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This week I've been out with one mate on cross tyres. I was on my 29" hardtail with 2.3 MTB tyres.
He tried to persuade me to buy his spare cross bike as it would make dull flat muddy trails more interesting.
I've been out with a second mate. He was on a gravel bike. I was on my road bike and we did road. He tried to persuade me to get a gravel bike. (Waves if you are reading 🙂 )
I'm not getting a new bike for the foreseeable future.
I do have a 27.5 orange clockwork with 26" wheels bodged in in the shed that's not doing much.
Two questions-
1) Can you get a 26" tyre that will cover cyclocross mud fest's and 50 miles of mostly road with some trails thrown in?
2)It's got a 36 front chainring with 11-46 cassette. Would it need a 40+ chain ring? Would that fit on an xt crankset?
Cheers
Just get a 404 from the link. 🙁
Mud AND roads? Unlikely. Crossmark, Racing Ralph for road. Medusa for mud.
Or spunk loadsamoney on the latest Rene Herse/Compass/Panaracer 26” offering
I bet you can still get 1.5" xc tyres somewhere. Mind, it'll make the wheel/tyre "even" smaller diameter - will make your gearing a bit lower again, and might you be clacking your pedals everywhere?
Alternatively I'm sure "any" 27.5 frame will take a 700c cross wheel & tyre easily - I can get 700x35 in a 26" (though I suppose you don't have those in the shed). I'd not get 32/33 tyres unless you're planning UCI-rules cross racing though - harsh baby, esp in summer trail riding
What about some Conti Race Kings in 2.0?
I had some 29er versions on an XC bike and they were a very fast rolling tyre.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Continental-Race-King-26-x-2-0-MTB-Tyre-/333804329724
The race kings how 15 quid each with voucher. Just bought 2.
I've remembered I've got a set of race kings in the shed!
Perfect for mostly road with a bit of summer bridle way bashing.... in the summer. They were terrifying in the damp, never mind the slidey mud.
Well thats one problem solved cheaply!
The bb is super low on 2.3 butchers, I might have to be a bit careful about pedalling out of corners.
I think I should be on a 46 chainring, i might have to go back through a double.
Will the Race Kings go up tubeless? I've been looking for some fast rolling tyres for my Inbred that can be run without tubes.
I've also been looking at Continental Traffic, Continental Cross King or Schwalbe CX Comp.
I'd prefer large volume and fast rolling but maybe that isn't possible in 26 guise. Not like there much choice anymore.
My race kings are the tubeless version.
They go up and stay up with sealant. I think they might theoretically work with out sealant, but having got them second hand well over 10 years ago that never worked out.