xuwol7

I am using Schwalbe Marathon + on my commuter mtb, 26 x 1.95.
They seem to work well and I have a set of Serfas City Drifters in the garage but I am hard pressed to replace the Schwalbe because they seem to be bullet proof and I have not had a flat, don't really want to change a flat in the rain anyway...lol

Are there better options for rain, wet riding?
I may swap when the Schwalbe's wear out (they seem to last forever though...lol)

Thanks...

fietsbob

Used the 406-47 Marathon + on my Bike friday for several years .. Grundens rain cape on me in the deluge ..

Thorn resistant tubes FTW..

Andy_K 

Yes!

I've never actually ridden Marathon Plus for any significant time. Schwalbe rates their grip higher than I would have expected for such a durable tire (4 blocks). That said, they rate their Marathon Supremes significantly higher for grip and particularly wet grip (six blocks). These I have used and I can attest to the fact that their grip in the rain is outstanding.

I started with Marathon Supremes as my rain tire (three seasons around here), but after a couple of years using them I've taken to keeping them on year round and now have them on three different bikes. The theoretical puncture protection is a bit lower than that of the Marathon Plus, but in over 2750 miles and counting on my most used set (700x35) the only flat I've had was from a wood screw that I think would have punctured a car tire. Also a note on the durability, while I expect they don't last nearly as long as Marathon Plus, I've been really pleased with them and haven't worn one out yet, so I don't know how long they will last.

I'm convinced that everyone has different experiences with tire wear, based on road conditions, inflation preferences, rider weight, etc. Personally, I've never had another rear tire go more than 2200 miles without becoming extremely flat prone due to tread wear. I once got 2800 miles out of a front tire, but at that point its casing split. So when I say I'm at 2750 miles and counting on the Marathon Supremes, understand that it's the best a tire has done for me. But again, Schwalbe rates the durability of the Marathon Plus higher than the Supremes by the same amount that they rate the grip higher on the Supremes (6 blocks vs. 4 blocks). As always, it's a trade-off.

The Supremes are also a lot more fun to ride with than the Pluses.

alan s 

+1 on the Marathon Supremes. Wet grip on pavement is the best of any tire I have used. Pricey, but worth the money, IMO.

noglider 

Oh, you are asking what my favorite rain tires are! I get it now.

My favorite tire overall is the Panaracer Pasela. I ride it in the dry and in the rain. I don't notice a difference in traction in either condition.

PaulRivers

The Schwalbe Marathon + tires have a reputation for being as flat resistant as you can get in a tire. They also have a reputation for some negative drawbacks in ride quality, speed, and ability to get the tire off the rim, but those are tradeoffs for as close to flat-proof as you can get in a tire that takes air. (Their are solid rubber tires, but they have a reputation for not only a poor ride but being dangerous if they roll themselves off the rim.)

As others have said, the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme is the opposite - better wet grip, smoother ride, faster rolling. Still has decent flat protection, but not the max like the "plus" does.

noglider 

There are also some very impressive tires from Continental these days. They have made breakthroughs where tires with tons of puncture protection ride as well as last year's top of the line tires that had no puncture protection. The tradeoff is disappearing.

dynaryder

Marathon Supreme. Twice gotten air under my rear tire from having to panic brake on a steep downhill in the rain. Stopped both times with no issues. They're the sport bike radials of the cycling world.

Shimagnolo

I have Marathon Supremes on my all-weather bike, (lights + fenders).
Not only are they great on wet surfaces, but to my pleasant surprise, they are even good on snow.
(I never intended to take them out in the snow, but got caught one evening in a sudden blizzard 12 miles from home.)

dramiscram

On rainy days I prefer rubber tires

Seriously I tried about 6 different brand of tires in the last 4 years and I didn't notice any difference in traction on wet or dry pavement. I may just be that I'm too slow...

ItsJustMe

I haven't noticed that I need a special tire in the rain. I just ride with my normal tires ($13 Prima II from Nashbar on one bike, $18 Streetwise from Nashbar on the other) in the rain and they work fine. Not sure why one tire would work better than another except that a softer rubber will grip better in all conditions (and wear out faster). I'm actually more into tires that last a few more thousand miles. I've never actually had a tire lose grip in the rain.

chriskmurray

I will second this, I really like the Paselas in the rain. There are a lot of other good ones out there too, like the Continentals with their "black chilli" compound work great in the wet.

noglider 

Read the Continental web site for their explanations. Grip, puncture resistance, ride quality, responsiveness, durability, and cost are all at odds with each other. Each design is a different compromise. In fact, most tire companies explain their approaches.

A tire can lose grip in the rain, but yeah, if you feel it, maybe you're doing something stupid. I try not to test my tire's traction limit, especially in the rain.

Cyclist0383

Marathon Supreme are great in the rain, but my wife and I have had far too many flats with them for a tire that costs so much. Plus, the sidewalls are rubbish.

They have a great ride and are excellent in the rain, but in our experience have been far too unreliable in terms of flat protection.

Personally I prefer the offerings from Conti.

TransitBiker

Can i get a link or some images to go with all these models & brands?

I have an old model 26x1.50 freedom cruz on front wheel (urban armor construction), and a kenda kwik trax 26x1.75 on rear wheel. They are amazing.

I also have some serfas drifters (fat rear, skinny front), and a nimbus on my old cruiser's front wheel that i am re-using as an emergency spare front for new bike.

- Andy

Bike Gremlin

One more vote for Contis. Hope their prices don't go higher up in time. Best deal now.

dynaryder

This. It all comes down to the rubber compound. I notice a big difference with the Supremes over any other tire I've ridden in the rain.

I had a set of Kendas that would get slidey in the rain. Had a friend who ditched an older set of 'Dillos because they were slippery in the rain. I've read plenty of reviews on specific tires that were slippery because of the hard tread compound. Some just sacrifice grip for longevity/toughness.

TransitBiker

I'm gonna suggest the drifters, since you all ready have them, and my experience with them has been good, and they are quieter than fully & regularly treaded designs. Grip in dry is great, and when you turn in the wet it makes a "pucapucapucapuca" sound as the inverted tread pockets press down onto the pavement.

- Andy

Andy_K 

As always, the third element of the trade-off is cost. While it's true the better grip does come at the cost of tire life, with a sufficiently advanced tire compound you can get better grip without significantly sacrificing wear life (compared to a cheap tire) or the same grip and even longer wear life or something in between.

Of course, it's not a simple triangle of trade-offs with tires. You've got rolling resistance, weight, road feel and puncture protection (probably others I'm forgetting) along side of durability, grip and cost. This is why it's so hard to recommend tires for a stranger and why you find different groups of people in this forum who absolutely love such drastically different tires.

The trick is always figuring out what your personal priorities are and then finding the tire that's optimized for those priorities.

TransitBiker

You forgot reflective sidewall strips..

- Andy

SmallFront

Rain tyres? I don't think about it, but use Marathon Supremes for all-round tyres for everything (I use my cargo bike for commuting, shopping, and touring). Not only do I have them on my Bullitt, I also have them on my Smooth Hound. They work. I'm so over knobby tyres - especially ones with aggressive knobs on the sides as they're a liabilty in anything but mud/soft soil.

xuwol7

I went for a few long rides the last 2 days and we happened to have some crazy rain here in the Dakota's.
The Marathon + worked good, rolling resistance is better than when I was using the Serfas.
I guess I ride with more caution in the pouring rain and strong winds and take extra care over wooden bridges and metal and painted surfaces.

I do like the peace of mind that the Marathons are bullet proof, wouldn't want to change a flat in the weather we have had the last two days that's for sure...lol

Riding over sketchy sections I always go into my attack position, heavy feet-light hands which helps balance the bike and give me more stability, technique I guess...

Andy_K 

Oh yeah!

Marathon Supremes have those, BTW.

hybridbkrdr

I haven't tried these yet but I just found out the Michelin Cross Max 42-622 is available at xxcycle (ordered from them twice) XXcycle - Michelin Protek Cross Max Tire 28' - 42/622 (W) - en

The tread is semi-slick so it looks smooth on the road yet still has some grip.

noglider 

It weighs 1,100 grams! That tire belongs on a four-wheel SUV. OK, not quite, but that's a heavy duty tire. That's great if you're looking for a heavy duty tire. I generally prefer tires under 500 grams, but that's just my personal preference.