Originally Posted by
The Smokester
Continental Travel Contacts work well on gravel roads and paths. They have knobby sides and a smooth strip on the center for lower friction on tarmac. They are a bit heavy, though. Haven't tried the Schwalbe's.
My new surly complete just came w/ 700x37 continental contacts, despite being spec'd on the web w/ slickosaurus's.
OK, says I, and pumped them up to the 85 max PSI listed on the sidewalls. 50 miles later (my second ride) I had a *catastrophic* blowout when starting up and crossing an intersection. Sounded either like a backfire, or a rifle shot, as the tube came up between the rim and the tire bead.
Online, it says 70 PSI max. :-(
Also, the tires are pretty loose on the rim. For my century on Saturday, I'm going to put on a 700x28 armadillo.