I have an older italian race bike that I have brazed on fender mount to, and have mounted some 38 mm honjos to. What are some good tyres to do long distance on that are under 26c?

Is there a particular reason you want under 26? I don't do super long distances, but I find that by around 70 miles or so my body thanks me if I'm riding 28s or fatter.

I have an older italian race bike that I have brazed on fender mount to, and have mounted some 38 mm honjos to. What are some good tyres to do long distance on that are under 26c?

Randon discussion that splits the hair on what consistitutes a good randoneering tire (http://groups.google.com/group/randon/browse_thread/thread/c7cffc0389d9e663/80e591d8993c0352?q=tire&lnk=ol&) and where folks like Jan Heine step up to defend the philosophy for the superiority of wider tires for distance riding.

I have a pair of Honjos similar to yours and I used to run a pair of 700x30 Grand Bois Cypres tires for a while but found that they were barely narrow enough for clearance under the Honjos and a little fragile for riding on rough New England roads. Currently using 700x28 Panaracer Paselas -- which aren't as comfy as the Cypres but still easy to ride for 12+ hours on the road. I believe that they come in a 25, but can't tell you how they feel at that width.

I love Paselas, and they have to be the best bang-for-the-buck piece of cycling gear evar. I actually prefer the steel-beaded ones without the kevlar belt, as they seem to roll a bit better. My only knock against the Pasela is the "ridge" of tread in the center, which gives them a not very round profile when new, so these tires are actually better with about a thousand miles on them. This is the only tire I ever rotate, i.e. I will move the rear to the front when the tread has smoothed off in the center.

I've ridden these in 28, 32 and currently in 35, but they run narrow so the 32 really measures more like 28. The Pasela is a humble tire, but I've had incredibly good luck with them, find them easy to mount (do not underestimate the value of a quick and easy tube change on long brevets) and never find myself wishing for a "better" tire. Honestly, the Pasela's biggest problem is that, at $12 ea., it simply gets no respect. Also, I wish they made a folding version without the kevlar belt.

On the bike that has less clearance I've run the Michelin Pro 25's and Continental Ultra3k 28's. The Michelins seem to have a softer tread that wears faster and is more susceptible to cuts, while the Contis have those famously fragile sidewalls. I will also try Vittoria Pave 24's and hopefully the Open Corsa Evo CX in the hard-to-find 25 size. That 290tpi Vittoria Evo casing is fantastic. For long rides on rough surfaces (e.g. PBP) the benefits of low rolling resistance are maximized, so I'll splurge and ride $50+ fragile tires with at least one spare in the Carradice.

I have an older italian race bike that I have brazed on fender mount to, and have mounted some 38 mm honjos to. What are some good tyres to do long distance on that are under 26c?

A good under-26mm tire is the Continental UltraGatorskin in 25mm size.

Is there a particular reason you want under 26? I don't do super long distances, but I find that by around 70 miles or so my body thanks me if I'm riding 28s or fatter.

Just a guess, but on a race bike with fenders he probably doesn't have room for anything wider.