jbeck

Anyone using touring tires on their road bikes while commuting through the city streets? Advantages disadvantages? https://www.biketiresdirect.com/tozz/...s/products.htm

I'm sure there is a thread on this topic just can't find it.

truman

All the time. I have 32mm Conti Top Touring (now Top Contact) on my Cannondale T1000 for commuting and touring.

sauerwald

I commute on Schwalbe Marathon Plus - which are listed as touring tires. They don't get flats, they don't wear out. The only downside is that you will forget how to pop a tire off the rim to repair a flat.

Arcanum

Touring tires are usually considered good for commuting. The requirements are typically similar: durable, long-wearing, versatile. There are always exceptions, of course; some people commute on racing bikes with racing tires, but touring tires are a good bet unless you know you need something else.

Speaking of which, I wish I could find a reputable online shop that has 700x35 Vittoria Randonneur Cross Pros in stock. Practically everyone that lists stock levels is out, and the ones that aren't are known to claim things are in-stock when they're not.

envane

Anyone ordered from https://www.biketiresdirect.com/ ? Any good?


And I ride on touring tires, as do many people with roadish bikes that will fit them.

jbeck

That's a good question. I only put that link up because that site came up when I searched for puncture resistant road tires and I wanted you guys to know what I was talking about. I commuted for my 1st time yesterday and it seemed like there were a lot of obstacles, pot holes, big cracks, glass and made me think I was going to pop a tire. My current tire size is 700x23, standard slick road tire.

retsms

I've ordered 2 sets of tires from them. 1 set Panaracer T-Serve and 1 set of Schwalbe Marathon Plus. The Panaracers rode great but after 100 miles picked up a piece of wire from a steel belt and it punctured the tube. I'm going to go ahead and run the Schwalbe tires as need reliability for my work commute and longer weekend rides. Very happy with biketiresdirect. Don

martianone

Commuting on "touring tires" is a good thing - especially if you commute on a regular basis [daily].
That type of tire on a road racing bike is often more of a challenge as the road bike may not be able to accommodate the wider tire. 28 mm is about the smallest touring focused tire. If you can fit 28 mm tires on your frame and between your brakes - consider the regular schwalbe Marathon or continental Contact.
The marathon's have a reflective wide wall [nicely visible after dark], they are also nearer their listed width.
The contact has a slightly more narrow profile so might fit better if your frame is tight on space. Both will be "slower' and heavier than your road racing tire - some consider heavier tires a training aide.

chipcom 

+1
I love the Top Contacts, cept for the price, but hey, the rubber that is supporting my fat ass is no place to skimp.

I buy from BikeTiresDirect.com all the time

cyccommute 

Be careful on width however. I had numerous problems with 37mm Contacts while touring very recently. They can't be inflated even to the maximum pressure with touring load without blowing off the rim. The maximum pressure is 85 psi and I had to run 75 psi to keep from blowing them off the rim. 75 psi is real cushy but it's also not the best pressure for efficiency. I've had similar problems with other 37mm tires on different wheels so it's not all the tire. I don't know that I'll go to a 37mm tire again.

mihlbach

Are the 37mm top contacts the correct width? I have a pair of 32mm (claimed) Top Contacts that are about 27mm wide. No problems with them blowing off the rim, however.

envane

There is no tire that will stop metal wire/nails.

positron

Schwalbe Marathon Supremes will stop wire/metal/nails/glass

EKW in DC

FWIW I plan on touring on my commuting tires this summer

Dan The Man

Really? Is it that confusing?

Advantages: greater puncture resistance, longer life

Disadvantages: higher weight

How hard is it to figure that out on your own?

cyccommute 

Yes, they are the correct width but, of course, wider tires require lower pressure. I think the max pressure is too high given the larger surface of the tires, especially with a touring load (~50 lbs) on the bike.

corkscrew

I run Pasela TG's on my Motobecane - they are 27 x 1. I rather like them. Since they are somewhere around 25's I keep the pressure high in them. So far no flats, but only have maybe 200 miles on them.

I also have Vittoria Randoneur Pro's in 700 x 32 on my Cannondale. So far they are bomb proof. I've put about 1000 miles on them and no flats.

threecarjam

Are you sure you're not just putting those tires on too narrow a rim?

I like the Panaracer Pasela Tourguards, myself, a bit more affordable (and classier looking, with the tan sidewalls [at least until they're covered with gunk]) than the Contis and Schwalbes that usually come very highly recommended. I roll 700 x 35s on my ss/fixed (though they seem closer to 28s), and just got a set of 27x1 1/4 for the touring bike. Chicago streets, car sized potholes, crushed limestone, fields of broken glass in Humboldt Park, and I've been fine.

chipcom 

Top Contacts come with black or reflex sidewalls...no more gumwalls like the Top Tourings

cyccommute 

Nope. Using a touring rim on both wheels (Ritchey OCR and Mavic A719) and both wheels blew tires. It was the tire not the wheels.

bhop

My bike came with Vittoria Randonneurs. I liked them well enough. Only had one flat with them in 2 years, which was from a huge piece of glass that would've flattened any tire. I just switched to thinner Vittoria Rubinos though, and they feel much faster. I think because I can inflate them more.

Grim

I would have suspected that might be more a rim problem but Mavics have a good rep.

I run a set of top touring in a 700x37s and regularly run them at 85psi (rated 70 on mine) and never had a problem. I love them and they seem much faster then the tires on my other T700. I put 2,000 miles o them in the last 10 month. Problem is they are OLD and starting to worry about the side walls from an age standpoint. Picked up a set of Vittoria Randonneur Pro with the reflective side wall as replacements.

daredevil

Who let dad in here anyway?

Talk about expensive, those Marathon Supremes are pricey!

Jonahhobbes

I use this tire on my Salsa and a 26" version on my Surly. The best tire there is for distance and bulletproofness.

MichaelW

I find the std Marathon good for touring and commuting.
I would advise the Marathon Plus to someone who really doesn't want to deal with punctures or has particularly bad problem with road debris. My Mean Time Between Failures with Marathon is about 2000miles