Since work is only going to be about ten miles from home for me now, I'm thinking it would be cool to ride my bike in. However, I only have my hardtail, so I was thinking I might want to throw on a pair of slicks to make it a bit more pleasant. So what do you guys recommend? And now that I think about it, what kind of light? Preferably something fairly cheap since I haven't had a job for a month or two, and money isn't in ample supply at the moment.
I am a big fan of Maxxis Holy Rollers/ Kenda K-rads. They are a good easy rolling tire that still have some bite in off road situations. They are equally at home commuting or doing urban/park riding.
k-rads are good, holy rollers are about the same, azonic makes a real good tire, but I forget the name, not a fan of the specialized fatboys tho
For simply commuting the Fatboys are awesome because they're so fast. They suck for everything else, but they're the fasted MTB street tires you can get.
I commute a lot and have used most of the street slicks out there at one time or another. The 26x1.5 Primo Comet K will roll faster than any of your other options. But you have to get the K (kevlar belt) version or you will be getting a lot of flats. The K is really tough and will treat you well.
go to a department store..they have slick 26" tires...well street ones anyways that would work fine for comuting. i just got one for the wifes bike for $7
I have a hardtail with SPecialized Nimbus EX 1.5s and they work well. They lean a little but towards the durability (vs performance) end of the spectrum but don't give up too much and are only $20ea retail. I have also seen some very nice Conti 26x1.0s that I think may be intended for oddball time trial/road bikes. All depending on what you are after in terms of performance I guess.
You're right: the Tom Slicks are easy to get cheap. However, like any tire without a Kevlar belt (*not* Kevlar bead), they get glass chip flats a lot. If you're seriously doing urban commuting duty, you need either a very thick, heavy tire, Mr. Tuffys, or a Kevlar-belted tire. I go for #3 because #1 and #2 slow me down too much. The Primos should be about $25. They're tough to find, but the recumbent guys like them a lot, so places like www.hostelshoppe.com stock them.
maxxis hookworms, they are really fat and hook up really good on cement as well as hard packed clay. i have em on my bmx bike, but they were origonaly designed for mtb use, i think you can get em in like 2.65 or something.