Best tires for a compressed gravel bike trail?

[Tom H.]

This fall the Tunnel Hill Bike Trial here in southern Illinois is
having a ride. The distance is about 48 miles. The trail is a fine,
compressed gravel over an old railroad bed and I will be riding my
RANS Rocket. I am wondering what type of tires would perform best on
this surface?

Any recomendations?

 

[Tom Sherman]

Tom H. wrote:

> This fall the Tunnel Hill Bike Trial here in southern Illinois is
> having a ride. The distance is about 48 miles. The trail is a fine,
> compressed gravel over an old railroad bed and I will be riding my
> RANS Rocket. I am wondering what type of tires would perform best on
> this surface?
>
> Any recomendations?

I would consider the 47-406 Primo V-Monster and the 47-406 Continental
Top Touring tires for such use. Anything wider and the chain might rub
on the tire when using the largest rear sprocket.

For what it is worth, I rode the I&M Canal Trail on a RANS Rocket with
44-406 Avocet Fasgrip Freestyle slicks, and they did fine on the
limestone screenings, except for a couple of very short sections that
were soft and loose - on these I reduced speed and proceeded with extra
caution.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tom H. wrote:
>
> > This fall the Tunnel Hill Bike Trial here in southern Illinois is
> > having a ride. The distance is about 48 miles. The trail is a fine,
> > compressed gravel over an old railroad bed and I will be riding my
> > RANS Rocket. I am wondering what type of tires would perform best on
> > this surface?
> >
> > Any recomendations?
>
> I would consider the 47-406 Primo V-Monster and the 47-406 Continental
> Top Touring tires for such use. Anything wider and the chain might rub
> on the tire when using the largest rear sprocket.
>
> For what it is worth, I rode the I&M Canal Trail on a RANS Rocket with
> 44-406 Avocet Fasgrip Freestyle slicks, and they did fine on the
> limestone screenings, except for a couple of very short sections that
> were soft and loose - on these I reduced speed and proceeded with extra
> caution.

But I do not like to spend my time looking at the trail surface and
proceeding with caution. Screw it! Get the fat knobbies and be done with it.
That way you can spend your time looking at the passing scenery and need not
concern yourself with the trail surface.

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota


>
> --
> Tom Sherman – Quad City Area
>

 

[Steve Baker]

"
> > Tom H. wrote:
<<I am wondering what type of tires would perform best on
> > > this surface?
> > >
> > > Any recomendations?>>

The Tunnel Hill Trail is surfaced with what appears to be pulverized
coal mine tailings. It makes a really nice surface, except at the very
edges where it can be a bit soft. I've ridden it on skinny tires
without a problem. The Avocets would be a very good choice, and won't
penalize you when you hit the pavement south of Harrisburg.

BTW, Tunnel Hill is among the very nicest of rail trails. The scenery
is astounding. (And Harrisburg is no longer dry, so you can reward
yourself with a cold beer at the end, if you're so inclined.) Go for
it!

Steve Baker
RANS V2
Windcheetah K628

 

[Tom H.]

> But I do not like to spend my time looking at the trail surface and
> proceeding with caution. Screw it! Get the fat knobbies and be done with it.
> That way you can spend your time looking at the passing scenery and need not
> concern yourself with the trail surface.

Which tires are 'the fat knobbies?"

Right now I am running Kendra 20 X 1.5s.

Tom

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Tom H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > But I do not like to spend my time looking at the trail surface and
> > proceeding with caution. Screw it! Get the fat knobbies and be done with
it.
> > That way you can spend your time looking at the passing scenery and need
not
> > concern yourself with the trail surface.
>
> Which tires are 'the fat knobbies?"
>
> Right now I am running Kendra 20 X 1.5s.
>
> Tom

A tire with a width of only 1.5 is not very fat, but if they are knobbies
they will probably get you by. I prefer really fat which means more like
2.0 or even 2.5. Another neat trick when the trail surface gets really bad
is to run them at lower pressures. You will never be fast with these types
of tires, but you will be safe.

Here in Minnesota most of the bike trails are paved and so tires are never
an issue. However, if you go over to Wisconsin, you will find that very
many of their bike trails are gravel, limestone screenings, etc. - so you
have to be more careful on those kind of trail surfaces.

If and when I ever fall on a bike, it is time for a major examination of
what caused the fall - and on unpaved bike trails it is almost always due to
running high pressure narrow type tires. You will never fall with the fat
low pressure knobbies, but you will never be fast either. But I ride bike
trails for the scenery, not to be fast on them. If I want to be fast I will
find a county blacktop to ride my bike on.

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

 

[Tom H.]

Thanks for the advice. Speed is no longer an issue with me either.
Hell, I am grateful I can still bike when most guys I know have turned
into major couch potatoes at my age (55). Or they are dead.

Can you guys give me a good source for these wide tires?

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Tom H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for the advice. Speed is no longer an issue with me either.
> Hell, I am grateful I can still bike when most guys I know have turned
> into major couch potatoes at my age (55). Or they are dead.
>
> Can you guys give me a good source for these wide tires?

Tom, I checked the Hostel Shoppe catalog and they have the wide tires up to
2.0, although none of them are true knobbies. They are also quite pricey. I
think if I were you I would just go to my local bike shop or Wal-Mart and
see what they have in your size. They will surely have some knobbies. A
pressure of up to 60 or 70 psi should be fine. They should not be expensive.
You will never wear out these kind of tires. They are strictly for gravel
and you will never be fast on them. You have to make sure the tires will fit
inside your frame and fork of course.

I am not an expert on tires and always get the cheapest tires I can find.
Down through the years I have had much more trouble with expensive high
pressure tires than I have ever had with cheap low pressure tires. When you
give up on speed, a whole new and better world opens up for you.

You are still quite young at 55 and need not start thinking about the end
for another 20 years - provided you take care of yourself and keep on
biking. After 75, all bets are off.

Good luck!

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

 

[Steve Baker]

[email protected] (Tom H.) wrote in message
> Can you guys give me a good source for these wide tires?

Try Danscomp.com. They have a big supply of 20/406 tires for the BMX
set. I wouldn't get those big knobblies just for the Tunnel Hill
Trail, though. My S-Licks go a great job on that kind of thing without
the weight and performance penalties. Maybe something like the Maxxis
Hook Worm would do the job for you.

Enjot TH!

 

[Tom H.]

Thanks for the advice, Ed! I'll check ouit Wal-mart today!

I try to opt for the cheap but workable route too.