# Best slicks



## hazmatmess (Mar 31, 2008)

Going to start riding to work (going to be interesting since work starts at 10pm) within the next couple of weeks. Gas is just way too much. Have a Cannondale F3 and was wondering what are the best slicks to change for the road ride that can handle Manhattan and Brooklyn (NYC) roads? Size is 26X2.10. I have about a 15 mile commute (thats by car-different route w/the bike) Thanks for the advice.


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## Fuelish (Dec 19, 2003)

The only slicks I've ever used on my mtb have been Ritchey Tom Slicks..... when I lived outside of Detroit and cyclo-commuted, I ran 26x1.8" (I believe they were 1.8") slicks (or 2.1" knobbies in snowy weather) .... since moving down here south of Knoxville, the roads are in much better (smoother) condition than the average MI street (mild winters here...) so I now run 26x1.4" at high psi on my Fuel - stiffen up the fork, pump up the shock, pump up the slicks, and it does quite well as a commuter.

Beings as you're in NYC (and it's been decades since I've been there) I dunno what condition your streets are in. You may want to go with a fatter slick to offer more rim protection from potholes, etc.


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## limba (Jan 9, 2004)

I like Conti's 26x1.0 and Ritchey's Tom Slicks. If your commute has crappy roads don't get a skinny 26x1.0 tire because you'll feel every little bump.


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## nepbug (Sep 3, 2004)

I've only ever run the cheap Forte Slick Citys, but my commute is on good surfaces.

If I had to worry about potholes, rough conditions and lots of flat hazards I would probably go with the Schwalb Big Apples, large volume and a bit heavy, but they should be cush and bombproof.


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## Fuelish (Dec 19, 2003)

limba said:


> I like Conti's 26x1.0 and Ritchey's Tom Slicks. If your commute has crappy roads don't get a skinny 26x1.0 tire because you'll feel every little bump.


 1" ....wow !!! Guess I've been riding fat tire bikes too long - my 1.4"s look way skinny to me (even though I rode road bikes for many years before picking up mtb-ing .... I'm an old phart  ). Perhaps it's just the contrast of thin tires in a fat tubed frame ...... but I do love hittin' the road w/ slicks on the mtb


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

Schwalbe makes some good tires. The Big Apples are great, but they are heavy. For speed you're probably better off with the Marathon Supreme. Also look into Armadillo slicks. Flat protection is nice in the city. Armadillos just tend to ride a little rougher, but I don't think that will be an issue with the mountain tires. I've only ridden 23mm armadillos.


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## hazmatmess (Mar 31, 2008)

Thanks for all the info. This is all new to me (changing out tires for the road....). My mtb tires are 26 X 2.10. For road slicks, do they need to be 26 X 2.10 or can they be any size that are 26 X ...... (like 26 X 1.95, 26 X 2.35....)? The reason I ask is because I was on the Big Apple link and they had 26 X 2.00 then 26 X 2.15, no 26 X 2.10. If I were to buy these tires, which one would I go with that would fit on my current rim? This is probably the only thing confusing me right now.... Thanks for all the help.


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## comptiger5000 (Jun 11, 2007)

Either one would work, but the 26x2.00 would be lighter due to less tire.


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## spcarter (Nov 17, 2007)

you should see what the minimum size tire your wheel can fit (I have to run a 2.3 inch slick for example) if you run a tire thats to skinny you run the risk of the bead not seating in the rim and coming off.


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## trailville (Jul 24, 2006)

Typical XC bikes should be ok running anything from a 1.5 to a 2.1. 
For commuting in an urban area, you probably want to avoid some of the really light slicks (or semi-slicks) out there since some of them offer very little flat protection. 
I'm currently running a set of Nashbar Urban Tires on my commuter because they are cheap and offer good flat resistance. They are really burly (thick tread and sidewalls, kevlar belt), and unfortunately really heavy as well (the weight on Nashbar is wrong, mine were about 700g each).


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## Fuelish (Dec 19, 2003)

trailville said:


> I'm currently running a set of Nashbar Urban Tires on my commuter because they are cheap and offer good flat resistance. They are r*eally burly* (thick tread and sidewalls, kevlar belt), and unfortunately really heavy as well (the weight on Nashbar is wrong, mine were about *700g each*).


 700g.... Yowza !!! The mech at the lbs where I bought my Tom Slicks weighed them, and they were a little under 350g each.....they ride nice and light, and flatting hasn't been a problem (but then again, I live in a small southern city with pretty smooth roads - although we have some extreme hills, for sure...)


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## trailville (Jul 24, 2006)

Fuelish said:


> 700g.... Yowza !!!


Yeah, that's what I said when I pulled them out of the box and immediately knew they were no way near the 450g listed on Nashbar. I'm used to tire weights being understated by 100g or so, but that was a huuuuge difference. They are really burly though, they almost feel like you could ride them with no air in them. I would be very surprised if I ever get a flat with them. 
My commuter is bit of a tank anyway (an old steel hardrock with rack an panniers) so they kind of fit right in.


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## hazmatmess (Mar 31, 2008)

Well thanks for all the info. Its really appreciated. What I got from here and other similiar posts, I think I'm going with the Maxxis Holy Rider. They come 26X2.0I was going to go with the Maxxis Hookworms but they measure 26X2.5 and not too sure they would fit on the WTB Speed Disc XC rims that I have. Plus they are heavy tires. The Holy Riders, from what I read, are what I am looking for-something that can handle the streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn (and where I work, the streets are pretty bad). Thanks again.


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## KevinBicycle (Mar 20, 2008)

The difference on the street between the knobbies and slicks are night and day, even though my current slicks are wider than my current knobbies. I prefer thinner tires except for trying to ride on top of new snow or loose sand / dirt.
I love how the slicks have such very little rolling resistance.
MudTrax 26"x 1.75" Knobbies (Trail) I haven't weighed them.
Cheng-Shin 26" x 1.9" Slicks (Street) I haven't weighed them.
Some people advise not to go real narrow on the street slicks because of ride comfort / pot holes etc...
Next set of slicks I'm going to get are the 26" x 1.5" WTB Slickasaurus tires. I read some really good reviews about these tires.

_*Bicycle* = Transportation of the future, now._


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## hazmatmess (Mar 31, 2008)

So I got my slicks (Contenintal Town & Country 26X1.9 @ 650g) and just went for a test ride. When I first rode my bike w/my Maxxis Ridgeline, I took me 20:54 to ride 2 miles (that was after a day of SCUBA diving). Today it took me 13:40 to ride 2.5 miles. They rode good. As soon as I started I felt the difference. I am looking forward to my commute which I will start tonight. I'll tell you how they handle Manhattan and Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy).


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## ultraviolet (Feb 11, 2008)

for speed i run on one of my bikes Panaracer's Pasela TourGuard [26x1.25] they weigh around 290g and are very fast

and for relieablitly i run Continetal's Travel Contact [26x1.75] on my cummuter bike, never had a flat so far.....


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## Schrödinger's_Fridge (Apr 23, 2008)

For Puncture Protection I'd say - Specialized Fatboys 1.0 Max inflation 100PSi
For Cornering Grip I'd say - Conti Sportcontacts 1.25 Max Inflation 80PSi

But my opinion counts for naught.


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## max-a-mill (Apr 14, 2004)

town and countrys are a damn good choice!


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## black_taco (Apr 12, 2005)

WTB SLICKASAURUS all the way.


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## aph72 (Jun 28, 2006)

I have used Panaracer T-Servs for a long time. They have a puncture resistant kevlar strip for glass and other crap in the road, a grippy rubber compound, and are pretty light. They work very well.


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## chinaman (Jun 8, 2007)

conti sports contact 26X1.6"









that is how it looks on the rear of my bike ...









have tried a 1.3" as well as ... very hard ride and it looks too small for a 26" rim ... _makes the bike looks as though it has a child's bicycle wheels_ ...


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## FireBallKY (Apr 15, 2004)

Specialized Nimbus (1.5) or the Hemisphere (1.95). Specialized has some of the best tires out there. Very durable and stick like glue. IMO, I'd go with the 1.95 tire since it's going on your mountain bike. Bigger tire, more air, more cushion. You won't be sorry.


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## SelfPropelledDevo (Oct 2, 2005)

i vote Conti Town and Country
for the $ and the amount of rubber you actually get.... wow... no wonder they are cop tires.

think Blues Brothers...
"its got a cop motor"
"its got cop suspension, cop brakes..."

you want Cop tires!

I run them on a Surly Big Dummy, I had them on my Xtracycle for awhile before that...


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## comptiger5000 (Jun 11, 2007)

I just put got a set of 26x2.0 Big Apples. When pumped up to 60psi (I figured the 70psi max might kill my rims), they roll so smoothly (my first slicks) that I was initially wondering "Am I hydroplaning on air?" Then I realized I had great traction too. They also roll fast, and are almost as big as my 2.1 Fire XC Pro knobbies, so they don't look stupid on the bike. I would have tried the 2.35s, but I'm not sure they'd clear my chainstays. I'd say they are definitely a great tire.


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## vanstelp (Mar 18, 2008)

I ended up getting a free Bontrager Road Warrior Slick 1.25 from a friend of mine with tube. I rode with it on today and went and bought a 1.5 for the back. The rolling resistance is incredible and, after installing the second tire, it's soo much quieter. I haven't rode my route yet, but I'm betting that it will make about a 5 minute difference on a 11 mile commute. I'm not too sure how they are for rough roads, since most of mine are on relatively smooth ones.


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## aph72 (Jun 28, 2006)

Anybody try NoTubes.com "The Crow" on pavement? They hardly have any knobs, weigh 400g and being a tubeless 2.0 tire, I'd bet they be comfy. They're expensive though and I have to wonder about the durability.


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## zziggy13 (Mar 13, 2004)

The Schwalbe Big Apple is great for commuting in NYC. They handle curbs, stairs, potholes, broken glass all the stuff you will find riding in Brooklyn and Manhatten. If you are going to use slicks make sure they have kevlar in the tire for protection against the glass.


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## shimano4 (May 11, 2008)

aph72 said:


> I have used Panaracer T-Servs for a long time. They have a puncture resistant kevlar strip for glass and other crap in the road, a grippy rubber compound, and are pretty light. They work very well.


Agree. This tire is under rated by many urban communter. Its puncture resistance is good. Very good grip on road and low rolling resistance. I'm using 26 x 1.75 T-serv. It can carry plenty of heavy load and still go fast. Personally ,will not advise to go below 1.75 cos u will have stability problem and yr tire will stuck into drain cover easily..


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## maxtheheathen (Feb 27, 2007)

aph72 said:


> Anybody try NoTubes.com "The Crow" on pavement? They hardly have any knobs, weigh 400g and being a tubeless 2.0 tire, I'd bet they be comfy. They're expensive though and I have to wonder about the durability.


I haven't tried the crow, but I have run Stan's No Tubes, both tubeless, and in a tube like slime, and it works great (I did wash the talc out of my tubes). I've run over some horrible stuff on rides where all my buddies with tubes got multiple flats, no problems so far.

I'm running Big Apple 2.3's on my Big Dummy with Stan's, I think going tubeless definitely improves the suppleness of the tire.


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## comptiger5000 (Jun 11, 2007)

I'm curious. Considering how thick and heavy the casing of the Big Apple is, I would think it might hold air tubeless without sealant (When I get some UST wheels I'll try it). If so, then Schwalbe has no excuse for not making a UST version, as all they'd have to do is toss a UST bead on it.


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