Can You Put Road Tires on a Mountain Bike?
Mountain bikes are great for facing dangerous terrain, as their sturdy build and robust tires make them optimal for extreme conditions. However, what happens when you install road tires? Can you even put road tires on a mountain bike?
You can put road tires on a mountain bike. However, you need to consider several factors before doing so, such as the size of the tires and the bike’s design. Furthermore, you may need to make other adjustments to accommodate the new tires on yout mountain bike.
In this article, I will cover all you need to know about road tires and mountain bike tires and the factors you need to consider before swapping out your mountain bike tires. I will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of road tires on a mountain bike and how to make the switch. Read on to learn more!
About Road Bike Tires
Bikers know road tires for their speed and endurance. As long as you ride on paved roads, a bike with road tires can go as fast and as far as you want.
Road tires are compact tires that work to keep the frame, wheels, and rider’s body as sleek as possible during rides. This aerodynamic feature reduces drag and enables higher speeds.
These tires also have supple carcasses and high thread counts that go up to 60 TPI (threads per inch) or more. These features absorb impacts and allow the biker to enjoy the ride while protecting the tires against punctures.
The most premium tires are as supple as they come. You can even compare their smoothness to that of leather gloves. Furthermore, they last longer than more affordable options regarding age and traveling distance.
The best road bike tires have a high single-ply thread account with 60 TPI or above. Furthermore, they should have reinforced sidewalls. You can opt for Kevlar beads for added protection against punctures, but keep in mind that they are quite pricey.
Road tires are quite narrow and allow for higher tire pressure. Regular road bike owners tend to inflate their tires to between 90-130 PSI (pounds per square inch). However, professional cyclists might inflate their tires to as high as 160 PSI.
Types of Road Bike Tires
There are three types of road tires, and they include:
- Clincher tires. Clinchers clinch to the bike’s rim and require inner tubes to hold air and keep them firm.
- Tubular Tires. You can also call tubulars “sew-ups.” Manufacturers stitch these tires around the inner tubes to form a torus.
- Tubeless Tires. Tubeless tires are similar to car tires because they do not require inner tubes to hold air. Instead, they fit directly against the rim.
Road Bike Tire Materials
Companies typically make inner tubes using latex or butyl rubber. Butyl tubes are optimal for everyday use because they are quite robust. On the other hand, latex tubes work best for racing because of their light weight.
Unfortunately, latex is more porous than butyl. Therefore, air escapes quicker from latex inner tubes than from butyl rubber tubes. Hence, if you have latex inner tubes on your bike, you should check the tire pressure before every ride. If the levels are low, top your tires with air before you start riding.
About Mountain Bike Tires
Mountain bike (MTB) tires are optimal for extreme conditions. This is why riders use mountain bikes for dangerous terrain and weather.
Mountain bike tires are hefty and can deliver maximum grip, resist penetration, and absorb shocks.
The best mountain bike tires should have low TPI and a Kevlar belt. These tires give you the best of both worlds because they are affordable and durable.
These tires should also balance quick braking, good grip, and minimal rolling resistance. With all these in place, you should be able to ride as you please, knowing that the tires won’t disappoint you.
Mountain bike tires are also wide and have low pressure. Most mountain bikers pump their tires to about 30-50 PSI; some might even go lower. Some riders might pump their tires up to 50-70 PSI on a hybrid bike.
Unlike road tires, MTB tires come in various shapes and sizes. With these tires, you pick the diameter based on rim size and the width based on bike use.
What Difference Do Road Tires Make on Your Mountain Bike?
Besides an increase in speed, there are cases where road tires make cycling easier. Riding on cement and flat surfaces would be considerably easier when you swap your mountain bike tires for road tires. With these tires, you can roll over cement and flat surfaces faster, and riding quicker will be more comfortable.
Sometimes, mountain bikers carry a pair of road tires when they travel. They do this to swap out their tires when riding around a town and not on a trail.
Riding in a residential area using mountain bike tires is less than optimal. If you choose to do so, you will notice that the wheels move slower and cannot grip onto the asphalt as you ride. However, you won’t notice any of these with road tires.
Benefits of Road Tires on a Mountain Bike
There are several benefits of installing road tires on your mountain bike, and here they are.
Speed
Road tires also play a vital role in making your bike move faster. This is because the high pressure, small contact patch, and low rolling resistance work to increase the speed of your bike.
They are also faster because the tires are slimmer, which makes them move quicker on smooth surfaces. Furthermore, they are considerably lighter than MTB tires. The difference in speed is noticeable, and once you start riding, you will see that you get extra speed for less work.
Less Noise
Mountain bike tires tend to be quite noisy on the road, as they are built to handle the rough and uneven terrains found in mountains. If you find the humming sound of mountain bike tires annoying, changing to road tires can help reduce this noise significantly.
Easier To Turn
Road tires are smaller and lighter than most tires. Therefore, they make turning your wheel easier, and you do not need much effort to ride your bike. Most people opt for road tires not because of their speed but because they require less effort to operate.
The best times to use these tires are during steep climbs. They lack rolling resistances and are light, which means you use much less energy.
Less Wear
Road bike tires generally last longer and require less maintenance than MTB tires. This is because manufacturers make them using a thicker compound. Therefore, they can go for longer distances before you have to maintain them.
More Affordable
Road bikes come with more variety at cheaper costs. This gives you a lot of options to choose from. However, you cannot get this from MTB tires. These tires tend to have steep prices.
You might be able to find deals on MTB tires, but they will still cost a pretty penny. Ultimately, you will spend more on a budget MTB tire than you would on a budget road tire.
Disadvantages of Road Bike Tires on a Mountain Bike
Despite its numerous benefits, there are also some drawbacks to having road tires on your MTB. Here are some of those drawbacks.
No Off-Road Ventures
People primarily use mountain bikes for rough and off-road terrain. Therefore, when you install road tires on them, you cannot ride off-road without feeling high levels of discomfort. Furthermore, there will be less absorption. Hence, you will feel every bump and rock you ride over.
Seeing as road tires are narrow, mountain biking becomes more challenging. This is because wider tires help you navigate and control your bike on dangerous terrains, even through potholes. They can even protect your wheels when you hit something at high velocity. These are things narrow tires cannot do.
Odd Look
A mountain bike frame leaves room for larger tires. Therefore, when you install narrower road tires on your mountain bike, it’s going to look strange. You might even receive comments from other cyclists about it. Narrower tires look better on road bikes, but if you do not mind what your bike looks like, you can opt for swapping out the wheels.
Discomfort
Larger tires are not only good for withstanding off-road terrain, but they also provide you with more comfort. Larger tires tend to have lower pressures, meaning they have more bounce. This bounce allows you to roll over obstacles instead of bouncing off them. However, road tires do not have this ability. Therefore, the ride becomes more uncomfortable.
The Wheels Work Harder
When you replace your larger tires with smaller ones, there is more pressure on your wheels. This is because road tires are quite solid, so stress transfers to the wheels. You might not notice the effects on your wheel immediately, but eventually, you will notice that you need to replace the spokes or true the wheel more often than before.
How To Increase the Speed of Your Mountain Bike
You do not need to change your mountain bike tires to road tires to increase your speed. Here are some ways to improve your mountain bike speed.
- Lockout suspension. Locking out your suspension is a great way to gain more speed. The full suspension on your bike is fantastic for absorbing drops, rocks, and other obstacles. However, the same movement can absorb some of the stroke power in your pedals. Therefore, locking out the suspension would stop the absorption, leaving your pedal stroke power at optimal levels.
- Inflate tire pressure. As mentioned earlier, a tire’s pressure is important to its speed. Therefore, one way to boost your speed is to increase your tire pressure. You should be able to put about 50 psi in your mountain bike tires without any drawbacks. That said, increasing the pressure to this level will decrease traction off-road. Hence, be careful when you do this.
Factors To Consider Before You Install Road Tires
If replacing the tires on your mountain bike with road tires is still something you want, there are things you need to consider. Here are some of those factors:
Quality of Ride
Road tires come with a pressure level of 50 psi and above, whereas trail tires come with 35 psi and below. While being slower, trail tires are safer and more comfortable when riding. On the other hand, road tires make riding a bit aggressive. However, you can replace your trail tires if you don’t mind a little harsh riding.
Traction
Road tires generally come with small knobs with a smooth center. This feature leads to a decreased rolling resistance. Furthermore, this feature and the higher pressure in road tires lead to a smaller contact patch. Ultimately, the reduced rolling resistance and smaller contact patch result in less traction.
The Suspension
Your MTB is durable and can withstand impact from rough terrain. This durability comes from the suspension. Therefore, you do not need this suspension when riding on asphalt roads. If your suspension has a lockout, you can easily adjust it.
You can increase your suspension’s air pressure if your bike does not have a lockout. This should stiffen the suspension. Doing this reduces bobbing that comes from climbing, standing, pedaling, and sprinting. You can opt for a rigid fork for a more permanent solution.
Size of Wheels
The first thing you need to do is ensure the road tires can properly fit onto your wheel. As mentioned, mountain bike tires are usually thick. Hence, ensure the new tires are at least 1.5 inches wide to fit onto the wheels.
Furthermore, consider the diameter of the wheel. They have to be the same as well. It would be best if you double-check these dimensions to ensure you do not buy a pair of tires that your wheels cannot accommodate.
If it helps, you can purchase a different pair of wheels for the road tires. However, keep in mind that you would need to change them when you want to install your mountain bike tires.
Height of Handlebar
After swapping out your tires, you should adjust your handlebar height. You might use a mountain bike, but you can alter its configuration to fit road cycling. It would be best if you lowered your handlebar to make your bike more accommodating for road cycling. Road bikes tend to have lower handlebars because it makes riding smoother.
How To Put Road Tires on a Mountain Bike
It is quite easy to take off mountain bike tires and replace them with road tires. Here is a step-by-step guide on removing your current bike tires and installing the new road tires.
How To Take Off the Tires
- Flip the bike over, and ensure the wheels are facing up.
- Switch to the tiniest gear possible.
- Remove the quick release located at the center of each wheel (If your bike has one). If your bike does not have this feature, simply unscrew.
- If required, use a wrench to loosen the nuts.
- If needed, remove the brake cables.
- Take out the wheels from the frame and completely deflate them.
- Press the tires towards the rim’s center to break the bead from the rim.
- Remove the tires from each wheel.
Here’s a YouTube video that should help you remove the mountain bike tires
How To Install Tubeless Road Tires
- Attach the road tires to the wheels ensuring they are secure.
- Inflate the tires to a suitable pressure level.
- Add sealants to the tires using the valve core.
- Inflate the tires a second time.
- Roll the wheels or shake them to ensure you distribute the sealants evenly.
- Put the wheels back into the frame.
- Reattach the brake cables if needed.
- Tighten the nuts if needed.
- Tighten the quick-release lever on each wheel.
- You are good to go.
If you need a visual guide on how to install tubeless road tires, here is a YouTube video that can help:
Is Putting Road Tires on a Mountain Bike Worth It?
Deciding whether to put road tires on your mountain bike or not depends on what you plan to use the bike for.
Maybe you bought the bike to ride in nature frequently, but as luck would have it, you never got the chance to. Now, you want to use the bike for errands or exercise around your residential area.
In a case like this, swapping out your MTB tires with road tires is a great idea. However, sticking to your MTB tires might be the best way to go if you get the chance to ride off-road. If you plan on traveling with your bike, you can have both pairs handy and swap accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Installing road tires on your mountain bike is possible. In fact, you can do it with ease. However, there are several factors to consider, including the advantages and disadvantages of switching tires.
If you fully understand all that changing tires entails, then, by all means, make the change. Hopefully, this article can help you make the right decision.
