lmk5

I've got an '87 Schwinn World Sport and I'm in need of new tires. There isn't a whole lot of selection around, but I'd like opinions on the following 4 that I've found, or if you know of a better choice please let me know. I'm looking for something that rolls fast and also has reasonable durability:

1) Kenda K35
2) Panaracer Pasela
3) Continental Gatorskins
4) Vittoria Zaffiro V

ThermionicScott 

We have a whole thread here: The ultimate 27" tire reference thread!

Chuck M 

I don't know about 3 and 4, but I've used 1 and 2 and would not buy 1 again. I would not be hesitant to try 3 but I could only find them in black and I like gum or skin walls for appearances.

Edit: I would not buy 1 again, sorry.

poprad

I've only ridden Paselas and liked them just fine. I have them on my International. Nice tires. Not superlight mind you, but they work well as a gravel tire.

non-fixie 

The Paselas come in a beaded as well as a folding version. The latter weighs 60 grams less. If you have the right rims (i.e. with a hooked profile) those would be my choice.

tcs

"Handmade in Germany". Lovely tires.

lmk5

Thanks. Saw that right after I posted!

lmk5

My rims are the original Weinmann (made in Belgium) from 1987. I was under the impression that I needed wire bead tires for these rims. Is that true?

Also, the Paselas look like they have a fairly beefy tread compared to the Gatorskins or the Zaffiros. Does that mean that they will roll slower? I only ride on smooth pavement.

Mr. 66

Are your rims hookbead? They probably are if they were manufactured in '87.

Paselas may not roll the same are sublime, and versatile. Gatorskin are pretty good may need higher pressure. I find that the Zaffiros is slicker feel. The Kenda if you want the feel of 1978, Roberta is your auntie.

52telecaster

Those paselas feel real nice.

ThermionicScott 

Looking at it again, my initial reply seemed kind of curt. I have Weinmann rims from 1988 that have full hooks, so I'd be a little surprised if yours don't. Paselas have treated me well in every size I've tried, including 27", and they look the part.

smontanaro 

I just installed Swift Sand Canyon tires on my Dawes. As others have indicated in the "ultimate" thread, though they are marked as 1-3/8, they aren't really any wider than your garden variety 1-1/4. The 1-1/4 Schwalbe tires (well-stretched) I removed measured a hair under 30mm wide. The Swifts (not yet stretched at all) measure a hair over 30mm. Haven't had much chance to ride them, but I think they will be just fine.

ClydeClydeson

Paselas are light and fast rolling and relatively inexpensive and look good. Slightly heavier/slower/more expensive is the 'Protite' (PT) version which has added flat protection.

Contis are also nice. A bit more expensive, maybe also available with their nifty reddish-brown/brownish-red sidewall colour.

I've never tried the Vittorias.

The Kendas are good for a low-cost replacement for a bike you are selling, or if you are struggling to pay rent and groceries but need to fix your bike to get to work and work is only a short ride away. If you plan on putting some miles on the bike then you can do much better - very cheap tires are a false economy.

thorstein

I've had folding 1 1/4" Pasela PTs for the past 2-3 years and put 2,000+ miles on with no problems. The urban routes I ride have glass shards once in a while & other such hazards, but I've yet to flat. I'll certainly replace with new PTs when mine wear out.

I haven't compared them to the non-PT Paselas, but they seem plenty cushy to me. I do most of my riding on pavement, but they have performed really well when I've gone on forest trails, gravel routes, etc.

lmk5

Thanks for all the great suggestions. The current tires on the bike are marked "Ultracycle." They have the same raised center tread and gumwall sidewall that is on the K35 and the Cheng Shin Sunlite. Are these all made by the same manufacturer? After about 1000 miles the rear tread is almost gone and I can see the tread seem starting to split. The Paselas seem highly regarded here, but I'm seeing that I may be able to get a pair of the Gatorskins for about $12 more per tire. At that price, are the Gatorskins a better value considering performance and wear? The knock on them seems to be that they are very hard to mount since they run a little small.

John E

I like the look of skinwalls, but I have had bad luck with the sidewalls rotting and decomposing long before the tread wears out, so I have gravitated to blackwalls.

52telecaster

Gatorskins have great longevity in my experience but I prefer to ride on paselas, ymmv.

ClydeClydeson

My experience is that gumwalls like PAselas (although they are also available with blackwalls) do break down faster, esp. if they are frequently left in direct sunlight.

Pcampeau

This has been my experience with Panaracer Paselas PT version as well. I ride in urban areas too and I never get flats on them. I used to ride the non-PT version and had more flats than any other tire I’ve experienced. The ride to me feels very similar and very nice. If the non-PT version is somehow faster I haven’t noticed. I ride 27 x 1 1/4” PTs on my Raleigh Super Course, my Schwinn Voyaguer 11.8 and I’ve got the 700c x 32mm folding version on My International. Very very durable and a nice ride.

non-fixie 

Then you need to ride faster!

Just kidding. IME materials differ a lot between tires. My oldest Paselas are now ten years old and almost threadbare, but the sidewalls are fine. FWIW.

non-fixie 

Older Weinmann rims have no or less pronounced "hooks". I have the latter on my tandem. A 35mm folding Pasela blew right off the first time. On the second try it stayed on (and it's still there). So yes, I would suggest using the beaded version for those. The difference isn't that big (and they're cheaper).

Whether or not Paselas roll slower, I don't know. I'm not fast or interested enough to notice. They are not as noiseless as some other tires, but the rest of the world needs to be pretty quiet for you to notice.

rustystrings61 

I've been running blackwall Pasela 27 x 1 1/4-in wire bead tires on my '76 Puch that came back to me with Rigida hooked-bead rims on Normandy Luxe Competition hubs. Like most Luxe Comp hubs, the cones are ... challenged at this point, and replacement cones were probably never available then and certainly aren't now. That said, those tires at 70 psi on those wheels are possibley THE smoothest riding tires I can remember, and the bike has a lovely gliding quality to it on them. I highly recommend them.

Chuck M 

The look of the tread was a turn off for me but I bought them because I wanted the skin-walls. I find they don’t ride too bad. I do find there is a humming sound due to the tread, but I kind of like that.

lmk5

Are you running the Pasela PT or the regular version?

rustystrings61 

I'm running the basic regular Pasela and not the PT version.