ScubaGearhead85

Hello everyone:

I have had my current bike for 2 years and it still has the original tires on it - Kenda Khan 42-622 (700x40C). I'm guessing I have put about 2000 kilometers on these tires. For stock tires, these things have done pretty well. However, I would like to try something with better puncture resistance and a little less rolling resistance.

Once every summer, I ride around the Greater Vancouver Area (roughly 175km). During this trip, I mostly ride on smooth pavement (alongside highways, country backroads, and city streets). However, there are a couple of short sections with loose gravel and steep hills.

I've been looking at Schwable's touring-oriented tires but I am not sure which kind I should get. I have narrowed my choices to the ones below:

Marathon Mondial HS 428 Evo Line (Size: 42-622)
Marathon Plus HS 440 (Size: 47-622)
Marathon Plus Tour HS 404 (Size: 42-622)
Energizer Plus 492 (Size: 47-622)
Energizer Plus Tour 485 (Size: 47-622)
Marathon HS 420 (Size: 44-622)

1) Out of the choices above, I am leaning toward the Marathon Plus Tour. Would this be the most sensible choice for the kind of riding I do?

2) If my stock tire size is 42-622, is going up to a 47-622 a significant step up in size? Is this too big for riding on pavement?

Thanks!

dsbrantjr

Check your tire clearances all around before installing larger tires. Check all around, on 2 of my bikes the front derailleur mechanism (check all gears) is the tight spot for the rear tire; also check brakes and frame for sufficient clearance.

Dan Burkhart 

The Marathon Plus is certainly one of the most puncture resistant tires on the market, but I wouldn't say they have low rolling resistance. I use them on most of my bikes, and I can't remember the last time any of them had a puncture.

KerryIrons

As a general rule, higher puncture resistance results in higher rolling resistance.

stevel610 

I would go with the regular Marathons in 37 or 42. You might have to walk the short steep gravel sections but the other 600 miles a year will be much nicer.

ScubaGearhead85

Thanks for pointing that out. I figured that there was some kind of tradeoff for getting a tougher tire.

ScubaGearhead85

I just used a ruler measure things out. Just like you said, the tightest spots are on the frame near the crank and front derailleur. I only have about 7mm of clearance on the sides and about 10 at the front. So with a 47mm wide tire, I would have about 3.5mm of clearance on the sides and . I might be able to get away with a 44mm but I think a 47 will be too tight.

I'm thinking about just playing it safe and sticking with the stock 42-622. I suspect a higher quality tire will make a noticeable difference by itself without going up in size.

etherhuffer 

You didn't really say how loaded the bike will be. I have Marathon Plus in 40-622, which is a 1.50" tire. It has been great for medium loaded touring, city riding, etc. When loaded with tires at full psi they were still just fine. For extended gravel you could go up a size and reduce some tire pressure. For general touring I have never been on gravel so rough that I wanted a bigger tire. And while rolling resistance is a consideration, it is far offset by having a decent sized tire with a lower pressure that lets you go through the bumps, not over them. Smaller means higher pressures in general and rough ride. Also, carrying more weight in front is better, it really dampens out the bumps and is easier on your hands.

Camilo

Check out the Continental Terra Speed. Get very good reviews on rolling resistance and durability which reflects the experience we've had. A good all around tire and light weight for what it is. Maybe not for mud, but for mixed surfaces, they work very well.

ScubaGearhead85

What are they like riding on pavement?

Camilo

My opinion from our experience and what I've read is that they'll be as good or better on pavement than other tires with any sort of knob tread (as opposed to a shallow chevron type of thing). My wife's been using them (35mm) for about 1,000 miles. She rides mostly on pavement (smooth and rough) and also on good gravel and hard packed non-technical dirt. She is very happy with them. I bought them because the review, including measured rolling resistance was very good compared to similar moderate or low tread tires and I knew she'd be more interested in a non-draggy tire than mud or technical trail capability, for instance.

The only knock I have so far is that they are a bi*** to remove from her wheels. I don't know if it's the wheel or the tire, but I am very experienced in removing tires, and they are super, super difficult to just break the bead. After that, they're easy to get off. I had to bring them into a bike shop to get the tire off to change a tube (running them tubed at this point). The guy in the shop broke the bead with his thumbs, like I usually can but he was at least 20 years younger, quite a bit bigger and probably has much stronger hands. But this is the first tire I've ever had this problem with.

I'm on a 35mm Donnelly tire I got at REI a few years ago that I just moved over from my old cross/gravel bike when I got the new one last year. They have a similar height tread (similar in the middle and higher on the edges) which also works very well for that stuff. I can vouch that these low-ish tread tires don't really work well in wet mud! Although I'm perfectly happy with the Donnellys, I plan to replace the Donnellys with some Terra Speed or similar just to try something else and since they're a bit lighter and get as good or better marks for rolling resistance on that sort of non-muddy stuff.

I just use my mountain bike if I think it's going to be super rough and/or muddy requiring a tire that can handle wet muc. I can go faster, better control, and more comfortable in that stuff on the old, heavy rigid MTB than my sporty gravel bike anyway. Sort of like I can go better on rough roads and packed gravel on my gravel bike than my road bike, even though the road bike could handle it I happen to need to go on it during an otherwise road ride.

soyabean

None at all.

"Rolling resistance" is noticable when you compare a knobby cyclocross tire with city slicks, but you will not feel any difference at all between different city slicks.

To notice, you'd have to be doing 175km daily training for UCI events with a watt meter to prove it.

Your trip looks important, all it takes is one mishap incident to deprive you of many wasted hours of expensive trip time.

Ignore weight. Your biggest weight gains will be being brev with stuff you carry, not saving grams in a rubber tire.

Get yourself the a good (non ebike) tire you feel comfortable with. I love Schwalbes and any one of them will fare for your needs.

Get some right away so you can try them around your home. If you can get a few, try the Schwalbe Big Ben, omg what an experience.

On top of all that, I still add liners to them, some Mr.Tuffy. I can hear the OCD weight savers cry on this one.

Russ Roth

There can be some very noticeable differences between slick tires and I've found some of the stiffest and most puncture resistant to be obviously slower. Personally I've found pairing mr tuffy with a real puncture resistant tire to be a major slow down, mostly just a pain to install, and typically unnecessary; I've worn out two sets of my clement/donnelly gravel touring tires and haven't had a puncture yet. Putting a tuffy in an otherwise light and smooth rolling tire has felt better to me than a thick puncture resistant tire like an armadillo, while allowing for better traction and handling and can be a good way to go for a long distance ride with no worries.

OP, I use Schwalbe for all my mtb tires, currently 4 of 6 mtbs in my house have their tires and I can't fault them for anything, just nice stuff to deal with.

ScubaGearhead85

Thanks for explaining that Camilo! I'll add the Terra Speed to my list of tires to check out.

Camilo

I was in a shop actually looking at tires (as opposed to reading and looking at photos). Two that caught my eye are Michelin Power Gravel and Vittoria Terreno dry. They have a subdued center tread and a higher shoulder tread. The Donnelly MSO I've been using are definitely in the same general class and have been good tires on pavement for me too. I have a hard time buying new tires until the old ones are worn out, so quite a while to try new ones.

ScubaGearhead85

Those Donnellys look like good tires. They look like they would work well on wet pavement.The Specialized Pathfinder (PF) tire looks similar except it just has one solid strip down the center. They look great for gravel and dry pavement. But they look like an accident waiting to happen on wet pavement.

I am a car guy so when I look at tires, a road-style tire with deep treads and center sipes give me more of a warm-fuzzy feeling than tires that look almost bald brand new. The Marathon Supremes are a good example of this. I see a lot of people on here say that they are good in the rain, but I am not really convinced.

I agree with you about going to see tires in person before deciding.

Crankycrank

Wet grip for bike tires has more to do with the rubber compound than tread sipes as the round tire shape is much less likely to hydroplane than a flat car tire tread. Deeper tread on bike tires is there more for grip on dirt surfaces. Just sayin'.

Camilo

Right. Unlike cars, which have a rectangular tire patch, bikes have an oval tire patch which moves water to the side to avoid hydroplaning. In addition, the larger unadulterated the tire patch, the better the grip on non-muddy or non-snowy surfaces - aka smooth tread race car tires. Car tires need tread to shed water and deal with mud and snow. I don't think any bike tire tread is intended to improve wet traction, although some people might like to see it, but they do have treads to improve traction in mud, dirt, gravel, etc.

timdow

This is a wonderful resource to compare bike tires:
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...thon-plus-2015
Their testing revealed that the Marathon Plus has 20% higher rolling resistance than the standard Marathon, but better puncture protection.

hokiefyd 

I think soyabean 's statement about one flat ruining a perfectly good bike trip is a great point, though I can say from my experience that this lunch is not free. I have a weird obsession with tires (all tires -- bikes, cars, mowers, etc.) and I've ridden a lot of bike tires, as I'm sure many of you have. I've personally found what KerryIrons said to be true: in general, the higher the puncture resistance, the higher the rolling resistance. This seems to be the general rule for lower-to-mid level tires. Of course, money cures all, right? I'm sure there are some VERY nice puncture-resistant tires that also roll nicely, but they'll have had a lot of R&D put into them and a dear price at retail to match. For most low-and-mid level tires, ones that are more durable are also going to be heavier and return less energy to the system as they roll. Weight isn't only about dead weight...it also affects the feel of the bike...it can be a very subjective thing. Some people can't tell the difference between a cheap tire that's heavy and dull-feeling and a very light and supple race tire. Others would notice the difference in the first 10 seconds on the bike.

If I were you, I'd probably lean towards the most durable tires you can find, acknowledging that you'll likely be time- and enjoyment-ahead without having to worry about a flat on your journey, even if you do lose a little bit of speed, efficiency, or even "springy feel" from the tires to get it.

xroadcharlie

Based on reviews by the press and owners alike I plan on replacing the Kenda K892 tires that came on my Giant Sedona with some Schwable Marathon or Marathon + tires when these wear out.

These Kenda's however have proven to be an outstanding value. Very durable, and the small side blocks offer excellent grip on rough surfaces and tackling low angle ridges that are a challenge for a friends road bike's tires. Kenda makes some of the best budget tires IMO that perform WAY better then they have any right to.

But when cost isn't a factor I think the Schwalibe Marathon's are a very good value too if you want a durable tire for touring, hybrid and comfort style bikes.

ScubaGearhead85

You hit the nail on the head. The Kenda's are a decent tire...they are certainly better than the tires I had on my last bike. In spite of their poor puncture resistance, the Kenda's have performed pretty good for me in just about everything. They roll smooth on pavement, and get decent traction off-road. I was actually thinking of buying another set of Kendas, but then reminded myself of the added puncture protection and changed my mind.

I think Kenda's are perfectly good tires for a casual/weekend rider. But for someone like me who uses their bike everyday for commuting and long trips, it is worth splurging a bit for better tires.

ScubaGearhead85

I went to a LBS this afternoon to check out more tires. I walked out with a pair of Marathon Mondials (RaceGuard version) in size 42-622. I just finished giving them a short test ride pumped to 65psi. On paper, these seem to be a good choice because they have a good balance between rolling resistance, grip, puncture protection, weight, and durability without going too far in any aspect. Compared to my old Kendas, these tires are lighter (650g vs 710g), and have a higher TPI (67 vs 30). On the test ride, the Mondials make a little noise because of the tread, but you have to really listen for it. Despite the more aggressive tread, they roll pretty easy. I feel that the Mondials accelerate a little easier than my old tires. The ride quality feels a little stiffer than my old tires, but they are still in a comfortable range. Handling is also excellent. So far, I am very pleased with these tires.

The funny thing is that the Mondials were actually not my first choice at the shop. I had my heart set on the Michelin Protek Cross in 42-622. The problem was that the shop only had one in stock and couldn't source another one to pair it up. Oh well, maybe I'll give them a try next year when all these supply chain issues have sorted themselves out.

Thank you to everyone for your responses! Cheers!

richosti

Schwalbe almotion are a great tyre. The MArathon plus is also good but doesn't roll as well