WhatAnotherHill

I would appreciate input on 2 tires. I am getting my 1982 Trek 614 back in good riding condition after not using it very much over the last few years. I am looking at 27x1.25 Schwalbe Marathon and Continental Tour Ride tires. The Continental has a max PSI of 80, and the Schwalbe has a max PSI of 95.

I am leaning towards the Schwalbe Marathon, but I have read they can be “heavy” riding, and have a higher rolling resistance.

As an FYI, for input about me, I am 6’6” and weigh 250 lbs. (A light duty tire is not going to survive!) I need to rebuild leg muscle in left leg after a pretty serious femur break. I won’t be doing long distance riding any time soon, but would like to build into it, and be back in condition before it’s time for a new set of tires. To begin with, extra rolling resistance maybe good, but I don’t want it long term. However, with my weight without any additional load, I think the extra PSI in the Schwalbe would be beneficial.

What are your thoughts? Have you used either (or both) tires?

arex

I really like my Marathons...I'm not sure where "heavy" or "hard" is coming from, but I've heard that, too. I'm 320, and the 26x1.75 Marathons on my MTB commuter feel pretty good. I like them well enough that I'm putting 700Cx38 Marathons on my Raleigh Sports I'm working on.

However, Continental makes good stuff as well. I'd think you'd do good with either.

Fahrenheit531 

Neither. Panaracer Pasela PT. They're on all my 27" bikes and they're awesome; I wouldn't even consider anything else for myself. PT = Protection Technology, i.e., puncture resistance. The tires themselves are light, fast, and long-lasting. And the skinwalls are *perfect* on a vintage bike.
...they're not overly pricey, either.

EDIT: Full disclosure: I haven't used the Schwalbe tires and have no personal experience with them. Continentals, I've only ridden in 700x23 and cannot speak to the ride on the wider versions.

seely

According to the info I could find, the Schwalbe is within 5g of the Continental, and generally, tires are +/- 10g of spec anyway. So, we can say they pretty much weigh the same. Both are heavier touring oriented tires, relatively low thread count, puncture resistant casings, etc. I really doubt riding the two tires back-to-back, you're going to notice a difference. That said, in general, Schwalbe seems to be a cut above Conti quality-wise, but you do pay a bit more as well.

seely

I would agree here as well, BUT...the Pasela casing is pretty darn thin at the tread, and extremely thin on the sidewall. I like them a lot and run them on most of my bikes, but with 170lbs on them I wear them out pretty fast, and the sidewalls have no abrasion resistance whatsoever, even on the PT models (where I suspect they save some of the weight).

Fahrenheit531 

Heh. Maybe I should remember that when I make a tire recommendation, the rider in my experience comes in at a whopping 145lbs.
I will defer to your sensible response.

noglider 

Can you get the Marathon Supreme? I hear it rides lighter than it is. If not, get the Continental.

For arcane reasons, it's not correct to call this size 27x1.25, even though it is the same numerically as 27x1-1/4. Some bike tires are expressed in decimals and others in fractions. Switching between them implies a different size. The only accurate sizing system is ISO, formerly known as ETRTO. The ISO spec for your size is 630x32, because that is an actual measurement in millimeters.

yipyipyip

Another option would be Schwalbe Marathon Racer. Good combination between puncture resistance and low rolling resistance.

vtchuck 

Have you considered Gatorskins? Pumped up to about 90 psi, they are a smooth rolling, tough tire.

BTW, I'm a Clydesdale (6'2'' 220) and I also use 27 x 1 Paselas on a couple of bikes without issues.

seely

Don't sweat it, my first instinct is always to recommend the Pasela -- it is a great tire, just maybe not for our OP here

WhatAnotherHill

@ All Replies
Thanks all for the input. According to the Schwalbe website, the Marathon Racer and Supreme are not available in the 27x1-1/4 size. I had considered Panaracer Pasela PT, but had warnings about sidewall strength. "You might be from Wisconsin if the roads are smoother in the winter because all the potholes are filled in with snow!" Due to pothole "splash out", there can be a lot of small stones along the side of the roads, particularly in the spring. I've had sidewall damage in the past for the stones I missed running over, but still got to close too.

I looked at the Gatorskins, but not too seriously. Wasn't sure how they would do on packed bike trails. I can take a closer look at them also.

ramzilla

Schwalbe Marathons are a large profile tire. They're good comfort tires that really fill out 27"x1-1/4" rims. Nice tire for hybrid riding. The Continentals are small profile tires. Good tire for fast pace riding. Nice for road biking.

nfmisso

I'd like to suggest something a bit different:
Avenir Discovery Aramid 27 x 1-1/8 Road Tire Black
It is ETRTO 28-630. I had these on my World Tourist until I converted to 622 (700c). They are strong and long lasting (the cups on my cheap hub wore out, not the tires). They are lively and tough. I am recently down to just under 350lbs, your 250lbs light weight is not an issue. The roads here - amazingly - are rougher than the roads in Minnesota (Belle Plaine <> Minneapolis-St Paul area), despite the lack of freeze.