shadey66

I've trawled this great site for ideas already but wonder if people could give me their advice straight-up. My okayish tourer currently runs 700x35 (front) on a 17mm Mavic T221 rim and a 32-622 on a 19mm Mavic T519 rear. With both treads not great and my first big tour (first ever on a tourer) impending I'm thinking of replacing them. What should I go with front and rear (I will be keeping these rims)??

The tour is on paved roads (Australia), I'll be using front and rear racks with my weight about 185lbs and I'd eyed-up Schwalbe Marathon Pluses for peace of mind, but are they necessary? Also, should I stick to 35 front and 32 rear, or switch, and could I get SMPs in these sizes??

Any help for this nervous (tour) virgin would be appreciated.

Hot Rod Lincoln

I too have recently got bitten by the touring bug. I have standard Schwalbe Marathons and have had no problems with them at all. No flats, good rolling, and reflective stripe on the side. I have 700x28's and they have held up great. My next tires will be the same except maybe a little bigger..700x32 or 700x35. Run the same front and rear so you can keep spare tires down to a minimum

John Nelson

I think the Marathon Plus and Marathon Tour Plus are too heavy. I lean towards the Marathon XR or the Marathon Supreme, or maybe just the plain Marathon.

shadey66

cheers, weight has definitely been on my mind. assuming i was happy with the rolling resistance of pluses, would 35s be excessively wide or sensibly comfortable, and are they made in 32s? (haven't found any)

my local bike shop recommends a couple of continental models that come in under the schawlbe price, should i risk flats in return for nicer rolling?

Wanderer

The Marathon Supremes are really nice rolling, light, and have excellent flat protection.

They are also folding, should you want to carry a spare.

700X35 are reasonably comfortable.

Check with Niagara Bicycle for prices, as the occasionally have various sizes on sale. Recently, I bought a pair of 700X35 for about $25 buck each.

Great tires.

surreal

I run marathon pluses; I'd run a previous set for something like a million years and 4 million miles (yes, i'm exaggerating; no, i don't log miles) mostly in glass- and tack-infested NJ conditions, never flatted. Got to the point where i couldn't imagin them flatting.

That being said, they weigh about a ton each, which doesn't matter alot if y'ain't racing. They roll pretty good once you get up to speed, and what loaded tour rig doesn't weigh a ton, anyway, so "quick acceleration" is sort of out of the question, but still. If you're concerned about weight, look to a lighter offering.

hth,
-rob

staehpj1

As I said I am not a fan of the pluses, but yes they are made in 32mm. I consider the 32's plenty wide enough for road touring.

I think that a flat once in a while is not a huge deal. If you change a flat a few times on a 4000+ mile tour that just isn't a big hardship. I would rather have reasonable weight tires that have a nice ride and a lively feel, that are reasonably flat resistant.

Lambo

I haven't actually toured on them per se, but I am a big guy who carries a pertty heavy load in my backpack while commuting and the Vittoria Randonneur Pros have proven fast rolling and tough.

nun

For road and a few trails I find Ruffy Tuffies work well.
They're a big round 28mm tyre that are tough and
Fast on the road. I tour lighly with 25lbs of gear so
28s are a nice compromise.

porter

I weigh about the same as you and use a similar bike setup (front and rear paniers) and have been using Marathon 700x35. Worked greating touring in all conditions in Tasmania/Alaska (add a bit of cushon but still roll well) and am still using them for commuting two years later. Though will be switching to Marathon XRs for my next tour along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in the USA.

chrishg

same thing happened to me. schwalbe marathons on velocity dyad rims. i managed to get the front tube/tire seated properly after a fair amount of work, but the rear was impossible. eventually it exploded mid century, and i replaced it soon thereafter. now i have continental touring plus tires and they have given me no such problems and i think they're much better than the schwalbes.

Cyclebum

Schwalbe XR's are arguably the best touring tires on the market. They are expensive and size limited. I run a 35 on the rear and 32 on the front. Last time I checked, all I could find were 35's. Not enough difference in the two to matter.

I am replacing them after 3 years and 6000 miles in preparation for a 2000 mile tour. Gonna get a pair of Continental Touring Plus Reflex, 32's, based on a friend's recommendation, description hype, weight, and lower price. Hope I'm not sorry.

The Smokester

I use Continental Travel Contacts. The present set have 3500 miles on them and no punctures yet. They aren't cheap, though.

ReelExterminato

Are regular road bike tires not very suitable for loaded touring on pavement? I've been using Conti GP 4-seasons since last year and they have held up great for commuting on my road bike. They come in 28mm, which is the narrowest size the A719s on my Cannondale T2000 recommend. I'm hoping for something fast, but durable, for the paved portion of my trip.

Big Lew

I am 200+lbs. and tour with another fifty lbs. and use national tire co. 700x35C 35-622 panaracer pasela tourguard kevlar folding tires. I went the full length of the alaska hwy with them without a flat. They are light and roll very easily with very little resistance. They have thousands of kms. on them, but are still in decent shape. Before I go on my next tour, I'll definately buy the same tire.

staehpj1

That is an outstanding road tire and at 28mm (probably actually measures 26) it is wide enough. I would expect them to be a joy to ride on, but more prone to damage. If you go that route maybe carry a spare.

ReelExterminato

Excellent! I've got two on the way. I'll probably get some Marathon Pluses or Conti Top Contacts as spares in case they don't hold up.

staehpj1

Just one opinion, but I would skip the pluses for anything other than commuting on badly glass strewn roads. In 700x32 they weigh 800 grams to the Top Contact's 400 grams. That is a huge difference. They also have a very dead feeling ride.

FWIW: The Conti GP 4-seasons and the Marathon Pluses are at extreme opposite ends of the spectrum.

ReelExterminato

Thanks for tip, I hadn't looked at the specs yet - Top Contacts look like they'll be more fun to use.

Ariane

If you are riding only on sealed tarmac roads the Specialised Armadillo All Condition tyres are great. They have a thick Kevlar belt protecting against punctures. I've used them commuting in London and touring for nearly 10 years now (not the same tyre!). They are a more slick tyre but are bullit proof. They roll well too. I use them on light gravel tracks as well and they are fine. If I were touring taking more rougher trails I would use SMP or XR depending on specifically where I was going. I would also put the wider tyre on the rear as motorbikes do as this is where the balance of your weight lies when loaded up with luggage. It also makes for a much more comfortable ride. I currently have 700c wheels with a 23C front and 28C rear tyres. It's a combo I find that works well. Hope this has been of help.

balto charlie

Hey folks: just finished reading this test of bike tires. Some very interesting tires.
https://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/i...64TireTest.pdf

I ride Schwalbe MP and love their flat resistance; however they are heavy and the ride is rough. The tires in the above link give you speed and smooth out the rode. They are not as flat resistant and long wearing. Give it a read. I am thinking about the Challenge Paris-Roubaix for summer tours.

Doug64

For what it's worth, we use Continebtal Ultra-Gatorskins. We have a toatal of about 9-10,000 miles of fully loaded touring plus a couple of thousand" just riding miles" on them with 13-15 flats. It seems like 4,000 miles is the point where replacement occurs. It is generally from a sidewall rip rather than tread wear. We use them mostly on pavement, but there are a couple of hundred miles of gravel and construction zones. The 28mm seem about right, as we are both relatively light (130 and 155 lbs), and carry between 25 and 35 lbs. of gear. We have also done several tours on 25's without any truoble. The 28's are durable, light and have remarkable grip on wet pavement. As you can tell, I like Continentals and also run them on our road bikes.