Switching to Smaller Tyres for Flatland

I don't have an opinion as to what tires exactly but I can tell you I did the same thing and really like smaller tires.

I went from my Eastern 2.4 tire which actually mic'd out at nearly 2.5" wide and then bought some Kenda Admirials that are marked 2.1 I think but are actually more like 1.95. The only thing I liked better with the fat tires was the cushiness of landing from hops or something but everything else I totally prefer the smaller tires. I'm doing flatland stuff too.

We got a thread going about working on flatland stuff if you want to contribute. I forget the name of the title exactly. But I was asking another member SwampGhost about how his tricks were coming along. And there are some vids in there and discussion.


So I say go for it. Even the haros would probably be a good tire to start with. For me it was price. I got mine locally for a good deal and didn't so much care about getting the latest and greatest tire that everyone likes. They work really well though, IMHO.

before and after pics. I think the bike lost about 2 pounds also, which I liked.

Thanks Fortyseven! That helps a lot. That's a drastic different in size in those before and after pics. The Kendras you have are exactly the size I would like to have on my bike. I may have to opt for those instead of the Haros.

I'll check out that thread on flatland. I'm 41 and grew up with old school freestyle, so now that I'm back at it, I'm trying to adapt to flatland with the more modern bikes.

Thanks again!

How small do you want to go? Odyssey frequency g are amazing tires for flatland but only come in 1.75. Ares a-class are another favorite that come in 1.75 and 1.90. Any tire will ultimately work for flatland though. Check out the tire section on flatlandfuel.com

Ares A-Class are pretty much a go-to for flatland, I run the 1.9 and they work great for flat, park, and moderate street. Fast and smooth rolling with great traction for carving and scuffing. I just checked and they're actually 2.0 inflated. If you want to go a bit smaller, the Motel Works M825 is great too. For slightly larger, I think KHE makes some good options, I haven't run them, but they keep showing up in my Amazon suggestions...

flatlandfuel.com/tires

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm thinking between 1.9 to 2.0 is where I want to go next. The 2.4's are just too big for the things I want to do, so I figured the 2.0 Haro's would be a happy medium.

I'm also thinking of adding some front brakes, so hopefully a smaller tire will give me a bit more clearance to run the brake cable up the fork.

I’ve been running Maxxis Hookworm/Ringworm tires for years now in 1.95” size for park riding. The Ringworms would be a little nicer for flat, I imagine. A shame thin tires are becoming extinct, been trying to locate some nice ones for a while now.

readybmxer wrote:

I’ve been running Maxxis Hookworm/Ringworm tires for years now in 1.95” size for park riding. The Ringworms would be a little nicer for flat, I imagine. A shame thin tires are becoming extinct, been trying to locate some nice ones for a while now.

Flatlandfuel.com

i had 1.9 in the back. i felt like it was harder to do manuals
i think that if i would have 1.9 in the front too i wouldnt go big on stairs gaps and etc
2.1 i think its the smallest but most effective size for bmx

Shaked wrote:

i had 1.9 in the back. i felt like it was harder to do manuals
i think that if i would have 1.9 in the front too i wouldnt go big on stairs gaps and etc
2.1 i think its the smallest but most effective size for bmx

Not for flatland.

Shaked wrote:

i had 1.9 in the back. i felt like it was harder to do manuals
i think that if i would have 1.9 in the front too i wouldnt go big on stairs gaps and etc
2.1 i think its the smallest but most effective size for bmx

I rode street with 1.85 tires front and back a few years ago.

I switched to smaller tires too.. I went from 2.5 all the way down to 2.45.. lol...

Hoffman skidmark resissues might be a good option. My dad put a set on his flatland bike and they're pretty sweet.
https://www.albes.com/products/hoffman-bikes-skidmark-tire

ABorland9 wrote:

Hoffman skidmark resissues might be a good option. My dad put a set on his flatland bike and they're pretty sweet.
https://www.albes.com/products/hoffman-bikes-skidmark-tire

Out of stock on that link, my bad. Use this one
https://us.sourcebmx.com/products/hoffman-bikes-skidmark-tire?currency=usd

Yeah, I remember seeing the maxxis on sale somewhere after I bought mine and I was like, darn it!

But I like the Kenda Admirals. I think you can order them somewhere. Try amazon too, they have a lot of options.

Any updates??? Looking forward to seeing your bike with new skinny tires on. Skinny tire riders unite!!!! Sorry BSG.

No updates yet, but I'm leaning toward the Haro HPF 2.0's. I like the Kendras, but I can't find those anywhere.

As soon as I get the tires and get them put on, I'll post the before and after photos. I'm looking forward to ditching those 2.4 monsters!

Yeah, I think those admirals might be no longer made. They have a couple of other models that are meant for racing but those would probably work fine. But yeah I think Haro's would be just fine. Really any tire in the size you want with a tread that looks close to what you want would probably be fine. I have some cheap bell 1.95's on my 20" bike I made for riding in the neighborhood and those are fine too. They don't roll as good cuz the tread is a bit deeper but honestly, If I had them on my good bmx I doubt I'd have an issue.

I finally got some smaller tyres. I ended up getting the Odyssey Performance G's. They're 1.75 so this is going to be a drastic change from the 2.4's I've been riding.

Let me know how you like them. The bike will feel way different but you get used to it. I like it better in a lot of ways. 1.75 is pretty thin... I'm curious how they would feel. Also, before and after pics are cool if you got the time. It makes a bike look a lot different too. LOL.

Thinner tires is usually always better. Wide tires are pointless

Fortyseven wrote:

Let me know how you like them. The bike will feel way different but you get used to it. I like it better in a lot of ways. 1.75 is pretty thin... I'm curious how they would feel. Also, before and after pics are cool if you got the time. It makes a bike look a lot different too. LOL.

I love them. It was hard to get used to after riding those 2.4's, though.

I like doing foot jams for tail whips (still trying to get them down) and for practicing fakies. The smaller tyres make this a bit harder due to all the freed up space in the wheel well, but I'm planning to add some front brakes soon.

It may be all in my head, but I feel like finding my balance point is easier on these 1.75's. That could also be due to the fact that the 1.75's are at 100PSI, and my 2.4's were 60PSI.

Before and After - 2.4 to 1.75

louisjxn wrote:

Before and After - 2.4 to 1.75

the modern sized forks look so weird with all that empty space between fork and tire. but i dig it.

Michael Cranston wrote:

the modern sized forks look so weird with all that empty space between fork and tire. but i dig it.

Yeah, it's crazy. I couldn't even stick my pinkie finger in the wheel well with the 2.4's. Now there's tons of space. At least running front brakes will be a lot easier.

Yeah it swallows up my foot a bit more when doing footjam stuff. But you can put a spacer in there (like a grip cap) or something. Mine isn't enough to get my foot caught or anything.

more than tire size you should care about psi. Flatland needs at least 95 psi You should be good with a 1.90 tire if you are coming from street tire sizes

Well, I'm not a great flatlander but I still prefer my pressure lower. I feel like I do better at the tricks and have more control when my pressure is lower. (like around 60psi) No offense. But yeah, I'm not real far into the skill level of flatland stuff so I probably am doing it wrong. LOL.

Fortyseven wrote:

Well, I'm not a great flatlander but I still prefer my pressure lower. I feel like I do better at the tricks and have more control when my pressure is lower. (like around 60psi) No offense. But yeah, I'm not real far into the skill level of flatland stuff so I probably am doing it wrong. LOL.

If you are new to flatland then it is very wise to start with a lower pressure like you did,because the tire has more contact area this way and it makes you more stable. You will need more pressure when you start getting the hang of it and want to roll your tricks longer,thats where higher pressure comes into use!

Keep it up,flatland is meditation!

Yeah, I'm definitely a novice. So the lower pressure seems to work for me right now.