MileHighMark

Riding fire roads on slicks is getting a little old. Recommend me a tire that's:

• 700C
• 37mm-42mm actual width
• Black sidewalls (preferably with reflective stripes)
• Minimal tread (but not just siping)
• Fast on pavement
• Doesn't weigh a ton

Andy_K 

Here are a couple of things that come to mind:

Continental Cyclocross
700x42 (claimed, but you know how Conti is about that)
490g



Schwalbe Marathon Extreme
700x40 (claimed and probably accurate)
525g
Reflective sidewalls

MileHighMark

I was hoping for something with even less thread. Ritchey has some cross tires that might fit the bill, but I haven't ridden a Ritchey tire in ages, and I don't know if they run true-to-size.

Andy_K 

Have you looked at the Schwalbe Hurricanes. They're a bit heavier than the tires above, but with less tread.

MileHighMark

Those look interesting (thanks).

I was thinking about some Marathon Extremes, but the Hurricanes might be more fun in the dirt.

DG Going Uphill

I used Michelin Jets (similar to Ritchey Speedmax) for a while for what you are doing, but went back to Vittoria Rando Hypers (slick with sipes). The issue with the cross tires was that while they rolled well on both road and off road, hooked up enough off road, the side nobs made on the road cornering while descending dangerous, especially if the road had any moisture (I remember one descent where no matter how slow I went, the rear wheel would lose traction once I leaned a little). Most of my riding for fun involves mountains, so not being able to descend well on a road was not an option. There is always going to be a trade off. I decided that if I have to go slower, I'd rather it be on the dirt, where my speed is lower already.

thisisbenji

I was just about to post this same topic ha. I do a 50 miles loop a few times a week that's about 75% on gravel/packed dirt and 25% on the road. The gravel and dirt are very smooth so I'm looking to get a nice big tire that rolls good on the pavement but can still corner well off road.

Currently running Kenda Kwick 700x30c and they just feel like crap on the pavement.

Was thinking about doing something like this


or some specialized tires either the crossroads or hemisphere

waynesworld

I would think the Vittoria Randonneur or Vittoria Randonneur Cross would work really well, depending on how much tread you desire.

I have the Randonneur Pros in 32 on my Jake and I love them, but I ride almost exclusively on the road. I also don't have that many miles on them yet, but they feel great and seem fast enough for me, and reviews seem great. They don't make the 'Pro' models (folding bead) in sizes as large as you've requested, or I would get those to save weight.

If I did more off road riding, I would probably get the Cross model myself.

rawhite1969

I ride on these: Continental Comfort Contact 700c x 47mm. Have been great in the city for absorbing the rough roads, handling crushed limestone trails, etc.

thisisbenji

I saw those, not sure they would fit on my bike though.

M_S

Ritchey Speedmax in the 40 or 42 size is pretty big volume, at least taller than the 35s. Lately though I have been digging Panaracer T-Servs in 35 for mixed terrain rides. No tread but a grippy volume and true to size or maybe a bit larger on my wide rims. I think volume > tread even on rough fire roads. I only will be swapping to cross tires outside of racing if the ride is almost all dirt with a good portion of singletrack now, I think. YMMV

CliftonGK1

WTB Pathway or All-Terrain.

MileHighMark

I'm thinking you may be right about volume > tread. A bigger tire will have a larger footprint, and that probably trumps the grip you'd get from tread.

Previously I'd tried some Conti Contacts, but the 37c size was about 32mm wide when mounted on a 24mm rim. I may give the 42c version a try in hopes that it'll actually be wider than my 35c Vittoria Hypers.

MileHighMark

Any running the 37c Panaracer Pasela? It looks promising, but my past experience with Panaracers is that they run small/narrow. I want something that's wider than my Rando Hypers' 35.5mm actual width.

CliftonGK1

I have 32mm Pasela TGs on my rando bike and they run 30.6mm on Sun CR18 rims. I can imagine the 37mm is closer to 35mm true measure.

M_S

The T-Serv 35s are a true 35 and seem better than Paselas but spendier. In my Volpe they are about as big a tire as I think I could fit with the wheel halfway in the dropouts. T-Servs are the dirt road tire of choice around Missoula though and lots of people love them. I just got mine and I think it's going to be a happy relationship. They roll well and have a surprisingly grippy compound. And wear well so far. In the last week I've done probably 50 miles of dirt/gravel road, some singletrack, 50 more road miles mostly in the city (I'm visiting family in Portland) and a 200 mile two day tour on a bike with 30 pounds of gear, and the tires show no visible wear.

I noticed with the Paselas a strange feel when cornering due to the ultra flexy sidewalls and thick tread, but the T-Servs are more consistent. The 32s were also undersized, as mentioned. Still, the Paselas are good tires if you don't want to shell out big bucks though. The basic wire bead Pasela is the best cheap tire I've ever used, for sure. I would get the 35s and expect a 32 though.

MileHighMark

Just ordered a pair of Continental Contact Extra Lights in 700x42c. If their sizing is consistently narrow, they should measure right around 37mm.

MileHighMark

The 42c Contact Extra Lights measured exactly 37mm on my 23mm rims. Pretty quick on-road, and quite good off-road. Much more predictable than full slicks (I know, "duh").

williamogara

I use Marathon Green Guard 700x38. If things are muddy, loose, or sandy I deflate them to around 50PSI. In snow, I can get traction if I deflate them to about 20PSI. They roll extremely well on pavement, "chip seal," and gravel. Their only real weakness seems to be cornering on gravel at speeds.

john_mct

I sure do hope the OP has found his tires by now...options have expanded significantly since 2011

NormanF

Monstercross?

My Schwalbe Marathon Dureme @ 700 X 42 would qualify.

Smooth ride! No CX bike can take tires that wide. Mine does.

FWIW, they're the creme de la creme of the Schwalbe Marathon lineup, tough and light folding bead tires.

TGT1

On my third set of Continental Crossride's 700-42. Good bite on dirt and an effectively solid (overlapping knobs) center so fast on pavement and hard pack. Kevlar breaker so they are difficult to flat.

When they go on sale they are in the mid to high 20' s price range.

u235

What is the 42 Crossride's real width?

biggus duckus

I just took my Soma Cazaderos out for their maiden voyage. They were great! I set them up tubeless on Stan's Grail rims (internal width of 20.5mm) and they seated immediately and easily with a compressor. Probably could have done it with a floor pump. I put in sealant and let them sit overnight, where they went from 35 psi to about 30.

In the morning I went on a 42-mile road ride with them at 38 psi front and back. At first they were tacky and were throwing pebbles into the frame, my legs, even my face/helmet area. That only lasted for the first ten miles then they wore in. The ride is smooth on the road, with just the slightest buzzing sound. This would probably be alleviated with higher pressures, but I was happy with the psi level. I couldn't feel any extra vibration.

I was a little timid while cornering at speed, but that was likely me being insecure rather than the tires. The low psi coupled with the 42mm width gives me plenty of contact area (oh by the way, the tires measured at 41.4mm tread to tread right after installation). At no point did I feel like the tire was gonna slip or give.

The weight difference is about 1/4 of a pound more per tire than the Schwalbe G-Ones I had on, but I also took my PDW fenders off the bike. Although the bike's net weight is probably a little less, the extra rolling resistance and rotational weight was still noticeable, but not enough to bother me. I really liked the G-Ones, I was just ready to use all the tire clearance I had available on my RLT 9. Supposedly the Cazaderos are a little wider than advertised on wider rims, so we'll see if they stretch out at all.

I briefly took them into some tall mushy grass to get a feeling for off-road capabilities, and they felt very grippy. No mud, but lots of morning dew. Overall I am very happy with the tire and I plan to keep them on until after cyclocross season. It's not the best CX tire (or bike, for that matter), but they'll be fine for this area. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has the clearance to fit it. The gumwall version, of course, because it looks good on every bike.

TGT1

I run two different rims.

the front on a 21mm (outside width) Vuelta rim is 37.6 40 psi

The rear on a 24mm Alex MTB rim is 38.7, so nominally 40mm on a 24 mm rim at 60 psi.

That's maximum width on a new tire