Is it possible to throw a set of road wheels and tires onto a mountain bike? I'm doing some road riding, and I'd like something a little more efficient. I can't afford another bike, but I could afford a set of wheels. Are there any drawbacks to this? Thanks ahead of time.
road wheelset?
- Thread starter sumnchai
- Start date
2 options: If you don't have discbrakes, you can get 26x1 tires, but these will only work well with narrow rims (like Mavic 517's).
If you have discs, your frame will have clearance for 700c rims. Keep in mind that the rear spacing for a road hub is 130mm, mtb=135mm. Both fronts=100mm. I have seen a number of people who lace up XT disc hubs to road rims. If you go 700, it would be a good idea to get rims that have double reinforced eyelets, like the Open Pro's do. I think many road rims are already constructed in this way.
If you have discs, your frame will have clearance for 700c rims. Keep in mind that the rear spacing for a road hub is 130mm, mtb=135mm. Both fronts=100mm. I have seen a number of people who lace up XT disc hubs to road rims. If you go 700, it would be a good idea to get rims that have double reinforced eyelets, like the Open Pro's do. I think many road rims are already constructed in this way.
I've been running Ritchey "Tom Slicks" on my commuter for a couple of years. They're 26x1.4 so fit my mtn bike wheels, but offer a much nicer road ride than my knobbies. They are also available in 26x1.0.
thanks for all the info so far guys. it's really helping. i'm kinda new to wrenching my own ride (my brother used to do a lot of it for me...). my rims are WTB Speed Discs 24s, and I have Hayes Mechanical Disc brakes with 6 inch rotors on a 2003 Iron Horse Rogue hardtail. From different reviews, I've seen that these rims aren't too hot, but they are what I have to work with... What could I throw on those rims? Would these IRC Metros work? Where can I buy those Ritcheys? Thanks again.
If the wheels are xc-oriented, then any 1.5" tire should work fine. If the rim is too wide, the tire is less round, more of a dome shape, but I HIGHLY doubt this will be an issue for you. Specialized also makes a 1.5" tire with wire beed and a Kevlar anti-flat belt that retails for $20. I've had a set for a long time, and sold tons of them, and they work great.