Touring - Tires of choice

What tire and tube combo do you use? Size and all please!

Conti's 4-seasons with Performance reg tubes.

This summer, I toured 8200km on two sets of Conti Travel Contact (http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/tires/city/contact/contact_en.html) tires. I didn't have a single flat, even when I probably should have. However, I will say that these tires wear pretty fast and for the way I rode across (on a decent amount of dirt trail and gravel shoulder), I probably should have used 3 sets along the way because the 2nd set was completely ka-put by the end.

They were 26"x1.75". I used the appropriate-sized Conti presta tubes.

There are a few threads on this.

I've used Specialized Nimbus (not armadillos) in 28mm and 32mm size for years and I recommend them highly for pavement. I prefer 32mm for touring. I recently bought a set of Marathon XR 35mm for gravel. I only tried them on pavement so far. Got a flat but it was rim side. Sand got in the tire (?). They seem to roll slower than the Nimbus. Maybe it was just me who was slower. lol

I bought the Conti travel contact for my trip in Cuba , most of the riding is going to be on pavement with some dirt trail and gravel shoulder, the tires feel great on pavement.

I've been riding the TravelContacts pretty extensively as a mixed use on/off road tire and am suitable impressed with their performance -this weekend i rode a blitz with some 30 MPH downhilling on gravel forest service roads on a loaded touring bike across the eastern edge of the Olympic Mountains.

The Travel contacts are secure on pavement at 40-45 MPH as well. They feel like they corner better at speed than slow speed manuvers, which is odd....

another tire i have been riding happily is a Panaracer T-Serv for messenger 700x35c -a HP, very nice, tough tire, available thru QBP.

I prefer Schwalbe Marathon Plus with thorn resistant tubes.....700 x 28's Presta Valve

In spares/tools pack, carry a folding Continental Gatorskin and 2-3 spare tubes...(regular tubes, not the heavy thorn resistant tubes....space reasons....)

Where do you guys buy your conti tirecontact online?

specialised nimbus armadillo 26x1.5, but have bought some schwalbe marathon plus 26x1.75 to try on the next heavily laden tour

schwalbe marathon plus 700Cx37 on my trek 520 ... these replaced the long serving conti top touring 2000 700Cx32 i had on there for years ...

I purchased a folding Schwalbe Marathon XR 26X1.9 from Wallingford bike (www.wallbike.com). Normally they are $57 but right now they are on sale for $35. I use any old 26" tube.

http://www.wallbike.com/tires/jpgs/saleMarathonXR.jpg

Depending on the situation; when I encounterd flats like crazy due to trashy roads and goatheads I used Specialized Armadillos with Specialized Turbo racing tubes with 700x25 on front and 28 on rear due to major cracks in the roads. Now that I've moved from that danger zone, I now use Specialized All Condition Pro Tire with the same Turbo tubes and run only 700x25. These All Condition Pro tires are much lighter then the Armadillo but the flat protection is still very high-higher then most other tires-though not as high as the Armadillo, but I don't need that much anymore. Plus both tires wear very well.

I use Schwalbe Big Apples in the 305 or 16" size.

Touring bike: Panaracer Pasela TourGuard 700x32C. Specialized inner tubes with Presta valves.

Road bike: Continental Grand Prix 4000 700x23C. Vittoria Ultralite inner tubes with Presta valves.

Continental travel contacts--love 'em. Had 1 flat from a roofing nail (and it just punched a very small and hard to find hole in the tube) in 2000 miles. I use the el cheapo tubes.

All Condition Armadillo's. 700x28. I use the bigger tubes (28/32) since the 28's are right between 2 tube sizes (22/28 and 28/32). I got more flats with the smaller tubes.

I'm riding an '06 Specialized Sirrus 61cm XL with front and rear racks, front Nashbar bag, Avenir frame pack, Avenir trunk bag, and brand new Arkel T42 panniers. Oh, and I weigh 265.
I commute and light weekend touring.

I add all that because I don't think the tire info matters without load info.