When you’re riding, your tires are your main point of contact with the road (and really, until you put the kickstand down, you hope they’re your only point of contact with the road). The kind of tires you decide to use will significantly impact your ride, so it’s important to have something on your bike that fits your use case and preferences.
When it comes to tires, there are three dimensions to be concerned about – circumference, width, and thickness. Circumference will be dictated by your wheel size; if you have a 26” wheel, you need a 26” tire. Any bigger or smaller and it simply won’t fit. Montague mountain bikes come equipped with 26” or 27.5″ tires, and pavement bikes with 700c. Both are standard sizes that can be found at any bike shop.
Wide?
Tire width is also, to an extent, dictated by your wheels, but you have some flexibility to choose within the compatible range.
Mountain Bikes
If you’re riding a mountain bike, your frame likely has a bit more clearance around the tires than a road frame, allowing use of a tire that’s wider than the stock setup. You can measure the space between your tires to the nearest parts of the frame to get an idea of the maximum size but you should leave about 1/4″ (approximately 6mm) at minimum.
You can typically go narrower as well – to a point. The minimum width is dictated by the width of your rims. Your tires must be at least as wide or wider than the rims, so if you’re riding on 32mm rims, your tire should be wider than 32mm. Too narrow and it won’t seat properly or even lead to lots of pinch flats.
However, if you feel like your fat knobby tires are slowing you up, skinnier might not be the only answer. Consider getting semi-slick (less knobby) tires, which come in a variety of widths. It’s an easy way to reduce rolling resitance and speed up your ride.
Road Bikes
If you’re on a road bike with standard road wheels, the rims will likely support anything from a 21 or 23mm tire on up – but make sure that the tires aren’t so wide that they might rub the brake calipers or frame. Montague pavement bikes come with tires that range in width from 28mm to 38mm. Depending on the model, they can usually support tires that are 4 – 7mm wider than the originals but be sure to take a measurement to confirm, or consult with your local bike shop. Disc brake equipped bikes like the Montague Navigator or FIT aren’t restricted by the brake caliper, so they have a bit more clearance. If you’re concerned about fitting wider tires on your bike, take it down to your local shop and see what they recommend.
Knobby or Slick?
If you’re going to be riding mostly on the road, a slick tire is going to provide the least rolling resistance and the smoothest ride. If you want more cushioning, go as wide as you can, but stay with slick or semi-slick – unless you’re riding off-road, knobby tires are just going to add rolling resistance and slow you up. In the winter, you might consider switching to knobbier (or even studded) tires for better traction on ice and snow. Even if you’re on a bike with tight clearances, you can still get knobby tires at narrow widths – try looking at cyclocross tires, which have more tread than your standard 700C road tire.
How Thick?
For most every day riding (really, unless you’re racing) thicker is generally better, because nobody likes a flat tire (if you’ve got one, learn how to patch a tube here). Proper inflation is an important factor too, but if you’re riding over road debris or gravel or prickers on the trail, the thicker your tire is, the more durable and resistant to punctures it will be. If that shard of glass or sharp rock can’t make it through your tire rubber to puncture your tube, you’re going to have fewer flats. There are companies out there that make tires out of extra-thick, extra-tough rubber. They tend to cost a little more, but depending on how much and where you ride, you might find that it’s worth the investment up front to save yourself a headache down the road.
Tell Us How You Roll
What kind of tires do you have on your bike? Knobby? Semi-Slick? Colourful? Do you use what came standard on your bike? Or did you set it up to your personal preference? What are you using, and why?
I have a question related with Montague Fit. Is it disc brakes compatible?
Race king 2.2 on the back with Maxxis Crossmark 2.1 on the front of an X70. There is a defiinite compromise on the speed on the road but off road there is plenty of grip over the roots and wet rocks. I can take the bike into all terrains comfortably. Working on cruise ships and exploring various ports on roads that appear to be more like farm tracks, roads with 1 in 4 decents and climbs. unexpected storms while out and about can suddenly render roads slippery. For me nothing less than 2.1″ with knobbles…..
@Faisal
The FIT frame does a have a disc brake mount on the rear but the stock carbon fork does not have a disc bake mount for the front. It is a standard 1 and 1/8″ steerer tube on that fork so you could very easily replace it with one that is disc ready.
Hello, i have recently purchased a Boston 8 for my daily commute, and want more speed! Whats is the thinnest size tier i can use for this model?
The Boston 8 was equipped with a 28mm tire which is pretty narrow. Even true road bikes are being equipped with 28s these days. The rim isn’t made for anything a lot narrower, but you could probably do a 25? If you want to go faster and you feel like you’re spinning, I’d suggest putting a cog on the rear that’s smaller than the stock 20 tooth to increase the gear ratios you have with that hub. It would need to be a cog specifically for a Nexus 8 hub.
Hi. I have Montague Navigator with 37-622 (700x35c) Kenda Kwick Roller tires. What is the biggest size tires can I install on this bike?
Hello – what is the widest tyre I can fit on a Montague Paratrooper – considering buying one before Christmas but need to know I can swap over my current downhill rims which are clad in 26 x 2.4 rubber. Thanks!
Hi!
What is the widest tire I can fit on a Montague FIT frame?
Thank you!
It depends what year the bike is. Our current FIT has clearance for a 35mm (possibly 38mm depending on the tread) on the rear and maybe even a bit wider on the front. Pre-2016 models with the dark green paint color and frame quick release on top can only fit about a 30mm tire.
Thank you very much. So, I understand than I can ride with 35 mm tire on New (2017 year) FIT frame.
I have Montague bike which is Pre-2016 model with the dark green paint color and frame quick release on top. If I want to use my bike for commute what’s the best size tyre I can install
Thanks in advance
I like a 28mm tire for commuting. I don’t think you need anything wider unless you’re riding unpaved surfaces. – Ryan
What are the fattest tires that can be installed on the Paratrooper bikes? I have the original Montague Paratrooper (camo green) bike bought nearly 7 years ago. Want to know if I can fat tires on it (Kenda, etc.).. Thanks..
You could probably fit a 2.3 inch tire on a Paratrooper. It depends a little on the tire and tread pattern since labeled size and true size aren’t always accurate.
Hi I am given a paratrooper MX (old model) and I want to make it more of a hybrid. Do you know if I can swap a 700c*32c wheel on it?
I know the v-brake will likely sit too low, so I plan to use an adapter like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Components-Brake-Post-Extender-Black/dp/B0781XX9Z9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1532038840&sr=8-1&keywords=brake+post+extender
My concern is would the frame and front-fork not able to accommodate 700c or would the dropout width be too wide to not able to accommodate 100mm dropout spacing?
Hi Jordan. The front hub spacing on that fork is standard 100mm and the rear hub spacing should be 135mm. You’ll find many wheelsets available with those hub widths so that shouldn’t be an issue. We haven’t tested any adapters like the one you linked so I can’t comment on if that will work or not. Good luck!
Hi, i have a few question about paratrooper pro
1. what is the smaller wheel set for paratrooper pro ?
can paratrooper pro use 24 inch wheel set ?
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2. How to reduce paratrooper pro weight ?
can i replace carbon seat post or carbon handle and bike stem ?
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3. Any good travel bike case recommended for paratrooper pro ?
Using a smaller wheelset would lower the frame to the ground and risk the cranks/pedals striking the ground, especially while cornering. So it’s not really possible. You could reduce weight by changing a variety of components. The wheels and tires are one place where you could certainly shave some off. The suspension fork adds considerably weight as well so a lighter option there could help. You can certainly go with carbon components in some areas, including the handlebar and stem if you’d like.
We used to recommend a case from a company called Bike Pro USA (which is now out of business) that was 34″ x 27″ x 15″. That case did require more disassembly than just folding the bike — both wheels, the pedals, and handlebars needed to be removed. I don’t know of a specific alternative that is the exact same size, but one like that would work fairly well.
Hi,
I have a 2011 Crosstown. I replaced the tires some time ago with 700c x 25
I want to fit a slightly wider tire. I tried a 700c x 32 but this was too big (not wasted, it’s a spare for the wife’s bike now).
Looking at the specifications for 2011, the tire fitted was a Kenda Kwick. Multi tread. 700c x 30mm.
Am I right in thinking a 700c x 28mm will fit?
Thanks
In case anyone else is looking at this.
I switched my 700x25c tyre to Schwalbe Marathon Plus Reflex Tyre 700x28c.
Fitted perfectly.
When is this company finally going to release a Paratrooper with FAT tires?I see all folding bikes releasing a model with fat tires,being 20 to 25 inch rims.Why do you keep holding back?Not marketable to the general public?E bikes appeal to them but not an aggressive fat tire option?
What kinda of tires does the paratrooper pro come with. On the website it’s said new kenda kozmik light but when look it up on google it looks different then what’s displayed on the website. Want to know the spec on the tires it come with.
The current tire on the Paratrooper Pro is the Kenda Slant Six (K-1080), although we have used the Kozmik Lite on recent productions. Both tires are comparable and we sometimes change specs based on availability from our suppliers. The photos are not always up to date and specifications are subject to change without notice.
What is the max tire width the navigator can have on 700c wheels? Would a 40mm semi slick gravel tire fit?
Thanks
A 38mm tire should definitely fit. 40mm would be close and might fit depending on the tire make/model and tread pattern. Actual size vs. labeled size is not always consistent with bike tires, so it may vary from maker to maker.
What is the widest wheel/tire I can put on a Montague Allston?
And do you plan to make other carbon belt bikes?
The Allston ships with a 38mm tire and there’s clearance to go a bit wider – to a 40 or 42mm tire depending on the tire maker / tread pattern. Bicycle tires are not always true to the labeled size so they can vary a bit.
At the moment we don’t have plans to introduce another belt drive model, but we’re always open to suggestion. What specifications would you want for another belt equipped bike?
Thank you for the quick reply.
I want to ride my bike on the road, onto a trail, and then fold my bike onto my packraft, and also br able to ride in the rain and snow.
I’d love it if there was a 29″ mountain bike belt drive model with suspension fork and lockout. So the tires would preferably be >2″.
700c wheels don’t have the stability that I like compared to using a mountain bike.
I prefer other colors than what the Allston has. I like the green of the Paratrooper or the blue of the Paratrooper Highline, or even a plain black, dark blue, or dark gray would be preferable to me. I would likely custom paint mine.
I would also be interested in a 20″ or possibly smaller belt drive bike to keep stashed in the car as an emergency bike.
I need to be able to attach a different rear cargo rack for panniers, so I’d be interested to know if there are threaded eyelets to attach a rack on the back and/or front.
All of our frames have threaded eyelets on the rear dropouts, so using a standard rear rack is definitely possible!
The frame clamp just below the seatpost clamp also has a mounting point which can be used for the front of a rack (you’ll see the front of our RackStand mounts to this same point when it is equipped).