Can You Put Mountain Bike Tires on a Cruiser Bike?
Although they’re known as beach cruisers, you can take a cruiser to all sorts of places when riding recreationally. Well, maybe not off-roading, but you’d like to change that. Can you slap a pair of mountain bike tires on a cruiser bike?
If there’s enough fork and frame clearance on your bike and if the tires and rims are compatible, then you can install mountain bike tires on a cruiser bike. Your new tires will have better grip for off-roading but won’t ride as well on asphalt as cruiser bike tires.
I’m sure you have a lot of questions about installing mountain bike tires on a cruiser bike, and I’m here to answer them all. Make sure you keep reading for lots of great advice and information so you can outfit your cruiser bike with a nice new set of tires.
How Are Cruiser Tires and Mountain Bike Tires Different?
I know that at first glance, exchanging cruiser bike tires for mountain bike tires sounds like an odd proposition since these bikes are as different as can be, but it can work (as I’ll talk about).
Before I get into that, I want to go over the tire differences between mountain bikes and cruiser bikes.
Tire Width
There’s a reason that cruiser bikes are nicknamed balloon bikes. These bikes are equipped with fatter balloon tires that are at least two inches wide and can be up to 4.7 inches wide.
Mountain bike tires don’t have nearly the same width. The narrowest mountain bike tires are 1.5 inches. Tires that are considered wider are between 2.25 and 2.5 inches, which is about the same size as the narrowest cruiser tire.
The reason that cruiser tires are so wide is that a balloon bike is designed to be ridden slowly. Mountain bikes, by comparison, are built for heavy-duty off-roading, so the narrower tires are a better fit.
Tire Pressure
The level of pressure between one tire type and another is quite the difference-maker.
For the same reason that balloon bike tires are wide, a cruiser bike won’t feature a lot of tire pressure either. This enhances the smoothness of your ride on hard surfaces like asphalt.
Mountain bikes will have a higher degree of tire pressure compared to cruiser bikes, making them feel firmer.
Beginner-Friendly Status
Cruiser tires–and by extension, cruiser bikes–are made for beginners. These bikes are easy to hop on and ride, and the tires support a leisurely, relaxing, enjoyable experience.
Mountain biking is enjoyable, don’t get me wrong, but I wouldn’t exactly go so far as to call it relaxing or leisurely, would you?
That makes mountain bike tires and mountain bikes themselves far less beginner-friendly.
Treads
I saved what is one of the biggest differences between mountain bike and cruiser bike tires for last, and that’s the level of tread.
Cruiser bike tires have almost no tread. The lower inflation level and thickness of the tires allow them to roll smoothly over sand and asphalt alike, but these tires are in no way suitable for riding on harder terrain like rocks.
Mountain bike tires have a knobby, grippy tread that latches onto hard terrain. The geometrically-shaped treads improve traction as well when riding across mud, rocks, roads, roots, and sand.
Can You Put Mountain Bike Tires on a Cruiser Bike? How to Ensure a Good Fit
So now it’s time for the million-dollar question. Can you outfit a cruiser bike with mountain bike tires?
As I touched on in the intro, the answer is usually yes, but it depends on a couple of factors. Let’s take a closer look now.
Fork and Frame Clearance
How big are the fork and frame of your cruiser bike? More than likely, since your bike can accommodate larger tires such as balloon tires, slotting in mountain bike tires in their place should be easy.
That said, it all depends on the clearance available to you. Cruiser bikes come in enough unique sizes that depending on yours, you might have just enough clearance, more than enough, or perhaps not enough.
If you have enough clearance or even more than you need, then you’re free to put mountain bike tires on your cruiser bike. I’ll tell you how that’s done in the next section, so make sure you don’t miss that.
If you’re not sure if the degree of clearance is enough, then measure the width of your current balloon tires using a ruler or caliper and then buy mountain bike tires in that size.
This way, adequate clearance should not be an issue.
Rim Compatibility
Next, you have to confirm whether the rims on your cruiser bike are sizable enough for mountain bike tires.
Is this usually an issue? No. Remember, cruiser bike tires are fatter than the norm, and that means the rims will be larger as well.
The rims should be able to fit most mountain bike tire sizes with no problem, but it always depends.
Not all cruiser bikes are built equally, after all. Some have begun leaning more toward a hybrid style to increase the range of uses for a cruiser bike beyond everyday leisurely rides.
Okay, you’re probably thinking. No problem. You already know that you can put mountain bike tires on a hybrid bike because you saw my post on the blog.
True, you can, but a hybrid bike and a cruiser bike with a hybrid style are not identical. The cruiser bike will have narrower wheels compared to a standard cruiser, and that’s where the issue with fitting mountain bike tires lies.
So how can you be sure your mountain bike tires will fit a cruiser bike whether yours is a traditional cruiser or a hybrid-style cruiser?
All you have to do is look at the indications on the rim. There, you should see the smallest tire width the hybrid wheels can support.
What if you can’t find the information or it was there but it’s very faded or hard to read? Well, you have a few options.
For one, you can research your tires online and see if you can track down the information you seek.
If that doesn’t work, then you can always visit your local bike shop and pick the brains of the staff there.
Tire Size
There’s no one more consideration to keep in mind before you put mountain bike tires on a cruiser bike, and that’s tire size.
Cruiser bikes use smaller tires than mountain bikes, 26 inches versus at least 27 inches but sometimes up to 29 inches.
Remember, it’s only the width of balloon tires that is greater.
You can still find plenty of mountain bike tires that are 26 inches because that was the old standard size, but anything bigger than 26 inches will not work.
How to Put Mountain Bike Tires on a Cruiser Bike
You took some measurements and deduced that your cruiser bike should be compatible with mountain bike tires. You even have a set of 26-inch tires that should fit your cruiser bike perfectly.
Now you’re ready to put them on, but how exactly do you do that? It’s simple when you follow these handy steps.
Step 1 – Remove the Cruiser Bike Tires
Your cruiser bike already has balloon tires, but you don’t want them anymore, so you need to take them off.
You’ll need to grab your cruiser bike and bring it to your workbench or even an unused counter. Lay the bike down on its side or put it upside down, but either way, take care not to damage the handlebars.
How easily the rear tire will come off depends on whether your cruiser bike has a complex gear selection or only a basic series of gears, which is more the case for those cruiser bikes that are designed exclusively for leisure.
Adjust the gears so the smallest ring is activated. This ring should be located near the outer gear. This will help loosen up the rear wheel for removal.
Cruiser bikes don’t typically have a quick-release lever, but just in case yours does, let me explain how you use the lever to take off the rear wheel. Simply loosen the lever all the way by spinning it 180 degrees using a wrench.
You’ll also need a wrench for unscrewing any nuts holding the front wheel into place.
Once the tires are freed, you can lift them off the frame and hold onto them for another time.
Step 2 – Put Frame Tape on the Cruiser Bike Frame
Your cruiser bike is a nice vehicle, and you’d like to keep it looking nice.
Mountain biking is a rough-and-tumble activity, so it doesn’t hurt to enwrap your cruiser bike frame with frame tape to ensure it doesn’t get dinged or scratched up during the bike’s stint as a mountain bike.
Step 3 – Inflate the Mountain Bike Tires
The average pounds per square inch of pressure or PSI for mountain bike tires is between 22 and 35 PSI. The rear tire should have a modicum more air pressure than the front tire, but nothing lopsided or you’ll feel it when you ride.
If your mountain bike tires aren’t already inflated, now is the time to do it. I’d suggest measuring the size of the tires once fully inflated to ensure they will fit onto the fork and frame of your cruiser bike.
Step 4 – Install the Mountain Bike Tires
Take one of the two mountain bike tires and look for an arrow and the words REAR or FRONT.
If the wheel says REAR, then that tire goes on the back of the cruiser bike, and the tire that says FRONT goes on the front.
The direction of the arrow should be facing forward to ensure the treads are facing the correct direction. This will maximize your traction when riding.
Insert the tire one at a time onto the cruiser bike frame, and then screw the nuts you detached before back into place using your wrench.
Be sure to re-rotate the quick-release lever if your cruiser bike has one. Just rotate it in the opposite direction as you did before until you feel it begin to tighten up again.
Step 5 – Test the Wheels
Give the mountain bike tire a spin. Does it rotate all the way around the cruiser bike frame, or does it get stuck?
If it’s stuck, then you need to size down, deflate the pressure a little, or re-take your measurements, because something isn’t panning out as it should.
Step 6 – Change Out the Brakes
Most mountain bikes on the market today are equipped with disc brakes. Cruiser bikes use disc brakes too, but only the newer models. If yours is an older cruiser, it might come with rim or coaster brakes instead.
I would recommend changing out those brakes for a set of disc brakes. This will make it easier to ride your cruiser bike with mountain bike tires. Even if you ever choose to go back to regular cruiser tires, the disc brakes are still a better pick.
What to Expect When Riding a Cruiser Bike with Mountain Bike Tires
Okay, so your mountain bike tires are on your cruiser bike and you’re truly excited to begin pedaling around. You’re expecting a different kind of riding experience, but exactly what will it be like?
Here’s what you need to know.
Not Great Grip on Asphalt
Mountain bike tires, unlike cruiser tires, aren’t formulated for asphalt and sidewalks quite so well.
You can still ride on these hard surfaces, but the treads of mountain bike tires are trying to grip, and they can’t grip into the street like that.
You might feel a little more unsteady on your bike than you often do because of the reduced grip. Ride slower to compensate so you don’t accidentally fall off your bike.
Better Grip When Off-Roading
The real area where mountain bike tires shine, of course, is off-roading.
As you venture off the beaten path, you’ll realize how exciting it can be to forge your own direction.
Of course, you might get some strange looks, as yours is a cruiser bike and not a mountain bike, but who cares? You’re riding with all the freedom that you would with a typical mountain bike.
More Stability
Here’s the thing about cruiser bikes. They’re not exactly the most stable cycling option you could select from.
Mountain bikes are a lot stabler by comparison. By installing mountain bike tires on a cruiser bike, you can increase your stability to a degree.
Conclusion
Mountain bike tires aren’t only for that style of bike anymore! Cruiser bikes are also compatible with mountain bike tires in many scenarios. You can finally take your cruiser bike off-roading, which is awesome.
Keep in mind that you’ll have reduced grip when riding a cruiser bike with mountain bike tires on asphalt and other hard surfaces like sidewalks. That can take some getting used to considering those are the exact surfaces that cruiser bikes are made for.
Stay safe out there!
