alathIN

My commuter bike is a 2007 Fisher hybrid; I commute about 23 miles per day mostly on greenway/MUP but some streets and occasional sidewalks. I do have some rough patches (poor road repair) on my commute. Occasional gravel. As of recently I do ride in the rain.
I almost always pull a Burley trailer with kids, cargo, or both; sometimes a tagalong and the trailer.

Right now I've got a 700c x 35mm, Bontrager Select Invert on the front and a different Bontrager product on the rear (can't find a model, but it's slick in the middle and treads on the sides). The front still has some tread life but it's the original tire that came on the bike and has that "aged rubber" look with some tiny surface cracks. The rear is getting thin/worn and probably more in urgent need of replacement.

I just put some Continental Touring Plus Reflex tires on my wife's bike, 37mm. She likes them so far and I'm tempted to get a pair for my bike for several reasons (probably none of them super strong):
1) the reflective stripe on these tires is BRIGHT even in daylight, it is very attention grabbing and highly visible - I'm getting more safety conscious and paying more attention to stuff like this
2) always had good luck with Continental tires in the past
3) the belief (possibly mistaken) that the "tready" pattern will give better grip especially in the rain

Stuff I like:
1) not having blowouts
2) quiet ride
3) durable / long life

Would be interested to hear:
1) your favorite commuter tire, and why it's your favorite
2) any experience pro/con with the Continental Touring Plus Reflex
3) do you think I will notice a speed penalty with the more "treaded" pattern of the Conti's compared to the invert/slick combo I've been riding? I wouldn't mind a small speed penalty but I can't afford to add 10 or 15 minutes to my commute if it would make that kind of difference.
4) Given my intended use, do you think I'd be well advised to upsize from 35mm? I did notice the Conti's run small and my wife's 37mm's appear actually the same or slightly smaller than my 35's - I am tempted to think about 42mm given the rough surfaces etc.

alan s 

See above

RubeRad

But quite spendy; I have heard good things from sixty-fiver about Schwalbe Hurricane, which costs much less.

JerrySTL

Ditto on the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme. I used them on 250 miles of the crushed limestone Katy Trail this summer and never had a problem. I weigh 215 lbs and used 700x32s. They are a little on the heavy side, but durable. I've also ridden them on smooth asphalt and they worked well there.

PaulRivers

Like the previous poster said, any real on the tire makes them worse in rain, not better, because less of the tire is in contact with the ground.

The continental tires you mentioned don't have any "real" tread though -


They're probably fine - continental makes good tires.

As the other poster said, I think the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme's are the best - if by best cost is no object. Smooth rolling, long lasting, fast rolling to.

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus's are the ultimate flat-resistant tire, but they ride slower and their ride is far less smooth (probably not a quite ride either, but I haven't used them so not sure). Still last a long time though.

35c vs 42c is not a huge deal. Bigger should be a little grippier, but also a little slower. It's just mostly a matter of preference.

xuwol7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz8fT13rtlk

I personally use Schwalbe Marathon + on my commuter.
I commute year round in all types of weather (in the winter I use Nokian studded tires).

I love the Marathon + tires, (26" x 1.95") they are a little expensive but they are the go to tire for cyclists that tour the world.
I have never had a flat and when I cycle at night, rain, cold, extreme heat etc. the last thing I want to deal with is a flat (I also commute many miles each day).

* They are a little heavier but I have never noticed any rolling resistance issues.
* Virtually flat proof, never even hinted at a flat
* I find them to be quiet (I hate a noisy bike, even my drive train is quiet).
* I like the reflective sidewall strip

I will never use anything else on my commute bike.

trailmix

Panaracer T-Serv is my favorite all around commuting tire. Great compromise of traction, wear and flat protection, and ride.

rommer25

I've been running those Continental Touring Plus 37s for about two years now. Paid about $22.00 each at Outside Outfitters (on line), plus postage.

I've had one flat (office staple that worked into the tire over time). I did notice a slight reduction in speed; about a minute or two over 13 miles. In the rain or on sunny days, I have noticed no problems with traction.

I'm very happy with them. I weigh about 250 pounds and ride 26 miles (round trip) to work twice a week. When these go, I will likely get another pair however, I am open to suggestions.

trailmix

My next set will be Panaracer Ribmos. I have been wanting to try them and my gatorskins have a ton of miles on them and are getting pretty thin.

Reynolds 

My experience with strictly commuter tires is restricted to my hybrid. Cheap 700x37 CST Traveler, 11,000 kms in 2 yrs and still almost no perceptible tread wear, 4 flats so far. Not bad IMO.

ThermionicScott 

No pictures of the old tires for us nerds??

Here's a picture of one set of commuting (and everything else) tires I'm trying to kill. Not sure when that'll finally happen:


This is what they looked like in the beginning, believe it or not:

sauerwald

I commute on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires - I don't wear them out fast enough to be able to really comment on other tires. On my 'new' bike I started out with SMP tires (700C25) which have the reflective stripe, and after 11,000 miles, the rear tire was getting pretty worn out although the blue wear stripe was not yet visable. In those 11,000 miles I had one flat. I moved the front tire (with 11,000 miles on it) to the rear, and put a new tire on the front. I now have 13,200 miles on that bike (and rear tire), and still have only had the one flat.

TransitBiker

My suggestion, after having ridden over nails, glass, sharp concrete edges etc which i didnt see to avoid or couldnt due to other issues, is kenda kwik series. There are a few different model types, all geared for commuting.

- Andy

scroca

I've heard of people doing this but I don't get it. Why not just put the new tire on the rear and leave the front tire alone?

sauerwald

You can just put a new tire on the rear, but the front tire is more critical for safety. If you have a blow-out in the rear, it is much easier to control the bike than if your front tire blows. Also, I do the bulk of my braking with the front tire, so by always putting the new tire on the front, I always have a good tire to brake with up front.

Mark Stone

That's what I use, and I recommend them highly. There are a lot of positive posts about the Schwalbe Marathons, however if you do some research you will find that Schwalbe Marathons and the Contis rate about equally in customer reviews. The only real difference is comments that the Schwalbe tires are difficult to mount. Both are outstanding and rarely (if ever) go flat. However, the Conti's are quite a bit less expensive. I'm at about 6 years on Continental without a puncture.

RubeRad

I think the Marathons might be difficult to mount in the narrower sizes. I have Supremes in 700x50, and they're as easy as any other tire, mount by hand no problem.

noglider 

My favorite, by far, is the Panaracer Pasela. They come in many sizes. They're pretty light, and they have a plush-yet-fast feel. I also like the whoosh sound they make.

trailmix

Whoosh?

Bike Gremlin

I don't like marathons. Tried them - not my cup of tea. For bullet proof - I go for tires sized so I can pump them at 4 bars (or lower pressure). 42s and fatter hold my weight at that pressure.

Continental Contact II roll well, while the little tread allows some off road grip. If you're riding exclusively on pavement, Schwalbe Kojak (they come in 35 only, but have some flat protection, should be fine).

2702

I bought a Continental Touring Plus 700 x 47mm. Conti needs to learn how to measure, feels like a 40-42 mm. How do they pay these people who design the tires probably a lot of money when they can't even use a measuring caliper?

gregf83 

feels like?

RubeRad

lol, but even though 2702 also can't use a caliper, probably nobody pays him a lot of money to write comments on BF

2702

Go to Amazon reviews lots of comments on that tire being smaller than advertised. I went in blind without a review since I have a Conti 47mm city ride front and its just that a nice big 47mm tire that people buy it for. There is no need to measure. One look one touch and its instantly noticeable the difference in 47mm volumne and width. There is no difference or very little from the 37mm conti city ride that was on there. I would have gone 47mm city ride again but took a chance on the 47mm tour plus for the cheaper price. What a mistake. I could take a photo but why? Just do a review search. I am not a broken record saying the tour plus by conti runs on the small side. Nice comments btw without any search to whether others have gone thru the same buying letdown with the tour plus in this regard. Hopefully this will help someone with future conti purchases.

2702

You are one of these people who get off being a jerk online. I feel sorry for what you lack to do that.