Yes, i know 700c and 29er are the same thing.\n\nI have a 29er HT as my only bike and I can configure it a few ways for different riding styles.i have a 120mm squish fork, short stem and wide risers for trails and a rigid fork, taller gear, alternate cockpit for long urban rides on hardpark and pavement and the occasional gravel race. My current tires are knobby porkers so I am looking for some alternate tires that can handle light trails but still roll well on pavement. Something in the 29x1.8-2.1 range with a supple casing and fairly light would be ideal. Looking at stuff like Race Kings, Furious Freds and Specialized Renegades, but those are rather pricey. Vee XCX tires come in 29x1.9 and I can get them pretty darn cheap. Other ideas?
The Panaracer Gravelking comes in a 700x40 size, these are actually closer to 42mm wide on most rims. It can be purchased for 30-40 dollars each. It's not a 29er tire, but it's an ideal tire for a 29er on gravel. \n\nAnother tire is the Schwalbe Big Ben, it's sold in a 700x50 size. It's moderately priced.
42mm is still quite a bit smaller than what I had in mind. I had 42mm Conti Speed Ride tires at one time and, while they were smaller than their labeled size, they were nowhere near what I had in mind regarding volume. The GKs look nice though. I wish they make them in a significantly larger size.
being the cheapskate that I am, I have found ridiculous deals (overstock/closeout from a distro through LBS) on some Vee tires. they are both 29x1.95, tubeless ready, and supposedly under 600g. anyy thoughts on the Vee XCX and the V12? should I get two of the same tire or would one of these be better as a front or rear tire?
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\nhttp://veetireco.com/listings/cxgr-xcx/
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\nhttp://www.jensonusa.com/Vee-Rubber-V-12-Tire
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\nyes, I an get them cheaper than the online listings.
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\nEdit: nevermind, fonally found someone with personal experience with Vee tires. They don't fill me with confidence.
Specialized has the Renegade S Works on sale through the 28th for $39. Not cheap, but much cheaper than the $60 MSRP. Keep in mind the Renegade has been redesigned and is no longer offered in the 1.8 or 1.95 sizes, so once these are gone they are gone.
One more thing- i have sold OLD Michelin Wild Race'r 29x2.1 tires. they have a different tread pattern than the new version. the tread is low-profile so it seems to roll well on hard surfaces bit I weighed them and they are well over 700g each. TBs are closer to 500g each, so switching to those would save quite a bit of weight.
How important is weight on tires for gravel and non-technical trails? for $80, I could get some new tires and save over 200g of rubber. vital or marginal?
Heavy tires will make a bike feel slow to accelerate, which in turn makes the bike "feel" slower overall. How much that matters really depends on where you ride. If you are riding mostly straight flat trails then the extra weight will have a negligible effect. If you have a lot of climbing, or turns that require slowing down and then accelerating it will effect you much more. But other factors such as tread, casing compound etc. can have a much more profound impact than weight.
ljsmith wrote:Heavy tires will make a bike feel slow to accelerate, which in turn makes the bike "feel" slower overall. How much that matters really depends on where you ride. If you are riding mostly straight flat trails then the extra weight will have a negligible effect. If you have a lot of climbing, or turns that require slowing down and then accelerating it will effect you much more. But other factors such as tread, casing compound etc. can have a much more profound impact than weight.
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\nI agree here. Heavier, and even just larger diameter, tires slow the responsiveness of the bike. Some riders like the feeling of increased stability. Others, like me, prefer the agility of lighter/smaller tires.
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\nMore important is the reason the tire is heavier. Usually it comes from thicker casings and/or more rubber in the tread. Sometimes these are beneficial for durability or traction. Many times it makes the tire stiff, harsh, slow and unresponsive.
