# Recommend road tires for 29er MTB?



## Delirious (Jun 12, 2011)

So I have a bike now, scott scale 29er, but I'm waiting my car situation to pan out before I buy adapters for my roof rack. So for now its the road for me. Besides I need to get in shape before I hit the trails anways.

What tire would be a good road tire for a 29er? It needs to be able to handle some sand and gravel on the roads here. I'd also like to use these tires on a trainer during the winter.

Is this something I could do on my own or would taking it to a local bike shop to do be better?


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## rider49152 (Mar 17, 2010)

I tried using road tires on my 29er but it still seemed slow and bulky compared to a road bike so it wasn't for me. If you have the motivation to learn how to change your own tires, it's a valuable skill to have since you'll most likely need to do it at some point on a ride. It's not hard and you can even learn to do it without tools - though some plastic tire levels are certainly more convienent.

I'd sell you my 29er road tires since I'll never use them again for $28 shipped if you're interested. They are Continental Speed Kings 35mm.


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## Delirious (Jun 12, 2011)

rider49152 said:


> I tried using road tires on my 29er but it still seemed slow and bulky compared to a road bike so it wasn't for me. If you have the motivation to learn how to change your own tires, it's a valuable skill to have since you'll most likely need to do it at some point on a ride. It's not hard and you can even learn to do it without tools - though some plastic tire levels are certainly more convienent.
> 
> I'd sell you my 29er road tires since I'll never use them again for $28 shipped if you're interested. They are Continental Speed Kings 35mm.


By road tires I was imaging something a little "balder" I guess.


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## rider49152 (Mar 17, 2010)

Delirious said:


> By road tires I was imaging something a little "balder" I guess.


Hmmm, maybe that's why it still felt slow and bulky? My sister has a hybrid with much smoother tires but it slips quite a bit on dirt. Guess there's a happy medium somewhere between them. Anyways, congrats on your new bike!


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## BigRuckus (Jun 5, 2010)

A friend has these hybrid tires on his bike. They're pretty speedy on the road and have side knobs for light off road use.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=57468


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## Delirious (Jun 12, 2011)

I was also looking at the Schwalbe Big Apple 29 x 2.0 tires but im not sure if they will fit the DT Swiss 485d 32H rims I have width wise. The current tires are 2.25 so its not that much smaller.


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## pfox90 (Aug 8, 2010)

BigRuckus said:


> A friend has these hybrid tires on his bike. They're pretty speedy on the road and have side knobs for light off road use.
> http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=57468


Those are pretty sweet.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I have a set of Speed Kings. The wire-bead version, at least, sucks. Also, they're a 'cross tire - not a road tire.

OP - my road bike gets Continental GP 4000s. They roll pretty well, wear well, and I've had good luck with flats. You'd probably want the 25mm version for your bike if it has 17mm rims. If it has wider rims, they might be a little sketchy. How big are your rims?

If your trails are under an hour's riding away, you might also consider some low-knob off-road tires. They perform better on the street than a full knobby, and are great off-road for a rider with some finesse. The back of my bike gets a Maxxis Crossmark. I didn't like it on the front, and the tire I do like isn't available in a 29" version, so you're on your own there.


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## bbense (May 5, 2010)

Delirious said:


> I was also looking at the Schwalbe Big Apple 29 x 2.0 tires but im not sure if they will fit the DT Swiss 485d 32H rims I have width wise. The current tires are 2.25 so its not that much smaller.


Any of the fatter Schwable tires would be fine. See

http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

and scroll down to the chart on rim width vs tire size. Googling suggests those rims are fairly skinny, ( 23.9 mm OD, probably under 20 ID ), you could probably use any 32mm road tire.

Panaracer Pasales are great dirt road tires and cheap as well. Big Apples are fat and heavy, it's a cushy ride, but won't be much faster than your current MTB tires.

- Booker C. Bense


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## Delirious (Jun 12, 2011)

bbense said:


> Any of the fatter Schwable tires would be fine. See
> 
> http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html
> 
> ...


Thanks bbense that link explains alot. The rims on the bike are marked 17x622 so it looks like 1.4-2.0 times the width would be optimal.


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