Mountain bike commuter tire

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I'm thinking of riding my old mountain bike as a daily commute to work. The tires are sized 50-559 26 x 1.9 Can anyone recommend some inexpensive smooth road tires that I can change the big knobbly off road jobs for?
I've zero experience of bikes, and we are only talking of a 12 mile round trip on mostly main roads.
many thanks.
 
If you can find them, Schwalbe City Jets. Go for the 1.5" size.
 

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
I did a year commuting by mtb , 10 miles each way. No problems due to riding an mtb (hardtail with short travel forks) but did swap out to some slick tyres. No need to go skinny, 26x2.0 were perfect, fast and meaty enough to allow me to hammer down flights of steps and otherwise continue to act like a teenage hooligan (I might grow up one day?).
Not sure what current availability is but there should still be suitable options in the 1.9-2.1 size range.
 
I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my bikes for commuting.

They cost more than regular tyres, but they have the puncture stopping strip inside, which means I can be pretty sure I won't have to call work and explain how I'm going to be late because of a puncture. For me this is worth the extra cost.
 

Spiderweb

Not So Special One
Location
North Yorkshire
These are good.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYVIREVTECH/vittoria-revolution-tech-g-rigid-tyre

580393
 

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my bikes for commuting.

They cost more than regular tyres, but they have the puncture stopping strip inside, which means I can be pretty sure I won't have to call work and explain how I'm going to be late because of a puncture. For me this is worth the extra cost.
Swapping an innertube in a 26" x 2 .0 tyre should take no more than 10 minutes, the tyres should literally fall off the rim in your hands. If you are taking longer than this or cutting your times so finely then you either need to practice your technique or allow a little more journey time to reduce the stress in your life :okay:
Had a fair few punctures on the commute in the last 10yrs (maybe 1 or 2 a yr?) and never once been late as a result.
 
Swapping an innertube in a 26" x 2 .0 tyre should take no more than 10 minutes, the tyres should literally fall off the rim in your hands. If you are taking longer than this or cutting your times so finely then you either need to practice your technique or allow a little more journey time to reduce the stress in your life :okay:
Had a fair few punctures on the commute in the last 10yrs (maybe 1 or 2 a yr?) and never once been late as a result.

Fair comment: it's possibly more a reflection of my personality and control freak tendencies: I want to be prepared for anything before it happens...

Also, I dislike having to fix things under pressure, as it were.
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Another vote for city jets
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
Schwalbe Marathons are actually one of the cheapest tyres money can buy, if you consider how many miles you will get out of a set before you wear them to the puncture protection layer. Some people report getting 10,000 miles out of them, even more on the fronts.
 

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
Schwalbe Marathons are actually one of the cheapest tyres money can buy, if you consider how many miles you will get out of a set before you wear them to the puncture protection layer. Some people report getting 10,000 miles out of them, even more on the fronts.
Maybe, but their other reputed qualities are not so admirable, i.e Heavy beyond belief (I once picked one up in a branch of Halfords just out of curiosity. I quickly put it back down again before my arm broke [This is half true, obviously my arm was not at risk of breaking but the weight was so shocking I had to check I hadn't accidentally picked up two tyres bundled together or inside each other]), harsh ride, questionable grip/handling and the real one of notoriety is the reluctance to go on/off the rim for fitting or if you do get a flat tyre for any reason. There is even Youtube videos showing the required technique and additional tools required to fit one without resorting to uncontrolled physical violence :laugh:

If you are the kind of person who gets your helpful LBS to fit your new tyres and fix any punctures and would phone for a family member to rescue you in the case of a flat tyre then the Marathons might be for you, but otherwise I would recomend using something a bit more user friendly.
 

BoldonLad

Not part of the Elite
Location
South Tyneside
I have recently done just this, on an elderly "entry level" MTB. The bike belongs to one of my daughter's friends (attack of "Covid - wouldn't it be nice to cylce mania").

If it were my bike, I would have gone for Schwalbe Marathons, but, for cheapness, went for Schwalbe Silenteo (£13 each, Halfords). Original tyres were 26"*1.95, replaced with 26*1.50. Much improved ride, on hard surface.
 
Maybe, but their other reputed qualities are not so admirable, i.e Heavy beyond belief (I once picked one up in a branch of Halfords just out of curiosity. I quickly put it back down again before my arm broke [This is half true, obviously my arm was not at risk of breaking but the weight was so shocking I had to check I hadn't accidentally picked up two tyres bundled together or inside each other]), harsh ride, questionable grip/handling and the real one of notoriety is the reluctance to go on/off the rim for fitting or if you do get a flat tyre for any reason. There is even Youtube videos showing the required technique and additional tools required to fit one without resorting to uncontrolled physical violence :laugh:

If you are the kind of person who gets your helpful LBS to fit your new tyres and fix any punctures and would phone for a family member to rescue you in the case of a flat tyre then the Marathons might be for you, but otherwise I would recomend using something a bit more user friendly.

Really? Never had a problem with getting them on and off the wheels; I don't even need tyre levers to get them on.

Not really noticed any extra weight either, although to be fair I do ride bikes like this:


2019_06_15_Eyach_Century_13.JPG
 
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