Who Makes The Best 26 inch Tyres - for commuting retro builds
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2023
- Today we look at who is making the best 26 tyres.
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I’ve got close to 2 years daily commuting (all weather) on a set of specialized hemispheres. The armadillo version.(hemidillo.) zero punctures. Not light, not cool, but super reliable, and long lasting.
My two favourite are the:
Tioga City Slicker 26´´ x 1.95 - there are high pressure tire around 95+psi
Continental Contact Urban 26x2.0 Reflex Bike Tire - better puncture resistance and fast rolling, reflective sidewall adds a little bit of safety.
WTB Thick Slicks are a great tire for long rides or places that have a lot of rubbish on the tarmac and pathways.
Purchased a set of Billy Bonkers based on your Scott bike build.
I’ll never tyre of content like this.
Dum-dum dishhhhh 🥁
I think this video may gain traction.
And, Presto, just like that we have a tire pun. Rim shot, please. 😉
Hey presta!
There is a guy at work that will stop any conversation to blurt out a pun and expect everyone to applaud his cleverness. Everyone thinks he is self-centered and annoying.
Cheers! love the channel. I just converted an old 26" coil fork to a 29" gravel by putting in a spacer to limit travel. I'm running a 29" 40C bokken in an old '96 Judy SL on Bass-Boat Blue Homegrown.
As for neighborhood cruising wheels - The YUGE balloon Maxxis HookWorms are my absolute fav. You can pull off powerslides that sound like screeching motos. There is tread all the way around the tire so you can really lay it down slalom wise. I run them with some tubes and some slime and all good. about 30PSI for pavement/curbs.
Very informative. Thank you for talikg the time to make this video.
Billy Bonkers gang rise up.
Real talk though I do love my billy bonkers. I didn't like the feel of Maxxis DTH and bonkers were great for me and the mixed riding I do on road and crushed granite paths. Haven't had a puncture yet either with at least 250 mile on the tires. (probably just jinxed myself)
I love the Billy Bonkers on my 1992 Trek 930. I have used them on single track without issue and they seem just as fast on street as the DTH. I have DTH on a couple bikes and I like the Billy Bonkers better.
@@mannycien3247 I'm deciding between the two tires. Which is faster on pavement between the two, or lighter overall?
Maybe you could offer your thoughts as well!
As an urban rider I tend to look for tires with reflective sidewalls with hope of being more visible at night. Thus far, Michelin Protek tires are decent and have thicker puncture protection in addition to the reflective sidewall. Good for >70 psi, rolling resistance is minimal.
If someone is not looking they wont see you no matter how bright you are
It’s crazy because it’s almost better to not be able to be seen. We as bicyclists need to watch them more than they watch us, I always slow down or stop to not get hit.
On my bike i use Continetal DoubleFighter in 26x1.90 size. I ride them every day to work and so far only one puncture. They roll great on road and capable on little gravel.
Same. I like that they roll fast and quiet on pavement but give me confidence on the loose gravel I hit sometimes.
Love you channel Craig! Only channel I've got notifications on for haha
The idea about components sounds great - recently discovered my 26 inch Raleigh has an old BMX style headset which apparently aren't very common, weird!
Keep it up man!
Panaracer Fire XC (knobbly off road). Continental Sport Contact (skinny slicks). Both bulletproof, puncture resistant and lots of grip for their chosen surface.
The Maxxis I had were heavy and slow. The Schwalbe kept puncturing.
Lots of bmx brands make 26” tires that are super sick as well. Would love to hear more about bar/stem combos for retro bikes!
Continental Top Contact II. Smooth fast rolling on the flat, great grip leaning into a corner, good water dispersal, excellent puncture resistance, long lasting
I like the Schwabble Land cruiser, good on/off road mix.
Panaracer FireXC Pros are cheep and provide great control off road. And you can get coloured walls which is a bonus.
Hutchinson make a 26" x 38mm i think but I've not tried them yet. They'd be my choice for the London 100.
I got a pair of Schwalbe Hurricanes and I love them. Feel like they're a little overlooked by the retro crowd.
I run Schwalbe Marathon Plus on both my Hybrid & folding bike with the 20" wheels. No complaints, except that I find pronouncing Shwalbe a with the uncertainty of how correct it is. Looking forward to more of your component videos, and the build of that astonishingly cool Kona MinUte.
I ride mixed surfaces and also skid the back tire A LOT...Back tire - semi slick, rounded tire, 2.0 or 2.1, billy bonkers, kenda k rad,conti race king, dth, double fighter, holy roller ...front tire - fast rolling 2.3 or 2.4 cross country tire with some light side knobs kenda small block eight, or maxxis ikon, conti x king...right now i have a rear 2.0 kenda k krad and front 2.35 kenda small black eight...super fun, c
Lots of control, comfort, grip up front, and the back feels fast and agile, and I like the way it corners
There is also a Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB version out now for more rough terrain.The Maxxis Ikon is a very capable tire in light terrain and trails, it is very fast, but a bit noisy on asphalt.
Try the Continental Race King over the Maxxis Ikon for a fast tire that will do you off the road and roll nice (and quiet) on the road.
I swapped my 26-incher from slick Contis to Billy Bonkers and the change was dramatic. My colleague said he'd thought I got a new bike! It was a big change in comfort but also in performance. I'll ride them out and then probably go for something a bit less fat.
I run Gravel Kings on my 650B gravel bike and love them. I've ridden them in semi-slick and knobbly styles, tubed and tubeless, and both are great for what they're meant for. I'll probably stick with these until they're discontinued or something better comes along.
Looking forward to the cargo bike build!
Awesome vibes -Subscribed immediately!
Schwalbe hurricanes for general purpose commuting. Kenda small block 8 or Schwalbe billy bonkers for gravel and mild xc mtb riding are my favorites. Wanna try the Maxxis icons though.
I'm re-building my first bike. An old GT. I want to swap it to a 1x setup. I'd appreciate a video on how to select a BB, crank & sprocket set up. This is really holding me back.
Do you want to keep as many original parts as possible, or just buy new ones? Your gt could possibly have a crankset that can take a 1x chainring. If not, you could still use the old bb, and just get a pair of square taper cranks that can take a single chain ring, very cheap used/new. Otherwise, you can go full hollow tech, deore, non boost, would be the best bet to go, cheap, strong, reliable. There’s some brands like microshift, and box that have pretty good budget groupsets, but require a bit more research
Check out path less pedaled. He has a couple of videos from about a year ago on how to do a 1x or 2x with various components.
I have in 3 of my bikes the continental raceking 26x2.25.and crossking 26.2.25 great tyres. Great videos.greetings from buenos sires
I love my schwalbe city jets and the Billy bonkers . They are both super fast rolling but the bb have grip when needed on gravel
Got the continental contacts on the Mrs’ 29er and they are speeeeeedy! Going to slam them on my next commuter I think. Love the Billy Bonkers on my current commute too but cleaning the tan walls all the time is a pain!
Absolutely love billy bonkers! Fast rolling for me anyways!😊
The cargo paint job looks awesome... 😎
Serfas Drifter! Look like nothing else, come in 20" - 700c, 1.5" - 4.25", and are easy to find online for $25-40. Dual compound like a moto tire so the middle does good mileage and the sides are grippy, very puncture resistant, very high-mileage, and if you're riding on a wet road they make cute tiny plonking sounds. The tread is inverted and works well on gravel and hardpack while being fast rolling on the street. They're heavy, but on the kinds of bikes I'm putting them on durability and performance matter more than grams.
My favorite hard-use city and ATB tires, no idea why I've never seen anyone else mention them, even online. I've ridden them without any issues even at 60psi when I weighed over 400lbs. I had a set on a clunker I made out of a Trek 820 fifteen years ago, rode it probably four or five thousand miles, and passed it on to a friend when I got a modern 650b. They're still riding the bike and the tires still have plenty of tread left.
I remembered them recently after a few unpleasant slides on gravel tracks, put one on the front of my 650b, kept the more slick OEM on the rear, and it's been perfect since. So they haven't de-contented them in the last few years, either.
I really like my Maxxis Icon. So comfortable ride, worth the money. Converted to tubeless last year. They soaked up some sealant but works o.k. now.
I’m pretty happy with Continental Race King ProTection 2.2”. They are grippy enough on dirt (though maybe not deep mud) without being draggy on tarmac. Almost a year in, no punctures so far.
26er tire doesn't get better than the premium Race Kings.
You beat me to this comment - Continental Race King is the thing to use over the Maxxis Ikon.
I’m digging WTB all terrains on a 99 Kona Caldera rigid city beater build
Funny b/c I just ordered a 26” Billy Bonkers and a CX Comp from Schwalbe for my 1997 Trek 850 Sport build. Recently moved to a city in N.E. Italy 🇮🇹.
The idea was my dedicated mtb (aluminum) is overkill for how I use it…but needed a urban, gravel and light trail bike.
Cro-moly as a material is great and I love the mechanical feel/look of cantilever brakes. Also these 90s mtb frames have very “neutral” seating positions due to their geometry which I missed from my Trek 4300.
My other 2 bikes are Kuota K-factor and a aluminum mainframe with carbon rear triangle, cf fork from Rebellato (small builder from Castelfranco near Treviso Italy 🇮🇹).
So…horses 🐎 for courses ;-)
Good content 👍
My most used bikes are still 26ers for differing duties.
Dth 2.3s have truly transformative properties to any bike and look the danglies - BillyB's are a poor relation.. I'm not a fan of Shwalbes in general.
Currently running panaracer Crosstowns with retroreflective walls on my kiddy seat fitted peugeot and infinitely prefer them to Marathon Plus.
I'd shout out Halo twin rails as being decent to ride and a good looker too - slightly more off road grip then dth, but fast on tarmac.
Conti double fighter and vertical pretty decent too.
Thanks for the video! I like schwalbe landcruisers on my old giant terrago mountainbike; they are not too heavy, very puncture resistant, have a full center strip for the road and nice knobbies for the trails. A very good jack of all trades. They are super cheap too: 12 euros per tyre. Not the best in mud though...
Great picks. Maxxis Hookworm 20x1.95 on wife's Tern, and CST Sensamo Control 26x2.0 for my Kona Kula. Both good puncture resistance and prices here in Indonesia. Also like Schwalbe Big Apple/Ben and Maxxis Ikon/Pace. Love Panaracer, but too pricey here. Cheers :)
rene herse standard casings tubeless around 30-40 psi. perfect for everything!
i LOVE my panaracer gravelking SKs. 2.1 only, tubeless ready (yes, im tubeless on my 90s mtb commuter. why? cause i can be). never got a puncture even over lots of glass, long tread life, all weather performance. i didn't get the + version with extra protection, never found that i needed it
Nicest riding/fast tyres without a doubt. Rene Herse. Their lugged tires are as fast as their slicks. They have 26, 650b, and 700c. You have a great channel.
Billy Bonkers are great but I also like the Rapid Robs. Vittoria Mezcals are quality too.
Try the Vans tyres. Not the grippiest out there, but very cool and roll quite well
another schwalbe recommendation
the roadcruiser, i used them on my commuter forever and i cant remember the last time i had a flat
they are cheap, last forever and have a ton of options in terms of colors
Massive fan of Panaracer, they are more expensive but they are fantastic tyres, and they are really good looking! Another brand if you have the budget is René Herse (they are actually made by Panaracer) but that's another league in term of budget!
I'm running 2.4" Maxxis Holy Rollers on my old Schwinn Mesa, excellent, durable tire and affordable to boot. What you should to a video on next is wheels. I'm looking for decent double wall rim brake wheels, are there any?
Good review.I’ve just picked some thickslicks up from chain reaction for £11.99 each after watching
Lucky you! CRC no longer ships out of the UK. :-(
One thing about the Billy bonkers they seem to have a good price. They must be a popular tire because I see them going for less then a lot of tires I've been looking at
Ive riddent the thixk slick in the wet. On the road its fine but show it any mud or moss and its pretty sketchy.
Would also like to mention the continental double fighter. Good all rounder. Ive used one for 2ish years. And the tread is still pretty good. Its kind of my daily. Puncture resistance is pretty decent. But casing is beginning to crack, not sure what ill change too
A few months ago I got some Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Evo 559-50 for my 2008 (I believe) KTM prowler 2.0 and they are absolutely fabulous tires, sadly discountinued. They were very difficult to find but I still managed.
I converted a 90s unbranded MTB to a gravel-ish/bikepacking/commuter. I tred Maxxis dth 2.125 but idk i punctured the front wheel 6 times in two months. The weird thing Is I never ever punctured the back one. Then I swapped to Billy bonkers and so far I put on those tires over 700 km without a single issue. I ride every kind of terrain with my bike, from pavement to chunky country trails. They do feel slower than dths though. Just a Little bit
Do you use a tubeless setup? If not, try TPU tires like Schwalbe Aerothan (expensive) or Tubolito (expensive), or Ridenow (cheap)
I rate the one inch hutchinson top slick, schwalbe kojak and the maxxis detonator
2nd night of hunting for tires, it's a nightmare in Canada.
I went with the schwalbe big apple, i chose 26" x 2.15", the knobby tires that came on my MTB was 26" x 2.1", i didn't want to go smaller, or massively bigger, i wanted to remain around the same size. Wanted something smooth, and a little better rolling resistance than the knobby tires that came on my bike.
I'm also going to double up on the puncture protection by adding a tire liner, as well as slime tubes. Yes I know the tires I got have k guard, on their measurement it's pretty low end puncture protection compared to the other tires they have.
big apple are ok when it comes to puncture protection... got them before and got several punctures riding in my city where is full of glass and stuff. Changed to BIG BEN PLUS and have never got one again. they are level 6 in protection (top being 7 at marathon plus but they are terribly bad at rolling and feeling and they are also super heavy) I will recommend you to give them a try.
I use thickslick, 29. No problem in the wet
Panaracer Gravelking SK. Best all around tire. Works well on pavement, gravel, even off road except mud.
The best 26" semislick schwalbe makes is the hurricane. Profile wise it is very close to the specialized pathfinder, so no idea what it is not marketed as gravel because it is exactly that.
Maxxis holy rollers are one of the coolest looking tires.
For sure Holy Rollers are great, bit difficult to get in thr UK, I've currently got a box full stuck in customs as they are not foldable and come under the "measurable item" criteria. Three days from Germany to UK, currently 1 month and counting sat in customs!!
contact speed, reflex, but in slim (1 1/4?). big love.
A review of narrower 26" tyres, 1.75 and below would be good. Some 80s and 90s tourers used MTB size wheels (Dawes, Orbit, Roberts, lots of other volume and custom builders) but don't have clearances for wider rubber. 26ers used to go down to 1" back in the day, and 1.25, 1.50, 1.6 and 1.75 were plentiful. Not so much now.
Yes, wide slicks are a nightmare in the wet, which is strange as narrow ones on road bikes are just fine. Maybe they aquaplane like cars or something.
As a country side commuter but always riding on roads my favourite ones are the Michelin country rock. Or its cause i'm french from Michelin city 😂!
Ditto on the marathons.
I've had them on my e-bike for 3 years, never a flat, & Sometimes I do burnouts for fun.....
Absolutely zero signs of wear. They still look new!!
What psi do you run on your DTH 2.15s?
Hands down it's the continental contact urban for me. In 26" they do 1.75 2.0 and 2.2. they really are a great tire in all weather conditions with low rolling resistance, decent puncture protection and can be found on bikeinn for around £50 a pair. What more can you ask for!
I use specialized hemisphere here in Canada. They are pretty robust but a bit heavier.I must try BILLY BONKERS on a new build. There should be an edit of just buddy saying Billy bonkers😊
Giant Simple Road Star are a good affordable 2.175 slick
I have some Halo Twin Rail II on a 26er I'm currently building up. Anyone have any experience of them? Will be an all-rounder (mostly on road)
My latest 26 inch tire list:
1. Schwable Marathon 1.75
2. Mike Bear Obor 2.25
3. Maxxis Pace 1.75
4. Hutchinson Bulldog 2.30
5. and Specialized 26x2.10 tire
Is there a tyre that can be used for city riding and trails?
For fast road, the Continental Contact Speed 26 x1.6" are excellent.
I think its clear he likes 2" or larger.
I go with Maxxis Pace or Ikon 26×2.20.
For the summer Vittoria Randonneur 26x1.5 semi slick.
No punctures in 5 months
What's the minimum and maximum psi on these please can't find it anyway
Ultradynamico tires have a great retro look and are the fastest rolling mtb tires I've ever used you should check them out
Produced by panaracer, but probably have more swag than panaracers lol
@@bradyhoumand1264AFAIK they’re merely *manufactured* by the Panaracer factory
the Ultradynamico guys provide the specs they want produced
Why did your LEFT handbrake stop the REAR tire ? In the states it’s the opposite.
In the UK bikes are sold with it the other way. Italy also dose this way but France are the same as the US. No idea why but it’s all I’ve ever known.
I have WTB thickslicks and Shwalbe Kojaks. Similar tyres but the Shwalbe is better - lighter and has a puncture protection strip instead of relying on more rubber
In theory slicks are better in wet than knobbly tyres... Also they corner so much better on the roads
don't think so, in F1, they run slicks exclusively unless it rains in which case they switch to threads
There's definitely a lot of shards where I live.
how about slick tyres 32mm size? i converted my 90's mtb to road bike having issue finding proper thin slick road tyres
I just got Continental contact speed in size 32-559 or 26x1.3", they're fast
For cool looking, you cannot beat Cult Vans tires. Hard to find but super cool. Think they are 2.3. Actually, they are 2.1
Agreed for the look! 🙂 But how do they behave, practically ? Puncture, rolling, wet road...?
@@florentfournier7017 they roll smooth and grip well. Have done any wet riding though.
Schwawlbe Road Cruiser and Land Cruiser are great cheaper options, the Road Cruiser is commuter tread, the Land Cruiser is a knobbly tyre, but has a solid centre, so they ride well on pavement, both have puncture resistance and they are a lot lighter than Marathon +
Agree 100% on Road Cruisers, cheap, nice winter commuting tread and lighter than than Marathons.
Anyone used Specialized Kicker Sport? £20 rrp and tan wall. 2.1 only though. Very tempted to try some.
Schwalbe Marathon’s have one true caveat- weight. The most bulletproof version weights around 850g per tire. That’s a lot but they are safe.
Continental Race Kings?
For me? Schwalbe City Jet - never had a puncture with them
City Jets is no more available:(
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Evolution 🥰
Sadly they don't make them anymore.
I'm using Michelin Country Rock 1.75" tires that have been excellent, and they were only $25 each.
i second this! Cheap, lightweight for a wired rubber, quite puncture resistance and suprisingly fast rolling!
Honestly, tires are the last thing I can decide on with new and retro builds
I got the shwable big apple.= on my 90s Kona. Got 26x2.5 set 🤣 holy cow are they huge and they do jussssssssst barely fit when the rims arent true.
Bro you only need some cheap cheap sand tires with a bit of cushen. 6 euro per tire cst palm bay for example.
Good videos lots of top tips. Can you help with words of wisdom I have a bike I'd like to turn into a Long john cargo bike I'm in the West Country and no not got lots of money. Is there anyone who does this kind of thing. Anyway keep the good work up. :)
Schwalbe Marathon Plus or Continental Contact Plus.
Where are you buying these tires?
Rene Herse tires are pretty good, too.
Billy binkers gang 💪 lighter, more supple and cheaper than the wtb :)
Love the billies and they are all so light but not very practical. Also are Skin Walls dead?
What version do you use? Active or perfomance?
The panaracers are greatnif you run them tubeless.
Anyone running Conti Double Fighters?
I've just a pair on my Specialized Crossroads winter bike, I'll see how they fair up!
You should make your own tyres
The billy bonkers look like old-school snake bellys
Kenda 838's 26x1.95 559's for the win. I have them on 4 bikes, that I use everywhere. Have not had a flat for over 6 years. Super smooth and fast slicks. Regularly, well under $20 USD.
I cannot recommend ANY other commuter tire.
Don't waste you money on any of the upscale BS tires mentioned in the video. Anyone impressed by your tires is not worth impressing.
As silly as the Lagos snakeskin tires look, I found them one of the faster tires on the street.
Billy's are lighter than the DTH tires but yes indeed they are not for road use. The treads will wear fast.
🎶cargo bike 🎶 cargo bike 🎶 cargo bike 🎶 cargo bike 🎶
DTH felt a bit slower than I thought they would be.
Has anyone used Schwble Fat Frank's?
I am now switching going with supple 2.35 Schwalbe Big Apple tires. And Continental Contact SPEED 2.0. 180TPI 610 grams.
Hook is just too heavy 1,100g but superlite way 2avoid buy suspension.
Those teeny tiny iddy biddy itsy bitsy high pressure tires u have no wonder your wrists getting pounded.
Get a competent pro level Mt. Bike.
Get rid of front heavy stiff suspension get a 2.35 Big Apple tire instead run it 32 PSI.
Its larger diameter MUCH larger will fit in depressions far less smoothing thride drammatically.
Theez Big Bens/Apples have Schwalbe's raceguard flat protection.
Very wise educated purchase.
Increased diameter tire rotate less per mile taller gearing = fewer teeth used chainring2 accomplish identical gear = more torque ALWAYS thrule is spin on fewest possible teeth4 a given gear& lastly tire last longer bcuz linearly there is just more of it.
Conclusion: Always go for larger diameter.... Look for soft sidewall ballon elastic maleable feeling tread these apples& Bens have more durable TPI 67 I much prefer 120 plus. Continental Contact speed have 180 TPI supple 4 faster, potentially... roll resist.
I think Big Apples& Big Ben are pretty supple hence should be pretty good on roll resist but I am not able find any actual figures.