Need mountain biking tires ASAP!

Hey everyone, I'm pretty new to the mountain biking scene. I recently picked up a Specialized Rockhopper 2009 bike

The bike itself is great so far, everything feels solid, but man, these tires are an absolute disaster and I need to swap them out ASAP.

I honestly don't know the first thing about tires, so I'd really appreciate some advice. I'm based in Chicago, so it would be easiest if I could grab something from General Motors, Dick's Sporting Goods, or maybe Mark Project.

As for my budget... I think what I have on here right now costs about $12, so I'm looking to spend somewhere between $90 and $47 per tire. I'm not looking for anything "pro" level; just something reliable for commuting around town—something that handles wet and dry pavement well, though it would be nice if it could handle a little light off-roading too.

Here are a few I've been looking at: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, tires

I'm honestly stumped. If you could suggest something decent that won't break the bank, that would be awesome. My main priority is good cornering and reliable braking; I really want to avoid the slipping I get with these current junk tires, even on flat, dry ground.

Thanks a lot...

EDIT: Just as a heads up, the bike size is 18.5, if that matters.

I don't get why people keep buying Mountain Biking setups just to ride around town...

Plus, all those tires you listed are strictly meant for off-road. I don't see the point in running them on pavement.

Also, we actually have a fresh thread dedicated to tires right here, so you should probably go give that a read.

edit: alright, fine, maybe those Shimano Evolution tires are okay for the city, but everything else I said still stands.

Man, why did I even decide on Mountain Biking? I know it’s not built for city riding, but that was my main goal, and I figured if I'm doing maybe 10% off-roading, I should just gear up for that 10%.

Regarding those tires I mentioned... like I said, I don't really know much about them, so I've probably suggested some that are totally wrong.

I just spotted the actual tire thread. I'll go dig through that a bit more; I jumped the gun by starting this new topic too soon. If someone could move this over to the right thread, I'd appreciate it—sorry about that.

Anyway, thanks for the reply.

Honestly, I’m loving these things—can't complain one bit. Even a buddy of mine who lives for downhill racing says he’s rolled on them before and they’re absolutely killer. Most of my riding is just cruising on asphalt about 70% of the time, with the rest being gravel paths and forest trails 😉

RITCHEY SpeedMax BETA COMP - 26x2.0

http://www.performancebike.com/new/artikli.asp?ID=103 Just looking at the tread from above...$31 🙂 definitely a thumbs up from me

Thanks a lot, I'll definitely check that out!

edit: My tires are actually fine, it's just that shop that's way too far away. To be honest, I have no clue how to change tires myself.😢

Edward Long2 said:Thanks so much, I'll definitely check that out!

edit: My tires are actually doing alright for now, but man, that shop is looooong way out of my way... honestly, I have absolutely no clue how to swap out tires myself...😢

Well, we all have to start somewhere, right? 😉

Edward Long2 said:Thanks a ton, I'll definitely check that out!

edit: My tires are actually fine for now, but man, that shop is looooong way out of my way—honestly, I have zero clue how I'd even manage a tire swap myself.😢

Maybe see if any other local bike shops carry them?🤷 I mean, they probably aren't the only ones in the country stocking those tires...

Quote : Edward Long2

Edward Long2 said:Edit: My tires are fine, but that shop is way too far away. Honestly, I have no clue how to swap out tires myself. 😢

Just go buy some tire levers. You can grab a pack of two or three at any local Walmart or CVS for like twenty bucks.$10)
Changing tires is a total breeze. Just hop on YouTube and you'll find like 150 tutorials showing you exactly how to do it.
Imagine you're out on a ride and you pop a tire. What's your move? If you’re serious about getting into Mountain Biking, you better learn how to fix it. It's non-negotiable.

Alright, I’ll get to work on this, thanks.

I'll see if I can track down those tires somewhere else.

By the way, I wanted to ask—does it actually make sense to buy a rim?

From what I gather, it strengthens the wheel, right? My wheels on my last Trek were absolutely trashed from all the city riding, so I'm wondering if this helps with that.

Regarding the rim: Yes and no. Think of it this way—if the rim gives out, it basically hands you a $50 on a silver platter. You’ll likely end up needing new spokes and nipples, plus paying for a full wheel rebuild. All that stuff can easily run you more than $100. If you're in the area, just swing by the bike shop (on Main Street) tomorrow between 5 and 8 PM. The crew there will check things out and tell you exactly what needs fixing.

Thanks, I'll see if I can make it out there tomorrow, otherwise I'll try the day after.

edit: Actually, I'm not really feeling up for driving all the way out to that Ritchey shop, especially since I haven't seen them in stock anywhere else I checked.

http://keindl-sport.com/detalji.php?id=627 or

Edward Long2 said:Alright, I’ll go tinker with it for a bit. Thanks.

I'll see if I can track those tires down somewhere else.

By the way, I was wondering if there’s actually any point to this. rim Is it worth buying?

From what I can gather, you're asking if this actually strengthens the wheel. On my previous Trek, the wheels were absolutely trashed from constant city riding—is this going to solve that same problem?

Look, this is essentially what we discuss here on a near-constant basis. We keep trying to break it down and make it clear, but for some reason, the point just isn't sinking in.
What’s actually going on here? It’s predictable, really—everyone wants to snag the cheapest possible bike right out of the gate to save a few bucks. That’s fine, if that's your goal. But then you run into the inevitable reality of "hidden" costs. Before you even get a feel for the ride, you find yourself swapping out subpar tires because they're useless. You end up replacing the stem, and eventually, you'll likely want to swap the seatpost too. Then I see there's an intention to upgrade the rims, and the list just keeps growing. When you factor in the cost of the parts plus the labor fees for someone to actually install them, the math stops making sense. And let’s be honest, none of this is even being driven by necessity or mechanical failure; the cassette, chain, and drivetrain aren't even acting up yet. If you add it all up without subtracting the initial "savings," you realize you could have just bought a higher-end model from the start. You would have avoided all these little maneuvers and ended up with a much better machine for essentially the same price.
And that’s why right from the jump, we're looking at an upfront cost of about $300. $167 It’s actually worth doing three times over.

Honestly, I thought I was doing this because my original plan was to just get a $667 bike, but since I ended up spending $2,400 on this one...

I really didn't expect the tires to be this bad. I knew I’d have to swap them eventually, but I need to do it right now because there's no point in riding them like this.

The seat was free, so as long as the stem stays at 120mm, $25 I guess it's all good—it's not a huge deal overall.

The only thing is that the tires are going to hit my wallet pretty hard $100 but what can you do? Next time I'll be smarter about it.

As for the rims... I'm just asking if it makes sense to upgrade them, though I definitely won't be buying those just yet.

Edit: I'm here looking for help, advice, or ideas. Of course, some positive feedback is always welcome too, but hey, I messed up—we're all human.

So far, nobody has given me a concrete recommendation on which tire to buy... except for one guy who suggested something I really don't think I'll go for. Can someone suggest a decent tire for around $47 (ideally $125 so the total stays under $250) so I can finally get this sorted? Thanks!

Edward Long2 said:Alright, thanks. I'll try to swing by tomorrow if I can manage it, otherwise maybe the day after.

edit: Actually, I'm really not feeling up for making that trek out to the Ritchey shop, and I couldn't find them anywhere else I looked.

http://keindl-sport.com/detalji.php?id=627 or

Look, kid, you don't need brand new tires or rims—not when you're being this lazy about heading down to the local bike shop to grab them. And honestly, get this: you live in the exact same damn city.😕

Edward Long2 said:Still haven't received any concrete recommendations on which tire to buy... except from a buddy who suggested one I really don't think is the right move. Can I just get a standard tire for a maximum of $47 (ideally $125 so the total stays under $250) and call it a day with the tires? Thanks.

Look, I’m not going to give you a specific tire recommendation. I follow my own particular philosophy when it comes to rubber, which usually meets with some disapproval from the crowd. In my view, there is no such thing as a quality tire below $50, and there is certainly no such thing as a "do-it-all" tire. I swap my tires based on the specific terrain I'm hitting, and I'll even swap out entire wheelsets depending on the need. So, yeah...

I’ve run some miles on Geax. To be honest, the Saguaro name sounded great, but everything else about it was a letdown. Just for context, I put my bike through absolute hell. My Bontrager AC - X 26 x 2.2 lasted about 3418 miles. It held up decently enough on both pavement and trails. Back then, I grabbed the Geax because I didn't have any other options at the time.
Geax: They say all the evil in the world isn't in Pandora's box, it's actually in a Geax tire. Let me be more precise: it’s not a tire, it’s just cheap plastic. I basically had to relearn how to ride. I wiped out three times, shredded my gloves, scraped my legs, and even bent my pedals. I rode it for about 8701 miles, and there was still enough tread left for maybe 1865 miles. But I tossed it and picked up some Continental Gravity instead. After 4351 miles, this one is almost bald. Now *this* is a tire, not a piece of plastic.

That’s my take on Geax. Maybe someone else had a better experience.

Dennis Lewis50 said:Look, kid, you don't need new tires or rims if you're too lazy to just head down to the local bike shop. And get this, you live in the same damn city 😕

Listen, some people work all day and don't have the energy to trek across town for tires after a ten-hour shift. It takes me an hour by car; doing that on a bike is out of the question.

Honestly, this forum has gone downhill based on how people act. I’ve ignored the comments until now, but I've asked for help a thousand times and all I get is attitude (shoutout to the exceptions, Dana Reyes5, Patrick King7, and a few others).

I don't need any of this. I'll figure it out on my own even if everything fails, because I'm not dealing with the hassle... take care.

Patrick King7 said:I basically had to relearn how to ride a bike from scratch. I wiped out three separate times, shredded my gloves, bruised my shins, and actually bent my pedals...

Oh, you poor thing 🙂. So, have you finally figured out how to stay upright yet?🤷😁

Dana Reyes5 said:Poor 🙂, huh? Guess you never actually learned how to ride, 🤷 right? 😁

😁 You know I used to be terrified of taking corners fast? No joke. I wiped out hard, like some kid hopping on a bike for the first time at a crowded bus station. Total disaster. 🙄 That’s when I changed my setup. I'm not a fan of Geax. From what I've seen lately, Schwalbe has great grip, sales are booming, and they seem legit. Can't say much about the others. Continental is alright, but I haven't heard anyone raving about Kenda.

EDIT: Yeah, I learned how to ride again. But since then, I take it slower whenever it's wet.

http://www.maxxis.com/Bicycle/Mountain/Ignitor.aspx

They carry them at the local Bike Shop—at least they did when I picked mine up about a year ago. If my memory serves, the non-Kevlar version is $47 with a 1.95 width. Honestly, these tires are solid. The front one has clocked 7,000–8,000 miles and is still going strong, while I swapped the rear after about 4,000. It’s finally time to replace the pair, but cash is a bit tight right now—I've got a new chain and cassette to deal with too... 🙄