Slick/smooth tire recommendation for 29er MTB

rottin'

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Here's the dealio...been doing a lot of road miles on my MTB lately on knobby tires, looking to build up another set of wheels with smooth/no tread for when I do this. I have a road bike but can't use it, so for arguments sake lets assume there is no road bike and it is not an option. What tires would be a good option to mount on my mtb for this purpose?

Tanx
 

Karate Monkey

Well-Known Member
The G-ones are ridiculously fast. They make [made] a 'sand racing' tire that is only moderately heavier than a standard training road tire. It seems they've superseded those old models, but they still make a 29x2.35 with no puncture protection. That's okay, because the sealant will do the job at those low pressures, anyway.

If you've got money to blow/aren't concerned with potential flat damage (honestly, I'm not really, anymore. I've realized that anything that WOULD HAVE caused me a flat usually wouldn't have been prevented by a burlier tire, anyway), Rene Herse (Jan Heine) gets Panaracer to make him an extra-light 29x2.2 that comes in at a ridiculous 490ish grams. His regular tires in that size punch in at just a bit less than the G-ones, and a premium price. I will say: the ride quality is beyond your expectations; I wanted to hate his tires when I tried them out, but they are well made, and no more damage prone than other lightweight stuff, in my experience.
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
I have considered doing this for my SS, decided to go with a bikepacking tire. Ended up with a Vittoria Metzcal, which I believe is a XC tire actually. Considering I was coming from Ikons probably not much of a difference but the thread is more continuos in the center which actually makes for a smoother ride on the road. Ended up riding it in the woods anyway because I don’t like the road. What was your question again?
 
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