Bontrager Select Invert to Ritchey Tom Slick conversion smart move for street use?

[Grl]

I have a comfort/hybrid bike that I use exclusively on street and rail trails. It currently has a
set of Bontrager Select Invert tires (2.00 x 26 "), about a year old. They work OK, but I'm in
search of a little bit more speed (those kids on their road bikes zooming by are starting to annoy
me) for the same effort and was thinking of replacing the Bontragers with a set of Ritchey Tom
Slick 1.4 tires. These are quite a bit lighter and 1/3 narrower in diameter plus they are rated for
100 psi (I normally use just over 70 psi on the Bontragers). They have nice reviews on the web
review sites.

Smart move for $40?

--

- GRL

"It's good to want things."

Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist, Visual Basic programmer)

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>, "GRL" <[email protected]> writes:
> I have a comfort/hybrid bike that I use exclusively on street and rail trails. It currently has a
> set of Bontrager Select Invert tires (2.00 x 26 "), about a year old. They work OK, but I'm in
> search of a little bit more speed (those kids on their road bikes zooming by are starting to annoy
> me) for the same effort and was thinking of replacing the Bontragers with a set of Ritchey Tom
> Slick 1.4 tires. These are quite a bit lighter and 1/3 narrower in diameter plus they are rated
> for 100 psi (I normally use just over 70 psi on the Bontragers). They have nice reviews on the web
> review sites.
>
> Smart move for $40?

I think you've done alright.

I've tried the Ritchey Tom Slicks, and Tioga City Slickers. The Ritcheys were faster, but to me at
least, they seemed to stick & slow down in the rain. The City Slickers felt slower to begin with,
but didn't get any slower in the rain, and I had more confidence in them, although the Ritcheys
generally seemed to corner better (just my impression).

At any rate, I'm sure the hard, narrow[ish] tires will approach the results you desire.

But if kids zooming by on road bikes is getting to you, maybe it's time to think about getting a
road bike, too?

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

 

[Grl]

If I found the $400 to $550 that the very cheapest road bikes I know of cost on the bike path, I'd
do it in a heart-beat. Otherwise, the wrath of SWMBO, forbids such behavior.

Ordered the Tom Slick's from Performance yesterday. They had a 20% off one day thing going and that
forced the issue.

Thanks for the review.

- GRL

"It's good to want things."

Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist, Visual Basic programmer)
"Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, "GRL" <[email protected]> writes:
> > I have a comfort/hybrid bike that I use exclusively on street and rail trails. It currently has
> > a set of Bontrager Select Invert tires (2.00 x
26
> > "), about a year old. They work OK, but I'm in search of a little bit
more
> > speed (those kids on their road bikes zooming by are starting to annoy
me)
> > for the same effort and was thinking of replacing the Bontragers with a
set
> > of Ritchey Tom Slick 1.4 tires. These are quite a bit lighter and 1/3 narrower in diameter plus
> > they are rated for 100 psi (I normally use
just
> > over 70 psi on the Bontragers). They have nice reviews on the web review sites.
> >
> > Smart move for $40?
>
> I think you've done alright.
>
> I've tried the Ritchey Tom Slicks, and Tioga City Slickers. The Ritcheys were faster, but to me at
> least, they seemed to stick & slow down in the rain. The City Slickers felt slower to begin with,
> but didn't get any slower in the rain, and I had more confidence in them, although the Ritcheys
> generally seemed to corner better (just my impression).
>
> At any rate, I'm sure the hard, narrow[ish] tires will approach the results you desire.
>
> But if kids zooming by on road bikes is getting to you, maybe it's time to think about getting a
> road bike, too?
>
>
> cheers, Tom
>
> --
> -- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
> [point] bc [point] ca

 

[Matt O'Toole]

"Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> I've tried the Ritchey Tom Slicks, and Tioga City
Slickers.
> The Ritcheys were faster, but to me at least, they seemed
to
> stick & slow down in the rain. The City Slickers felt
slower
> to begin with, but didn't get any slower in the rain, and
I
> had more confidence in them, although the Ritcheys
generally
> seemed to corner better (just my impression).

FWIW, I thought City Slickers felt slower than the other slicks too.

Conti Avenues are noticeably very fast -- no slower than road bike tires -- but a pain to get on and
off the rim. It took me 20 minutes to fix a flat with these things, and never without drawing blood.

The cheap slicks from Performance are actually pretty good.

Matt O.