Help with Tire Choices.............. Klunker Style

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I just received my CST Rock hawk 26 x 2.4 tires for my klunker build. I mounted them on worksman wheels to be used on my heavy duti frame from Chuck.
In my research I found that CST owns maxxis tire and they're just a budget version of good quality.
 
It's all Cheng Shin. The cheapest tires will say Cheng Shin on them; I think they use the CST and Maxxis aliases so they can get away from the whole super cheap stigma. Cheng Shin has been making tires for longer than I've been alive, and they are the folks who brought us the original snake bellies
 
https://www.amazon.com/Cst-Premium-Tire-Cstp-29x3-0/dp/B01K86SR2S
Cool! gotta get these for my mongoose 29er (if they will fit)
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:)
 
Hans dumpf in 26 x 2.35
These tires are massive measuring 27 inches outside diameter and real fat. Skinwall, light, grippy and about $30.00 each. I set them up tubless or have stans sealant put in the tubes. Several lbs do this for me cheaper than i can myself. Rims have to be real true.
 
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Tires! Tires are soooo important to how a bike rides Orange Cat. Here is another take on it. If you don't ride your "klunker"(whatever that is) on any serious dirt, then don't put knobbies on it! They are heavy, loud, and completely inappropriate for non-dirt riding. IMO, any tire sucks if over 800 grams on any bike, but if you want the "look" of knobbies to overshadow all other considerations, then so be it. CST tires have done well for me, and as a matter of fact run truer than some of the expensive brand name tires I have run
Back to KLUNKER tires. Since you ask, I think the lightest, fattest semi-knob tire would be the best choice. Problem is, they don't make many in FAT sizes that have lightweight casings. The rabid ANTI-26" manufacturers put pressure on tire makers to focus on the 26 snowbikers, the 27.5, 27.5+ & 29 markets. 26" tires today badly need new fatter designs with light weight casings. My all time favorite 26" tire was the small-knobby WTB Mutano Raptor Race in a 2.4" width. 585 grams! That is correct. 585 grams in a true 2.4 that rolled great. The big-knob 2.5's with downhiller casings in 26" weigh as much as a whale and feel like it while riding.
So where are we folks? Going nowhere fast in terms of 26" tire options. Like pulling teeth. Where are the small-knob 2.4 to 2.8 26" tires with lightweight casings? Missing in action, except for the new WTB 2.8 Ranger. So, after my long diatribe about tires, I offer up below TWO tires for your 26er. The Vredstein Black Panther 2.4,(675grams) and the new chinese Electra 2.35 street fattie that weighs almost nothing!
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Don't know who makes the new 2.35 Electras(right): Bought this example at a shop, and can't find them on the net yet. The versatile and fat 2.4 Black Panthers are also super hard to find, but roll great and give you loose surface abilities. And finally, there is always the lowly Schwinn brick 2.35's with the low-profile brick-like knobs. skpc
 
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I remember when Panaracer Smokes in the back and Darts in the front were the bomb...wonder if they even make them now.
 
Kenda makes $12/each knock offs of the Smoke/Dart combo. Same year pattern, budget casing. Seen smaller than I remember the originals. .Pana was offering them again a few years back (not sure if they still do), but they were pretty dang pricey, as I recall... But that was definitely a classic tire combo, and one of the first sets with front/rear specific treads.
 

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Dang, the Kenda Smoke/Dart knockoffs really came up in price. I´m pretty sure i got mine for less thn $15/each a few years back. Like, $12 and some chance... Good tires but, like so many tires these days, they come in noticeably narrower than the 2.1¨ on the label....
 

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