IslandWayne

Hello and thank you for your time. I am still trying to find the best replacement tire for my Cannondale hybrid. I do a lot of riding on rail-trails, bike paths, asphalt, boardwalk, etc. I also do a lot of long distance riding on rail-trails. I understand since I need a tire for all applications I will have to give up some things. Of course low rolling resistance on asphalt would be great. I also need a little bite on trails. Schwalbe Almotion look good and they are in my size, (700 x 38), however they appears to lean more toward a Road tire. Schwalbe Mondials look good, however, lean more toward a trail tire. The sizes available for the Mondial are 700 x 35 and 700 x 40. If I were to go with the Mondials would you suggest the 700 x 35 or 700 x 40? Any and all suggestions are welcome.

altondavis2

I understand you wanting to replace the tires that came on your Cannondale.
Suggestion, look at the Continental Touring tires, available in 700 x 38.
It sounds like you have the right idea to go with Schwalbe, what about Marathons ???

Bill Kapaun

You might look for something with a solid bead down the center and appropriate tread on the rest.

kleen1

Put a set of armadillos on my cannondale last summer due to repeated flat issues. I ride mostly trails and around town. Love them. Daryl

IslandWayne

Thank you to all of you. Daryl, Do you recall which one you purchased? Crossroads Armadillos?, Hemisphere Armadillos? Borough Armadillos? or Hemisphere Armadillos Reflects???

IslandWayne

Thank you! The "Marathon Plus" only has two stars, (our of six), for off road. This has me concerned. The "Marathon Plus Tour" has a little better rating for off road, (three stars), however has been noted as being noisy on asphalt. The "Marathon HS" seems to be more for "road use" however may be a good comparison to the "Mondial". I will look into them. Thank you!

lopek77

From my experience with few different Specialized Armadillo tires, I would stay away from them. Even if flats are just pure luck, or just luck of it, Specialized tires were champions in numbers of flats. Did I mention their weight?...

B2mac

I need tires for the same kind of riding as you do. They would go on a Trek FX-2. Right now I'm leaning towards the Panaracer T-Serve PT, 700x35. Curious if others have experience with these tires. I'm also checking out the responses you get. Thanks for your post.

starman99

I ride in similar conditions....mostly bike trails and roads. Yesterday I replaced my stock Bontrager H2 tires (700X35) with Continental Gatorskins (700X32). I wish I could give you my first impressions on the Gatorskins but the bike hasn't left the garage due to cold/rain.

kleen1

They're Infinity 700x35. Quieter than my stock tires which were suffering from glass. Some tread pattern. Haven't thought about weight as an issue though, didn't seem to make much difference to me.

B2mac

I'm anxious to see what you think of the gatorskins and if you notice the difference in stability or comfort going to a 32. The bike is actually my wife's and I don't want her to give up comfort or stability. Gatorskins were my first choice but I don't think they make the regular gatorskins in a 35. Hope the weather clears up for you there. We are expecting 10 below tonight but next week in the 40's

2702

I like Gatorskins no matter how many people say they ride harsh. Responsive and great handling to me.
I would get them in 28mm if I was the OP, they can handle minor gravel riding and really bad roads easy.
I would stay away from Vittoria Randonneur, hard as a rock and my 32mm tires on my Coda are 510 grams and I can certainly feel it.

Wanderer

MHO, 28s really aren't well suited to lots of rail trails if they aren't paved. You want at least 32s or 35s. Also, don't be afraid of mixing sizes, with a 35 on the front and a 40-45 on the rear. Mixing sizes can give you very surprising results. You can have comfort and handling!

My experience with Borough tires is that they were like riding on lead. Not so with other Specialized tires. I love Schwalbe Marathon Supremes, but maybe not best suited to that type of riding. The "tread pattern" of the other Marathons should be sufficient, and a good alternative.

There are also a number of minimally treaded tires which will be fine, just try to stay away from slick type tires. The rail trails you describe want some type of tread for traction, but it doesn't have to be knobbies.

TrekkingMitten

Borough were like a heavy tube with some knobs sticking out of it lol It was OEM on my Specialized hybrid, and the most strange tire I ever owned. It was also really tricky when wet or on muddy surface.

nfmisso

Take a look at some CX tires, for example: Kenda Happy Medium (Cyclocross) Folding Tire - 700 x 32c, Black

Wanderer

Personally, I think the Schwalbe Almotion, Panaracers or Vittorias , Conti Touring, previously mentioned would be fine. I'm partial to Schwalbe Marathon Supremes, but they really don't like things like grass, mud, or loose surfaces. They are awesome in the wet pavement, except for snow or ice. You just need some visible tread, minimal is fine, for your rail to trail MUPs if they are gravel or dirt.

I'm not a big fan of Kenda, as they usually feel kind of slow and heavy.

nfmisso

And I have the opposite experience. Had Kenda K193 Kwest 35-622 on our tandem, replaced with Marathon Supreme 35-622 - what a heavy slow feeling tire!! Going back to the Kenda's which felt lighter, faster and had a smoother ride.

Little Darwin

I have ridden the 40mm Kenda Happy Medium and they did OK on my Trek 7.3 FX,. but the clearance was too close, and I also wanted something that would be just a little better on the road. So, I liked the look of the tread on the Clement X'Plor USH and bought a pair (35 mm). They have a pretty good central rib for pavement efficiency, but some file type tread on the shoulders that seems to work well on the rail trails that I ride. I have been very happy with them.

Look at cyclo-cross tires that are targeted to dry conditions, and you will find some good options, depending on your tire budget. If you like riding on wet rail trails, then you can go more aggressive on the tread.

B2mac

Did you get a chance to ride your gatorskins. We also have the Bontrager H2 (700x35) and are considering the 32 gatorskings. What do you think? Do you notice any decrease in comfort or stability? Are they faster? Please let us know! Thanks

Wanderer

I can't believe that you found a Schwalbe Marathon Supreme "heavy." Did you have air in it?

nfmisso

90 psi same as in the Kendas - we're a 500lbs team. The rims are Velocity Dyad, 40H, Wheelsmith SS14 spokes, Wheelmaster cartridge bearing hubs, Trek T50

MRT2

Question. If you mismatch tire sizes, Wouldn't it make more sense to put the wider tire on the front for handling? That is how mountain bikers do it.

Wanderer

I'm not doing it for handling on muddy surfaces, as I primarily ride on pavement.

The wider tire in the rear gives me more comfort, without sacrificing handling, while the narrower tire in the front, gives me better handling(quicker and more precise), without sacrificing comfort.

dynaryder

Ditto. Kwests are ok tires,but they're nowhere near Supremes.

starman99

I did ride 21 miles on Saturday with the new Gatorskins (700x32). I'm not sure what the maximum PSI is on these are without going out to take a look. I think I put in 90 lbs. or so and will have to experiment a little.

They rode nice......gripped on turns well. Slightly quieter I would say and I could feel the pavement more. Some might call that a harsher ride but I wouldn't use that term. Was it a night and day experience from the old tire to the Gatorskins? No.......but I'm happy with them and I'm glad I went with the 32's. Granted 21 miles doesn't count for a tire review but first impressions are good so far.