Can You Put Hybrid Tires on a Mountain Bike?
You had thought your mountain bike tires would last forever, but one has popped, and you don’t have a spare. By their very name, hybrid tires seem like a suitable alternative. Can you put hybrid tires on a mountain bike?
You can put hybrid tires on a mountain bike, and you may even enjoy more speed variation and improved grip depending on the type of hybrid tire you select. Do keep in mind that the width of some hybrid tires can make accelerating harder.
With hybrid tires on your mountain bike, the bike is essentially now a hybrid bike with some traits of a mountain bike and other traits of a road bike. Keep reading for more information on how to replace mountain bike tires and what kind of ride you should expect.
How Are Hybrid Tires and Mountain Bike Tires Different?
Although hybrid tires and mountain bike tires are like two sides of the same coin, the two types of tires are disparate enough that I want to begin by assessing what separates them.
Stiffness
Tire carcasses or frameworks are usually made from rubber, and that’s the case for both mountain bike and hybrid tires.
The rubber compound used will not be identical even from one brand that makes one type of tire to another let alone between two different types of tires.
Hybrid tires have fewer threads per inch and are stiffer than mountain bike tires.
So what does this mean for the tire? It doesn’t have that same rolling quality that tire types with a higher thread per inch count do. Hybrid tires are also quite durable for their lower thread count.
Treads
Mountain bike tires need coarse treads so the bike tires can easily grip dusty or dirty paths and rocky surfaces.
Hybrid tires by comparison are smoother with fewer studs and sometimes no studs at all.
This doesn’t behoove you when off-roading, as the tires will be unable to bite into the dirt the way that standard mountain bike tires can.
That’s because hybrid tires aren’t exclusively made for this purpose. Their performance shines when pedaling on even roads and paved surfaces such as asphalt or sidewalk.
Using mountain bike tires on these kinds of riding paths is sure to wear down the tires quickly.
Compatibility
The last significant difference between hybrid tires and mountain bike tires is compatibility.
Hybrid tires are usable on both mountain bike and road bike frames.
Mountain bike tires are mostly made for mountain bikes, although you can fit them on a road bike, as I talked about in a recent post.
Unlike hybrid tires though, which are made for multiple uses, mountain bike tires are only made for mountain bike frames.
Can You Put Hybrid Tires on a Mountain Bike? Choosing the Right Tire
As I’ve established, hybrid tires are perfectly compatible with mountain bikes. Since hybrid tires have so many varied uses, you have to be especially choosy about the types of hybrid tires you select for your mountain bike.
In this section, I’ll go over some traits of hybrid tires that are desirable when using them for mountain biking.
Reflective Sidewalls
Okay, so we’re getting underway with what is admittedly an optional feature, but nevertheless, it’s important.
If you’re riding in less than optimal weather conditions such as on an overcast or foggy day, or if the day has gotten away from you and you’re still out pedaling after sunset, you’ll be especially glad to have reflective sidewalls on your hybrid tires.
The reflectivity of the tires works best in darkness, dusk, and dawn and makes your bike more detectable. Reflective fenders, clothing, and even reflective patches on your helmet all help to this end too.
Puncture Protection
Hybrid tires often boast anti-puncture layers between the casing and the sidewall. The puncture protection is built right in!
Since hybrid tires can go literally almost anywhere, some degree of puncture protection offers cyclists peace of mind that their tires can stand up to the day’s conditions.
You can usually choose between several degrees of puncture protection, although that will vary based on the hybrid tire manufacturer.
Lightweight puncture protection can include features like a sub-tread breaker belt. Heavier-duty puncture protection might introduce anti-cut casing while the best puncture protection will utilize features like sub-tread co-extrusion and bead-to-bead anti-cut casing.
Tire Size
Mountain bike tires are only available in a couple of standard sizes: 26 inches, 27.5 inches, or 29 inches.
Hybrid bike tires, on the other hand, come in a whole assortment of sizes.
If you want to go smaller than what you’d find on a traditional mountain bike, some hybrid tires are 24 inches.
You can also shop the standard mountain bike tire size of 26 inches or the more familiar sizes of 27.5 inches or 29 inches.
Keep in mind that hybrid bike tires go larger still, but if you were to try to equip these tires on your mountain bike, they wouldn’t fit!
Tire Tread
The tread of your hybrid tires will absolutely play a role in what kind of cycling experience you’ll have on your mountain bike, so this area deserves a lot of your thoughtful consideration.
Let’s first go over the types of hybrid tire treads and then discuss which is the most appropriate for a mountain bike.
The first type of tread is the smooth tread. The tire is smooth throughout for good rolling and a nice degree of traction, especially on paved paths and streets. Smooth-tread hybrid tires are most adept for street and city commuting.
Next is the recessed tread. A hybrid tire with a recessed tread features inward siping for an elevated level of traction when pedaling through the rain or in other wet conditions. The design of the channels can transfer water away from the tires so you can stay upright on your bike.
The third type of hybrid bike tire tread is the external tread. These chunky, heavier treads are the most akin to what you’d see on a mountain bike. External treads are designed for uneven surfaces and paths, as the treads grip into the ground well.
Smooth treads are never a good idea for mountain biking. Your tires will lack the necessary grip, which puts you at serious risk of falling off your bike and getting hurt.
Recessed treads, while handy, aren’t really the best fit for a mountain bike setup either. These hybrid tires just lack the chunky treads you’re used to.
Instead, those are only available with external tread hybrid tires. You can go off-roading with more confidence with these tire reads.
How to Put Hybrid Tires on a Mountain Bike
If you read my post about putting mountain bike tires on a road bike, then you’ll recall how many additional steps that process had. That’s because while mountain bike tires can go on a road bike if push comes to shove, the tires aren’t exactly made for a road bike.
Hybrid tires are different, as they are made for mountain bikes. You won’t have to go through as many steps to get the tires on the bike, which is great news.
Without further ado, let’s jump into how it’s done.
Step 1 – Remove the Mountain Bike Tires
You no longer want your mountain bike tires on the frame, so those have to come off before you can install the hybrid tires.
You’ll need a flat, level surface like a workbench or an old counter for you to put your bike on. You can either rest your bike upside down or on its side.
While it’s up to you how you do it, if the bike is upside down, you should take precautions to protect the handlebars.
You only need the bike angled in such a way that the chain is facing upward toward you. This will grant you access to this side of the bike, which is known as the driving side.
Mountain bikes usually have a lot of gears, so make sure yours are adjusted all the way down to the tiniest ring on the driving side. That’s traditionally the outer gear but not always.
The reason you have to adjust the gears is to help the rear mountain bike tire off.
The front tire will come free without any tinkering with the gears, but you will have to loosen any surrounding nuts to get it off. A 15-millimeter wrench will come in handy for this part of the project.
Depending on the placement of your mountain bike’s brake cables, you might have to detach them to get the wheels off. You might also have to move aside the forked slot to free the wheels.
Step 2 – Protect the Mountain Bike Frame
Your mountain bike was an investment, and you’d like to protect your investment if you can.
I’d suggest some frame tape to go around the various areas of your mountain bike frame where the hybrid tires might make contact.
You don’t want to accidentally scuff or scratch up a fresh coat of paint!
Step 3 – Inflate the Hybrid Tires
Now it’s time to prepare your hybrid tires to mount to your bike.
Mountain bike tire pressure is usually between 25 and 45 pounds per square inch of pressure or PSI whereas road bikes use a tire pressure of 70 to 130 PSI.
You don’t want to go nearly that high for hybrid tire pressure. Sticking to a lower range of 40 PSI will help your hybrid tires ride more like mountain bike tires.
Step 4 – Put the Hybrid Tires On
Your hybrid tires are officially ready to go on your mountain bike.
Look for a direction of travel arrow that indicates whether the hybrid bike treads should face forward or backward. If you don’t see an arrow, that means the treads can go either way.
Push the tires one at a time onto the mountain bike wheel frame. You can use your hands to do this.
Once both tires are on the bike, be sure to secure the front tire lug nuts with your wrench or a screwdriver. Readjust the original gear settings on the back tire.
Step 5 – Remove the Frame Tape
Oh, and take off the frame tape from around your mountain bike frame, as you don’t need that anymore either.
What to Expect When Riding a Mountain Bike with Hybrid Tires
Riding a mountain bike on hybrid tires is more in line with what you’re used to but will still be a different experience. That can be both different in a good way and in a bad way.
Let’s go over what to expect now!
Better Speed
Compared to racing tires, you’re not going to pedal as fast on a mountain bike with hybrid tires, but their narrower width than mountain bike tires does lend the hybrid tires a good degree of acceleration.
That’s due to how the tire is both skinnier and more lightweight.
Good Traction
Is the traction you get out of hybrid tires good? Yes, of course, it is. Is it better than what you’d get with a set of mountain bike tires? Now I wouldn’t go that far.
Hybrid tires are always going to be made for several uses, so they’re not as fine-tuned for off-roading as a set of mountain bike tires.
That said, if hybrid tires are all you’ve got, they’re darn near close enough in the traction department. That only applies if you choose hybrid tires with thicker lugs, of course.
Smooth hybrid tires won’t do you a lick of good and will actually make off-roading more dangerous!
Less Risk of a Flat Tire
You’ll recall that hybrid bike tires are equipped with a built-in layer of puncture protection. This high degree of tire safeguarding reduces the risk of popping a flat when you’re cycling along a cliffside or through forested terrain.
Mountain bike tires don’t pop that easily either, but you don’t have those. You have hybrid tires, and they’ll give you great peace of mind.
Better Control
Hybrid tires are adept at handling snowy, dusty, and dirty terrain, especially when you choose an external tread.
When you combine that trait with the lightweight qualities of hybrid tires, you could just find that your control of your mountain bike when cycling is even better than when using traditional mountain bike tires.
Not Necessarily Great for Very Tough Terrain
Are some cliffsides and rocky surfaces okay for hybrid tires? Yes, absolutely. The more complex the mountainous terrain though, the more that hybrid tires can fail.
You might want to scale back the intensity of your mountain biking excursions until you can get mountain bike tires back on your bike.
Can Make Pedaling More Difficult
Hybrid tires come in a variety of sizes. If you go for a wider design than a narrower one, then you could find that you’re forced to expend more effort than usual when pedaling.
This can leave you tired out and not really in the mood to push yourself to the limits like you usually do when mountain biking.
Conclusion
Hybrid tires are an excellent counterpart to mountain bikes as they are designed, at least in part, for mountain bike frames.
You should have no concerns about fitting the tires on the bike, especially since you can buy hybrid tires in the same sizes as mountain bike tires.
Your primary concern when choosing hybrid tires for a mountain bike should be the type of tread. Most hybrid treads are barely-there and aren’t suitable for mountain biking. You need thick, durable, chunky treads for off-roading!
