all purpose commuter tires?

[d_douglas]

I have a set of trashed Pro Race tires on my CX commuter and want to buy a pair of heavy duty 28-32mm all purpose tires to replace them.

I bought a pair of Schwalbe Marathon tires for my wife's MTB, and think those are pretty great tires - any opinions? Basically, I want a tire that I can beat on in the city (riding off curbs, gravel, etc), but when pressed, I can ride it on a 40km ride without suffering. Weight is not a huge deal - durability is. I want some tread on these so when I hit a bit of mud (which I do on my routes around the city) I can manage well.

I think 30mm would be great, but that's an unusual size - would Schwalbe 28mm be a better use than their 32mm models?

Other thoughts -

1) Vittoria touring tires seem to get good reviews, but there's something fishy about them to me (don't know why). Sizing?
2) Cont top Touring (or something like that) seems a good idea too. (sizing?)
3) Panaracer Pasela: good reviews, but perhaps not enough tread. (sizing?)
4) Specialized Borough, etc. (do these come in skinny sizes?)

Nothing too expensive and chi chi - just a strong, durable, reasonably well rolling tire will work.

Thanks for your replies,

Darren

[skijoring]

Panaracer seems to have fixed their sizing problem. The 32C's on my bike are 'true' 32's. I have a pair of 28c's hanging up that I mounted and they are wider than previous 28's...The tread is mostly ornamental on these tires, but is plenty thick. The only trick with Pasela's is to treat the sidewalls with care, they DO seem to be fragile, but in 3K~ miles of commuting this year, I had one flat.

[3cb]

For relaibility, I use Continental gator skins on my commuter. They've really worked out well.

[cp43]

I have a set of Vittoria touring tires on my commuter, they're either 35's or 37's. I've been using them for about a year and have had no problems. I think they come in a 28 also.

Chris

[R2D2]

Hard to beat Vittoria Zaffiro's for 14.00 a piece.
They come in 25 wide.

[Ken C]

I had Schwalbe Marathon's in 32mm and they were a great tire. They are a little heavy (near 500 grams), but they are robust and they roll well. They have more tread depth then the Pasala's which my wife has. They do measure narrow so a 32mm seems more like a 30mm. I used them for two years and then gave them to a friend and they looked like they still had at least two to three more years in tread life. If you want a set and forget tire this is it. They are a little heavy when sprinting up to speed, but once there they do roll nice. You do not have to worry about the sidewall on this tire.

I walk to work, but if I commuted in the city I would use this tire.

Ken

[Blue Jays]

I've heard lots of good reports about the Panaracer Roly-Poly and the slightly tougher Panaracer Ruffy-Tuffy with anti-puncture belting and thickened tread.

[d_douglas]

Not a fan of the names, but I have heard that they are very nice. However, I am looking for something with tread - like something that you could actually ride on an easy trail.

I have a pair of real CX tires for actual trail use, but most of my time will be spent using these as all purpose tires, so the mixed-use approach is best for me, no doubt.

[Ken Robb]

I've heard lots of good reports about the Panaracer Roly-Poly and the slightly tougher Panaracer Ruffy-Tuffy with anti-puncture belting and thickened tread.

I think you'll have to search for these under Rivendell, though they are made by Panaracer they are designed by Riv. I use and like both of these but there is no real tread. I have also liked Paselas in 28 and 32 sizes. I have a pair of 700x35 to try next.

A good compromise with more tread may be Avocet Cross ll which I have in 26x1.5 on my MB3. They have a negative tread like a car tires and so roll better than anything with knobs. The Michelin cross tires roll pretty well for semi-knobs but I don't think they could be as puncture-resistant because the casings feel very flexible/delicate.

Please consider: if you read all the manufacturers' info on mountain bike tires you will see that they have very specific recommendations depending on the type of terrain to be ridden: mud, loose gravel, hardpack, etc. so I would pick a tire that is tough enough for your road riding in a 32 to 35mm size and not overthink the dirt aspect. This advice is worth twice what you paid for it.

[Chad Engle]

Hard to beat Vittoria Zaffiro's for 14.00 a piece.
They come in 25 wide.

+1 LBS convinced me that the wire bead was not a big deal. They have worked out quite well and you cannot beat the price.

[mschol17]

Rivendell Jack Browns...

I'm not sure that tread does that much, and these ride really nice and are tough. I'm running the thicker one in the rear and a normal one in the front.

[Blue Jays]

Knobbies offer less traction than smoother tires on pavement. How much of this commute is truly off-road and how much is on asphalt?
If you're simply crossing a field or will be on a fire trail for a mile or two, any decent touring tire will be sufficient.

[deanster]

For winter tires here in Colorado I prefer the Continental Contacts. I run a 28 on my road bike and a 32 on my cross bike. They have treads and are good for riding on the sandy winter roads. Not too bad on snow either...but not ice.

[d_douglas]

I knew the 'how much is actually on trails' comment.

Most of my recreational riding is on a road bike, so skinny tires are ideal, but I started cycling on an MTB, so I guess old habits die hard. I tend to hop curbs / play around on my commuter bike and I live in a climate where the winter weather includes plenty of rain and occasionally ice.

I know slicks have better grip, but that is when the roads are clean - when they are covered with grit, water, etc., a bit of tread seems better to me.

I had a pair of WTB All Terrainasaurus 32mm tires previously that were totally solid and bombproof, but they were too wide (a FAT 32mm) too heavy for my tastes, and my buddy desperately needed a set of tires, so I gave them up. The weight was the least of my worries - but I rode a few group rides on them and was dying by the end of the ride. On my Serotta, no such problem, I attribute this mostly to the tires (though I suppose my Concours MAY be nicer than my old Redline!)

Yes, from time to time I do actually sprint through a muddy field, causing the fenders to get all gunked up with mud. As winter approaches, I will be using the nice bike less and my 'tank' more often. It'll be a great bike with the right tires. In any case, the current tires are about to blow up!

[cp43]

As far as dirt, I rode my Vittorias at Deerfield last year, and had no traction problems. This was dirt roads, gravel, etc. in the dry. I would expect that in mud they'd slide around some though.

[palincss]

I have a set of trashed Pro Race tires on my CX commuter and want to buy a pair of heavy duty 28-32mm all purpose tires to replace them.

I bought a pair of Schwalbe Marathon tires for my wife's MTB, and think those are pretty great tires - any opinions? Basically, I want a tire that I can beat on in the city (riding off curbs, gravel, etc), but when pressed, I can ride it on a 40km ride without suffering. Weight is not a huge deal - durability is. I want some tread on these so when I hit a bit of mud (which I do on my routes around the city) I can manage well.

I think 30mm would be great, but that's an unusual size - would Schwalbe 28mm be a better use than their 32mm models?

Other thoughts -

1) Vittoria touring tires seem to get good reviews, but there's something fishy about them to me (don't know why). Sizing?
2) Cont top Touring (or something like that) seems a good idea too. (sizing?)
3) Panaracer Pasela: good reviews, but perhaps not enough tread. (sizing?)
4) Specialized Borough, etc. (do these come in skinny sizes?)

Nothing too expensive and chi chi - just a strong, durable, reasonably well rolling tire will work.

Thanks for your replies,

Darren

I just swapped out my 700x30 Grand Bois for a pair of wire bead Paselas in 700x32 for the winter season. I went on my first ride with them today. They seem to me to be very similar to the Grand Bois, only slightly less fast, perhaps slightly less supple, perhaps overall slightly less 'brilliant'.

They seem plenty sturdy, at least as sturdy as the old 700x35 Paselas with the ridge that I used for years on my commuter. God knows they're cheap enough - $15 ea.

I haven't measured them, but the fender clearance appears to be about the same as with the GB's. I believe the Grand Bois run a little wider than stated size, and if that's true, then the 32mm Paselas are probably dead on stated size.

So far, they appear to be the perfect off-season companion tire to the Grand Bois.

[Blue Jays]

If familiar with the tried n' true Schwalbe Marathon and the storied Panaracer Pasela already, those might be the wisest choices from a predictability standpoint.
Definitely a different pricepoint for each.

[d_douglas]

I bought the Schwalbes for my wife, but haven't installed them yet. I have just heard rave reviews about them, so hence my interest. They seem like the logical choice...

[DarkStar]

I've had very good results this past summer using Panaracer T-Serv's in 25mm and 28mm on my commuter/touring bike. No flats or tire cuts and excellent wear. At $40 a tire it may be too expensive for some, but less so than the Michelin Krylions that I normally use on the Serotta.

[sevencyclist]

Something like this might work, available at 30mm
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/pmimjt/michelin_cyclocross_jet_tire/pp.htm

Ritchey speed Max
http://www.ritcheylogic.com/dyn_prodfamily.php?k=98784
available at 32mm

[bigman]

Have a set of foldable Pasellas in 28's on a fixed gear - have abot 500 miles on them - no signs of wear and no flats. Only been on asphalt, nice and smooth ride.

[Johnny P]

I've used Schwalbe Marathons on my commuting bike for two years with no problems. They're also on my wife's bike. I chose the 700X25 size for both our bikes because almost all our riding in on the road. I bought a pair of ruffy tuffys from Rivendell and plan to use them for commuting in 2009.

[xjoex]

I have been commuting on these WTB All Terrainasaurus tires for a while now. They are a great commuter tire. I ride a mixed route to work, double track in a city park, single track and city streets. I also use Mr Tuffys in the tire and have never in 2 years gotten a flat. I also rode these tires fully loaded on the dc-pgh tow path ride.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jz4f840sc_c/SSomwlV_6BI/AAAAAAAABTs/op18ZSHGrvY/s400/100_2841.JPG

Great tires. I just took them off to put my studs on.

-Joe

[d_douglas]

Ooops, I missed the boat in getting new tires before the weather turned white. Snow a plenty coming down and I am on 23mm road tires. Beautiful, but slippery!

Guess it's time to go out and buy rather than polling people for their opinions...