Touring - 26x1.25 Touring Tires

I'm not having much luck finding a 26 touring tire under 1.5.
Are there any out there ?
I did find Schwalbe Marathon Plus in 1.35.
Feel free to let me know if you think 1.5's or larger are a better way to go.
If it makes any difference, I now have MTB gearing.

Yes,
but don't get any. For touring I'd go bigger, not smaller. An incher will ride like a rock.

Narrowest tire I have ever run on an MTB was 1.5 (IIRC Tom Slicks), usually I run 1.75 because they are more readily available. Never really noticed too much difference in them. FWIW most of 700c tour bikes have run 35-42mm tires on them, that works out to 1-3/8" to 1-9/16" but you are dealing with a taller wheel.

If you want the best tire available IMHO, buy the Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS348 in the 1.35. FWIW I have a set of those ordered in the 26x1-3/8" for my Raleigh Superbe.

Aaron:)

Narrower tires are more vulnerable to pinch flats unless they are kept inflated. They also need to be re-inflated more frequently, and the higher pressures that they require need more effort to reach. All this is fine when you're at home and have a floor pump, but do you really want to top off your tires with a hand pump every day when you're on tour?

Wider tires aren't as sensitive to inflation pressure, provide a smoother ride, and the extra cushion means you're less likely to break a spoke, dent a rim or get a pinch flat. If you get a tiny pinhole leak you can keep going a lot further on a fat tire with a slow leak than on a skinny tire with a slow leak, if all you want to do is get to a place where it's more convenient to fix a flat.

My road bike has 700x23 tires that I inflate religiously to 120 psi before every ride with a floor pump. I tour on 26 x 1.75 tires that I inflate to 80 psi at the start of the tour and ignore for the next few weeks, unless I puncture a tire.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/marathon_supreme

Those are all good points, above. But in practice, i don't have any problem touring on Specialized Fatboys 26 x 1.25 tires. They're slicks and i keep them at 90 or 95 psi for road touring. I've put thousands of miles on Fatboys, both loaded touring and commuting. Seems they're getting harder to find, but they sell for $20 or less when you can find 'em.

From a previous post:
I've used Fat Boys for years, commuting and touring. In 20K+ miles of touring, they've held up well (commuting is another matter, my tires get more flats and wear out faster on city streets). With a load, the rear goes 1500 miles or more; this might not be as much as some beefier tires, but i think they're very durable for their light weight. If you don't count a couple episodes with goat head thorns, flats are rare, too -- probably averaging 1000 miles.

Since the Fat Boys are low volume tires (26x1.25), use 24x1 3/8" tubes. Much easier to fit the tubes in, and saves weight (!).

-- Mark

Another option is the Performance Forté Fast City ST/K MTB tire:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=2314&subcategory_ID=5425

I've found them to be a good compromise without spending a lot of dough. They won't last forever like the Schwalbes, but I like them for their availability, speed and light weight. A few hard core tandem riders recommend these. My wife uses them with Slime liners...no flats so far.

Another option is the Performance Forté Fast City ST/K MTB tire:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=2314&subcategory_ID=5425

I've found them to be a good compromise without spending a lot of dough. They won't last forever like the Schwalbes, but I like them for their availability, speed and light weight. A few hard core tandem riders recommend these. My wife uses them with Slime liners...no flats so far.

I use the Forte Gotham City in a 1.75 on my Expedition Tour bike, so far so good, but I have under 100 miles on them and the bike isn't fully built up yet.

We have Serfas Barrista 26x1.25 tires inflated to 100 psi on our tandem. If they're good enough for a tandem I should think they're plenty good enough for a touring bike. See http://serfas.com/product.asp?ProductID=259

I have had a set of Serfas Drifters for the past couple of thousand miles (1.5") and they have held up well. I weigh well over 300 pounds, so they should work for touring.

As with the comment above on the Barrista I run at higher pressure than the 65 psi listed on the web site. I think I tend to run about 80 psi. It has been a while since riding weather. :)

The inverted tread has done well for me on the road and packed gravel rail trails

My Serfas Barista tires are labelled as 100 psi; I don't know why the website lists them as 60 psi tires.

I'm really waffling back and forth on the width. The only thing I've ever toured on were 26x1.95 Specialized Hemisphere Armadillos and that's a great tire. Even with that tire, I had some mild hand numbness issues, so going under 1.5 may not make a whole lot of sense.

I guess if you look at the pros and cons, the only advantage of the narrower tire is rolling resistance. Since I am a short tour person this is less of an issue than someone going on a long tour. If I am going for a one do-all tire 70% paved/30% gravel/dirt mostly in the mountains, what do you go for 1.5 or 1.75 ?

I'm really waffling back and forth on the width. The only thing I've ever toured on were 26x1.95 Specialized Hemisphere Armadillos and that's a great tire. Even with that tire, I had some mild hand numbness issues, so going under 1.5 may not make a whole lot of sense.

I guess if you look at the pros and cons, the only advantage of the narrower tire is rolling resistance. Since I am a short tour person this is less of an issue than someone going on a long tour. If I am going for a one do-all tire 70% paved/30% gravel/dirt mostly in the mountains, what do you go for 1.5 or 1.75 ?

Me 1.75 YMMV I am convinced that rolling resistance is over analyzed in most cases. About the numb hand issue...do you wear gloves? Sounds like a handle bar/stem change might be in order.

Aaron:)

Me 1.75 YMMV I am convinced that rolling resistance is over analyzed in most cases. About the numb hand issue...do you wear gloves? Sounds like a handle bar/stem change might be in order.

Aaron:)
Yes, that was with good gloves and gel wrap.
I did have a mtb bar and grip shifters with bar ends.
That was 50%paved/50% dirt.

Yes, that was with good gloves and gel wrap.
I did have a mtb bar and grip shifters with bar ends.
That was 50%paved/50% dirt.

I would try to raise the bars more or possibly get an adjustable stem to use with the trekking bars. I have the most problem with my hands on pavement, I have found that with in reason the straighter I can keep my wrists the better off I am. I try to keep as much weight off of my hands as reasonably possible.

Aaron:)

Thanks for the input.
The new development is that I now plan to
also use these tires for 25 mile
mountain commuting. My route is pretty much glass-free, but does have a 3 mile stretch of dirt road.
I'm down to these three;
Continental Travel Contact @ 1.75
Panaracer T-serv @1.5
Serfas Drifter @ 1.5
Anything else to consider in the under $30.00 price range ?
The Schwalbe Marathon Plus seems like overkill,but I haven't ruled them out.

Another option is the Performance Forté Fast City ST/K MTB tire:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=2314&subcategory_ID=5425

I've found them to be a good compromise without spending a lot of dough. They won't last forever like the Schwalbes, but I like them for their availability, speed and light weight. A few hard core tandem riders recommend these. My wife uses them with Slime liners...no flats so far.

+1, I just hope they haven't changed suppliers because the last pair was incredible bang for $. If you select a Continental tire labled as 1.5", you'll probably get something more in line with others 1.25".

After doing the commute on Tom Slick 1.4's, I think 1.25 will be the perfect tire for riding unloaded or lightly loaded. I would actually just keep running the Tom Slicks, but the sidewalls are starting to delaminate after 15 years.
Here is a list of 26x1.25 choices;
Forte Fast City-$12.99
Geax Street Runner-$16.95
Tioga City Slicker-$21.95
Panaracer Pasela-$19.95
" Pasela TG-$21.95
" " " (Kev)-$27.95
Panaracer T-serv-$31.95
Serfas Barista-$20.00
Most of these sound like pretty good tires.
I think I'll go with the Forte's since they are on sale and seem to have a good rep.
When it comes time to tour, I'll probably move up to a 1.5 or 1.75.
Also curious about anyone's experience running different widths, front to back.

Last year for traveling I ran a 25 on the front and a Conti Contact 28 on the back, mainly because that was the biggest I could fit on that frame.:) Close to 1000 miles on the Contact with no flats or problems.

This year I built up an expedition bike and used Conti Country Ride 1.75s, only a couple of hundred miles on them so far but they seem to roll nicely. I've always had really good luck with Continentals since I started using the 4000s on my road bike, 3000 miles+ on my first set.

Bruce

IRC Makes a nice 1.35 fairly cheap

I decided the Fortes were too dicey after some research.
I'm either going for Pasela TG in a 1.5 or Conti Top Touring 2000 in 1.75, or maybe one or each.

I have been rolling on Bontrager Hardcase 26X1.25 for about 4000 miles. They have been almost bullet proof (one of those little wiskers of wire that comes off semi truck blow outs, and a roofing nail that I hit just rite), ride well, and seem to have held up well to my 250lb + gear! The kevlar belt just turns away glass and small flints. There also not nearly as heavy as some other kevlar tires on the market.

I'm really waffling back and forth on the width. The only thing I've ever toured on were 26x1.95 Specialized Hemisphere Armadillos and that's a great tire. Even with that tire, I had some mild hand numbness issues, so going under 1.5 may not make a whole lot of sense.

I guess if you look at the pros and cons, the only advantage of the narrower tire is rolling resistance. Since I am a short tour person this is less of an issue than someone going on a long tour. If I am going for a one do-all tire 70% paved/30% gravel/dirt mostly in the mountains, what do you go for 1.5 or 1.75 ?

2.1 ;)

I also ride 1.25 Fatboys for touring, and I don't find the ride compromized at all -I find them fine for touring with no rock like tendencies! 26x1.25 tires are about the same width as 700cx32, which many people tour on as well with no problems. Practically I think the tyre pressure, tyre type, wheel build, saddle, rider weight, etc as a whole combination of factors could cause rock like handling, but as a general rule of thumb, I don't think 26x1.25 inch tyres for touring are anything to be avoided.

Personally, I've never had a problem with pinch flats on them after thousands of miles, nor do they require being pumped up everyday. I ride 'em and forget 'em.

On a side note, I just bought some Panaracer Urban Max 26x1.25 for sale from Performance Bike for my wife's bike, but think I'll also give these a try on my tourer, just to see if there is any difference.


Those are all good points, above. But in practice, i don't have any problem touring on Specialized Fatboys 26 x 1.25 tires. They're slicks and i keep them at 90 or 95 psi for road touring. I've put thousands of miles on Fatboys, both loaded touring and commuting. Seems they're getting harder to find, but they sell for $20 or less when you can find 'em.

From a previous post:
I've used Fat Boys for years, commuting and touring. In 20K+ miles of touring, they've held up well (commuting is another matter, my tires get more flats and wear out faster on city streets). With a load, the rear goes 1500 miles or more; this might not be as much as some beefier tires, but i think they're very durable for their light weight. If you don't count a couple episodes with goat head thorns, flats are rare, too -- probably averaging 1000 miles.

Since the Fat Boys are low volume tires (26x1.25), use 24x1 3/8" tubes. Much easier to fit the tubes in, and saves weight (!).

-- Mark

Those are all good points, above. But in practice, i don't have any problem touring on Specialized Fatboys 26 x 1.25 tires. They're slicks and i keep them at 90 or 95 psi for road touring. I've put thousands of miles on Fatboys, both loaded touring and commuting. Seems they're getting harder to find, but they sell for $20 or less when you can find 'em.

From a previous post:
I've used Fat Boys for years, commuting and touring. In 20K+ miles of touring, they've held up well (commuting is another matter, my tires get more flats and wear out faster on city streets). With a load, the rear goes 1500 miles or more; this might not be as much as some beefier tires, but i think they're very durable for their light weight. If you don't count a couple episodes with goat head thorns, flats are rare, too -- probably averaging 1000 miles.

Since the Fat Boys are low volume tires (26x1.25), use 24x1 3/8" tubes. Much easier to fit the tubes in, and saves weight (!).

-- Mark
Ended up going with Pasela TG 1.25. Wonder if the small tubes will work with these ?

I just switched to panaracer pasela tourgard k 1.25's on my mtb commuter. I have about 100 miles on them, but I already have some opinions forming. Prior to these I had panaracer 1.5 high road V for about 2000 miles. The high roads were max 45 psi but i was putting in 50.

So far the paselas have a much harder ride. I have a very hilly daily commute and I feel like the bike is a little easier to climb with. There is less of a bogged down mushy feeling. The bike feels faster overall.

The paselas at 100psi do feel a little more supple over rough pavement than 100psi 1.25 fat boys that I had used in the past. It's the even rougher conditions that pronounce the hard ride - like big cracks, potholes, or rough cement to pavement transitions. It seems that the stiffer ride that it will cause more wear and tear on the wheels. I ride a two block section of smooth and level dirt trail everyday. When dry, the paselas are fine, but in the wet they are rutting in a bit more.