Tire size?

[moto922]

I just got a 1998 Trek 820 mountain bike that I want to change the tires. The stock tires are 26 X 1.9. I'm going to use the bike for a spare and for off road mostly. I want to put some other tires on it and I don't want to spend much money on the tires. I've seen some good deals on eBay and my question is about tire size. If I put a larger tire 26 X 2.1 on the bike will it hurt or help the performance and is there a reason to stay with the stock tire sizes.

Jerry
Augusta, GA

[dgaddis1]

Hmmm tires. I like bigger tires. 2.1 is the minimum I'd run on a mountain bike. Generally speaking large tires have very aggressive, large knobs. They provide loads of grip, but have a lot of rolling resistance. Smaller tires have less grip, but roll much easier. Larger tires can be run at lower pressure for better traction and comfort.

Me personally, I like large volume tires with low profile fast rolling knobs. Then you get the increased traction and comfort of a larger tire, but without all of the extra rolling resistance. The Kenda Small Block 8's in 2.35" width are a good example. It's wide, but it still rolls fast (and it's pretty light as well). Doesn't corner as well as something more agressive however (such as the Kenda Nevegal).

I use to run a 2.65" front tire. It gripped like crazy glue. But it rolled like a brick.

But, this time of year, when everything is under a few inches of leaves, you may want to opt for a tire with bigger knobs which will bite through the leaves to the ground. The small block 8 I have on the rear of my bike now slips a good bit in the leaves.

Also, make sure there's room in the frame and fork for the wider tire.