Tyre change options/recommendations.

[filk]

Hi All

New to the forum, and hope to learn much to help me improve my rudimentary cycling knowledge. I have a 2015 Specialised Cross trail bike as per photo and wondered if I could change the tyres to a thinner variety to help the bike feel a bit more like a road bike and offer a bit more speed. Current tyres are 700 38. I am not sure how thin I could go or how wise that might be and any advice for this novice would be greatly appreciated.
many thanks

 

[raleighnut]

I'd think you could go as thin as 28's

 

[Cycleops]

As thin as 28c*? I'm sure you could. You'll loose a bit of comfort especially if you're used to running bit lower pressures, but you'd gain a bit of speed whilst still being able to handle trails and towpaths.
If you want to make the bike feel even more road oriented you could loose that suspension fork and sub a steel or even carbon one. But maybe that's a mod too far.

*Schwalbe Marathon are well thought of on here as they offer a good price/performance balance. Beware the Pluses which are real barstewards to fit but offer pretty much bullet proof protection.

BTW to the forum.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Phew! Finally a thread on going back to thinner tyres.

Nothing like a 28 to get speed and distance.

 

[Tall Rog]

If your roads are anything like as bad as they are for me in London and Kent you're better off running those fatty tyres unless you're lighter than me. Those rain-filled, sharp-edged and invisible potholes are much more survivable then. I use 700x35 Marathon Plus tyres pumped up to 100psi as I'm over over 100kg. Marathon Plus are brilliant, no punctures for yonks on my Trek Cyclo-cross bike and I would run 38s if I could, but new mudguards / wider wheels / new bike needed for that as insufficient clearance.

 

[DRM]

35c road tyres are fast and comfy, Vittoria or Continental would be a good choice

 

[andrew_s]

I'd suggest the Conti GP 4-season 32c as a good compromise between speed and puncture resistance.
Don't get sucked in to the "pump them up good and hard" trap. If a tyre is hard enough that comfort starts to suffer, you lose quite a bit of speed. It depends on your weight, riding style, and your local roads, but I'd suggest 60-70 psi as a starter.

 

[Fredo76]

I looked up your stock Trigger Sport tires and they are 515g. I have mounted some Continental TerraSpeed 700x35s on my brother's Rivendell Clem Smith Jr, and they are closer to my skinny-tyred racing bike in speed than my Jamis Citizen 1 comfort bike's 700x38s. I assume the reason is that they are only 360g. They run nicely at 60-75 psi, using light butyl tubes, with Slime, because we have lots of goathead thorns here. I really like them. I will soon have some Specialized Turbo Cotton 700x28s on my old racing bike, replacing the Specialized Turbo R 700x23s that are now 35 years old, but can't report on them yet.

 

[T4tomo]

If you get something that is slick and lighter than the current fairly basic stock tyres it will feel a bit quicker on the road (as you are not wasting energy deforming the treaded bumps on the tyre), but then obviously it will be a bit trickier to handle on off-road / loose surfaces. something like continental 4 seasons in 28/30/32mm.

Your bigger issue on road speed is lugging around a heavy front suspension fork, that I assume you have because you also ride the bike offroad too?
If so when the tyres wear our maybe get some Panaracer gravel king semi slick or the equivalent Schwalbe G-One Allround, if your offroad use is quite light / mild, as they will have enough off road grip, but also perform well on road.

 

[Cycleops]

Both the Panaracer and G-one are good options but they’re going to be around £80 a pair .

 

[filk]

Many thanks for all the replies. My off round is limited to only minor gravel paths and I do more road riding hence looking to see how tyres could help me with that. Continental GP 4 Season 32 seem a good option from Sigma. Any other retailers that are worth considering? Is Amazon a no no for decent quality bike parts?
Yes, fork is not helping matters but easy steps first I think.

 

[filk]

i have seen a trek fx 3 disc for 675£ and thought that might give me more Road speed and is a decent bike for the money? Any thoughts on that bike? Or a sub £1k road bike as an alternative.?
Many thanks

 

[bonzobanana]

If ever a bike like that came my way cheap those forks would be straight on ebay. In fact the bike looks like the basis of a very nice gravel bike conversion either with steel or CF forks as Cycleops suggested and some drop handlebars. I'd actually probably keep the tyres. I'd go for for basic road brake levers (aliexpress V/mechanical disc compatible type) and maybe go 1x. Those forks can't be light. In fact some of the Specialized hybrid bikes are quite reasonable secondhand where as their gravel bikes are not. I remember reading of a woman who managed to snag a free Specialized hybrid either on freecycle or facebook marketplace. Actually here is the story.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/16174420/nan-reveals-save-hundreds-grandkids-top-tips/

 

[vickster]

I presume the forks are locked out. I had a Crosstrail back in 2010 or so, one of the higher specced models. Was a heavy lump of a bike and rather upright, even with slick 28/32mm tyres it wouldn't have felt like a roadbike. If a roadbike is what you want, I'd sell the Crosstrail and get a roadbike

 

[MichaelW2]

When I rode an old steel road bike for everyday commuting I would generally fit Marathon tyres ( NOT plus) in 28mm for summer and 32mm for winter.
I have taken the 28mm on tracks and trails and I have also taken the 32 with full touring load on similar terrain.

28mm is a really useful size but 28mm rated tyres have the most variance in actual width.

Marathon are not the quickest tyre and you can get others that have more flexible sidewall and slicker tread.