12bar

I am looking for a more aggressive tire for my Alaska trip in July and found some Schwalbe's Smart Sam tires that are 26 x 2.25. Has anyone run a tire that wide on a trucker and if you did were you satisfied with the performance.

I just checked out the Surly website according to them the max size I can use is 26 x 2.1

seely

"Satisfied with the performance" will depend a lot on what you're looking to get out of the switch. What tires do you have now, and why are you looking to go to a more aggressive tire?

Ubik

I think the 2.1 max size is what the Alex Adventurer rims are rated for, there used to be a question about this in Alex Rims FAQ page, but I cannot find it anymore.

AusTexMurf

There is also the Schwalbe Big Ben, a Big Apple w/ tread, available in 26X2.1

RickD

I run Conti Travel Contacts . 26 x 1.75 its a good size tire plenty of floatation , very durable , low rolling resistance, and i can still run fenders , just a thought .... Rick

iforgotmename

I run fat tires on my LHT and currently for the winter have some 26x 2.2 Nokian wxc300's on it. I like the feel and performance of the nokians but most of the feel and performance can be attributed to the fact that they are folding with light sidewalls. There is definitely room for larger tires, I have a 19mm rim on the rear and a 24mm on the front. I would assume that the Sams may fit in the 2.25 width but they also come in 2.1. Tire performance is relater to weight, threads per inch (TPI or EPI) and bead. If you get the better tire and spend a little more$$$ it will be noticeable. I tour on 2.0 Duremes and find them to be a great all condition tire, I also run big apple 26x2.35's on occasion...the fit on the rear was tight. Here are some pics of the 2.2 Nokians.
P1040280 by DennisLitto, on Flickr
P1040277 by DennisLitto, on Flickr
P1040276 by DennisLitto, on Flickr

phughes

I rode the stock 26x1.5 Contacts to Washington DC on the C&O trail into Hurricane Irene in torrential downpours and had no issues. I would think a 2.1 would be fine. I doubt a 2.25 would be that much better than the 2.1. Of course if you are really concerned, you could get the Moonlander and run 4.7 inch tires. https://surlybikes.com/bikes/moonlander

fietsbob

My World Tour Koga came with Travel Contacts , It is the Conti Adventure Touring tire . Your kind of trip.

Gator skin mesh sidewall, smooth center, with a knobby fringes for on/off pavement trips

I'd still bring at least 3rd tire spare . for a week+, Gravel grinding on the Alcan Highway..

I only swapped them out , since commuting, mostly , I Was asked about my worn out Knobby tire , often.

AusTexMurf

Love the Conti Travel Contacts as well..........all the same reasons, surprisingly fast in all conditions......around 1000 hard miles on mine and no flats yet.....

jbphilly

My Surly Troll came with Kenda Kiniption 26x2.3's. I've put over 3000 miles on them and they're still going strong, ride fast enough for any bike tourist, have pretty good grip even with the wear, and are quite cheap. Something to look into. I never thought I'd want to ride tires that fat on the road, but they do a great job smoothing things out and don't make you roll slower.

LeeG

$.02 for touring on rough roads is to not get tires that are millimeters from the chain stays as mud and grit will be grinding against the frame. Also there's less tolerance for out of whack wheels.
It looks like Schwalbe doesn't have the Extreme anymore but if you can find one it's a surprisingly fast off road tire. I got one in 26x2.0 and was surprised how well it rode on pavement for all it's buzzing. A 2.0 Extreme on the front with a 2.0 Mondiall on the rear would be a good mix.

12bar

That is a great suggestion I will have to look into that. The reason for my question is my upcoming Alaska trip where there will be about 130 miles of packed gravel and dirt so I was considering getting something with a bit more tread for those conditions. I am currently running Schwalbe Marathons 1.75 and really like them I just wasn't sure if they were the best choice for that trip. As usual I am probably way over thinking the whole thing but that's what I do.

iforgotmename

+1

Recycle

+1 on the Conti Travel Contacts. I've had a couple flats, but they have over 8,500 mi on them now and look good for at least another 1,000 or so.

Northwestrider

I ran Marathon Mondial tires on my trip to Inuvik last summer , they worked well on several hundred miles of dirt. Check the link for a bit more info if interested https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/11264

12bar

Thanks for the reply I will check out your CGOB link as well.