# Will wider tires fit on my rim or does rim also need to be changed?



## smac75 (Jul 8, 2012)

I am just learning all the parts of my mtn bike. My wheels are 1.95. I would eventually like to beef them up a bit. My front rim says ALEX MX18 and my back rim is just silver with no branding anywhere. Both tires have 26x1.95. To go with a wider tire do I also need to get wider rims?

Thanks!


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## Zoke2 (Nov 16, 2007)

"Both tires have 26x1.95. To go with a wider tire do I also need to get wider rims?"

No, you can run any 26" tire


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

smac75 said:


> I am just learning all the parts of my mtn bike. My wheels are 1.95. I would eventually like to beef them up a bit. My front rim says ALEX MX18 and my back rim is just silver with no branding anywhere. Both tires have 26x1.95. To go with a wider tire do I also need to get wider rims?
> 
> Thanks!


The rims are not the problem.....you can difinately run wider tires...

Probably somewhere around 2.35 inch the rear tire will start getting to big to easily remove the rear wheel, cause the tire will hit the frame.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

You can certainly put bigger tyres on ALEX MX18. Something like 2.2" or 2.3" should be fine.

The other question is: will a fatter tyre fit in your frame and fork.


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## cplfreakyd (Jul 30, 2012)

what would be the purpose of a thicker tire?better traction!


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## smac75 (Jul 8, 2012)

Thank you for the answers. I am going to look into some beefier tires. Any recs? I do mostly single-track, semi-technical, rocky and rooty.


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## EABiker (Jun 24, 2004)

I ride technical rocky and rooty trails and Kenda Nevegals have treated me well.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

cplfreakyd said:


> what would be the purpose of a thicker tire?better traction!


More traction and more stability, especially over rocks and roots.

Also, a fatter tyre can be run at lower pressure which helps traction and can make the ride smoother.


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## smac75 (Jul 8, 2012)

forgot to mention...I have tubeless on there right now so the kenda's mentioned above probably would work right? No harm in switching over to tubed though I guess. But I do like the idea of tubeless. So maybe some recs for good tubeless tires?


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## jetboy23 (Jun 14, 2011)

I don't think that rim is a tubeless rim. I'm not really into the conversions because the bead seat on rims that aren't UST just aren't built for tubeless settup. Yes, they may work. Yes, a lot of ppl have no problems running a tubeless conversion. Yes, conversions have failed with very painfull results. Thats why i run tubes. I probably won't go UST until they increase the tire options for that system.

As for tires, is your location a wet one? Do you rail corners on downhills and blow through the chunk or are you more of an XC type that enjoys climbing and rolls through the technical sections? I'm more of the XC/Trail type of rider and live in SoCal with not much wet. I really like the Ikon 2.2 for faster hardpack or Ardent 2.4 for all around trail riding up front. On the rear i like WTB Mutano 2.4, Geax AKA 2.2, and Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25. I really think Ardent front and Ikon rear would be great for my riding. 

Every rider likes different tire characteristics though. Hard to recommend one tire.


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## A Ton of Clay (Jul 30, 2012)

Really depends on the type of terrain you'll be riding on and how you'll be riding on it.

Smoother tires for smoother terrain. Knobby tires for rough/slick/muddy. Knobbier are more versatile but smoother are faster. Fatter tires only increase your grip.

Here's a good link that explains tire choices.


rei.com/expertadvice/articles/bike+tires.html


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## SuzukiGS750EZ (Aug 4, 2012)

Chainstays and seatstays come into quesTion when you up tire sizes


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## CSC (May 23, 2011)

Remember that by increasing tire width will also increase flex, i.e, as you turn at high speeds, the tire tread will tend to roll out a bit, sometimes enough to make contact with the frame or components (I had WTB Prowler SS's, and if the back got too soft, it could rub my front derailleur. Great tires, though...too bad they stopped making them). Decreasing tire PSI will also add to this issue. 

That being said, 2.3 should be fine...though a 2.2 will get you basically the same functionality, with less weight. I am really enjoying my Specialized "The Captain" tires...though they pack with snow sometimes. Stick to everything like glue, and these are the bottom end ones, so I imagine that the dual-compound ones would be even better!


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## as2003 (May 1, 2012)

*Similar Question*

I'm looking to run the widest and best tires I can fit on the bike.
Is the fit entirely dependent on the frame or will some tires be too wide at the bead to fit in my rims?
I currently run 2.25 tires on tubeless Stan's ZTR Flow 29er rims (with tubes, because the free tires were tube-only). At the point that these tires wear out, I'm looking to actually take advantage of a tubeless tire that's as wide as possible to hopefully make up for my mtb being completely rigid.

To my knowledge (what I can find on the company's website) tire clearance for the fork is 87 mm (3.4 inches?!) and for the frame is ~2.3 inches. At what point is a tire too wide for a 29er rim?


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## CSC (May 23, 2011)

as2003 said:


> I'm looking to run the widest and best tires I can fit on the bike.
> Is the fit entirely dependent on the frame or will some tires be too wide at the bead to fit in my rims?
> I currently run 2.25 tires on tubeless Stan's ZTR Flow 29er rims (with tubes, because the free tires were tube-only). At the point that these tires wear out, I'm looking to actually take advantage of a tubeless tire that's as wide as possible to hopefully make up for my mtb being completely rigid.
> 
> To my knowledge (what I can find on the company's website) tire clearance for the fork is 87 mm (3.4 inches?!) and for the frame is ~2.3 inches. At what point is a tire too wide for a 29er rim?


Well, the difference between a 26" rim and a 29" rim is only diameter...the mechanics of how the tire is attached is the same. Beads fit into a grove on either inside-edge of the wheel body. Now, I would be curious to know what size of tire the original "free" ones were...are they the 2.25?

If so, I would be very confident in going to 2.3, and beyond. I suspect that, unless the frame is a lot more burly than I think it is, you will run into a size limit on your rear wheel. And the frame is kind of like the absolute size limit, not the useable size limit, as my above comment touches on. Tires flex, and the larger they are, the more so. You may find that the tires will flex and grind along components (my case was the front derailleur in low gears and an old kickstand).

There is no sure-fire way to know what size of tire will do this...could be that a 2.35 will flex less than a 2.3. I know this is sort of a "non-answer", but tires are not a concrete science


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