Best Road Tires For Mountain Bikes

We all know that specific mountain biking tires are not really designed for effective road cycling. They squirm and waste a lot of that energy you really need to be powering you forward- Whether you're racing a short-track event with pavement sections or on your commute to work, you want all your energy for speed.

This article looks at a selection of the best road tires for mountain bikes to help you get to where you want to go, faster and with a beaming smile on your face. (Even if it's just the ride in to work!)

Mountain bikes generally feature knobbly tires which are designed to dig into soft ground for grip. Unfortunately the knobbles on mountain bike tires have a tendency to wear down very quickly and with limited areas of the tire in contact with the ground they increase rolling resistance to make the going much harder.

Alternately it is a consideration to switch to alternate tires known as slick or semi-slick mountain bike tires. These tires appear more reminiscent of a smooth racing bike tire in their almost tread-less format. Semi slick mountain bike tires can offer a happy medium and feature a smoother central tread pattern with additional external tread to allow the tire to function on both road and mild cross country cycling situations such as gravel or hard packed dirt trails. Fitting your mountain bike with road tires makes a huge difference,

If you're looking for a tire to use your mountain bike specifically on the roads it's best to consider a full- slick mountain bike tire.

The best slick mountain bike tires are very similar to their road cycling cousins and are all about speed and road holding. Look for tires that offer good grip on wet roads as well as puncture resistance- particularly if you're looking for a trouble free commute to work

Below are a number of great slick road tires to consider for your MTB for speed and comfort.

If you commute to work or around town on a regular basis and often face wet roads the Michelin Country Rock could be a great option to fit to your MTB.

The tire features an excellent level of puncture resistance to get you where you need to go with minimal fuss. It's lightweight too which helps you get up to speed and maintain it too for a quick ride.

One of the best selling points of the Country Rock is it's performance in wet conditions. The tread sits above the main tire carcass and this allows for grooves to channel away surface water.

Make no mistakes- this tire is designed for speed on roads and gravel surfaces. They offer a fantastic low rolling resistance making them a fantastic fast commuter bike tire for a moderate price. Expect to pay around 20 usd per tire. You can buy cheaper but they won't have the performance features of the Country Rock.

29ers are taking mountain biking by storm. Their wheel size mimics the 700c size as used traditionally on road bikes. Their wheel size is 700C/ISO-622 rims so keep an eye out for these figures when picking out tires.

Many road cycling forums mention the Continental Gatorskin tire in this category. They're a solid option featuring a mesh reinforced sidewall and exceptional puncture protection from a fast and slick bicycle tire. However from experience their performance is poor in damp and wet conditions.

A great alternative for an ultra fast, trouble free ride is the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tire.

The Schwalbe Marathon Supreme is marketed as a touring tire, yet offers so much more potential for mountain bikers hitting the roads. Tough as old boots and ultra fast with exceptional road handling.

If you're looking for mtb tires that perform well on both the roads and additional able to do a job on hard packed dirt roads such as fire roads and canal towpaths. It's best to consider a semi-slick MTB tire.

Not everyone's commute is on smooth tarmac so semi-slick tires are an excellent choice for getting around town unless you're likely to hit some mud!

Sometimes you just need your bike to go somewhere and therefore spending the earth isn't a feasable option.

There a a great selection of semi-slick mountain bike tires available for use on roads and trails for riders on a budget. Expect to pay upwards of 10 dollars for a tire but you'll get to where you need to go much quicker than when using knobbly mountain bike tires.

Here on hubpages we're always looking for your feedback. Have you used any of the tires we've reviewed above? Or do you have another road tire choice on your MTB you would like to rave about?

We'd love to hear from you.

Liam Hallam (CyclingFitness)