Katy Trail Home  The Katy Trail and Rock Island Trail Rock Island Trail Home

Road tires for commuting / Hamburg Trail


Go to Forum
Clark from Near Defiance on 5/1/2008 2:44:47 PM:
I've read all the discussions about appropriate tires for the Katy Trail, but I'm still not sure what to do.

I plan on riding fairly often this summer using the trail in a manner most others don't--to commute to work. I work for the Conservation Department which I can access via the Hamburg Trail. I planned a route that involves only minimal riding on actual roads (Highway D would be killer on a bike, especially when the high school's in session) riding approximately 3 miles on pavement, 2 of which are in my subdivision.

I am a road cyclist through and through and while I don't plan on bringing my good bike on the trail, I've considered purchasing one of these (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3663046) Walmart bikes as a tolerable commuter for the summer / at college.

So my question then, as I already mentioned, is what tires are appropriate? I don't know how wide I would be able to fit on that bike, but I'm going to assume no wider than 28mm.

Thanks!

 
CT from LSMO on 5/1/2008 8:26:34 PM:
I have ridden my road bike on the Katy countless numbers of times and have never had any troubles. (no flats, no broken spokes, no bent rims, etc..) The only modification I made was too take off the 700x28 road tires and installed 700x35 cyclocross tires. The nobbies works like a charm. I bet you'd be able to fit 32s or 35s on a Walmart bike. (I got 35s on my Fuji road bike) Go to the store with a micrometer in hand and measure first.

My commute to work takes me on a mile of single track mountain bike trail to a dirt road to the street. I find the 35s to be a good compromise for all three surfaces I traverse.

 
JD from GKC on 5/2/2008 10:46:20 PM:
25/28-mm touring tires work well on the trail, which is hard most of the time. But a wind or rain storm can litter the trail with small twigs having sharp protusions. Try to avoid most of the twigs, and/or use well-belted tires.