Originally Posted by
Rowan
It depend on what road surfaces you intend to travel. If gravel/dirt is in there somewhere, a treaded tyre such as the Marathon may well be your better choice.
True, but slick tires are OK for some dirt. Tread really becomes a plus for slick mud. So just because you might ride a little dirt doesn't necessarily rule out slicks.
Personally I stay with a slick tire until I go to my mountain bike with knobby tires and at that point go with a tire with lots of small knobs. I'd do that if I expect the trip to be off of the pavement most of the time or if there were serious off road sections.