I recommend for touring 700x28-700x32 size tires. Something that has a Ouncture guard or tour guards or whatever. I swear by my Specialized Infinity's and or Nimbus Elites w/ Armadillo for touring. I also run a single Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase in 700x32 for touring when it is a dry stretch of touring.

I haven't eliminated them, as a matter of fact, I'm having a hard time rationalizing why I don't use them. I've read others noting that they are a good tire. I am fortunate enough to have found a 89 Miyata 1000LT that I am in the process of restoring. It is mostly original so I wanted to try and make it a modern, safe, roadworthy bike and still honor the heretage. It was a high-end bike in the day so I felt it deserved high-end tires. Unfortunately, I'm on a tight budget.

It's funny, the first reply to a post is easily overlooked but often ends up being the best.

I run Conti 4000 in 25c on my tandem. Tourers here must really carry some heavy loads! Caution: only get the black on black with the black chili rubber. Other colors are not the black chili. These tires wear well, roll very well, and seem as flat free as necessary.

For loaded touring on the tandem I have Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech (yes, all those words are necessary) in 28c. These tires are a little slower, but have better sidewall protection. Rivendell tires are about as slow and mushy feeling as they come.

Schwalbe Durano are also good durable tires, not as fast as the Contis but they wear well.

That's more like what I was implying earlier with my question about the Conti 4 Season before I was admonished for suggesting it. I don't 'yet' understand why a light-packing solo tourer riding on paved roads would need a 32 or above sized tire. I understand that a thicker tire is more comfortable and provides better support for a load, but is the sacrifice of having a slow ride via more rolling resistance versus having a harsher ride but quicker to your destination really worth it. BTW, this is the bike as I bought it. It's currently in little bits and pieces.

Nice. What size is it?

I like my Conti 28mm Ultra Gatorskins quite well for loaded touring.

BTW: I don't see the Conti Grand Prix 4 season as an entirely stupid idea. Wear might be a bigger or smaller issue depending on where and how long you tour, but replacing the rear tire twice and the front once on a ~5000 mile tour is probably what we are talking about. That isn't really a huge problem if touring in the US or Europe, and the ride would probably be sweet. Still I am inclined to pick something a bit more durable, like the Gatorskins I mentioned above.

I'm on 700x32 Marathon Plus tires. They feel pretty slow, but I'm pretty confident about their flat protection. That said, I won't be buying them again, but I'm not as disappointed with them as some people seem to be. I knew they'd be slow when I bought them and they are. I heard they'd hold up well against flats and they have. But for my next tires I'll definitely try something lighter, probably Vittoria Randonneurs.

I've got a little over a 1000 miles on a set of Vittoria Randonneur Pro's (32mm) and they're doing great. Ride nice, no flats. I don't know their weight, but they seem reasonable. The bike came with them, but I'd buy them again.

I might try those WTB Slickasaurus mentioned, though. Currently $5.99 ea at Nashbar.com.

Edit: It will be quite awhile till I need tires. The Vittoria's aren't showing any wear yet.

+1

Another vote for the Gatorskins in 28mm. Because I ride with a trailer most of the time, I've even done a couple long weekenders on 25s. Tried the Armadillos with mixed results. One set lasted almost three years with no problems. The next set got returned after less than 500 miles due to the tread cracking away from the sidewalls. I have zero confidence in specialized tires anymore.

Big thing: your touring setup is the best advice to listen to when considering tires. Fully loaded racks and panniers: 32mm+ touring specific tire. Lightly loaded racks and panniers: 28mm+ endurance/training tire. Lightly loaded bike towing a trailer: almost anything you want, probably 25mm+ and some flat protection is good.

So everyone is going to run a slightly different setup, and will have a slightly different "ideal" tire. Seriously though, after hundreds of miles on the road, don't overlook ride quality. Those armadillos and some of the beefier conti touring specific tires ride like they are made out of concrete, and that is no fun at all.

Thanks all for the helpful advice! The bike is finally ready to be put back together. Every bit has been cleaned. The frame was treated with 'Frame Saver' yesterday, so should be good to go. New cables, chain, & bar tape. I'll repack and adjust the hubs, BB, & headset today. Only thing lacking are the tires. I've taken your advice and will be getting a 32. I wish I could afford some Marathons, but that's over my budget. I've narrowed it down to what's available at the local REI. Either the Continental Contact @ $34 each or the Vittoria Randonneur Cross @ $29 each. Any opinions?

Rothenfield, is that a Miyata 1000?

You dog!

Heck I'm kinda fat & slow myself I guess, but I became a fan of 32mm plus the last time I caught a good road crack at speed with 28's.
I believe Jan Heine might dispute narrower tires, but heck there's a lot of discussion on it, so if ya have the time & $ try 'em on your own.
Jan's take on it is here - requires acrobat to read it.
For my 700c bike I'm currently running a worn pair of 35/37mm Vittoria Rando's that have served me well. I liked 'em a bit better than the similarly sized conti contacts that I'll probably start using when those ones get too worn (I didn't dislike 'em I just liked the rando's a bit better). After that I'll reassess what's out there & may get something fancier.