[B] BIG difference changing tires[B/]

[Nashville Kat]

Took the 2.125 cruiser tires of and just put some new tires on: some 26X1.75. It makes a big difference. A whole lot less rolling resistence, but the biggest difference- Lot's less vibration. I didn't realize that so much vibration was coming from the knobby tread.

The thinner ones really roll, and only ten dollars each I thought I'd try just one on the front and noticed so much change I went and bought another right away. Great!

Also just put a new 36 on the back- between these two things, the bike really runs better. And noticeably lighter too. I wondered if the bike would bog down in lower ranges because of the big change from 44 to 36 teeth- I haven't gone up any really big climbs yet. I was surprised the change wasn't greater in either direction- but there is some gain in cruising speed. I may try a 32 eventusally on an even lighter bike.

I highly recommend dumping the cruiser tires, and the 36 sprocket as well.

TheHearpe.tripod.com

 

[FileStyle]

Indiana is about the same as Illinois I run 35t sprocket and run 26x2.2 maxxis holy rollers semi-tread -inverted knobby tire and cruise real good on long runs at 30 mph.

 

[captainrichhill]

Don't those bigger tires give you a little "cousion" ? My cruiser is much smoother then my old hybrid(thin tires).

 

[HoughMade]

I think the big difference is knobby versus smooth tread, not the width- assuming that you run both the tires at the same pressure.

 

[wheelbender6]

I have been happy with 1.75" width tires. They don't look cool, but strike a good balance between ride comfort and rolling resistance.

 

[Cabinfever1977]

im hitting 35mph with my wide cruiser tires and there alot better than thin mountainbike knobby tires,less vibration too. i have a 44t, i may try a 36t sometime.

 

[Nashville Kat]

As far as any "cushion" goes, I think the knobby vs. unknobby makes more difference- I'm probably mostly always going to be "on-road" as opposed to "off-road"-

But there IS a difference then in total diameter- I've lost some with the smaller tires, which might take away some from any gearing- but the 36 then obviously more than makes up for it.

The build I'm contemplating would have 27" or else 700c tires- and I think a real mechanical advantage with a larger wheel size. I used to race bicycles, so the narrow tires don't bother me at least on smooth roads. (In fact I'm the real guy behind the semi-truck in the movie "Breaking Away")

This bike, a Micargi cruiser, will be my errand bike, for groceries- but I'd like to make a lightweight "broomstick" with a Schwinn World Traveler I bought recently and a lightweight 48 motor with the lightest components I can get-

I don't think I'd ever go as low as 23mm width 700c tires, but maybe 28s (1 1/8 inch) or 32s ( 1 1/4 inch). I was just talking to a track racer this weekend who seemed to think that you could go up to 32 mm's on aero rims on a built up tack "fixie" flip-flop wheelset, but not 38 mm. He said he'd rolled some that size of the narrow aero rims. To go 38 or above, you'd have to gave a more standard 700 rim.

I think 700's may even fit on a lot of cruisers, if anyone was interested- You'd probably have to change the brakes, bvut could go to some low-profile low weight campy brakes or similar.

I don't know- I'm not going to spend the money on this cruiser- i'll probably fit her with some saddlebag baskets which are a little heavy, and I just today took delivery on a BMX suspension fork for the front end- I'll post a picture of it here BEFORE the tire change, and take some more to post later-

The Schwinn Traveler pix are on my "Dude, where's my locking freewheel? "thread if your interested, but I probably won't do a motor build on it until this winter. I'm still digging out after the 100 year-flood and seven feet of water that hit my hgouse last summer.

As far as this being like Illinois- I'm in Brown County in Southern Indiana, so think more like Carbondale area than that pictured. I really have to to try trhe 36 on hills, cause we have some HUGE ones in the home area of The Hilly Hundred.

 

[Nashville Kat]

Re: BIG difference changing tires

Here's the bike last week-- just before the re-tire.

Anybody close to Bloomington need some white wall cruiser tires? They've only got maybe ten miles on them.