In this article I’m going to give you the lightest 26 inch mountain bike tires money can buy.
Tires are the best place to look when you want to reduce weight. Because the amount of money you have to invest to shave off hundreds of grams, or maybe even a pound or two, is relatively low. For instance, it’s much, much more expensive to buy a very light full carbon saddle to shave off 100 grams than it is to use one of the tires listed here to shave off hundreds of grams more for a fraction of the cost. Since full carbon saddles are incredibly expensive.
To level the playing field, I didn’t include tires with a width smaller than 2 inches. If you do, you move more into the touring section of tires than into straight up knobby mountain bike tries. The tires listed here all have a weight below 600 grams. If this doesn’t say much, just consider that your average MTB trail tire weighs almost twice that amount.
The easiest way to reduce weight is to use less rubber, which is the heaviest compound that makes up a tire. But that weight reduction does come at a price, since the tires listed here should be used for either gravel or cross country purposes. Grippier tires have bigger blocks and huge side knobbies. Bigger knobs obviously means more rubber used, hence an increase in weight.
Another component is that these tires have thinner sidewalls, increasing the opportunity to reduce overall tire weight. Thinner sidewalls also means that sidewall ruptures are more likely to occur. Naturally sidewall ruptures are something you’ll find on enduro, downhill and rough trail riding. Again, an area where you should not be using these tires.
That’s enough talk for now, here are the lightest 26 inch mountain bike tires.
Maxxis DTH
The Maxxis DTH is by far the tire I most often see on (retro) MTB builds, and for good reason. It’s a gorgeous-looking semi-slick tire that’s exceptionally fast because it’s meant for BMX, dirt-jumping, and pump tracks.
That means the tire has a racing pedigree, which brings both fast-rolling characteristics, and grip with it. It’s wrapped in a very lightweight package. And because of its intended usage on the race track, it also means the tire is great for gaining momentum quickly.
Maxxis is known for providing a wide range of high-quality tires, and with the added benefit of providing both a standard black and tan version, it’s no wonder many older mountain bikes get outfitted with a pair of these.
Sizes range from 2.15 up to 2.3 inches, which will make for a great-looking setup with a very plush road feel.
- Exceptionally fast racing tire. Tan options available. Fantastic tire for MTB builds, with excellent puncture protection.
- None
Maxxis Ikon
The absolute cross-country king in Maxxis’ lineup. The Maxxis Ikon has near perfect all-round tire characteristics, which makes it an excellent option for diverse road and trail conditions. Though it’s categorized obviously as an XC tire, it’ll also perform superior for bikepackers and gravel riders.
That being said, this is a racing tire, which means it’s light. But the reliable EXO compound, also used for harsher enduro racing, also means you’ll enjoy this tire for many miles.
As with any tire with this type of tread, it’ll perform well in dry conditions. The 26 inch version has both a 2.35 and 2.2 inch width option. You can run this tire both front and back, and might opt for the wider version in the front for some added grip. Especially if you expect some portions of your ride to be particularly rough.
It’s undeniable that the top-of-the-line products of Maxxis are superior to many if not all of their competitors. And the Maxxis Ikon shows it, with a perfect blend of weight, speed, grip, and protection.
Jeff Barber | Editor in Chief – January 23, 2014
I think a better description for the Ikon (and one that Maxxis even uses themselves) is “all-rounder.” The knobs are long enough and spaced far enough apart to give good bite in the straights and the corners. I’ve experienced excellent results in both wet and dry conditions, and find myself able to push the envelope a bit more in the turns on these tires compared to others I’ve tested.
- The cross-country king. Highly versatile tire which excels in XC, bikepacking, and gravel, lightweight. Can be used front and rear. Pair with Ardent Race in the front for ultra-fast yet grippy XC setup. Tan options available
- None
Schwalbe Billy Bonkers
The Billy Bonkers is Schwalbe’s answer to the popularity of the Maxxis DTH for pumptrack and slopestyle. They also come in an extremely light 490 grams 26 inch version, making it the perfect tire for fast city flying, gravel and cross country riding.
The Billy Bonkers also comes in a tan-wall version, but you’ll have to stick with a 2.1 inch width, because that’s the only one in Schwalbe’s lineup. The German brand has made a racing tire, which also proves to be very fast and grippy.
It’s a tough choice to make between the two. One isn’t necessarily better than the other
Michael Stenning | Site Owner – March 1, 2021
The Billy Bonkers aren’t just for jumping and similar duties. They’re surprisingly quick and super compliant, so a good choice for those seeking a budget tyre that will bowl along the tarmac quite nicely and allow exploration and spirited detours. There are better choices for laden, mixed terrain touring but if you’re looking to experiment without blowing heaps of cash, the Billy Bonkers could be a winner.
- Very lightweight tire, with tan option available. Great grip, and rolling-resistance characteristics. Fantastic option for MTB builds.
- None
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme HS469
The Schwalbe Marathon Supreme is meant for speed with hardly any profile at all on very light tires.
It’s a great fast-rolling commuter and touring tire that offers excellent puncture-resistance characteristics as well.
Though it might not be the flashiest tire on the market, its appeal lies in its ability to crunch many miles. So even though it might not be the most affordable tire on the market, the ROI is high nonetheless.
Cass Gilbert | Contributor – March 27, 2008
The Magic Compound tread has proved extremely grippy in the dry, perfectly reasonable in the wet and impressively long lasting – which goes some way to justifying the hard-to-swallow price tag over the standard Marathons.
Having run a set of 700x35s (470g) on several tours, I can report little visible wear, with puncture-free riding that’s carried through to commuting in winter months.
- fantastic grip, durable and puncture-resistant, fantastic lightweight touring tire
- None
Kenda 3-Sixty
The Kenda 3-Sixty is a semi-slick tire meant for slopestyle that also comes in a 26 inch version.
The tire comes in a standard black and a creme tread pattern. But the color isn’t just there for looks, but denotes a difference in functionality. The creme version uses a rubber compound that is ideal for dry condition tracks. While the black tread rubber is the perfect solution for wet conditions.
- multiple colors available, fast rolling
- different colors have different characteristics
Panaracer RiBMo
At 26 x 2 inches and 560 grams the Panaracer RibMo is among the lightest tires for its size on this list. Its minimal tread pattern moves it into the direction of being a slick tire, perfect for fast urban commuting.
The Panaracer RiBMo uses their proprietary ProTite technology, which is an extra puncture-resistant layer which runs the entire length and width of the tire. And they offer a more durable, commuter-friendly compound.
The conclusion is this tire will make your bike feel fast and nimble for many many miles at a reasonable enough price.
Dave Atkinson | Road.cc founder – October 15, 2015
The tread shape, which is ovalised a bit like the pointy end of an egg, is designed to decrease rolling resistance while still offering good grip when cornering. I can’t say that I ever had any problems with grip, even with the hard compound.
One of the reasons for this is that with a bigger air chamber you can afford to run the tyres at a lower pressure. I’m 100kg and normally put 100psi into a 25mm tyre; I found I could run these RiBMos at 85-90psi without any more danger of pinch-flatting than I’d have with a thinner tyre. That means more grip and extra comfort too, and it didn’t noticeably affect the tyre’s ability to roll.
- Ultra-light slick tire, affordable, durable, and supple, japanese build quality
- None
Panaracer GravelKing SK (TLC)
The Panaracer Gravel King SK has become my favorite gravel tire on the market. In my mind there are two brands that stand out from the crowd, and those are american-made WTB and their Japanese counterpart Panaracer.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Panaracer. When the gravel-craze took hold of the bicycle industry, they created the tire that would serve as the de facto standard for gravel tires with the GravelKing SK. It has just the right weight, just the right tread pattern, just the right puncture protection, and all wrapped up in a beautiful package, both in black and tan-wall options.
Deservedly so, the Panaracer Gravel King SK is in my mind the true fit-and-forget, all-weather, all-season option for gravel aficionados. But will serve those bikepackers and hard-riding daily commuters just as well.
Katherine Moore | Contributor – November 17, 2021
As a ‘road plus’ or gravel tyre for riders who tend to stick to well-surfaced fire roads and tarmac, the GravelKing SK TLC could be a good-value option.
However, for those who like to stray further afield and come across more variable conditions, these are limited by both grip and puncture protection.
- Superb allround gravel tire, very lightweight, with excellent puncture protection, ride characteristics, and with japanese build quality.
- None
Kenda Small Block Eight
The Kenda Small Block Eight is a long-running allround mountain bike tire. Considering the sizes smaller than 26 inch, you can find this tire in the bikepark as well as on the trail.
With a very densely spaced tread pattern in a lightweight package, this is a fast-rolling tire with great momentum. The 26 inch version comes in a 2.35 and 2.1 inch width.
It has a very round profile and the lack of protruding side-knobbies makes this tire more suitable for gravel riding than for pure trail riding. It’s a solid option for a MTB build used for commuting, bikepacking, and urban riding as well.
Syd Patricio | Contributor – July 21, 2009
Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap over rocks and tree branches, and more powerful than your two legs can handle! Kenda’s stable of tires are famous for superhero-like performance and the Small Block Eight tires are no exception. These tires are super durable, easy to install, roll fast on hard pack, and get good bite in both straight line acceleration and cornering. At the end of the day I had a hard time finding any kryptonite to slow these tires down!
- Classic mountain bike tire, great allround characteristics, suitable for any type of riding. Fast-rolling and low weight
- None
Continental CONTACT Urban
The Continental CONTACT Urban is, as its name implies, a slick tire meant for urban commuting.
It’s one of the fastest tires for urban applications, and has a certificate for it to be mounted on speed pedelecs up to a speed of 50 km/h. It has the performance-oriented PureGrip compound, which is a step below their race compound BlackChili used for mountain bike tires.
A strong nylon breaker sits underneath the center tread and serves as a lightweight, flexible, yet very puncture-resistant protective layer.
Jarno Bierman | Tire tester – March 4, 2022
I’m impressed by the performance of the Contact Urban, especially when considering its friendly price. It’s one of the fastest rolling touring bike tires, offers excellent tread puncture resistance, and is simply the best performing tire in our wet grip test. The main weakness can be found in the sidewalls as they aren’t really up to touring bike standards.
- Very fast, lightweight, yet puncture-resistant slick tire
- For those who prefer speed over durability
Continental Cross King ProTection
The Continental Cross King ProTection is the newer version of a magnificent, lightweight cross-country racer.
ProTection replaces the RaceSport moniker. It’s a three- and four ply system underneath respectively the tread and sidewall, ensuring maximum puncture protection and shieldwall tearing.
This doesn’t take away from the fact that this tire is still one of the lightest in its category. A true racer.
David Arthur | Contributor – November 5, 2020
The low weight combined with the shallow tread design ensures this is a supremely rapid tyre right off the bat. Its tread pattern and rubber compound mean it works well when mounted on the front or rear, with reassuring levels of traction even when tackling technical trails.
- Maximum puncture protection in a lightweight cross-country racing tire.
- None
Continental Race King ProTection
The Continental Race King ProTection is an extremely light tire. In the weight department it means it outshines every comparable tire from every other brand by far. And it’s also the best XC tire in the rolling-resistance department.
I cannot stress enough that with respect to speed and acceleration, a light tire makes all the difference. And tires are also the most cost-effective way to reduce the overall weight of the bike.
Try reducing a couple of hundred grams of any other bike component and be ready to spend in the hundreds of dollars. Not so the case with tires. And on top of that the tire has the advanced ProTection puncture protection, with a composite breaker and a bead to bead sidewall protection polyamide fabric.
All that speed comes at a price, because traction is not this tire’s strength when compared to other mountain bike tires. And it’s the reason this tire performs best in dry conditions.
But when riding in those conditions getting up to speed and keeping it is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. It rightly deserves its name.
James | Site owner – May 30, 2023
The Race King ProTection is absolutely blisteringly fast! Doing some airstrip rides alongside my friend on his fixie with road tires really showed that even ‘large’ tires can be fast now! Heck, the amount of roadies I’ve passed while coasting downhill is downright satisfying. Seriously, it felt like a whole new bike in the speed department – at least concerning regular daily riding conditions (pavement, gravel, tarmac, cobble, etc).
- One of the lightest mountain bike tire on the market, with excellent puncture protection. Geared towards speed in every way.
- None
Specifications lightest 26 inch mountain bike tires
Name | Size | ETRTO | Weight (gr) | Tread color | Sidewall color | Compound | Puncture protection | Tire bead | TPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kenda 3-Sixty | 26×2.25 | 57-559 | 583 | Creme | Black | Single | tlr | ||
Kenda 3-Sixty | 26×2.25 | 57-559 | 598 | Black | Black | Single | tlr | ||
Panaracer RiBMo | 26×2.00 | 48-559 | 560 | Black | Black | Mile Cruncher | foldable | ||
Schwalbe Billy Bonkers | 26×2.10 | 54-559 | 490 | Black | Tan | ADDIX | foldable | ||
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme HS469 | 26×2.00 | 50-559 | 560 | Black | Black | ADDIX | foldable | ||
Maxxis DTH | 26×2.15 | 52/54-559 | 570 | Black | Black | Single | foldable | 60 | |
Maxxis Ikon | 26×2.20 | 55-559 | 592 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr | 60 | |
Kenda Small Block Eight | 26×2.10 | 54-559 | 592 | Black | Black | DTC | KSCT | foldable | |
Continental Cross King ProTection | 26×2.20 | 55-559 | 565 | Black | Black | BlackChili | ProTection casing | tlr | |
Continental Race King ProTection | 26×2.20 | 55×559 | 535 | Black | Black | BlackChili | ProTection casing | tlr | |
Continental CONTACT Urban | 26×2.00 | 50-559 | 590 | Black | Black Reflex | PureGrip | SafetyPro Breaker | wired | |
Continental CONTACT Urban | 26×1.75 | 47-559 | 565 | Black | Black Reflex | PureGrip | SafetyPro Breaker | wired |
Sources
Founder Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His cycling career has seen him at the starting line of classics such as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege. Realizing his racing capacity would fall short of what was needed he obtained a MS from the University of Amsterdam in engineering. His love for cycling changed into riding in an amateur capacity with his local cycling club TFC Weesp as a roadie and supporting MTB Noordwest as a mountain biker. He repairs, restores, and builds bicycles and shares his knowledge on YouTube, Facebook and this website.
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