Originally Posted by
Ironfish653
OK, I did some tire research. Given you mentioned a 700x28, that's what I looked at. Biketiresdirect.com has almost half a hundred to choose from in that size. These four are all tires known to be durable (or just tough) and come up in BF discussion on the regular.
What's 'Best' depends a lot on what kind of bike you're putting them on, and what kind of riding you're doing with it.
Schwalbe Marathon Plus -The Big Dog. All the layers, extra-thick rubber. Probably the most puncture resistant. Will add almost a kilo to your bike.
Conti Gator / Hardshells -The Fast One. Narrow, thin, and smooth. Almost as lite as a GP-4 'racing' tire, but the extra-tough layers make it stiffer. Doing a lot of fast centuries? this is your ride. 'Hardshell' has bead-to-bead armor.
Panaracer Pacela (PT) - The Classic. Beefed-up version of a design that's been around for decades. Not as much hi-tech armor as a Gator, but more rubber, and a mild chevron tread pattern that's proven on all kinds of mixed surfaces. Decently light, 'punches above it's weight'
Conti TourRide - The Budget 'Buster' only one breaker layer, but a thick, sturdy carcass, and lots of rubber means it can shrug off a lot of hazards. Less than half the price of Marathons.
Like we've said before, there's a range, and only you can decide what point is 'good enough' for you.
Alright, you made a effort to give relevant information. So you deserve as much information as possible.This is it. It is 15 year old Schwinn Varsity with the polished Aluminum Frame that I rebuilt.(love the frame, the welds are beautiful) After adding everything, it is heavy. This is the primary route it is used on. A sun up and a sunset Rec Ride on this Bike Path which up and back is about 8 miles along with an occasional foray into urban areas as a necessity,though I avoid the street.
Now to your tires and my concerns after everything that has been brought up. Everyone said put the biggest tire you can fit on the bike. I am going to put on the 28mm I have to see how big I can go.
The Marathon: Everyone mentioned this tire,especially in the beginning and I said well this is it. Then one fella who I know knows what he is talking about said it rolls even worst then the gators which ya'll absolutely trash for its ride and from what you said is heavy.
The Gator Harshell: I like the way this tire sounds. It adds significant protection by adding technical layers.It rolls pretty good. Continental makes good products. It is light. People say it holds up well and is durable. It is a good value for the price. But people absolutely trash the ride. One calling it a lead filled garden hose.
Panracer Pacela: Seems like it has a nice ride, handles well and is decently light. But I don't know if it has the level of puncture protection I am looking for which is the point of this whole thing. If I purchase tires I want significantly more puncture protection then I have now.
Conti Tour Ride: A scaled down version of the Gators without the technical layers made by the same good company that makes the gators at a good reasonable price. But if you are looking for puncture protection why compromise.
So for the money,puncture resistance and rolling ability it looks like the gators which will horrify the purists.
The only other thing is the collection of tires I have right now is a 700X23 Bontreger Race Lite hard case with triple flat protection and the 700X28 Bontreger Race Lite with an Aramid Band. As an experiment I am thinking of injecting the tubes with Flat Attack and putting in a Mr. Tuffy tire liner. I don't know if this provides the puncture resistance of the Maraton and the gators while giving a better ride. Or if adding these things to a tire design is a waist of time and you are fooling yourself.
