wheels for road(ish) tires on MTB?

I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?

I want:
thinner tires (therfore thinner rims?) than I can probably get on my current
wheelset
lighter hubs/wheels/etc. if possibe (not as important; no racing in my
future)


I need...
the 135mm width of the locknuts in the hub, to fit my MTB frame
the brake surfaces to line up with my current brakes
the same 9-speed Shimano cassette, so shifting isn't screwed up (the whole
point is not to buy a new bike or spend time adjusting things when I swap
wheels).

Any suggestions? Will 650c wheels do it, if I put a different hub assembly
in them? I don't know. Does anyone already sell what I'm looking for, at a
reasonable (e.g., less than $150 USD) price?

ANY suggestions appreciated!
Darrin

"Bobby Fiend" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better
solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?

I want:
thinner tires (therfore thinner rims?) than I can probably get on my
current
wheelset
lighter hubs/wheels/etc. if possibe (not as important; no racing in my
future)


I need...
the 135mm width of the locknuts in the hub, to fit my MTB frame
the brake surfaces to line up with my current brakes
the same 9-speed Shimano cassette, so shifting isn't screwed up (the whole
point is not to buy a new bike or spend time adjusting things when I swap
wheels).

Any suggestions? Will 650c wheels do it, if I put a different hub assembly
in them? I don't know. Does anyone already sell what I'm looking for, at a
reasonable (e.g., less than $150 USD) price?

ANY suggestions appreciated!
One cheap option, is to get some Avocet Cross (inverted tread) tires, that
works well on both the road and offroad. See he
http://www.avocet.com/tirepages/cross_2.html

Avocet cross tires can be found starting at about $20/tire

"Bobby Fiend" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better
solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?

I want:
thinner tires (therfore thinner rims?) than I can probably get on my
current
wheelset
lighter hubs/wheels/etc. if possibe (not as important; no racing in my
future)


I need...
the 135mm width of the locknuts in the hub, to fit my MTB frame
the brake surfaces to line up with my current brakes
the same 9-speed Shimano cassette, so shifting isn't screwed up (the whole
point is not to buy a new bike or spend time adjusting things when I swap
wheels).

Any suggestions? Will 650c wheels do it, if I put a different hub assembly
in them? I don't know. Does anyone already sell what I'm looking for, at a
reasonable (e.g., less than $150 USD) price?

ANY suggestions appreciated!
One cheap option, is to get some Avocet Cross (inverted tread) tires, that
works well on both the road and offroad. See he
http://www.avocet.com/tirepages/cross_2.html

Avocet cross tires can be found starting at about $20/tire

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 23:48:56 -0400, "Bobby Fiend"
wrote:

I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?


What do you consider regular width?

I have a Bontrager Maverick rim up front and a Sun Mach 4 in back. 18
and 17mm interior width, I think. Which could probably handle a 25mm/1
inch tire. Right now I have 1.25 inch tires with absolutely no
problems. These aren't unusually thin rims- I picked up both wheels at
local shops, off the 'shelf.'

I want:
thinner tires (therfore thinner rims?) than I can probably get on my current
wheelset
lighter hubs/wheels/etc. if possibe (not as important; no racing in my
future)


I need...
the 135mm width of the locknuts in the hub, to fit my MTB frame
the brake surfaces to line up with my current brakes
the same 9-speed Shimano cassette, so shifting isn't screwed up (the whole
point is not to buy a new bike or spend time adjusting things when I swap
wheels).


Just go for MTB wheels. The most that you will need to do is tighten
the brakes a bit with the barrel adjusters if the new rims are
significantly thinner.

Any suggestions? Will 650c wheels do it, if I put a different hub assembly
in them? I don't know.

Nope- brake pads won't hit in the place.

Does anyone already sell what I'm looking for, at a
reasonable (e.g., less than $150 USD) price?

ANY suggestions appreciated!
Darrin



http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

Then take them to a good shop and get them retensioned and
relieved/trued. A cassette and new tires will add more.

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 23:48:56 -0400, "Bobby Fiend"
wrote:

I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?


What do you consider regular width?

I have a Bontrager Maverick rim up front and a Sun Mach 4 in back. 18
and 17mm interior width, I think. Which could probably handle a 25mm/1
inch tire. Right now I have 1.25 inch tires with absolutely no
problems. These aren't unusually thin rims- I picked up both wheels at
local shops, off the 'shelf.'

I want:
thinner tires (therfore thinner rims?) than I can probably get on my current
wheelset
lighter hubs/wheels/etc. if possibe (not as important; no racing in my
future)


I need...
the 135mm width of the locknuts in the hub, to fit my MTB frame
the brake surfaces to line up with my current brakes
the same 9-speed Shimano cassette, so shifting isn't screwed up (the whole
point is not to buy a new bike or spend time adjusting things when I swap
wheels).


Just go for MTB wheels. The most that you will need to do is tighten
the brakes a bit with the barrel adjusters if the new rims are
significantly thinner.

Any suggestions? Will 650c wheels do it, if I put a different hub assembly
in them? I don't know.

Nope- brake pads won't hit in the place.

Does anyone already sell what I'm looking for, at a
reasonable (e.g., less than $150 USD) price?

ANY suggestions appreciated!
Darrin



http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

Then take them to a good shop and get them retensioned and
relieved/trued. A cassette and new tires will add more.

"Bobby Fiend" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better
solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?

Hey Bobby, if you have disc brakes, you can build up a disc wheelset with
700c rims. They roll better and you have a much larger tire selection.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

"Bobby Fiend" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better
solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?

Hey Bobby, if you have disc brakes, you can build up a disc wheelset with
700c rims. They roll better and you have a much larger tire selection.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 01:12:52 -0400, "ZeeExSixAre"
wrote:


"Bobby Fiend" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better
solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?

Hey Bobby, if you have disc brakes, you can build up a disc wheelset with
700c rims. They roll better and you have a much larger tire selection.

Although ZX6R has failed to read the OP, he has hit on the correct
ultimate solution. You will quickly get annoyed at having to adjust
your brakes to suit the narrow rims (I tried the same thing, and found
the difference between a narrow XC rim and a FR rim to be way more
than could be taken up with the barrel adjuster). There are few really
narrow MTB tyres (Conti GP Supersonic and...?), but there are hundreds
of 700x23 or 700x 25 tyres to choose from at prices fom $10.

This won't help if you've only got $150 to spend, but intermittently
roadifying your MTB is best acheived by using disc brakes and 700c
rims.
Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 01:12:52 -0400, "ZeeExSixAre"
wrote:


"Bobby Fiend" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to put roadlike tires on my MTB for occasional rides with
friends. I have some 1.5" smoothies for the current rims, but I'd like to
just get a spare set of wheels to swap at will. Is there a better
solution,
wheel-wise, than a regular-width MTB rim?

Hey Bobby, if you have disc brakes, you can build up a disc wheelset with
700c rims. They roll better and you have a much larger tire selection.

Although ZX6R has failed to read the OP, he has hit on the correct
ultimate solution. You will quickly get annoyed at having to adjust
your brakes to suit the narrow rims (I tried the same thing, and found
the difference between a narrow XC rim and a FR rim to be way more
than could be taken up with the barrel adjuster). There are few really
narrow MTB tyres (Conti GP Supersonic and...?), but there are hundreds
of 700x23 or 700x 25 tyres to choose from at prices fom $10.

This won't help if you've only got $150 to spend, but intermittently
roadifying your MTB is best acheived by using disc brakes and 700c
rims.
Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

Any suggestions?

you arent going to do much better than what you have, or another pair of
wheels with skinny tires. if you want to make your bike faster, youre
likely missing 10 teeth from the front sprocket.