MichelinCity Tire 26 Inch(Return to Product Page)

My first review several years ago was a bit harsh, but still endorsed the tire. Having gone from low pressure MTB tire to a high pressure road tire was a dramatic change. As the higher pressure tire telegraphs road noise. At first this seemed to be a issue for me, but after a month I didn't notice it any more. However what I also noticed was that when I rode my other bike with low pressure MTB tires it was as if I was peddling a bike with tires made from wet sponges, the rolling resistance was horrible and from that point on Ive been sold on higher pressure tires (road use, of course)

I did take these tires out in the dirt, and as expected they preformed poorly, but they are a road tire and not designed for dirt. Having said that they got me threw about an hour of dirt trail riding.

As for flats, I love this tire and swear by it. I went from several flats a month to ZERO in a year(maybe 2, cant remember when I bought them). The flat that I did encounter, was what I'll call unavoidable. The bike path I was on runs under a bridge, persons unknown broke what I assume to be at least a 12pack of beer bottles. By the time I noticed it there was no place to go, but right threw it. I didn't get a flat per se, but the glass sliced strands in the sidewall both front and rear. Then do to the high pressure the rear tire deformed. Approximately 2.5 miles later, the front tire deformed, but I rode lumpity, bumpity 5 miles back home and they were still holding air.

As for the reflective strip. I love that too, I feel naked on a bike that doesn't have them. My personal head light tests (showing off, to friends)clearly show how effective the reflective strip is. It is a big boost in my confidence, concerning safety in low light conditions. I accuatly wish EVERY tire had them.

As for side wall blow out that I read in other reviews. Maybe a bad batch went out. Im a tall, 280lbs and often carry about 30lbs of cargo. Thats 310lbs Im pretty sure, a little more than your average. I also ride 60 miles a week, hot or cold and have not encountered that problem.

In summary. I bought a new set of 26 X 1.85, but still wish they made them in 1.75

I selected this tire specifically in the larger 26 X 1.85 size for a 1600 mile trip in France,

Italy, and Switzerland, in 2014. I tested it on one bike for 500 miles in St.Pete, FL and wear is hardly noticable, but I expect any premium tire to last 3000 miles plus. I have had no punctures or slices, and the center rib is wide and thick. Maximum pressure is 87 PSI, so I would feel safe running 70-75 PSI to maybe avoid snakebite puncture if I hit a curb or trash. The larger size offers good cushioning - so much better than the stiff, noisy 700mm tires on touring bikes. I haven't mounted this second pair on my Trek Navigator yet, but the sidewalls light up everytime I pull into the garage. My rating would be 5 stars if it was available in 26 X 2.1. It is both the cushioning and the quieter ride of the fat tire, but also the better availability of this size over 700mm tires in small-village Europe that made me choose it.

I use these tires on my commuter bike, which I ride 2 miles to and from work everyday. I am impressed with the water channeling and the reflective sidewall.

Purchased two 26x1.85 Citys in May. Installed them in late June and rode for two weeks when the rear tire sidewall separated from the bead and blew out. I purchased a replacement from a local Michelin dealer and it ripped apart the same way within a week. Upon looking at the front tire, it was apparent it was about to fail as well. The bead area appears to have multiple perforations where it meets the sidewall.

Michelin has been very good about this with the warranty, offering to replace the tires with new ones or pay for replacements from another manufacturer.

I've heard nothing but good things from fellow cyclists who have the 700c version.

I did not overinflate/overload them and my rims are in excellent condition. I just don't think they can handle the load/pressure they are rated for or there has been a bad runs of late.

I've had this tire for about a year, with very few flats and some nice zip to it. Today this tire had me. It blew out in the center of the tread (15 miles from home, mid day in South Texas heat).

I ran them at 75 psi and they had less than 500 miles on them (I weigh 175 lbs). I've never had a tire fail like this, I can only speculate that the road temperature caused the tire pressure to increase (it was about 95 degrees).

A sidewall failure would have been more palatable, but I'm fairly disappointed with this blowout. The tire psi rating needs to be adjusted or perhaps they are simply as cheap as the price reflects.

I've gone through two back tires on these City's - each time the sidewall has ripped out. The first time I thought it was a fluke - that maybe I'd overinflated them or something. So I bought another one and made sure to keep it pumped to spec. It also gave out within a few months. I use them on my mtb which I've set up for commuting with aerospokes and a kid seat on back. They roll fast and channel water and handle well, but the tires can't seem to handle the extra weight of my toddler. So if you're not too heavy and don't plan on carrying anything heavy on the back (kid, groceries, etc.) then they work great. Otherwise - the flimsy sidewall will separate from the bead - its only reinforced with thin copper wire which rips out and begins to flat your tube. I've since moved on to Specialized Nimbus - they're much slower and roll heavier, but they're sturdy as heck. it's too bad because the City's look good and are fast and don't cost too much. But you pay for it with poor construction.

Reflective sidewalls mean I could remove the dime store spoke reflectors. Nice.

Tread pattern is great for city riding, low rolling resistance going straight, and plenty of traction turning and stopping.

Wee bit hard to mount, beads are very stiff, but nothing a set of levers didn't handle.

Commuting on roads

I can't say anything about durability. Ive had them less than 24 hours.

They're not too bad to put on the rim. One of the tires I had a little trouble fitting but the second one went on with ease.

I'm a college student and campus here is hilly. I was running around on my high school mountain bike with the stock Kendra Negegal tires on it. I'm pretty active, I obviously bike to class multiple times a day, I rock climb frequently, I play volleyball etc. And it would be fine riding around on slight inclines, flat, or downhill... but as soon as it got to any moderate incline I would have to really push the pedals to go anywhere. Or end up downshifting and feeling like I was pedaling a million miles a minute and going a fthr.

I slapped these on today right as it began snowing. It's been too warm and so it's not really accumulating. On my ride to class I felt like I was flying... so much easier to pedal and to go fast. And then I spent 3 hours in class during which it continued snowing moderately hard. The bike had snow on it when I came out. The streets are very wet... and in a couple spots you could see it starting to stick a little. These tires handled it all just fine. I didnt do any daring high speed turns but I felt fine going decently fast. And the tires didnt stripe my back...seems to be very little water pick up from these tires.

And they're relatively cheap considering other tires on this site get up to $50 for comparatively rated tires.

The original tires are 26x2.10... I got the 26x1.85 size and it makes the bike look kinda like a hybrid. The 26x1.4 I think would have looked stupid on my bike. Theyre too thin for a mountain bike.

replaced my specialized armadillo Nibus tires that had finally worn through. The Michelins feel lighter and livelier and roll faster than the heavy specializeds. I use my Fisher hartail for commuting and for carting my kid around, so I need a tire that won't puncture and won't slip. These things work well. Only drawback I can see is the reflector strip looks like it's not going to hold up forever which isn't going to look pretty. Also, as all Michelins seem to be, they are very tight to get on a rim. What's worse, I have a set of aerospokes, which are hard to mount, and it took me a long time to mount them - breaking a Park Tool tire iron in the process. But they eventually got on and look and ride great. Don't relish having to change a flat, so I hope they don't puncture.

I have had the 26x185's on my Cannondale hardtail for 2 years and they show very little wear. I ride on paved trails in Seoul Korea,120 miles a week and have never had any puncture with these tires. They work well on packed single track, but wouldn't use them for serious off-road riding. They feel fast, especially after knobbies. I highly recommend this tire. Just waiting for them to show some wear before I order another set!

This is a big heavy tire but that said it rolls really fast, sticks like glue on the corners and is nearly bulletproof. I ride mostly paved trails on an old rigid frame Cannondale M400 and mounting this tire was like adding shocks. That big heavy tire eats up a lot of bumps and smooths out the trail while rolling surprisingly fast. I have a set of both the 1.85 and the 1.4 sizes. I bought the 1.4s thinking that they would roll a lot faster than the 1.85s but they really don't at the expense of the softer ride of the 1.85s. The 1.85s are wide enough to ride well on packed gravel trails but you don't have a lot of control when the gravel gets loose. On city streets they handle great and I haven't yet had any glass, nails, thorns or other sharp objects puncture through the protective belt. For paved trails this is a great choice. They handle well, wear well and they don't get flats.

I got these tires to replace a hybrid style tire knobby sides. I love the higher PSI and the smooth ride. I have put about 100 miles on them so far and no problems. I am an urban bicycle commuter and regularly hit potholes, shards of glass and curb jumps. The reflective wall is nice and does not make them look cheesy. The first 30 miles were a little squeaky before the coating wore off.

Overall a nice tire, and one that I would recommend.