Naches Pass EL as fast road tire?

[Patrick Moore]

I'm hoping to try Naches Passes ELs on the new bike once Chauncey rebuilds my fork for more clearance. I'm curious how those of you who have tried the NP EL as a fast road tire compare it to fast road tires like, for example, the Challenge Parigi Roubaix, or the fastest of the RH road tires. Me, I want to know how it compares on pavement with the Elk Pass. 

If the NPs roll like the EPs, the NPs may become the default instead of the occasional tire for the new bike. If not, not. The bike is principally a pavement bike.

I do have a used 1.75 Pasela that I'm using as a tire fit gauge but I think I'll pass on buying a mate; save a few bucks toward the NPs. I know I'm not going to substitute the Pasela for the Elk Pass!

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To pick up the new 120 mm OL Surly fixed wheel tomorrow and give the new bike a try with a 70" fixed gear. I anticipate nice things, compared to the bike it replaces, and I may well have to bump up the chainring to a 50 for a 73"/65" gear combination with the 17/19 Dingle.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Jason Fuller]

From Jan's recent blog post on RH about tire selection for the PBP, he is convinced that the larger volume tires in the Herse lineup roll just as fast as the narrow tires--and that casing will be the main factor. Despite the data to back it up, it's still rather hard to believe; I expected the difference would be much smaller than what people expect, but not zero! 

I can't offer any EL experience, although the Naches is the 26" version of my Babyshoes so I know the standard casing pretty well.  I am anticipating that you'll be a convert and that they'll become the default. I expect that you'll find the increased comfort and traction without any significant decrease in speed to be a no-brainer. I look forward to how it plays out!

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, Jason. I know that the immensely big Big Ones on the Matthews dirt road bike seem to roll fully as easily as the Elk Passes -- the BOs have no tubes, the EPs have light ones. For road use, I have no particular need or desire for tires fatter than about 32 (the EPs are labeled 32 but measure 29 mm and 27 mm on my 2 sets of rims), but for this bike at least it will be nice to take the occasional impromptu excursion into the nearby dirt roads and trails where sand makes the EPs ineffective.

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[Andrew Turner]

My wife definitely noticed a performance improvement going from Big Bens to Naches Pass' even with standard casing. (And she flatted less!). I personally wouldn't want to ride any wider than "1.8" if the bike is seeing mostly road though. Nothing about wide tires feels fast when you're mashing up hills, but then again I've never tried on 26" wheels. Maybe the quicker acceleration alleviates that? 

[Patrick Moore]

Andrew: good to have another data point; thanks. I had thought of having the bike built to take Rat Trap Passes, but then thought that accommodating a 114 mm OL rear hub and fat tires might be a bit chancy for this particular builder; as it is, if RTPs run a wee bit undersized, they just might fit if I removed the fenders, but I want fenders, and the "main" tires will be the skinny Elk Passes.

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