DanBF

I am looking for a minimal tread 26" skinwall or tan sidewall tire for my 1990 Schwinn High Plains bicycle - a mid-range mountain bike that came stock with 2.0" tires. This bike probably won't see any off-road use other than country roads or rail to trail limestone trails and won't ever be used in snow. I will mainly use it to commute about 5 miles one way to work but I may take it on a two day rail-trail ride. Panaracer Pasela PT's would be ideal except I can't find anything wider than 1.75 inches wide. I wonder if that size would look "lost" on the bike. I would prefer something about 2" wide and less than $35 per tire if possible. I like Pasela PTs because I've heard they are have a nice balance between durability and smooth ride and moderate price. I'm not considering Compass brand tires because they have the reputation of being fragile and expensive.

The only tires I found in my search are the WTB DTH and the DMR Supermoto but I know nothing about them. I really like the old school look of skinwall tires but I may go with Schwalbe Big Apple, Big Ben or Marathon green guard tires if I have to. I heard the Marathon Green Guard tires have good rolling resistance but can be rough riding.

Anyways, I'd like to hear what you think.

RunForTheHills

Did you try searching for gumwall tires? It seems like there is quite a few.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...rds=26+gumwall

DanBF

Thanks. Your search is bringing mostly a bunch of the Schwinn 26" "fractional" pre mountain bike tires. Different animal. The Kenda K838 might be a possibility though. It is available in the 1.95 size. The Kenda K53 is too aggressive and at $13 probably crap. Schwalbe Road Cruiser HS 377 is interesting but max size is 1.75 so I would probably go with the Pasela instead.

QStorm

A company named Resist makes a minimal tread skinwall 26 x 2.25 tire called the Nomad.

Nomad Tires by Resist Parts ? Demolition Parts Co

I've never used it but it looks really interesting. Also, Compass makes the Rat Trap Pass slick skinwall tires in 26 x 2.3

https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/co...rat-trap-pass/

I've also never used these either but a lot of people swear by them and love them even if they are kind of pricey....

Darth Lefty 

The Pasela shouldn't look amiss. MTB tires got bigger, back then they were 1.95-2.1, not 2.3 like today, and tires today seem to run true to listed size while the old ones were smaller than listed.

If you want a very light and fast balloon option you could look at the Rat Trap Pass from Compass.

Original bike look:
Schwinn catalogs, 1981 - 1990 (436 of 456)

AlmostTrick

I've not had any trouble over the two years I've used Compass tires on several bikes, nor have I read reviews of them being fragile. Maybe you know something I don't?


They are a bit more expensive than most other tires though, which I suppose could be a deal breaker for some. But they ride soooo nice....

grolby

On a 1990 MTB, 1.75" Paselas should look just fine.

DanBF

Thanks for your replies. I'm going to get the 1.75" Paselas. It just occurred to me that fat tires also increase your bottom bracket height and my bike being an MTB already is high compared to a road bike. And 1.75" should be plenty to give a smooth ride on roads and rail trails.

I am keeping the Compass tires in mind for when I get a nicer bike. I just hate to have so much $$$ invested in a bike that could get stolen.

ThermionicScott 

I'm a little late to chime in, but I've had the 1.75" Paselas on one bike for years, and I love them. They are reasonably fast, light, and durable for the price.

I plan to try the Compass 1.8" Naches Pass once these wear out, but I realize they probably won't be three times better.

wschruba

I ride some of their larger 700 tires regularly over chip seal, field stone, and the occasional area of broken seashells (dropped by the seagulls onto the only hard surface around)...I have no problems with them whatsoever.

They are quite a bit lighter than other brands 'slick' tires, but most of that is in the sidewalls. How many sidewall cuts have you gotten on your tires?

TourDeHood

Gumwall, not skinwall.

AlmostTrick

There also are no flat protection layers of any sort in the tread of Compass tires which would increase their rolling resistance.

No sidewall cuts and only one flat total for me. This is with over 3000 miles on my first pair (still rolling) and over a thousand each on two other bikes. At least for me, those extra flat protection layers which degrade the ride are not missed.

Compass also offers an "Extralight" version, which weighs slightly less than their "Standard" and is even more supple and expensive. I believe the only difference is a thinner sidewall. I've not tried them because I figure the standard is plenty light enough. (248g vs. 229g in the 28mm)