MTB Slicks

[calliejane]

A newbie here; so please be gentle

I want to put a set of slicks onto my Giant MTB but have no idea what I should be looking for..I live in a rural area with a choice of only 2 bike shops (they really don't stock many choices at all) and don't want to spend a fortune (that said, $$ would depend on quality but prepared to pay up to about $50 a piece).

So far suggestions from cycle shops have been Tioga City Slicker, Maxxis Detonator and IRC. I have also seen/heard reasonable things about Maxxis Overdrive. Haven't been able to find much info etc by Googling...

Can anyone help me with advice, suggestions, anything really?

Cheers
Callie

[Bnej]

Continental make a couple of nice tyres.

The Town and Country comes in a nice fat size and works pretty well on gravel and crappy roads too.

The Contact tyre has less tread, and you can get in a 26"x1.25, very tough tyre for glass/thorns etc.

I have 26"x1.5 Bontrager Satellite pro tyres, which are pretty good, but they came on the bike and I don't know where you'd get them.

There's also a tyre called the Schwalbe Big Apple, which I read a review of, has a wide kevlar belt and is designed to allow you to run it as low as 30psi without getting too draggy, supposed to be better than a suspension fork at damping out rough road vibration.

[LuckyPierre]

Continental make a couple of nice tyres.
The Town and Country comes in a nice fat size and works pretty well on gravel and crappy roads too.
http://www.conti.com.au/city_more.asp?CatID=11
The Contact tyre has less tread, and you can get in a 26"x1.25, very tough tyre for glass/thorns etc.
http://www.conti.com.au/city_more.asp?CatID=3

I've added links to Bnej's information.
It's unlikely that you local shop will stock them - and they are probably above your budget - but they are good tyres (according to my mate who swears by the Sport Contacts on his commuter.
You could also try http://www.torpedo7.com.au as they run a good online shop. I've put some Innova 1.75 inch slicks http://www.torpedo7.com/page/australia/PROD/innova-tires_mtb-mountain_bike/INN-TIR-SLI from them on a hardtail mtb for bike path and occasional gravel riding and they're OK (and are very cheap when they're on special).
I just had a look and they have these http://www.torpedo7.com/page/australia/PROD/tires_mtb-mountain_bike/MAX-TIR-XEN-150 on sale at the moment.

[tinstaafl]

I run Town and Country tyres that I would be happy to recommend to anybody.
They sit up well on the straight and grip well on curves. Just yesterday I lost grip on both front and rear tyre in a muddy underpass but the tyres gripped again so all was well.

Robert

[calliejane]

Thanks for all of the suggestions...much appreciated!

Is anyone able to give me a ball-park $$ for the Town & Countrys?
I spoke to one of the local bike shops yesterday and they are getting a price for me but would just like to know an approx cost to have an idea of value.

I am happy to spend a bit more on reasonably tough tyres...there are all sorts of potential nasties on roads out here. Not that I have had any problems with the knobblies I've got.

Cheers
Callie

[Bnej]

I was told $60 each for 26x1.9 Town & Countrys from my LBS, might be possible to get them cheaper cause the local store is pretty expensive for some things.

Mind you, for the price apparently you could get 4 of those Innova tyres...

[Mulger bill]

I vote for the Town and Country too, but I'll add pretty good wear to Roberts post.

Oh and little grip on wet or dewy grass

[tinstaafl]

I paid $60 in Byron Bay and $45 in Ferntree Gully.
I haven't been riding long enough to remember wet or dewey grass but thanks for the tip.

Robert

[matagi]

I ride on Maxxis Detonators 700x28 - absolutely love them. My riding is all rural roads which are very rough patched bitumen. 3900 km on them so far without any problems.

If the Detonators come in 26", they are worth considering.

[calliejane]

I am told the Detonators come in 26"...apparently around $35. I am only familiar with the Zeniths so great to hear good things about the Detonators.

matagi your roads sound like the ones around here. Shocking!!

Callie