| Re: Surly LHT bike - dual use as full on tourer and as cyclocross?
Jack Murphy wrote:
> Good info
>
> Right, the primary use of this would be as a full on tourer, carrying
> camping gear deep into the mountains (at least that's the dream, we'll see
> when I can make that a reality). But it will get several full gear long
> weekend tours through the year. The LHT seems to be the right bike for me in
> that regard, if I can spec it out within budget. I'll have it for 25 years,
> judging by my other bikes, so I want some long term quality.
>
> I just want to get an idea of how to re-purpose it for regular rough road
> riding, commuting in winter, etc when I'm not touring.
>
> I haven't dealt with cross tires any - I 've seen them as a bit knobby but
> nothing like mtn bike tires. How do these work as a commuter tire, for
> example - do they roll on pavement decent or is it more like mtn bike tires
> buzzing along giving me a great workout (as opposed to a nice ride...) on
> pavement?
Don't bother with cross tires on pavement, it's like purposely poking
yourself in the eye. Buzzy, inefficient, and poor grip. I like the
Michelin Idilis, with their hardpack tread,if you can find any old
stock, but I doubt you'll find any. Took a several mile fire road jaunt
this week on a pair of IRC Tandem 30mm tires. No knobs, but just a
teeny bit of tread to keep me from totally biting it on grass sections.
They're a really awesome option for a commuter.
There are those tires that are fairly smooth in the middle, with knobs
on the sides, but in my opinion, they're the worst of both worlds.
Might be panacea for some folks.
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