advice on tires

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frank from festus, mo on 3/10/2006 7:39:34 PM:

after reading this forum for quite some time now, there are obviously some serious bikers out there, so i am askin for help. i have a raleigh bike with 1"-1 1/2" wide knobby tires. have rode the katy numerous times as well as some other tails. not into mountain biking at all. no problem with flats. have been told by some pretty seious bikers that i need narrower tires for ridin, it would make pedaling much easier. i question the narrow tires on the katy's surface. was told it wouldn't matter.

any advice from anyone out there!!!!!!!! i needs some advice on this!!!!!! thanx loads in advance.

you can hit me here or at my e-mail. cleo-beo@earthlink.net thanx folks and happy bikin. frank

savage24 from KC,MO on 3/11/2006 9:37:08 PM:

Hi Frank,
I'm not sure if I qualify as a serious cyclist (I wear a $5 reflective safety vest instead of $75 cycling jerseys when I ride on the road). I think you are wise to question the narrow tires for the Katy. If the primary purpose of the bike is casual riding on trails and around town, I would buy tires with a smoother tread, but I would not go narrower than 1.25".

MLH from Overland Park KS on 3/12/2006 8:54:06 AM:

I definitely don't qualify as a professional on the subject but based on several combinations that I have tried and observing what others are using on the trail, it seems that 700 X 32-37mm tires offer the best combination of relative puncture resistance, low rolling resistance and comfort. Most road bikes don't have clearance for tires over 28mm, which is problematic if the trail is wet and/or soft or if you are carrying extra weight such as bags etc. Thus the bike choice would be a touring, cyclocross, and most hybrids. I have emailed you an article regarding specific tire choices.

Mike from Southeast Missouri on 3/12/2006 5:55:16 PM:

I am going to ride the trail from Clinton to St. Charles this coming weekend. The 17th - 20th. This will be my 4th time to ride on the trail. On my mountain bike I used a continental Goliath 26x1.6. This tire is slick on the bottom with small knobs on the side. Now I am riding using a continental contact 32mm. It is wide enough so that it won's sink so bad in soft spots but still small enough so it won't have so much drag. It is also supposed to be practically flat resistant. One of my friends is using a 35mm tire. It is very practical too.

Mark of the Dalton Boys from Austin, TX/Columbia, MO. on 3/14/2006 8:16:36 AM:

Frank - What the last three respondents said...can't add to, or take away from any of their observations. enjoy the voyage....Mark of the Dalton Boys

sbikes from KCMO on 3/16/2006 6:18:35 PM:

I have ridden the trail a lot for many years and love it. I rode with knobby tires my first
year on the trail and my personal opinion is that knobby tires are just overkill for the trial.
I ride a Trek mountain bike with Kevlar messenger bike tires, Panaracer brand, 1.25 inches
with smooth tread and never had a problem. But, I am a roadie at heart and ride for
speed. I love riding the trail because I can zoom along without worry about cars and
rudeness. The trail between Clinton and Booneville is larger rocks, rougher surface and I
have had no problems. Between Marthasville and St. Charles most of the trail is hard
packed and last time I was there saw lots of road bikes. I would never take my road bike
out on most of the trail.

Regardless, the trail is great...have fun!

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