Gravel Tires - For 26" Wheels?

[MesiJezi]

Guys I did it... I walked in to my local Goodwill yesterday and dropped $25 on a crappy Diamondback MTB, with the intention of building in in to a gravel/singletrack/end-of-the-world bike. I'm thinking it will be on dirt/gravel 70% of the time. It's actually kind of a cool frame--I'll post a picture when I get home tomorrow. Tange tubing... can't remember what grade. All the braze ons for racks, fenders, etc. Shimano Deore group. Canti brakes. Wheels are unknown, I'll look at them a little closer tomorrow... but they're 26". Which brings me to the reason I'm posting this thread--are there any fast rolling 26" gravel-esque tires out there? I googled it it and found a few, but I'd really like to hear from the paceline brain trust on this one, because my experience in the MTB world is very low.

[dustyrider]

I always chime in for maxxis. Lots of tried and true tire treads in lots of wheel sizes. Stand up company to boot!

[vqdriver]

i've rolled on 26" forte branded tires. they have various treads for cruisers and such. probably don't want to spend that much more on the tires than you already did on the bike. but if you're looking for nicer, schwalbe sammy slicks or furious freds come to mind.
or, you could pick up a set of used trail tires with worn down center knobs

[JAGI410]

Compass Rat Trap Pass!

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by JAGI410

Compass Rat Trap Pass!

Word !

[sw3759]

Panaracer Pasela's come in several widths for 26 inch rims.pretty low rolling resistance and durable tires for the money that ride nice,but a notch below the ride of Compass (made by panaracer ) tires I'm sure...what ever you buy pretty sure you'll have double what you have in the whole bike,lol

[MesiJezi]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg initially, but if the bike gets a fair amount of use then I'll consider something nicer!

Originally Posted by JAGI410

Compass Rat Trap Pass!

These look great. I'm on the dry side of WA now, so mud is not a big concern most of the year. Any firsthand experience with durability?

[Ronsonic]

For years I've been liking the Kenda K-Rad in the 1.95 size. Fine checkerboard tread pattern that rolls well on pavement and great on gravel. I've never flatted one. Too smooth for more than patches of loose dirt or sand but not terrifying when you hit sloppy stuff. I think it's original intent was as a BMX pavement and park tire, but it works on my utility and fetch bike perfectly. Oh and fit under fenders on 80s mountain bikes.

I love 80s MTBs those things changed the world.

[happycampyer]

I recently bought an inexpensive, '90's mtb to use as a commuter, and went through a similar process. My use case is different (100% road riding), but I was faced with the same dilemma of looking at tires that cost more than the bike. As much as I would have loved to put Rat Trap Pass tires on the bike, I couldn't justify them based on the use. I ended up getting a pair of one of the Schwalbe 26" tire models from our friends at Bike Tires Direct (I think they're the Big Apples--an advantage of those for my use is that they have a reflective band). They are anything but supple, but they are fine for what I need.

In your case, I would still be hesitant to spend $170+ on tires for a $25 bike. Compass tires are awesome (I have the Bon Jon Pass and Babyshoe Pass tires on different bikes), but if you're looking for tires for an "end-of-the-world bike" that's suitable for singletrack, some of the more durable/less plush/less expensive options with more tracktion are probably a better fit. Bike Tires Direct actually has a pretty good selection of slick/semi-slick 26" tires.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/sear...&fcat=csl&so=b

[YoKev]

This looks interesting, and its only $27:

https://www.loosescrews.com/product/...ding-tire-tan/



also comes in black: https://www.loosescrews.com/product/...ng-tire-black/