Touring - Touring tires and a spare

I have enough for maximum 700 x 28c tires, I need to get new ones for touring but I am not sure what the best but is, I also want a spare so I am at least looking for a temporary tire that is foldable. Any Suggestions?

A lot of people found information on this site helpful. I ended up with Continental tires with reflective sidewalls (I also commute on my tourer) and really like them. My last trip was 1,000 miles and no problems. The only thing I KNOW is the Continentals I bought are heavy compared to the Panaracer T-Serve tires I had before. A trade-off I suppose.

You will get quite a few opinions on BF...all of which valid and stem from great experiences with different tires.

http://downtheroad.org/

Jerry H

the conti touring tire are good get yourself a folding tire for a spare ,you know yourself you can puncture on any tire it's just bad luck .

Schwalbe Marathons get good reviews and I've had many good miles on Rivendell's Ruffy Tuffy.
I don't carry a spare tire as I figure that any damage to a tire can be fixed with a tire boot.

I'm running Vittorio Rubino Pro Tech in 28c on the tandem for touring tires. All those words in the tire name are necessary. So far I like them. Rode some fairly glass-infested shoulders recently with no cuts at all. They have reinforced sidewalls.

Schwalbe Durano HS wear exceptionally well and have good cut resistance. Available in 28c.

I don't like wire bead tires and I think Kevlar bead is safer on the tandem. My recent spare tire poll convinced me to go without a spare.

I do carry a folding tire, I forget who makes it, I haven't had to use i since getting it.

One can easily fold a metal bead tire to 1/3rd it's normal diameter, though it still takes up quite a bit of room. I actually found it good as a tie down system. Being rubber it grabs stuff that otherwise might shift off the top of my rear rack. If you don't know how to fold a tire, it is the same as a bandsaw blade 2 hand system for which there are many videos. Or the same as folding all those metal band products that self deploy, then refold, from tents, to laundry hampers, to sunshades

I don't carry a spare, but if I did it would be a regular wire beaded tire in the same size and model as the ones I was running. A regular wire beaded tire can be rolled into a small enough bundle.

See this link for how to fold a wire bead tire:
http://home.comcast.net/~mandmlj/tirefolding/index.html

I rode trans continental back in 1977 and carried two spare tires lashed to the rack. Now I typically run Schwalbe Marathon Supremes on my tour bike and seldom carry a spare tire, however most of my tours are on the short side these days. If you are worried about trashing a tire get a similar sized folding spare and stuff it under the seat and replace the damage tire ASAP if you have to use the folder. Based on my current rigs and tire usage I probably would not take a spare tire unless I was doing a tour into an desolate area.

Aaron :)

yeah the spare tire would be my Alabama to Ontario tour, next spring they will be week long tours and I don't think I need them for that. The folding tire would just get me to the nearest bike shop where I could get a new tire and have my folding Spare returned to storage in my kit.

i use the marathon supream .

My Schwalbe Marathon Supreme only lasted me about 4000km of rear touring use. Cuts in the tread began to bulge out at several locations. I was disappointed.

yeah my only lasted about 300 miles the sidewall split badly to say i was disappointed would be an understatement.
but i now carry the other as a spare would not but them again .

Also my current rims are 20mm wide with 25c tires on them, I have been looking at 36 spoke wheels with XT hubs and they are 25.4mm it that too wide to put a 28mm Tire on? Would it cause the tire to be more prone to failure?

Also my current rims are 20mm wide with 25c tires on them, I have been looking at 36 spoke wheels with XT hubs and they are 25.4mm it that too wide to put a 28mm Tire on? Would it cause the tire to be more prone to failure?The Chart is on this page:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

Your current rims are probably fine, but 25mm will be too wide. Note that this chart is interior dimensions, though most folk measure the exterior. Also note the note that wider tires on narrower rims are often fine. I don't believe the opposite is the case.

What if any would be the best tubes for touring? and can you get these damned things without the 2 inch valves anymore it is overkill on my rims.

I plodded from Dublin Eire to Inverness Scotland, several months, with out a puncture
with thick Thorn Resistant Tubes in my tires .

What if any would be the best tubes for touring? and can you get these damned things without the 2 inch valves anymore it is overkill on my rims.I always use and carry long valve tubes, because the person you'll find by the side of the road might have aero rims. And the valves don't weigh anything. I don't think the tube matters as long as it's well made. You just have to try and see. Performance tubes work fine for me. I actually use the lunar light in my 25c. They're smaller, which is good. When you jump to 28c, the tubes get a lot larger and heavier.

What if any would be the best tubes for touring? and can you get these damned things without the 2 inch valves anymore it is overkill on my rims.

Get quality tubes. I typically buy Schwalbe tubes when I buy a set of tires along with one spare. If I need another spare I will get it from the LBS, typically they carry Kenda or Cheng Shin.

Aaron :)

When you jump to 28c, the tubes get a lot larger and heavier.
They sure do. That is why I use tubes labeled 700c x 19-26 in my 28mm tires. I have even used them in 32mm tires in a pinch and they held up fine for the life of the tire.

I also avoid slime tubes and thornproof tubes since they are heavier and seem to flat almost as often in my experience.

I don't get the avoid flats at all costs mentality that some seem to have. Personally I'd rather fix a flat once in a while than ride on heavy sluggish feeling tires and tubes all of the time. To me a lively feeling ride is a joy.

As far as which tire, I like the Continental Ultra Gatorskins in 700x28. They do not have a folding bead, but when looped into three rings like the link in my previous post showed they easily fit in even a small front pannier. My cook set fits nicely inside of the small loop. So while I generally don't carry a spare it is easy enough to do so without the need for folding beads.

I use Panarace TG folding tires and they seem fine for the way I ride.I tired the SWM tires and did not like them at all after all kinds of tires I am most happy with Panarace TG.26x1.75

They sure do. That is why I use tubes labeled 700c x 19-26 in my 28mm tires. I have even used them in 32mm tires in a pinch and they held up fine for the life of the tire.

I also avoid slime tubes and thornproof tubes since they are heavier and seem to flat almost as often in my experience.

I don't get the avoid flats at all costs mentality that some seem to have. Personally I'd rather fix a flat once in a while than ride on heavy sluggish feeling tires and tubes all of the time. To me a lively feeling ride is a joy.

As far as which tire, I like the Continental Ultra Gatorskins in 700x28. They do not have a folding bead, but when looped into three rings like the link in my previous post showed they easily fit in even a small front pannier. My cook set fits nicely inside of the small loop. So while I generally don't carry a spare it is easy enough to do so without the need for folding beads.Really! What tubes are you using? I always assumed the tube manufacturers were right. I doubt that my LunarLights will fill a 28 successfully, though they sure are a dream to stuff into a 25, being so small.

On our recent weekend tandem tour, we ran over quite a bit of nasty little rocks and glass bits on the shoulders. I was amazed to see that the Rubino Pro Techs didn't have a mark on them afterwards. Don't know yet how long they'll last. Probably half of forever, because we'll only use them while touring, running faster tires on dayrides. We'll only tour a few hundred miles/year.

My experience is that the Gatorskins feel dead and don't grip well in the wet. Agree with all the rest. So one just has to wear out a few tires and find what one likes. Then they'll stop making it.