Now that I am commuting to work on a regular basis, I am looking to change out the old stock knobby MTB tires on my early '90's vintage Specialized HardRock for some faster rolling tires. Do you all have any recommendations for tires I should consider? I really don't plan on riding off road, but will have to negotiate the common piles of sand and dirt in the roads. I am thinking slick or semi-slick right now. Are there any models/brands you really like? Any I should avoid?

Thanks for the input.

Jay

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=35708

I don't have a 26" bike anymore (29er), but I ride with some guys that run these on the street and they love them. They don't seen to have any problem going fast either.

I'm a big Conti fan, but was thinking of building up a 26 inch single speed commuter this summer and using Schwalbe Big Apples.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/node/1328

Before I got a road bike, and now a dedicated SS commuter, I used to commute on a hard tail MTB. I put some Conti Town & Country tires on it. I really liked them. Used them for 2 years without a flat, or even much noticable wear.

Ritchey "Tom Slick" tires. I used them on my 93 rockhopper commuter before it died. I generally kept them cranked to around 100 PSI. They're super fast, with the usual trade off of traction.

Hi All,

Thanks to everyone for their input. I ended up getting a Specialized tire, but not the FatBoy. Instead I got a set of Nimbus Armadillos.

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=35705

I wanted a little more tread than the FatBoy for the mixed road surfaces that I ride to work on. I will be riding them for the first time tomorrow morning. I'll let you all know how I like them after I have ridden them for a few days.

Later,

Jay

EDIT: Just noticed you purchased already, I'll leave this here for future searches though.

I went over this 1000 times this past summer while converting my old mountain bike (Trek 7000) to a more road oriented bike. I eventually decided on Geax Roadster
http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/COMPTRMTNSLK/TR3573

I'm happy - even in some wet dirt (not quite mud) I had plenty of traction, though obviously more sipping than with knobbies, so much better than expected. I've also riden them on the local poorly maintained bike trail with no issue and at my weight (280lbs) I've even avoided pinch flats despite many hopped curbs and potholes. They're heavy, but it was more important for me to get a tough tire. I ofset the weight anyway by ditching my suspension fork for a rigid fork, and even before I did that the reduction in rolling resistance more than outweighed the extra weight.

Good luck in your decision

Fat Boys. Best 26" slick ever. Do not let the lack of tread scare you. I used them on early 90s Trek 7000s and my Fisher Tandem now a tour rig. Never ever had a traction issue rain or shine. Lack of knobs means more tire surface on the road. High pressure forceswater out of the way.

But if you insist on having rolling resistence I recommend a tire that holds at least 100 psi.

+1 Tom Slick