xcapekey

Hey everyone...my gf and I have been on the road for almost four months and have ridden 1800 miles with about 85lbs of gear each....

We replaced our tires early in the trip because of splitting sidewalls. I got Schwalbes and she got Conti's. After 1800 miles, my Schwalbe Marathons are still running strong. Her Conti's...not so good. Check out the pics and write up here:

https://epicureancyclist.com/?p=855

Anyone have similar problems with Contis?

Russ

www.pathlesspedaled.com
www.epicureancyclist.com

Chris!

I have not put as many miles on my conti's as you have but i have noticed that they do wear quickly. mostly small weekend camping adventures around 200 miles over 4 days but after a few months of that mine are beat

blaise_f

My Conti started giving me flats around 2k miles (when I replaced them) while my Specialized Armadillos (Couldn't find Marathons in stock) hadn't got a single flat in the 3k miles I rode them. About my only experience with Contis.

xcapekey

wow...good to know that it's not just us bummer that they seem to poop out at 2k for tires that cost quite a bit to replace.

The Smokester

I can't even find Conti Touring Pros in the catalogue. How old are they? The pictures on your blog look like the sidewalls are about to blow.

You probably would have been better off with Conti Travel Contacts which are their touring tires. Those would cost about US$44, not $80-90, each. I get more than 8,000 miles on said tires and have never actually worn a pair out since I get new ones before starting a big tour in remote areas.

That said, I think the Shwalbe Marathon Supremes are the better tire, albeit more expensive than the Travel Contacts. The Supremes appear to last a least as long and have much better puncture resistance.

X-LinkedRider

No problems on specialized infinities or nimbus' after 1800. I did more than that on my Stock kendas and they were not in that bad of shape.

Doug64

Ther are a lot avariable involved, but it is good to know. My wife and I did a 3650 mile x-country trip on Conti- Ultra Gatorskins and was really happy with them. We have done a couple of 600 milers since then, all three trips on two pairs of tires each. The only real problems were with sidewall tears due to road debris. The second pair are still on the bikes and will probably go on our trip next spring. We use 28mm's and carry 30 and 45 lbs. respectively. I have to change out wheels, because of spoke problems, and if I do it before spring, I'll give Schwalbe's a try. I want to try 32mm and UGS's can't be found in that size.

Norsman

I just finished the Pacific Coast ride from BC to Mexico, over 3000 km (1900 miles), and about 70 lbs of gear and used the Travel Contacts. No flats and no wear problems. I also found that they gave me a much nicer ride that the Specialized Nimbus Armadillo tires that I had on the bike previously. I would highly recommend these tires.

LeeG

Norsman, what size of TravelContacts? I put some on my 26" tourer and they were slippery on an unloaded bike in the rain. They were great on dirt roads with or without weight but once I rode around unloaded they we dicey going over metal grate.

enfilade

i might save for some of these.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Sc...60007837/#more

great reviews on wiggle and that puncture protection feature looks good.



i'm currently using Maxxis Ignitor mountain bike tyres, which are very good by the way, but i don't do any off-road rides, so i may change to slicks for greater efficiency.

how about the handling of those Schwalbes? my only concern about slicks is that they have less traction.. two of my friends have skid and crashed their bikes after switching from MTB to road tyres.

xcapekey

Apologies...I meant Conti Touring Plus...not PROs...that's prob. why they aren't in the catalog. The tires are all of 4 months old! They were purchased NEW in a bicycle store in Salem, OR.

Norsman

They were 700 x 37 on a Trek 520. I did not face much rain but on the few days I faced rain they worked fine.

Cyclebum

I've put a couple of thousand on Touring Plus($30)with no flats and no sign of excessive wear. They are relatively light and easy on/off. Hung up a pair of XRs with 7000 miles before a long tour. They've still got mileage in them. Sounds like I'll be getting them off the hook before long.

intheways

I've been running the Pluses (32 mm) for about two months commuting and a couple of light tours; no flats and not much sign of wear.

They are heavy though.

sauerwald

I commute on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (28mm). My rear tire has over 6000 miles on it now, and no flats or issues. Tread is getting thin, but is still serviceable.

TomM

Yes, I've had the same issue with Conti sidewalls. After my first pair wore out I switched to Schwalbe Marathon XRs and haven't had a problem.

John Nelson

Russ, when you say "Schwalbe Marathon", are you referring the base of the Marathon line, i.e., the Marathon with no suffix? Or might you be referring to one of the many other tires in the Marathon line?

wheel

Ohh I wish tires could live past 4,000 miles. I just got some contis (oh fudge) I hoped they would last. My kendras eruo trekkers lasted a whopping 3400 miles.

The Smokester

Ok. Still, I was looking at the picture on your blog and the sidewalls of the Plus' you show are all cracked. In my experience it would take years--not months--to achieve this level of deterioration. Also, the web price for these is about $25-30, not $90. At this point, I would question the sincerity of the dealer you purchased them from.

benajah

as a brand, I have had a lot of punctures on the sidewalls of contis. I have to say though I did go San Francisco to San Diego on one set of 23mm (supported ride on a racing bike, Gran Prix 4000 tires) without a single flat. Around the house, using them as general purpose tires like you would on a tour I have had too many.
On tour I ride Schwalbe, just for peace of mind.

foamy

Conti 28mm UltraGator Skins. 4,501 miles fully loaded. They're still on the bike. I have no problems with Continentals. I'll be buying their tires for a long time—or until something changes.

Incidentally, if your sidewalls are giving out, it would seem that there's not enough air in the tires. Just my take on it.

xcapekey

John...

Schwalbe Marathons...the ones we both have are just the basic Marathons...

Smokester..

The sidewalls look a little chapped but they aren't splitting...and I meant $80-$90 to replace the pair and not a sngle tire...

tarwheel 

I get better wear than that with Conti GP 4000s, 700 x 25, on my commuting bike.

chipcom 

not impressed with Conti Touring Plus...prefer Top Contacts...the heir to the Top Touring throne.

Weasel9

I rode a pair of regular Contacts (700x37) this summer, and the rear wore out at 2000 miles. The front continued on to 3200, then a piece of metal ended that. I started getting a lot of flats at 1000mi or so.

Then I replaced them with Panaracer crosstowns; BLEH! Worst tire ever. I don't think I've owned a tire that doesn't get a lot of flats, I have such a hard time justifying the expense.

I just picked up a pair of TravelContacts I'm hoping to put on my(yet to be built) 26" tourer. They seem like the perfect tool for the job, but we'll see...