Tire/rim recommendations?

[mornview]

Looking to build up a bike for some light klunking (I likely won't get as adventurous as the stuff you see in klunking videos, but the bike is still likely going to take a bit of a beating). I pretty much only have experience building up commuters, so I'm wondering what's good for klunker wheelsets.

I've gathered Kenda Small Blocks and CST's are popular tire choices.

Looks like Sun MX-33's are a solid rim choice.

Just wondering what everyone here likes to run. I'm planning on going 26"x1.95 or 2.125. Discs rims are allowed; I'm looking at going with coaster/drum brakes.

Edit: and just to clarify here, I'm more interested in performance than maintaining an authentic klunker look.

 

[G-Matt]

I've used Kenda K-Rad 2.3 before the a little rounded but work well on dirt & pavment

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[RustyGold]

I have small blocks and k-rads currently...both good multi-purpose tires. I have some micro-knobbies (vee tires) on my STR29, and they are super smooth...done some hard packed track riding, and they did good...haven't done any trail riding with them, however. My MonoCog has Nevegal's and they grip well, but not so smooth on the street .

Jason

 

[CrazyDave]

Sun rims are a good bang for the buck most the time. Lots of choices. I still rock a decade old set of singletracks on my mountain bike. I like the K-rads, I like maxxis holy rollers better, smoother, quieter, larger blocks, same animal though. Make it your own man, what I like you might think stinks, or our riding style might be different. Sounds cool though, keep us posted.

 

[twister]

I run Schwalbe crazy bob's on my bike, like them a lot.

 

[OddJob]

If you want alloy rims that are pretty durable, 12g spokes, look good (mine are black rim/hub/spoke) and come in a rear coaster brake; try the Weinmann wheelset here: http://www.jbi.bike/site/product_details.php?part_number=73861

And, I have found that a wider tire fits really well on old cruiser bikes. Gives a better ride quality, better traction, and handling in the loose, hard pack trail and soft dirt. Both my current klunker builds have the CST Cheyenne 26 x 2.4: http://www.jbi.bike/site/product_details.php?part_number=590386

All the J&B Importers (now JBI) products are available across the USA from regional wholesale outlets. Check with your LBS, they are either already getting product from them, or can.

Here are my two klunkers....Mesa Buggie and Desert Sky.....the Buggie has the rear Weinmann wheel.

 

[us56456712]

One of my klunkers uses whatever I got for free from old junk mountain bikes, as long as the tires are in very good shape. These old tires are usually heavy. I also like any of the newer light weight tires that have kevlar beads and set them up tubeless. I have 2.0 Bontrager tires on a hybrid that are set up tubeless. I don't go that fast around corners with drum brakes so I don't think tires are that important on a klunker. I seem to be able to climb well with cheap used tires with the limit being the weight of the bike, gearing and my motor, not so much the tires. I have one klunker that is set up with Duro wide white street tires and they work just about as well as knobbies, unless it is wet, then they slip on roots, slide in the mud and don't corner well (they don't corner as well as Knobbies but get way worse in wet mud). I like the look, sort of like you took your old street cruiser with white walls and decided to take it trail riding. I have one Klunker that I keep cheap whitewalls on and use it a lot, but it has to be dry. For more serious Klunking I would someday like to build a rigid bike frame with one inch rims and 2.4 tires. The frame would of course have to have double top tubes. The jarring on a rigid klunker with 2.0 tires can throw you off of a rocky trail unless you go slow. On my full suspension bike I just point it between tress and go fast. I can't keep any of my klunkers on the narrow trails at speed over lengthy rock sections. In my opinion any medium quality knobbie will work just fine, or better yet look for an on sale quality 26 inch tire. Because 26 inch is out, you can find companies that are dumping their 26 inch MB tires. Last summer I got 2 Hans Dampf 26 x 2.35 for $30 each on the net. Here are some on sale now but they are bigger than what you want. I had them on a klunker and they were a very tight squeeze, but they are now set up tubless on my Specialized Epic. http://www.jensonusa.com/Schwalbe-Hans-Dampf-26-Tire

 

[squirreldh]

Like Crazy Dave said, I personally love the Sun Singletracks for cruisers, and they were meant for mtb use so they work well for klunking! I like any disc specific rim for coaster brake wheel builds, alloy rims are light and strong, and more and more are available in wider widths these days. Build the wheels with good quality hubs, the shimano cb-e110 coaster has been used quite a bit and there are threads on modding it for heavier duty offroad use, and i like the high flange sealed bearing front hubs found on track bikes, they give you a vintage look with sealed cartridge bearing performance. I always recommend dt/swiss 14g stainless spokes on my mtb wheels, so i generally use them on my cruisers and klunkers as well.

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[Bicycle808]

I wanna say that the CST Cheyenne is a GREAT bang-for-the-buck trail tire, that also performs admirably well on pavement.

The K-Rad, for me, is too pavement-biased for serious trail use. Yes, you can ride'm offroad; i have, and it was fun, but things get squirrely in the loose stuff. Small Block 8s are a better choice if you're looking for a jack-of-all-trades tire, that strikes a nice balance between efficiency on the road and traction on the trail.

Nevegals have long been my choice for a good all-around trail tire; they aren't very light, but the tread pattern hooks up quite ncely, and they are available in a wide variety of sizes, widths, and rubber compounds to suit most riders' preferences and conditions. CST makes a Nevegal knock-off called the "BFT" which is like a heavier but cheaper version of the Nevegal. I got a set of those on a Husky bomber; they're rad on trails but rather slow on the pavement. Definitely better to put the bike in my truck and drive to the trail; I use bikes with faster rubber for days whe i ride to the trails...

Thing is, everyone has their favourites; there are too many manufacterers and models of tires to try them all. I stick mostly with Kendas b/c i've had good luck with them in terms of durability, flat protection, price, performance.... CST has been similar and i believe they make some of the lower-end Kendas anyway, but TBH, i do get more flats on the Cheyennnes than i do with the Kendas, so.... take that for what it is: one man's experience with one set of CSTs... CST does offer some really CHEAP tires that are decent quality, so there is that...

As for rims, I'm almost at the point where, for 26" wheels with hub brakes, i'm sticking with MTX-33 rims until i can't find'm anymore. Best blend of price and durability; they're wide enough to give a good footprint, but not so wide that 2.2s roll off the hook. I've been trying to use Velocity rims b/c they are made in Florida, but the Sun rims have eyelets, and they just build up so much more nicely as a result.... Just can't go wrong with that, in my view...

HTH
-Rob