Yeah I initially over estimated how much everything weighed, and the trip has been moved to summer.

On the other hand they do make for a slightly better ride feel. I personally like to run light tubes and size them on the small side, often a size narrower than their recommended range. I find they make it easier to mount tires, and they have a better ride feel. Also the small weight advantage does add up especially since you will likely be carrying a couple spares. So the weight difference per tube does get multiplied by 4. That makes it significant enough to be worthwhile to me. I have had no problems with this approach.

I don't think I've read a BF thread with as much general agreement as this one before, :lol:. I concur, 32c plus is the way to go for touring.

The problem with that chart is that once you load the bike with weight the tire gets a bigger hit from unsprung weight on the wheel. A 150lb rider with 30lbs on the rear wheel will put the tire through greater impact than a 190lb rider who gets off the saddle before a pothole. Or descending braking into a turn loads up the front tire with more weight than a static measurments on a scale. The Supremes can feel squirmy when pumped to the lower end of the scale. 75fr/85r psi should work fine.

27" x 1 1/4" wasn't an accident. For Clyde size riders and loads there are so many nice tires these days in 35mm-47mm. When I had my shop 1 1/4" or 32mm was pretty much it for heavier loads and when 26" Araya rims showed up it became obvious what an improvement they were for very heavy loads where people weren't "racing with panniers"

When I worked in the bike shop in early 70s, the 27 X 1 1/4 were considered a high pressure tire if they could take 70 psi. And those were not very supple easy rolling tires compared to some of the present day choices. There actually were a lot of bikes sold back then with tubular tires, not because everybody wanted to look like a racer, but because that was the only way to buy a easy rolling tire.

I use Vittoria Voyager Hyper 32 on my tandem with a heavy team with excellent results. They have everything I want in a tire. I have just set up a touring bike, currently with 2" mt. bike tires. For road touring I will use Hyper 37. This will be very comfortable, durable, and protect my rims. It will also give me confidence for the occasional gravel or dirt foray.

Plus n+1... Can't think of a single downside on riding with 32 tires vs a thinner tire for touring.