Wide Slick Tyres for MTB (559) 26"

Wide Slick Tyres for MTB (559) 26"

Here is list of wide slick tyres for 559 size (MTB), they are all 2.3" (60mm) or OVER.

Most recently found first!

It is worth noting that the below "official" width measurements are often way off. So when you are buying a 2.5" tyre, it may actually measure at 2.3" or less!

PLEASE LEAVE NOTE OF OTHER TYRES IN COMMENTS IF YOU KNOW OF ANY. PLEASE.

2022 Update 

• Primo Wall Tire 26 x 2.35
• Cordo Zeppelin 26 x 2.35 Balloon Tyre

2020 Update 

• CST Metropolitan Antonov 26" x 2.4"
• GT Smoothie 26" by 2.5"
• Schwalbe Pick Up 26" x 2.35" 
• SURLY EXTRATERRESTRIAL TYRE -  26 x 2.5 - 928g

2019 or Older

• Mafia LAGOS Snakeskin 26" Bike/MTB Tyre - 26 x 2.5
• Schwalbe Crazy Bob - 26 x 2.35
• Cult X Vans 26 Tyre - 26 x 2.3
• S&M Speedball 26" Tyre - 26 x 2.4
• Michelin Pilot Sport 26×2.3 Tyres (Discontinued)
• Try-All 26 x 2.35 (Discontinued)
• Schwalbe Big Apple 26 x 2.35
• Schwalbe Fat Frank 26 x 2.35
• Schwalbe Super Moto X 26 x 2.40
• CST Cyclcops 26 x 2.4
• Duro 26x2.30 Slick Beach Cruiser Mountain Bicycle Tyres
• Duro 26" x 3.0" DB1012 Beach Bum Black Tyres
• 26” x 2.45 BOA-G TYRE
• 2PAK Sunlite Vee Crusher 26"x 3.5"
• Maxxis 26" x 2.5" Hookworm - 1080g
• Hutchinson Low Rider Rigid Tyre 26x2.35 - 1050g
• Kenda Kiniption 26-Inch Wire TyreTyre - 26x2.3 - 840g
•  DMR Supermoto 26-Inch Wire Tyre - Black/Black , 26x2.2
•  Vittoria Booze Light 26-Inch MTB Folding Tyre - Black , 26x2.3
•  Vittoria AKA 26 x2.2
•  Vittoria Tattoo 26 x 2.3
• GT Smoothie 26 x 2.5 

 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

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Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires

My preference for tires is a wide, comfortable,  puncture resistant tire. And the below list reflects that.  . .

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 5 - Marathon Mondial 

These suckers are a little knobbly for an all tarmac / asphalt commute. They do come with "double" defence puncture protection as an option, which will mean you will hardly ever get a puncture. Life span for these tires is very high, and they will likley last for 12,000 kms.

These tires and there predecessor get very good long term reviews.

Marathon Mondial - Good on Tow-paths, Fire Trails and Dirt

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 4 - Marathon

The "classic" marathon tread is available in lots of different sizes, and different grades. For every day value look for the marathon green guard, or for biog spenders there is the marathon deluxe, with double defence puncture protection. Green guard is very good, and I have ridden these for 100's of miles with no punctures.

 Marathon "Green Guard"- Low Rolling resistance and a little tread for the rough stuff.

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 3 - Citizen

These tires can be had very cheaply and although they are not as puncture resistant as the previous two offerings I would not hesitate to buy a pair if you are on a budget.

These come in thinner sizes and so perhaps are not ideal if you are a heavy rider or carry a lot of weight in bags etc.

Citizen - Nearly Slick but not quite, very good value.

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 2 - Energizer

These tires are made to go on e-bikes, and for some reason this discourages people from putting them on normal bikes. In fact they are fine, they come in a pro version and a plus version. Plus as usual means extra puncture protection.

Energizer - E-bike . . . ANY bike.

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 1 - Big Apple (or Fat Frank)

Despite an effective downgrade in the new big apple, they are still a great tire for commuting, you may also wish to consider the Fat Frank. The big apple comes in variety of width sizes, and has "race guard" puncture protection which is the tire's only down side. Which is why you may want to consider Fat franks for the 2.35" size as they are "Kevlar Guard" and in my humble opinion a fair bit more puncture resistant.

If you fancy 26 x 2.15 size. . .  Lucky you, there is a "Plus" option with green guard.

Big Apple - Fat (or Phat) Rolls Lovely and Very Comfy

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Conclusion

Any of the above tires will give you many miles of puncture free commuting, the big apple is such a nice tire to ride on, I am slightly miffed that schwalbe do not offer the 2,35" in a higher spec, but there we are. If you are looking for a 2" (50mm) tire then choose one of the few available with "double defence", as they offer very good puncture resistance with little compromise on performance.

Let me know your thoughts.

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Using a PC Cooling Fan for Ventilation - How To

Using a PC Cooling Fan for Ventilation - Intro

If you are wondering whether you can use a PC Cooling / Case Fan for Ventilation the the answer is YES.

In fact a PC Cooling Fan offer many advantages over the normal domestic offerings:

• Quiter
• 12v System
• Easily Mounted

Using a PC Cooling Fan for Ventilation -  Kit List

So what do you need to set this up?

• A 80mm or 120mm pc cooling fan.
• A power source. 12V DC 1A adaptor.
• Wood screws(40mm)
• Jig Saw
• Screwdriver
• Sandpaper

Optional Extras

• Wall timer
•  Fan speed controller

Using a PC Cooling Fan for Ventilation - How To

A picture tells a thousand words:

PC Fan for Ventilation - Overview of setup.

PC Fan for Ventilation - Use a Molex to 3 Pin Connector to avoid cutting wires.

PC Fan for Ventilation - Check fan for voltage and amps required.

PC Fan for Ventilation - Add a second fan if you require more air.

PC Fan for Ventilation - Use a wall timer to automate the on and off times. 

Using a PC Cooling Fan for Ventilation - Handy Tips

• After cutting the hole, sand the edges to make sure no bit come in to contact with fan blades.
• If you are using a power full fan 0.4A for example buy a fan speed controller, as they can be noisey when running at full speed.
• Arctic Cooling PWM fans can be connected in-line with no splicing required. 
• Avoid cutting fan wires by buy a cheap molex to 3 pin adaptor.

Obviously this system could burn your house down if connected up incorrectly, and any cutting of wires will void any warranties. Do all of the above at your own risk. After all I have just written about what I am doing, it is your choice if you decide to do any of the above.

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Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 26 x 2.15 (55-559) Review

Schwalbe Mondial 26 x 2.15 (55-559) Review - Intro

I mourn the loss of kevlar guard on the 26 x 2.35 big apples, why did schwalbe down grade the puncture protection level on this their most practical of commuter tyres? The new big apple with "race guard" is not as good, and so after 8 puncture in around a years cycling, I have started to look for alternatives.

Marathon Mondial - A wide tyre, shown here with 65mm mud guards.

After much google-alisation I arrived at the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 26 x 2.15, a high end touring tyre, which is wide and has a very high level of puncture protection.

The tread on these Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 26 x 2.15's is more off road-ish than I am used to much I figured I would give them a go after getting some for around £50 for the pair.

Schwalbe Mondial 26 x 2.15 Review - Out of the Box

It important to realise that these mondials come in two flavours, folding and non folding. There is no benefit in buying the non-folding varierty over other marathons, apart from the width. The folding mondials have Schwalbe's premium puncture protection system "double defence" which consists of a high density ceramic fibre guard to protect the tread area, and a strengthened "snake skin" side walls.

The tyres have a reflective strip as is the case with most Schwalbe tyres and are extremely well made.

Marathon Mondial - Side lugs for grip in wetter conditions

Marathon Mondial - Reflective Side Wall

Marathon Mondial - Quality Construction

Schwalbe Mondial 26 x 2.15 Review - Fitting

Easy enough even of wide Mavic EX 325 rims.

Schwalbe Mondial 26 x 2.15 Review - On and Off the Road

Off the road these tyres are very good, although the center blocks could be better connected to provide easier rolling whilst on the road. When pedalling on smooth tarmac up hill, they is significant "squirm" as the tyre does not grip overly well.

Expect hum. This is an off road tyre.

Marathon Mondial - An off-road tyre

Marathon Mondial - Gaps between centre blocks are quite large.

Off road the tyre grips well. On hard packed gravel the tyre comes alive, and I must presume this is what it was designed for.

Run at 5 Bar ( 75 psi) the tyre is fairly unpleasant to ride, although the option to run the tyre at this pressure is handy for load luggers. At 4 Bar (60 psi) the tyre still feels hard, and a drop to 3 Bar (45 psi) results in a good compromise between comfort and rolling resistance.

Schwalbe Mondial 26 x 2.15 Review -Life Span

From what I have read else where they last a very long time.

Pedalling to Nowhere = 12,000 - 16,000 km

Dave McCraw - "Many thousands of Miles"

So a very long time.

Schwalbe Mondial 26 x 2.15 Review - Conclusion

If you are after a fattish tyre with very high levels of puncture protection, and lowish rolling resistance then the Marathon Mondial 26 x 2.15 is a fine choice.

EDIT 2017: Having looked in to rolling resistance, I can confirm that it is high for this tyre. At 26.7W when tested. This compared to the Marathon Almotion at 17.1W.

However, you could cosider the Fat Frank* or Big Apple (or Big Apple Plus) tyres as for the on road commuter use the mondial is still quite knobbly. Kevlar guard has been dropped from the big apple, but the fat frank still has it, these are by next port of call .

If you drop to a 26 x 2.0" tyre size then double defence is available on 2 other tyres, such as marathon deluxe, and marathon dureme, both of which are worthy choices, and more likely to fit within existing mudguards and frames.

Update: 21/09/2015

The Fat Frank is not actually any easier in rolling than these Mondials,the Fat frank is a low grade rubber compound and with kevlar guard is a little more spongy to pedal, infact the Mondial roles better than the Fat Frank.

With hedge trimming season here again and the roads littered with thorns I have reverted to these Mondial tyres having suffered dual simulation punctures in front a rear fat frank tyres, second time around they did not seem too bad at all rolling better to than fat franks. I will be using them through out the winter.

Update 21/09/2017

Again the big apple race guards are succumbing to thorns, and so I have switched back to these. It is like pedalling through treacle!

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Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review

Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review - Intro

My faithful cycle panniers (YakPak)were getting old, and after 15 years of service the bottoms were wearing through. So rather than wait for them to split (spilling potatoes and tinned pineapple all over the place) I decided to replace them.

A good set of rear panniers?

The last piece of bicycle luggage I purchased was a Super C Rack Pack which is very well made, and made in England at that, so I took the plunge and  bought a set of Carradice Super C Rear Panniers.

Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review - First Impressions

Out of the bag, the bags appear heavily made which I was pleased about. There are rivets, and aluminium stiffeners and lots of corrugated plastic stiffening boards through out.  For the hooks / brackets plastic is used which I am pleased about as it is less prone to rattling.

Lots of Metal and Rivets make for a reassuring build.

The fabric its self is a heavy gauge cotton webbing (described as duck canvas). It is said that it is water resistant, but this is not the same a as water proof. You can expect stuff inside these panniers to get wet. But I do not care about that, you can always put stuff in a carrier bag!

very well built - AND MADE IN ENGLAND!

Rivets and stiffening.

MORE Rivets and stiffening.

Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review - Fitting

The Carradice Super C Rear Panniers come with very few parts for fitting. You have to slide the hooks in to the alluminium "rail". The edges of this rail are sharp so be careful. These sharp edges are covered by clip on covers included with the panniers so don't let this put you off.

Ouch - Watch out for sharp edges.

Once installed take the shims (shown below) over to your rack and see which ones fits the most snug around the tubing.

Choose shim to suit rack tube size.

Hooks are chunky . . .which is good.

Bags come with detailed fitting instructions.

You will need to take the bags on and off the bike a few times, so you can slide the hooks backwards and forwards and to centre the bag on the rack.

Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review - In Use

So I have used these for about a fortnight. So no real depth of insight here. The top handle is a bit "floppy" for my liking and might be better mounted next to the hooks. However I guess this would cause a heavily laden pannier to swing inwards when be carried by hand so maybe not.  The top straps can be adjusted to strap on extra stuff.

I suppose I should mention that at 28 litres per pannier these are pretty big bags. They are nearly twice the size of my old bags, most panniers are around the 15 litre mark. The rear pockets are nice and big, and will take useful items such as a 2 litre water bottle, or a jumper, or a water proof top.

Top handle is floppy but very versatile.

The clips for taking the bags on and off the bike are very nice. However, I would like an additional lower clip, as I have noticed a rattle when riding with panniers lightly loaded. However, this is a plastic on metal rattle so not too annoying, and I suspect this could be sorted out with a couple of zip ties. 

Fastening system is a joy to use.

Sew on some hi vis for extra visibility?

Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review - More Pictures

A few pictures not used so far . . . . 

Wide Panniers - But very capacious

Chunky fixings

View from above

Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review - Conclusions

I am very pleased with these Carradice Super C Rear Pannier, they look like they will last longer than me. My only negative point is the rattly lower fixing clip, but as I said I can fix that, with some padding or zip ties.

The build quality is as high as I have seen, and I will no doubt be buying Carradice again in the future for any other bike that needs panniers.

The panniers are large, easily fitted, very well built, and well worth the outlay.

I have also read about the panniers on Tom's Bike Trip, where he has used them for some fairly extreme touring, so they should handle a trip to the shops twice a week!

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Husqvarna 545 Chainsaw Review

Husqvarna 545 Chainsaw Review - Intro

I am a fire wood chopping home owner and I have happily used by old 2nd hand Husqvarna 136 for 2 years worth of log chopping, unfortunately it developed a fault (chain moves at idle), and before I could fix it I had already (whoops) bought a new chainsaw.

First Impressions?

Moving from bottom of the range home-owner saw, to a bottom of the range pro saw is a big move. This combined with the saw being newer and a more modern design, well they are worlds apart.

Husqvarna 545 Chainsaw Review - What is in the Box?

The saw turns up partly assembled. You will need to fit the bar and chain. By box as shipping / posted also contained:

• Tube of Grease
• Allen Key / Socket Spanner Tool
• Flat Blade Screwdriver / Socket Spanner Tool (Scrench)
• Grease Gun (!)
• Saw Blade Cover / Sheath
• Instruction Book
• Cold Weather Attachment

Husqvarna 545 Chainsaw Review - First Impressions

The Husqvarna 545 is the cheapest Husqvarna saw you can buy (I think) that is made in Sweden. No doubt all the parts are made in china, but the saw feels good qaulity. The crank case is made of metal, rather than plastic, and the fit of the parts to each other is very very neat.

Four muffler bolts - Seems very secure.

The saw is heavier than my old saw, but I expected this. At 5kg it is only 10% heavier (1 lb) than my old saw yet has 50% more power. Which seems like a good trade.

The workman ship is very good, the machining around the bar oil plug being very neat.

Been on a diet?

It is a thin saw side to side, this has been done intentionally. Not sure why.

The feel of the Husqvarna 545 is reassuring, with most of the componenets being built very solidly. The fold up handles on the filler caps are a nice touch, and seem to be tough depsite their being quite thinly made.The front handle is metal with a rubbery plastic grip. The rear handle is plastic with rubberised areas on the the upper sides.

Flip Up Handles on Fuel and Oil Bungs are Handy

And very neat when folded away!

The muffler is attached via 4 bolt on to the front of the Husqvarna 545. The chain brake hand guard is neatly designed and comes down to meet the cylinder cover.

Underneath the cylinder cover you will find  a plastic mesh type air filter, and NO adjustment screws on the carburettor. This is because this chainsaw has AutoTune.

Husqvarna 545 Chainsaw Review - AutoTune

 

Autotune is a feature that adjusts the idle, low jet and high jet setting on the carburettor automatically.

Look - No Adjustment Screws

AutoTune was a big selling point for me. I like the thought of not being able to damage a chain saw for mis-adjustment of the carburettor. Perhaps I should have more faith in myself. When first using the chainsaw I found a big chunky log and followed the below instructions:

The following steps should be taken when the chain saw is started for the first time or when outside circumstances change (fuel, altitude, air filter etc.): Start the engine. Accelerate the engine to full throttle and saw a number of cuts in a thick log (3-5 min.).The chain saw must be run (8,000 - 12,000 rpm) the entire time so that the carburettor can adjust itself.

These instructions are fairly basic, and I suspect even if you are chopping fire wood you can find some way of doing this so it is not a waste of effort. If you are working thinning out thin trees though it may prove tricky.

When cutting in to the big log for the first time, you could hear the chainsaw adjusting it self, 4 cycling and then not and then 4 cycling again until . .  . perfection.

Husqvarna 545 Chainsaw Review - Performance

WOW. I am comparing this to my old 136 but the 545 is very powerful, at full revs the saw cuts very smoothly. The tone of the engine is very steady. The pick up i.e. the acceleration of the chain is very impressive. The chainsaw came supplied with a 15" bar, which is a little short (18" would be better as standard Husqvarana) and as you would expect you can bury the entire length of this in the wood with little loss in revs.

I had to tension the new chain 3 or 4 times through the first hour of use, and the hot starts were faultless. There is a procedure to follow (turn the choke on and off before starting), but the saw will start without doing this if the stop period is brief.

Combined Stop and Choke Switch

Note. On following the hot start procedure the chainsaw will rev up quite considerably saw be sure to engage the chain brake.

Husqvarna 545 Chainsaw Review - Price

This saw costs around the same as a Husqvarna 455 Rancher, which is now also available with autotune. On many websites the 545 is cheaper than the 455, yet is has one or two features which  push it up in to the bottom of the pro saw catergory.

545 under the hood

I paid £457 (inc VAT) for my chainsaw. A 455 is £500 perhaps people are distracted by the 55cc displacement of the 455, despite this 10% extra cylinder capacity it has only 2% extra power.

The next step up for a 550xp (which is basically the same chainsaw), expect to pay around £530.

For the Stihl equivalent with M-Tronic  (AutoTune alternative) can be had MS261- M for around the same price if you find a good deal.

Husqvarna 545 Chainsaw Review -Conclusions

I agonised over this decision for some time, there are a lot of choices out there. I paid £450 for this chainsaw, and I hope it will last for 10 years. Until it has lasted that long I will not have released its value.

For a weekly user such as myself perhaps a £260 Dolamr or Makitta might have been  better choice. A Husqvarna 236 can be had for £160. Perhaps this would have been better value, time will tell

That being said the 545 is a joy to use. It is easy to start and will run for 45 minutes on 1 tank of fuel. I love it, although as with any chainsaw it scares the living $h1T out of me!

Please leave a comment.

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Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle

Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle - Intro 

I have an 10 year old husqvarna chainsaw with a chain that keeps moving at idle, I used to apply the chain brake to stop the chain when not using the saw, but the problem has got steadily worse and now the clutch overheats so I had to try and fix it.

Trying to fix this chain moving at idle problem has lead me on a journey of discovery which I will now share with you in the hope it may help you fix the same sort of problem.

Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle - 2 Causes

I may be wrong but there are 2 basic reasons why your chain might move at idle:

1. A faulty clucth (or something else) is engaged and is causing the chain to spin.
2. The clutch is OK but the saw is revving too high and so the clutch engages (as it should) at higher revs.

"Clutch" Based Reasons (1)

Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle - FIX A - Faulty Clutch

The spring on the centrafugal clutch may have become weak over time, and now when the RPM is correct (sat around 2800 RPM), the clutch engaes and the the chain moves.

Either replace you clutch, clutch spring, or tighten the spring.

There could be lots of sawdust or wood chips stuck in the clutch, if so get rid of this.

Further reading.

Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle - FIX B - Seized Sprocket Bearings

While you are inspecting the clutch springs it is worth taking a look at the sprocket bearings, they may have overheated and seized. The clutch drum (and sprocket) should rotate freely on the crankshaft. 

Further reading

"Rev" Based Reasons (2)

I am no expert on carburettors please read this guide before following any of the below suggestions.

Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle - FIX C - Adjust Idle Speed

on the carburettor there are 3 screws a low jet screw, high jet screws and a "T" screw. This T screw is for setting the idle. Turn it out (anticlockwise) to lower the idle speed, until the chain stops spinning. If the saw stalls before the chain stops spinning or this does not lower the revs enough to stop the chain moving, then it is likely you will have to adjust the carburettor.  

Further reading.

Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle - FIX D - Adjust Low Jet

Turn out the low jet screw, this will richen the mixture and make the chain speed slow down. I think that adjusting this screw affects the setting of the high jet. But if you are just adjusting a small amount, perhaps leave the high jet screw alone, if this is set over lean it can damage the engine. Make adjustments very small and take not of which way you are adjusting them, so you can put them back how they were is the adjustments do not improve things.

Further reading.

Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle - FIX E - Your May have an Air Leak

If the saw is running at high revs with the idle screw out and the low mixture set over rich then it is likley you have an air leak.

Put simply the engine requires air and fuel to run, the mix is controlled by the carburettor. If extra air gets in from else where then this will cuase an over lean mixture and the saw to run at higher revs.

Air leaks can come from

1. Seals - Port Seal, Impulse Seal, Cranks Seals
2. Cracks - In Cylinder Block
3. Loose Nuts - on carburettor mounting etc.

I had no special machinery so I improvised in the following manner.

You will need a bicycle inner tube, and a bicycle pump.

Cut some piece of inner tube to fit behind the carburettor and the carburettor mount. Fit these is place to seal the port.

Refit the spark plug.

Cut the valve from the inner tube together with a patch big enough to fit behind the exhaust port. As pictured below: fit behind the muffler and re-attach.

 

Very carefully now use a pump to very gently blow a littl e air in the the seal chamber. Ensure that the piston head is down low, or up high ( you need to try both up and down I think) and not blocking the ports.

Listen for air hissing out, with a wet hand you may be able to feel the air escaping from behind a seal. Spray the outside of the sealed area with lashings on bubbly liquid, this could be kids bubble bath, or washing up liquid.

The picture above shows some bubble coming out of the crank seal. The man cuase of the air leak on my saw was a completely trashed impulse seal. Pictured below.

Further viewing (video below).

Chainsaw Chain Keeps Moving at Idle - Conclusions

So I hope you can see from the above that there are many reasons why your saws chain may be moving at idle. And hopefully using the baove information you can fix your saw, and get back out in the woods.

Disclaimer:

I am not an expert and this is my first foray in to the world of small engines so please read this guide at your own risk. My saw is worth about £50 / $90, and worth nothing broken, so I had nothing to loose here. If your saw is worth a lot of money then please read up on the each fix before attempting it. Chainsaws are really really dangerous obviously, and despite trying to fix this saw I have in the mean time bought a new one, because I value my legs and other limbs, and want a saw that is safe to use because they are inherently dangerous anyway. Perhaps consider doing the same your self.

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