ArkyKenny from Farmington, AR on 3/1/2012 10:30:56 PM:
On this forum you will, no doubt, find someone to tell you anything you want to hear. But my two cents worth on tires for the trail is that 700c x 32 is too narrow for anything except dry summer riding on the Katy. I'd go at leat 37's--even in the summer. Nobbie tires are too slow, so I think any tire you use should have a smooth center, maybe some tread on the edge, and some sort of puncture protection (build in vs. slime vs. protective belt). Those 28's may work just fine, but they will find ruts in any weather, and they are sure to find a bunch of them if you ride in wet conditions. Then there are the transitions from trail to dirt/pavement/gravel road crossings: Pinch flats are lurking in packs in those transition areas. All that to say that the right equipment sure makes the Katy more enjoyable. I've ridden with people who had the wrong eqipment and numerous flats and mechanical problems--it made our Katy experience less enjoyable than I had hoped. And it could have easily been prevented.