Slicks OK on the touring bike - If so, what kind? - Page 3 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-02-2004, 07:36 AM

"PCB" <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
> (slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c
> Conti Top Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would
> the slicks suck on these roads?

Tread doesn't help much on gravel, but breadth and the resulting ability to
use lower pressures without suffering pinch-flats is useful. I've toured a
lot of dirt roads with 25mm slicks, and it's tolerable as long as you keep
the pressure high and get out of the saddle.

> If I decide to just stay off the gravel entirely, what kind of slicks
> can I then use?

Anything that isn't too narrow for your rim or too fat to fit your frame. I
don't know what rims your Trek uses.

James Thomson

07-02-2004, 09:13 AM

"PCB" <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
> (slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
> Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
> these roads?

TT2k's are pretty close to *being* slicks already. If you have anything to
gain, it's from going to a lighter, narrower, higher pressure tire, not from
changing away from the Conti's already-vestigial tread pattern.

I'd be surprised if the wheels that come on a 520 will comfortably mount a
tire much smaller than a 28. You have, what, 32's now?

If you're not an overly heavy rider, a 28mm touring tire would certainly
work and give you a bit of an improvement. It's something you should think
about when the current tires wear out. IMO, however, it's not an improvement
worth ditching a perfectly good set of 32mm TT2k's for,

My 2c.

RichC

07-02-2004, 09:13 AM

"PCB" <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
> (slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
> Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
> these roads?

TT2k's are pretty close to *being* slicks already. If you have anything to
gain, it's from going to a lighter, narrower, higher pressure tire, not from
changing away from the Conti's already-vestigial tread pattern.

I'd be surprised if the wheels that come on a 520 will comfortably mount a
tire much smaller than a 28. You have, what, 32's now?

If you're not an overly heavy rider, a 28mm touring tire would certainly
work and give you a bit of an improvement. It's something you should think
about when the current tires wear out. IMO, however, it's not an improvement
worth ditching a perfectly good set of 32mm TT2k's for,

My 2c.

RichC

07-02-2004, 09:13 AM

"PCB" <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
> (slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
> Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
> these roads?

TT2k's are pretty close to *being* slicks already. If you have anything to
gain, it's from going to a lighter, narrower, higher pressure tire, not from
changing away from the Conti's already-vestigial tread pattern.

I'd be surprised if the wheels that come on a 520 will comfortably mount a
tire much smaller than a 28. You have, what, 32's now?

If you're not an overly heavy rider, a 28mm touring tire would certainly
work and give you a bit of an improvement. It's something you should think
about when the current tires wear out. IMO, however, it's not an improvement
worth ditching a perfectly good set of 32mm TT2k's for,

My 2c.

RichC

07-02-2004, 09:13 AM

"PCB" <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
> (slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
> Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
> these roads?

TT2k's are pretty close to *being* slicks already. If you have anything to
gain, it's from going to a lighter, narrower, higher pressure tire, not from
changing away from the Conti's already-vestigial tread pattern.

I'd be surprised if the wheels that come on a 520 will comfortably mount a
tire much smaller than a 28. You have, what, 32's now?

If you're not an overly heavy rider, a 28mm touring tire would certainly
work and give you a bit of an improvement. It's something you should think
about when the current tires wear out. IMO, however, it's not an improvement
worth ditching a perfectly good set of 32mm TT2k's for,

My 2c.

RichC

07-02-2004, 09:13 AM

"PCB" <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
> (slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
> Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
> these roads?

TT2k's are pretty close to *being* slicks already. If you have anything to
gain, it's from going to a lighter, narrower, higher pressure tire, not from
changing away from the Conti's already-vestigial tread pattern.

I'd be surprised if the wheels that come on a 520 will comfortably mount a
tire much smaller than a 28. You have, what, 32's now?

If you're not an overly heavy rider, a 28mm touring tire would certainly
work and give you a bit of an improvement. It's something you should think
about when the current tires wear out. IMO, however, it's not an improvement
worth ditching a perfectly good set of 32mm TT2k's for,

My 2c.

RichC

07-02-2004, 09:49 AM

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In article <020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
PCB <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
>(slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
>Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
>these roads?
>
>If I decide to just stay off the gravel entirely, what kind of slicks
>can I then use?

_ I ride 28mm slicks on gravel roads all the time. They even work
reasonably well on dry hard pack dirt. Loose sand is another story
entirely.

_ Booker C. Bense

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07-02-2004, 09:49 AM

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
PCB <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
>(slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
>Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
>these roads?
>
>If I decide to just stay off the gravel entirely, what kind of slicks
>can I then use?

_ I ride 28mm slicks on gravel roads all the time. They even work
reasonably well on dry hard pack dirt. Loose sand is another story
entirely.

_ Booker C. Bense

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07-02-2004, 09:49 AM

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
PCB <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
>(slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
>Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
>these roads?
>
>If I decide to just stay off the gravel entirely, what kind of slicks
>can I then use?

_ I ride 28mm slicks on gravel roads all the time. They even work
reasonably well on dry hard pack dirt. Loose sand is another story
entirely.

_ Booker C. Bense

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07-02-2004, 09:49 AM

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <020720040049013196%name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
PCB <name+[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I have a Trek 520 that occasionally rolls on gravel roads
>(slowly/carefully) and I¹d like to change out the 700x32c Conti Top
>Touring 2000 tires for some road slicks. Would the slicks suck on
>these roads?
>
>If I decide to just stay off the gravel entirely, what kind of slicks
>can I then use?

_ I ride 28mm slicks on gravel roads all the time. They even work
reasonably well on dry hard pack dirt. Loose sand is another story
entirely.

_ Booker C. Bense

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