Author Topic: Tires for a 29" Fargo  (Read 6967 times)

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Offline TundraRider

Tires for a 29" Fargo
« on: March 23, 2021, 04:39:23 pm »
I was just wondering what tires people use for road touring on 29" wheels. I will be going from Great Falls, MT to Anacortes, WA on the Northern Tier Route this summer on my Fargo.

Offline toadmeister

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2021, 05:27:03 pm »
Tagged for curiosity.
I'm also thinking about getting a road touring wheelset for my Fargo.

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Offline DaveB

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2021, 07:39:44 pm »
You guys do know that 29" is the same as 700c right?  So any 700c touring tire will work fine.

Offline toadmeister

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2021, 07:52:40 pm »
You guys do know that 29" is the same as 700c right?  So any 700c touring tire will work fine.
Yes, it is known.

Perhaps you'd like to reccomend a specific wheel and tire?

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Offline TundraRider

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2021, 07:53:21 pm »
I didn’t realize that. That will open up some possibilities provided the 700c will fit the rim width.

Thanks!

Offline TundraRider

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2021, 09:28:38 pm »
I posted a similar question on a Facebook Fargo site and here are some of the tires folks are using:

Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 622-50

Specialized pathfinder pro 42mm
Specialized Sawtooth 700x42
Mezcals
WTB Venture 50



Offline adventurepdx

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Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2021, 11:41:46 pm »
You guys do know that 29" is the same as 700c right?  So any 700c touring tire will work fine.

True. And I know that 29" is a bit of a marketing gimmick. That being said, when I hear about a bike with 29" wheels, I think about tires at least 1.75" wide or wider and a bike built around handling that particular width. While someone could slap some 28mm wide Marathons on a 29" wheel, I'm guessing that possibility is slim.

Offline ray b

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2021, 11:57:25 pm »
I've reduced the stable to my old track bike and a 2008 Karate Monkey with 3 sets of 29"/700C/622 wheels - one single speed- and two Rohloff-based with 19 and 24 mm wide Andra rims. (Right, an old mechanic, I still find wheel building relaxing, though the Rigida/Ryde Andra rims still have seams that defy perfect true...  Another reason for disk brakes.)

The rim manufacturer will tell you the range of recommened tire sizes, but as you might know, a general rule is 1.5 to 2 times the rim width. So, depending on payload, I go anywhere from 622(700c)- 28 mm to 2.5 inches - the max width for my bike.

I'm currently planning a big trip which will see me on the 24 mm wide rims using some smooth puncture-resistant Continental Top Contact II, 622-37 tires as I ride pavement and smooth gravel a few weeks, at which point I'll slip on some Conti 2.25 inch Mountain Kings as the trip goes off-road in the mountains for a few more weeks. (I figure the improved efficiency of less rolling resistance justifies the extra weight of a couple of folded tires in the bottom of the frame bag.) I've used both these tires for their intended purposes for thousands of miles, so I know they work for me and my riding styles.

So, take a look at your payload, quality of the roads, desired tire pressures, how bulletproof you want your wheels, and then cruise the tire manufacturers' websites, and have fun. If you find you're wasting too much riding time thinking about this crap, then go with what you got. A good bike mechanic can give you advice and help you avoid problems.

If your Fargo came with i23 or i25 WTB rims that are 23 mm or 25 mm wide, You might decide to simply get a relatively high pressure smooth rolling, 622-37 mm tire for the road. Even the WTB i30 rim foumd on some of Fargos, will let you use a nice 47 mm road tire.

Try not to overthink this, and don't spend money on wheelsets if you can spend that money on travel with what you have.

Did I say, have fun?
« Last Edit: March 24, 2021, 12:11:17 am by ray b »
“A good man always knows his limitations.”

Offline ray b

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2021, 12:06:16 am »
While someone could slap some 28mm wide Marathons on a 29" wheel, I'm guessing that possibility is slim.
(Been there, done that while commuting on  my Karate Monkey - an early model that propelled the 29er fad - which came with fairly versatile 622-19 Salsa Delgado rims.)
« Last Edit: March 24, 2021, 12:08:47 am by ray b »
“A good man always knows his limitations.”

Offline Inge

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2021, 03:34:15 am »
Used schwalbe Almotions (622-50) on my 29er - now my indoor bike and on my outdoor bike 27.5 " I have schwalbe G-One allround 70-584 (27.5 x 2.80). Both really nice and comfortable tires.

Offline DaveB

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2021, 09:08:22 am »
True. And I know that 29" is a bit of a marketing gimmick. That being said, when I hear about a bike with 29" wheels, I think about tires at least 1.75" wide or wider and a bike built around handling that particular width. While someone could slap some 28mm wide Marathons on a 29" wheel, I'm guessing that possibility is slim.
Yes, "29" wheels are typically built using wider rims than 700c road wheel but bike rims are pretty tolerant of tire width.  Years ago I "roadified" an old Trek 7000 mountain bike with drop bars and STI shifters but kept the factory 26" (ISO 559) wheels.  The OEM tires were 2.0" (559-50) semi-knobbies and I replaced them with 1.125" (559-32) road tires which fit and handled fine.


Offline Pat Lamb

Re: Tires for a 29" Fargo
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2021, 02:10:54 pm »
Extrapolating from West Glacier to Anacortes on the NT here.  Almost all of that stretch was pavement, and while there was some chipseal, there weren't the gosh-awful expansion joints of eastern Colorado through Missouri on the TransAm.  If you get unlucky and ride the week after they've applied fresh gravel to the road, or come across mud that came down with a gully-washer of a rain, you might want something bigger or knobbier than a smooth road tire of 35-38-42 width.  Otherwise, pick something in that width range, and get a smooth pavement tire.  Any of the more-or-less standard tires for touring should work well: Schwalbe Marathon, Continental Gatorskin or Specialized Armadillo.  (Add or subtract as many tags to those names as you'd like.)