26 inch Balloons for touring
03-02-13, 07:07 PM
#28
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OK - I'll bite! In your opinion of tires: "For a given diameter and width and comparable weight and pressure, your options all give you essentially the same experience".But for some reason the same logic doesn't apply to wheelsets?
Seriously - I think tires can make a bigger more noticable difference in ride quality than any wheelset. But of course - that's just my opinion.
03-02-13, 11:18 PM
#29
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I've been riding bikes for over 40 years, touring and not touring. Here's what matters for touring: fit, saddle, handlebars, gearing, packing list. That's it, because that's all that matters to make a day of riding a bike fun or not fun. Your hands and ass need to be comfortable, your geometry needs to be protecting your knees and hips, you need gears to take you up steep hills, and you shouldn't be carrying more than you need.
That's it. That's bicycle touring. Period.
Worrying about tires is like worrying about handlebar tape or nutrition slurries or cell phone contracts. Go ahead if you want to, but it's not about riding your bicycle joyously out into the world.
That's it. That's bicycle touring. Period.
Worrying about tires is like worrying about handlebar tape or nutrition slurries or cell phone contracts. Go ahead if you want to, but it's not about riding your bicycle joyously out into the world.
03-02-13, 11:31 PM
#30
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I've been riding bikes for over 40 years, touring and not touring. Here's what matters for touring: fit, saddle, handlebars, gearing, packing list. That's it, because that's all that matters to make a day of riding a bike fun or not fun. Your hands and ass need to be comfortable, your geometry needs to be protecting your knees and hips, you need gears to take you up steep hills, and you shouldn't be carrying more than you need.
That's it. That's bicycle touring. Period.
Worrying about tires is like worrying about handlebar tape or nutrition slurries or cell phone contracts. Go ahead if you want to, but it's not about riding your bicycle joyously out into the world.
That's it. That's bicycle touring. Period.
Worrying about tires is like worrying about handlebar tape or nutrition slurries or cell phone contracts. Go ahead if you want to, but it's not about riding your bicycle joyously out into the world.
03-03-13, 11:47 AM
#31
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Takara, isn't riding on a sluggish tire going to affect you just like carrying gear extra gear? (going slower while having to exert yourself more).
03-04-13, 01:50 PM
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I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
The way the commodification of bicycle parts is going, we'll be having this discussion five years from now about inner tubes: "You need to use these fast, hard, resistant inner tubes"; "I put these sleek, light, sharp inner tubes on my loaner wheelset and all my customers thought they were wonderful."
Anyone who thinks there's a world of difference between a $60 tire and a $15 tire with the same dimensions and weight has merely exposed herself as a skilled consumer of advertising hype. The difference doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're carrying 27 pounds of gear on a 30 pound bike or 22 pounds of gear on a 25 pound bike. What matters is whether your tent keeps you dry and comfortable and away from the mosquitoes and doesn't take 20 minutes to pitch. What matters is whether your butt and wrists are happy at the end of a day of riding on your saddle and handlebars.
What exquisitely doesn't matter is what the brand name of your tires is. Or what color your gloves are. Or whether you folded your map along the original creases. Doesn't matter.
All these poor guys who come to bikeforums.net asking how to accomplish their first tour don't need to be hearing that they have the wrong brand of tire and should stay off the road until that's remedied. That's the same kind of thinking that gives us $1,000 touring bikes and $300 sleeping bags and people who only have time for a one-week tour because that's all the longer they can be away from their job earning money. Tire brands are nonsense. Schwalbe Marathons are nonsense. They're expensive sedatives. They're stuff for fat old men to talk about on Internet forums because they're too lazy to ride their bikes.
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
03-04-13, 02:32 PM
#33
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I like touring on unpaved surfaces with balloon tires, specifically Big Apples in 26 x 2.35. Very comfortable tire, and actually not too slow on pavement. Not the fastest, lightest or most durable tire out there, but I'll take the extra comfort that comes with the small loss in speed. For strictly pavement, I'll go with a skinnier and lighter tire.
03-04-13, 03:48 PM
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03-05-13, 08:09 AM
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I'm a fat man leaving middle age and I approve of this thread.
Ramseykp, Panaracer T-Servs in 1.75" are some of the lightest puncture resistant tires tires you'll find.
Ramseykp, Panaracer T-Servs in 1.75" are some of the lightest puncture resistant tires tires you'll find.
Last edited by LeeG; 03-05-13 at 08:13 AM.
03-06-13, 08:48 PM
#36
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I run Schwalbe Marathon Plus. 1700 miles and they look brand new. I ride them over all sorts of nasty crap. No flats. And by golly, when I look at them on my bike, I just feel good about myself.
__________________
Momento mori, amor fati.
Momento mori, amor fati.
03-11-13, 08:27 AM
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Everything affects everything; the question is, how much? The question here is, what is a "sluggish tire?" I'm not sure I know what that is. If I have two tires, one made by Schwalbe and another made by Walmart, and they're the same size and more or less the same weight and inflated to the same pressure, what characteristics set them meaningfully apart? "Sluggishness"? "Hardness"? "Fastness"? These are qualities attributed to brands of tires in the discussion above. We haven't discussed "white sidewallness," but we might as well.
I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
The way the commodification of bicycle parts is going, we'll be having this discussion five years from now about inner tubes: "You need to use these fast, hard, resistant inner tubes"; "I put these sleek, light, sharp inner tubes on my loaner wheelset and all my customers thought they were wonderful."
Anyone who thinks there's a world of difference between a $60 tire and a $15 tire with the same dimensions and weight has merely exposed herself as a skilled consumer of advertising hype. The difference doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're carrying 27 pounds of gear on a 30 pound bike or 22 pounds of gear on a 25 pound bike. What matters is whether your tent keeps you dry and comfortable and away from the mosquitoes and doesn't take 20 minutes to pitch. What matters is whether your butt and wrists are happy at the end of a day of riding on your saddle and handlebars.
What exquisitely doesn't matter is what the brand name of your tires is. Or what color your gloves are. Or whether you folded your map along the original creases. Doesn't matter.
All these poor guys who come to bikeforums.net asking how to accomplish their first tour don't need to be hearing that they have the wrong brand of tire and should stay off the road until that's remedied. That's the same kind of thinking that gives us $1,000 touring bikes and $300 sleeping bags and people who only have time for a one-week tour because that's all the longer they can be away from their job earning money. Tire brands are nonsense. Schwalbe Marathons are nonsense. They're expensive sedatives. They're stuff for fat old men to talk about on Internet forums because they're too lazy to ride their bikes.
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
The way the commodification of bicycle parts is going, we'll be having this discussion five years from now about inner tubes: "You need to use these fast, hard, resistant inner tubes"; "I put these sleek, light, sharp inner tubes on my loaner wheelset and all my customers thought they were wonderful."
Anyone who thinks there's a world of difference between a $60 tire and a $15 tire with the same dimensions and weight has merely exposed herself as a skilled consumer of advertising hype. The difference doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're carrying 27 pounds of gear on a 30 pound bike or 22 pounds of gear on a 25 pound bike. What matters is whether your tent keeps you dry and comfortable and away from the mosquitoes and doesn't take 20 minutes to pitch. What matters is whether your butt and wrists are happy at the end of a day of riding on your saddle and handlebars.
What exquisitely doesn't matter is what the brand name of your tires is. Or what color your gloves are. Or whether you folded your map along the original creases. Doesn't matter.
All these poor guys who come to bikeforums.net asking how to accomplish their first tour don't need to be hearing that they have the wrong brand of tire and should stay off the road until that's remedied. That's the same kind of thinking that gives us $1,000 touring bikes and $300 sleeping bags and people who only have time for a one-week tour because that's all the longer they can be away from their job earning money. Tire brands are nonsense. Schwalbe Marathons are nonsense. They're expensive sedatives. They're stuff for fat old men to talk about on Internet forums because they're too lazy to ride their bikes.
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
This post will alter the parts I buy for the next build.
It is true, in my experience, that riding Vittoria Rubino will slow my riding down significantly compared to a Vittoria Rubino Pro. The manufacture claims this is because of the higher TPI.
Whether that is valid or not, I don't know. I don't even tour, I just like my touring bike for long day-rides
03-11-13, 08:54 AM
#38
The Left Coast, USA
Everything affects everything; the question is, how much? The question here is, what is a "sluggish tire?" I'm not sure I know what that is. If I have two tires, one made by Schwalbe and another made by Walmart, and they're the same size and more or less the same weight and inflated to the same pressure, what characteristics set them meaningfully apart? "Sluggishness"? "Hardness"? "Fastness"? These are qualities attributed to brands of tires in the discussion above. We haven't discussed "white sidewallness," but we might as well.
I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
The way the commodification of bicycle parts is going, we'll be having this discussion five years from now about inner tubes: "You need to use these fast, hard, resistant inner tubes"; "I put these sleek, light, sharp inner tubes on my loaner wheelset and all my customers thought they were wonderful."
Anyone who thinks there's a world of difference between a $60 tire and a $15 tire with the same dimensions and weight has merely exposed herself as a skilled consumer of advertising hype. The difference doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're carrying 27 pounds of gear on a 30 pound bike or 22 pounds of gear on a 25 pound bike. What matters is whether your tent keeps you dry and comfortable and away from the mosquitoes and doesn't take 20 minutes to pitch. What matters is whether your butt and wrists are happy at the end of a day of riding on your saddle and handlebars.
What exquisitely doesn't matter is what the brand name of your tires is. Or what color your gloves are. Or whether you folded your map along the original creases. Doesn't matter.
All these poor guys who come to bikeforums.net asking how to accomplish their first tour don't need to be hearing that they have the wrong brand of tire and should stay off the road until that's remedied. That's the same kind of thinking that gives us $1,000 touring bikes and $300 sleeping bags and people who only have time for a one-week tour because that's all the longer they can be away from their job earning money. Tire brands are nonsense. Schwalbe Marathons are nonsense. They're expensive sedatives. They're stuff for fat old men to talk about on Internet forums because they're too lazy to ride their bikes.
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
The way the commodification of bicycle parts is going, we'll be having this discussion five years from now about inner tubes: "You need to use these fast, hard, resistant inner tubes"; "I put these sleek, light, sharp inner tubes on my loaner wheelset and all my customers thought they were wonderful."
Anyone who thinks there's a world of difference between a $60 tire and a $15 tire with the same dimensions and weight has merely exposed herself as a skilled consumer of advertising hype. The difference doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're carrying 27 pounds of gear on a 30 pound bike or 22 pounds of gear on a 25 pound bike. What matters is whether your tent keeps you dry and comfortable and away from the mosquitoes and doesn't take 20 minutes to pitch. What matters is whether your butt and wrists are happy at the end of a day of riding on your saddle and handlebars.
What exquisitely doesn't matter is what the brand name of your tires is. Or what color your gloves are. Or whether you folded your map along the original creases. Doesn't matter.
All these poor guys who come to bikeforums.net asking how to accomplish their first tour don't need to be hearing that they have the wrong brand of tire and should stay off the road until that's remedied. That's the same kind of thinking that gives us $1,000 touring bikes and $300 sleeping bags and people who only have time for a one-week tour because that's all the longer they can be away from their job earning money. Tire brands are nonsense. Schwalbe Marathons are nonsense. They're expensive sedatives. They're stuff for fat old men to talk about on Internet forums because they're too lazy to ride their bikes.
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
Last edited by FrenchFit; 03-11-13 at 08:57 AM.
03-11-13, 06:05 PM
#39
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Everything affects everything; the question is, how much? The question here is, what is a "sluggish tire?" I'm not sure I know what that is. If I have two tires, one made by Schwalbe and another made by Walmart, and they're the same size and more or less the same weight and inflated to the same pressure, what characteristics set them meaningfully apart? "Sluggishness"? "Hardness"? "Fastness"? These are qualities attributed to brands of tires in the discussion above. We haven't discussed "white sidewallness," but we might as well.
I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
(snip)
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
(snip)
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
I call 'you're just mouthing off'!!I'm entering my fourth flat-free year on Marathon Supremes, commute an easy 6,000km per year, and at 60 years of age, still don't have a belly or fat problem. If you're to dumb to tell the difference between a high-grip compound and one that isn't - that doesn't mean everyone else is.
03-11-13, 06:10 PM
#40
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Thank you for the breath of fresh air. I will add to the dissonance with my caution that Schwalbe Supremes have been flat magnets for me, I simply don't trust them. Schwalbe Marathons are a PIA to mount on the side of the road, I dont' need that headache. Give me a tire that isn't prone to flats and that I can mount without irons, those are my top two priorities.
Same here - if you can't mount a Marathon without tools - maybe you shouldn't be riding a bicycle. I do a couple in the shop every day - mostly for people looking for LESS problems. Marathon Supremes are one of the easiest tires to install on the market. If you also have problems with child-proof jars - just read the instructions first.
03-11-13, 10:06 PM
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I have heard the regular marathons are tough to mount. A supreme.. I just removed one from a wheel with a single tire remover.
03-11-13, 10:08 PM
#42
The Left Coast, USA
Some posts just don't merit a direct response. 60 years, and no cattle.
05-21-13, 05:06 PM
#43
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Has anyone out there tried the 26 x 2.0 Serfas Drifter? My wife wants something fatter for her touring bike and these look like they'll do the trick.
05-21-13, 07:00 PM
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One of my favorite quotes seem to fit parts of this thread:
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
John Wooden
I put a pair of Panaracer Pasela Tourguard 26 x 1.25 on my daughter's LHT, which according to all popular thought is way too narrow.
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
John Wooden
I put a pair of Panaracer Pasela Tourguard 26 x 1.25 on my daughter's LHT, which according to all popular thought is way too narrow.
05-21-13, 07:35 PM
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05-23-13, 11:34 AM
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I've considered the 700c version(s) of the Grand Bois, but these new 26"ers have me curious. Anyone tried or use these? https://www.compasscycle.com/tires_comp_26_175.html PG.
05-23-13, 12:06 PM
#47
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I've learned that tread design has more to do with rolling resistance and flats then brand on loaded touring bikes. I've also learned the hard way that cheap, lightweight tires designed for low rolling resistance often don't stand up to the rigors of heavy touring loads.
05-26-13, 01:36 PM
#48
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Everything affects everything; the question is, how much? The question here is, what is a "sluggish tire?" I'm not sure I know what that is. If I have two tires, one made by Schwalbe and another made by Walmart, and they're the same size and more or less the same weight and inflated to the same pressure, what characteristics set them meaningfully apart? "Sluggishness"? "Hardness"? "Fastness"? These are qualities attributed to brands of tires in the discussion above. We haven't discussed "white sidewallness," but we might as well.
I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
The way the commodification of bicycle parts is going, we'll be having this discussion five years from now about inner tubes: "You need to use these fast, hard, resistant inner tubes"; "I put these sleek, light, sharp inner tubes on my loaner wheelset and all my customers thought they were wonderful."
Anyone who thinks there's a world of difference between a $60 tire and a $15 tire with the same dimensions and weight has merely exposed herself as a skilled consumer of advertising hype. The difference doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're carrying 27 pounds of gear on a 30 pound bike or 22 pounds of gear on a 25 pound bike. What matters is whether your tent keeps you dry and comfortable and away from the mosquitoes and doesn't take 20 minutes to pitch. What matters is whether your butt and wrists are happy at the end of a day of riding on your saddle and handlebars.
What exquisitely doesn't matter is what the brand name of your tires is. Or what color your gloves are. Or whether you folded your map along the original creases. Doesn't matter.
All these poor guys who come to bikeforums.net asking how to accomplish their first tour don't need to be hearing that they have the wrong brand of tire and should stay off the road until that's remedied. That's the same kind of thinking that gives us $1,000 touring bikes and $300 sleeping bags and people who only have time for a one-week tour because that's all the longer they can be away from their job earning money. Tire brands are nonsense. Schwalbe Marathons are nonsense. They're expensive sedatives. They're stuff for fat old men to talk about on Internet forums because they're too lazy to ride their bikes.
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
I call bull****. I call the emperor has no clothes.
The way the commodification of bicycle parts is going, we'll be having this discussion five years from now about inner tubes: "You need to use these fast, hard, resistant inner tubes"; "I put these sleek, light, sharp inner tubes on my loaner wheelset and all my customers thought they were wonderful."
Anyone who thinks there's a world of difference between a $60 tire and a $15 tire with the same dimensions and weight has merely exposed herself as a skilled consumer of advertising hype. The difference doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're carrying 27 pounds of gear on a 30 pound bike or 22 pounds of gear on a 25 pound bike. What matters is whether your tent keeps you dry and comfortable and away from the mosquitoes and doesn't take 20 minutes to pitch. What matters is whether your butt and wrists are happy at the end of a day of riding on your saddle and handlebars.
What exquisitely doesn't matter is what the brand name of your tires is. Or what color your gloves are. Or whether you folded your map along the original creases. Doesn't matter.
All these poor guys who come to bikeforums.net asking how to accomplish their first tour don't need to be hearing that they have the wrong brand of tire and should stay off the road until that's remedied. That's the same kind of thinking that gives us $1,000 touring bikes and $300 sleeping bags and people who only have time for a one-week tour because that's all the longer they can be away from their job earning money. Tire brands are nonsense. Schwalbe Marathons are nonsense. They're expensive sedatives. They're stuff for fat old men to talk about on Internet forums because they're too lazy to ride their bikes.
Put some Walmart tires on your bike and ride your bike.
