Hey Everyone,
Getting back to the bike after a few years away, had a few medical issues that required I take some time away. I have a Surly DT, and I've talked my brother into getting a disc trucker for himself. So we're planning some tours for the '26 season, and as my bike is easily 12-13 years old, give or take (I bought it used) I'm looking to make a few upgrades.

My tires currently are Continental Contacts and I suspect they're original. I remember when I bought the bike it was listed as a 56cm however I never did verify that number. I road it when I bought it and felt like it fit me perfectly. So looking at the tires, they look good but again are old. I'm not clear on tire sizes but what I see on the tire is 37-622 and along the white wall it appears to show 28 X 1 3/8 x 1 5/8. Is it safe to assume these are 700cc tires?

Finally I am considering upgrading the tires to Schwalbe Marathons but I'm not sure what size or even which specific tire to get. I ride mostly paved rail trails and roads here in central Florida, That said I am planning on another GAP > C&O canal ride next year and hope to land a RAGBRAI slot next summer as well. Recommendations for great touring tires would be appreciated.

Thanks!

My current old tires

This says 28 x 1 3/8 x 1 5/8?

This was from a GAP and C&O canal ride in 2016

Yes, that is a 700c tire, 37mm wide. I have that tire size on my light touring bike. The 622 in the number is the rim size for 700c.

Schwalbe Marathon is a family of tires. The old Marathon (with Greenguard) is a good tire, I have used that tire in a different size. The newer Green Marathon is quite similar, it is called green because it is more environmentally friendly in the production.

If you look at any of the Plus models, they have more puncture protection but have more rolling resistance.

I am still using older tires of that size on my light touring bike, the tires I am using are no longer made. When the old ones are worn out, I plan to put Schwalbe Marathon Mondials on it, I already own the Mondials, bought the Mondials a ways back when they were on sale. Used one of the Mondials last summer for my tour, but when I got home put the older tire back on the bike to try to wear it out. The Mondial comes in two versions, the cheaper has a wire bead (not folding) and slightly more rolling resistance. I am using the cheaper version, it is good enough for me.

The 37mm wide tire is a good size for touring on pavement. When I did GAP and C&O which is mostly gravel, I used 50mm wide tires. A friend used 47mm wide, and the third one in our group used 35mm wide tires. All three of us were happy with our tires. And we had a few days of rain at the start, so even on soft wet trail, each of us thought our tires were a good choice.

You still have a lot of tread on those tires in your photo, you might want to put more wear on them before you replace them. That said, newer tires before a loaded tour is not a bad idea. That is why I put a new tire on my light touring bike for a tour last summer, then when I got home after the tour I put the older tire back on to try to wear out the older one which still has some good miles of tread left on it.

I friend of mine toured on that size tire using the Marathon Tour Plus tire, that had a lot of rolling resistance, but a lot of flat protection. I have never used the Plus version tires, I prefer less rolling resistance.

Your current tire is perfectly fine and I wouldn't bother changing it until it wears out.

In all seriousness, I will pay freight if you send them to me. One of my favorite tires.

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep riding with these until I get close to a long distance trip. My concern is dry rot or just their age, but I agree they are still rolling great. I do appreciate the tire sizing education here.

It is a good idea to occasionally do a visual inspection looking for a bulge. I have had two tires over the years that developed torn fabric in the tread, probably from hitting something like a pothole. Only happened on older tires. When I see a bulge, replace it before I ride again. Not sure if age was a factor but in both cases the tires were quite old.

Bicycle tires are party to the same types of deterioration as automotive tires. As soon as the tire has been take off the mold, the rubber compound will begin gassing out volatiles and essentially "drying". As the rubber dries, it'll begin to harden, which will have a negative effect on traction and rolling resistance. The flip side is that "aged" tires also don't wear nearly as fast new tires, if that's something someone would consider a benefit.

For us who live in challenging climates it's suggested that car tires should be replaced every six or so years. After six years even the best winter tires will get hard enough to be essentially useless in low friction conditions even if there's plenty of tread left.

I try to maintain the same cycle of replacement with bicycle tires. If I don't wear through them first that is. The tires I use these days are thin enough that I can usually wear through them way before they harden too much.

Hi. My wife and I rode Amsterdam to Budapest May/June, 2,389km on 700 x 32c Schwable Marathon. Only one puncture the entire trip, with a fair bit (too much really) on what they call "compacted gravel". We also commute all the time on these, really love them. Planning a big Scandanavian ride for 2026, and will upsize to 34c which is the widest our rims will take. I accidentally bought a Plus tyre the other month, a bit more expensive and I haven't noticed any real additional resistance, so may go for these when we get the 34c sets.

In August we rolled 2000km on Rene Herse supersupple 48mm and Panaracer SS gravel king 42mm supple tires in the Balkans and Italy, soft rolling. Zero punctures.

as someone with a fleet of bikes in the garage and who rides a lot, these tires appear to be in great shape and I personally would certainly not replace them.

-the bike was obviously not kept outdoors a lot because the black rubber is not faded, cracked etc, so I would have no concerns about them. Both the main center area and sidewalls look perfect - go over them closely all over to confirm
-really no wear, so no worries about an old thin tire having more chance of punctures, these appear to have all the original thickness

be sure to have a spare tube or two on hand.
Also perhaps do a practice tube change to be sure that you can do this easily. Even if these tubes are holding air fine, putting in new tubes would be a good idea given their age, and you would get the practice of removing a tire. If you have never done this, some tires and rim combos can be a bit hard, so better to do this beforehand.

I appreciate the input, and in general I agree with your assessment. Prior to now I rarely rode this bike, instead preferring to ride my S-works. I'm now focusing on this bike and leaving the specialized in the garage. I think I will be following the advice from above, I'll get new tires for any tour I do then swap to these tires for my local riding. That said, I'll stick with these until they give me trouble in any situation where I have a reasonable expectation of having services available. Meaning if I end up doing a GAP/C&O canal ride next year I'll probably get new tires but if I do get a slot for RAGBRAI I may stick with these tires as I would have a reasonable expectation of finding a replacement tire/repair pretty easily anywhere along the route. Honestly, most of my original post was just seeking to understand the tire size and how they compare to tire sizing I see on line.

Thanks again for everyone's responses!

Over the years there have been a few times when I had a puncture in a tube pretty soon after changing it. Thus, I think it best to put several tens of miles on your tires on the bike before you start a tour after a tire change. If you have a tiny bit of sand in a tire, with rolling that bit of sand can create a puncture. I am really careful when I change tires to make sure that the inside of the tire and the tube both feel clean with zero grit.

I carry two spare tubes on a tour, plus a small kit of self adhesive patches. The self adhesive ones for long term are not as good as the glue on ones, but for short term convenience, that is what I prefer. I keep my clean spare tubes in a zip lock so they do not pick up any dirt along the way.

Sometimes I carry a spare tire, sometimes not. When I carry one, it is not a "replacement" tire that is as good as the ones I am riding on, instead it is a light weight folding tire, might be a smaller size, intended to last long enough to get me to a good bike shop. I have not had to replace a tire on a tour, but I don't want to be stranded either. Thus, sometimes I carry one.

Ya, I guess the main thing to take from all this is learning about the 622 size thing, that 622 tires are for both 700c and 29er.
584 is 27.5
559 is 26in

and all the other stuff you mentioned about what you'll do with these tires is all very reasonable.
From over 35 years of touring and commuting in a city, I've found the most important factor in not getting flats or damaging a tire is really just being observant and doing ones best not to run over crap.
If I know I didnt have time to see bad glass or whatever and run over it, I'll often take a minute and check my tires, brushing off bits stuck in a bit, and this helps as they dont keep get ridden on and pushed further and further into the tread.

re proper tire pressures for a given rider+bike weight, heres a great resource. I've found it to be quite accurate and gives you a good idea. People often put too much pressure:
https://www.renehersecycles.com/tire...9ZaLz3nSrWR4T_

Hello everyone !
I'm traveling with a very old bike (~55yo). My rims are 584mm. I'm looking for a tire for touring which can handle more than 4 bar.

I would like something between 35 and 40mm width otherwise it will not fit.

And online I only find stuff in 47mm with for a 584mm

Currently I travel with city tires but the rear one is always a bit flat even though I reach the max pressure at 4,5 bar.

Any recommendations?

Thank you and have a nice trip

I am not familiar with this tire, but it does meet your size criteria.
https://www.schwalbetires.com/Road-Cruiser-11101303

I have not used the Marathon Plus, but I know a few that have used it. The extra flat protection makes it a slower tire.
https://www.schwalbetires.com/Marathon-Plus-11100881

I only looked at Schwalbe, as those are the tires I tour on. But there are several other brands you could look at.

Welcome! Hope you find the info you need here.

Hello PaulE. Are your rims steel and no hook? That will be a problem for modern tires. I put new wheels on my 1973 CCM that were 590 x 30, including a SA X-RD3. I have Marathon Plus on most of my bikes. Their only choice 40/ 584 size is actually 37 mm on my Dyad rims, perfect for my likes.
Get Schwalbe tubes also. I use schraeder valves that are 40 mm threaded. They hold air far longer. 60 to 66 lbs is what I run and I do 100 mile highway rides. I got tired of skinny 1 1/4" tubes and stuffed in the 1.75" tubes, that are 3/8" wider inflated. This bike has 8,550 miles since I got it in 2017, I just put one new tire on.
On a 2 day 150 mile ride. >>

Hello everyone !
Thank you for all your answers,
As recommended, I tried to buy a Schwalbe Marathon plus but shops played tricks on me, so after 3 weeks I don't have it. I hope to have it before March ahah
However I found a discounted G-one Allround, I'll try it this week.
And about my rims, yes they were in steel with hooks but I changed my back rim because it was a bit oval and spokes began to break one after another, so now it is in aluminium and without hook. The G-one Allround looks good on it
Now my biggest problem is my cantilever brakes, they brake but it is a nightmare to adjust them.

Thank you.

My tires of choice are mostly Schwalbe Marathon Plus. 25mm smp fg, 32mm smp utility, 28mm smp ss, .1.95 Maxxis mtb, 35-38mm smp tour, 23mm Conti gators rb. I hate getting flats and SMPs minimize that better than anything else. I'm willing to do the rolling resistance tradeoffs.