trying to keep alive. Because from where I sit, it sure does feel like it's settled law...

due ruote 

I won’t dig into the debate, other than to say that I too like my Maxxis DTH tires a lot on my Stumpjumper with drop bars. Yeah, they are wide. I run them around 50psi and I swear the bike is quick and a blast to ride.
Years ago I had some 1.25” slicks on an mtb. They definitely didn’t feel faster than the wider tires to me, and honestly I thought they looked ridiculous- totally out of proportion with the frame. The ones I had (I think they were Nashbar branded) only were spec’d to 60psi or so, and didn’t corner well. If you do go skinny, I would suggest getting something that will take 80 psi or so.

jdawginsc 

You can get wider (1.25 - 1.375) tires that are a bit more of a cross over.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/.../rp-prod155227
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...e/rp-prod69137

bamboobike4

Panaracer RibMoPT 26x1.25