Cyclocross - Better road tires: Durano vs Racer

I have not been able to find any comparisons using search. So, please excuse me for yet another tire question.

Want to swap out 700x30 cross tires on a Fuji Cross to something more road oriented as I am currently riding around 50 miles on chip sealed roads and perhaps five percent of the time on dirt roads. Have been looking at Schwalbe Durano in 700x28 folding and Marathon Racer in 700x30 and it appears, from the Schwalbe site info, that the heavier Marathon Racer may be a better performance tire than the road oriented and lighter Durano. Anyone have any comparative experience using these tires?

IDK, I fit RBW/Panasonic Jack Brown 33.33 tires on light supple . nice ride..

Not much on the bombproof scale, though [got other bikes for utility]

A local and well respected wheel builder in my area, Portland OR., told me that for chip seal the durano is a good balance of price/longevity/ride feel. I can attest to the suggestion as I have been on the durano(700x23) for most of the season and it has helped smooth the endless miles of chip seal I get to ride on.

Other tires I have tried
Vittoria Zaffino Pro (this tire was not bad either)
Panaracer T-servs
Vittoria Rand.
Specialized sworks turbo

The Vittoria Hyper Randonneur in the 700x32 is very fast while providing a smooth ride.

http://www.vittoria.com/product/city-trekking/

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciate the info regarding the Durano on chip seal. It's good also to read of the Hyper as it is indeed the third option that I am considering.

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciate the info regarding the Durano on chip seal. It's good also to read of the Hyper as it is indeed the third option that I am considering.

The Hyper is a fast road tire that can also be used on gravel. I replaced a set of 700x28 Gatorskin, and found the larger hyper was as fast on very smooth pavement. The Hyper is faster on chip-seal or pavement in bad condition than the 700x28 tire. The improvement in ride comfort on road was substantial, and the 700x32 Hyper rolls over road defects with great ease and speed. I also can ride trails in most conditions except wet mud. Trail riding on a 700x28 tire is only possible if the entire trail is smooth and dry.

I've been looking similar tires at the moment, to take my road bike on some unpaved roads. I do quite a lot of paved road, but there's also a lot of gravel and sand roads around my area, so I'm looking something that will eat miles on road and can take 30 minutes of gravel or sand now and then.

At the moment, I'm looking at Schwalbe Ultremo DD 25c or Continental GP 4 Season in 28c, they both are light fully reinforced touring type slicks. Anyone got any other ideas?

edit: Schwalbe Marathon Supremes in 28c might be one option, as well. Or if 30c fits, Marathon Racers.

Where do you get punctures on gravel roads anyway, is it the sidewalls that are in danger?

I've been looking similar tires at the moment, to take my road bike on some unpaved roads. I do quite a lot of paved road, but there's also a lot of gravel and sand roads around my area, so I'm looking something that will eat miles on road and can take 30 minutes of gravel or sand now and then.

At the moment, I'm looking at Schwalbe Ultremo DD 25c or Continental GP 4 Season in 28c, they both are light fully reinforced touring type slicks. Anyone got any other ideas?

edit: Schwalbe Marathon Supremes in 28c might be one option, as well. Or if 30c fits, Marathon Racers.

Where do you get punctures on gravel roads anyway, is it the sidewalls that are in danger?

Firm gravel and sand are two different surfaces. A sub-700x32 road tire can do well on firm gravel. However, loose sand is a real challenge for any smaller sized tire.

Some gravel can be ground into sharp aerohead like particles. It takes a tough touring tire to survive this surface.

The Vittoria Hyper Randonneur in the 700x32 is very fast while providing a smooth ride.

http://www.vittoria.com/product/city-trekking/

I've run the Rando Pro in 32, and it's a really good tire. The Rando Hyper is one I would like to try.

Firm gravel and sand are two different surfaces. A sub-700x32 road tire can do well on firm gravel. However, loose sand is a real challenge for any smaller sized tire. Some gravel can be ground into sharp aerohead like particles. It takes a tough touring tire to survive this surface.

Talking about arrowhead gravel, that's what the city used for winter upkeep last year. On MUPs. Yep.. Got the nickname "killer gravel" very quickly, commuters weren't too happy to go through a puncture per week. To my understanding, they used some kind of shale gravel, that breaks down in slivers. Fortunately, when not freshly applied every few days, gravel on most gravel roads should grind smooth pretty quickly, especially under vehicle tires.

I ventured out to try my 1.6" MTB slicks on some fine gravel trails yesterday, did about 6 miles. No problems on straight trail or short uphills, but fast cornering didn't work very well on loose stuff obviously, so downhill sections suffered a bit.