Folding Bikes - What Are The Best 20 inch Toring Tires ???

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gsrsol84mm
08-19-08, 09:14 PM
Just picked up a Bike Friday Pocket llama and getting it set up for Touring.(Bought it from the original owner who had never ridden it since he got it in 2005 and is in brand new condition ) Currently it has the Primo V Monster tires on it. It has 20 x 1.5 Sun AT-18 32 spoke rims. This is my first touring bike and I am not sure what tires to go with. The Schwalbe marathon's are 1.5 inch wide, the Schwalbe Marathon plus tires are 1.75 inches wide. Will be touring mostly on Tar roads plus gravel dirt roads if needed. Are there any other tires to consider other than the Schwalbe ? What are the best inner tubes to go with as well ? Will be pulling the suitcase trailer as well ( This option sold me on the bike Friday )
Thanks for the help

invisiblehand
08-20-08, 07:15 AM
Primo makes fine tires. Those tires are fine for touring since the inverted tread is decent for a lot of surfaces. The tire itself is a bit stiff so the ride will be a bit harsh; but because it is so wide -- I think that it is 1.75" -- you can lower the tire pressure a bit to compensate. If you are going on a tour that is predominantly on the road, you might consider switching to the kevlar Primo Comet 1.5".

I recall that Continental also makes a tire for "city" riding that is more than acceptable for touring.

We generally use Schwalbe Marathon Racers. In addition to the performance aspect, durability seems good; although not as tough as the regular Marathons. Since you have a Llama, you can also fit the Schwalbe Big Apples.