Over the years I have ridden pretty much every tire mentioned on this thread. However a fellow forum member summed it up best for me. Do you want to change tires or fix a flat while touring in the rain? I do not so I ride Marathon Plus tires. I tour. Therefore I carry weight. Received two new MPs today for the Trek 520 I recently purchased from a fellow forum member. They will be mounted tomorrow and there will be nothing else for me to think about. The tour is the tour. I have no desire to constantly worry about equipment.