What the best 700c tyre for touring

patbriggsmbr

Hi all,
In the new year I'm planing a coast to coast on the road then 3 month later doing the Lejog solo.
My question is, has anyone got any good advice on which, tyres are the best.
I will be carrying all my own equipment so a tyre with good strong puncher resistance and one that will last.

Many thanks.

barney69

Hi,
I did C2C (in a day) on Marathon Schwalbe pluses for their puncture resistance but changed to Gatorskins for my lejog in August as they are half the weight (which apparently is critical as it's rotational weight so I believe makes 5 times difference)
www.nigelend2end.co.uk

andymiller

It's difficult to say there's a single "best" tyre for touring. A lot depends on where you are going, what sort of roads you are riding on, whether you prefer big tyres or thin tyres. and how long you are going for. The best tyre for someone planning to do a 6-month expedition on dirt roads is not necessarily the best tyre for a shortish on-road tour (the sort you are planning).

I would also recommend a good-quality tyre with kevlar puncture protection as the best trade-off between weight, and puncture resistance - Continental Gatorskins are a good example, but Sport Contacts would be another. I'm mainly familiar with Continental tyres but I'm sure that other quality manufacturers like schwalbe have equivalents that would be just as good.

IIRC according to Wikipedia the rule of thumb is that a kilo of rotational weight is equivalent to 2 kilos on the frame.

elcani

I toured (with four panniers) 800 miles across Spain and Italy on 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro IIIs. No punctures. I've now got 28mm Schwalbe Duranos, which I imagine would as good, but with a bit of extra comfort.

I realise I'm tempting fate here, but in about 4000 miles of cycling with Rubino Pros, Schwalbe Duranos and Michelin Krylion Carbons, I've not had a visit from The Fairy.

Cheers.

teulk

When i did LEJOG last year i used Vittoria Zaffiro, these came fitted to the bike as did they to my one of my friends who also did the ride. There were 3 of us who did the ride and Vittoria's didnt get any punctures. Our other friend without them had two. What im saying is it could have been just pure luck that we didnt get any punctures and unlucky for our mate or you actually dont have to spend £20-30 per tyre to avoid punctures. I have been using Zaffiro's for the last 3 years and have had very few punctures. I think at about £8 a tyre they are very good.

bigjim

I had a 28mm Vittoria Zaffiro on the rear for a recent fully loaded tour with no problems and it was a used one. No idea what was on the front.
Also did a 2 week B&B tour using new £6 25c Michelins. Again no problems.

Hoopdriver

I like Schwalbe Marathon Plusses - tried and well proven.

THe bit about the rotational weight (above) is irrelevant to touring, and reflects the general race- and high-performance-oriented mentality these days. The extra rotational weight affects your rate of acceleration and the effort required to pick up speed - not something your average tourer is likely to be concerned about, although racers naturally would be. Once you are at 'cruising speed' it makes no difference and in certain circumstances it can even be argued that the extra rotational weight is beneficial in helping to keep the wheel turning.

At any rate, I really wouldn't give that rotational weight matter another thought

sbesley

Another vote for the Schwalbe Marathon Plus

Used to have Gatorskins, which are certainly quicker (lighter and less rolling resistance) but not when you have to stop about once every 100 miles to fix a puncture!

1000+ touring miles on the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres without a problem.

Stephen.

andymiller

I consider myself very unlucky if I get more than one puncture a month, and a puncture takes about 15 minutes to fix. I can see why you might really want to avoid punctures on a long winter commute, and be prepared to put up with the extra weight, but for normal touring Marathon Pluses seem like overkill. And whether you take the normal weight, or the rotational weight the extra weight of the MPs is not insignificant.

At the end of the day it's a matter of personal preference and making the trade-off that suits your needs and the sort of touring you plan to do.

satanas

IMO Marathon Pluses *are* overkill, no doubt about it. They're only marginally more flexible than Reynolds 531 frame tubes, but much heavier. Unless you ride through endless broken glass or live in an area with lots of long and/or tetrahedral thorns then something lighter will be way more pleasant most of the time. Even the normal (and still heavy) Marathons aren't as horrendously stiff.

Personally, I only get punctures maybe once a year (India excepted), and would use something like say a Gatorskin or Pasela TG or similar. Even for Ladakh - which is infested with lots of nasty long thorns near Leh and in the Nubra Valley - anything heavier than a Marathon XR is getting silly. (I am assuming here that the rider is capable of repairing flats and that Dutch-style full chaincases are not involved.)

As other have said though, it all depends on where and when you are riding, how much stuff you're carrying and your tolerance for extra rolling resistance versus the risk (however slight) of punctures.

richh

Personally I get on well with Schwalbe Marathon Racers. Much lighter than the Marathon Pluses and still with a fair amount of puncture resistance. I must have done 4-5k miles on them so far, heavily loaded (inc a 1400 mile JOGLE) and not a single puncture. 30mm versions on mine seem just about perfect to be honest.

MichaelW

I Have toured a lot on plain Marathons. They are much easier to remove than the Plus and the protection is good enough. They have fairly tough sidewalls which is good for protection but not efficiency. The Marathon racer is a speedier version. 32mm is the largest I can fit, which is good for loaded riding on roads and decent trails but a bit narrow when the trails get rough.

andrew@snowrace

Gaterskins did it for me Wales to spain 3 bikes fully loaded not one puncture 25mm good luck

Diogenes

I have been touring for years now on Panaracer Pasella 700 x 28's. Fully loaded or when using the bike as a winter machine they are excellent. Not the lightest tyres around but when fully loaded it makes little difference.

D

ForumNewbie

I would say Continental Ultra Gatorskins are fine, especially if you are not going on any off-road sections. I have a light tourer bike and tried Schwalbe Marathons a few years ago, and they just felt far too heavy for the bike - was like riding through treacle - so I sold them back to the shop. I really like the Gatorskins I got in their place.

NommaG

I did a LEJOG last year with a mate and we both used 28mm Schwalbe Duranos.. 1100 miles all and no punctures

Manc33

It would be nice if there was a basic list of all the best tyres (Michelin, Continental, Schwalbe) showing the weights of them all in the 700c x 25 versions.

I had Schwalbe City Jets on my MTB and never had a puncture in about 1000 miles. I actually looked for City Jets in a 700c but they don't exist, and so the hunt starts.

I still have the stock tyres on my road bike and they are a bit untrustworthy.

I am not touring or racing, just doing long-ish rides like 20 to 30 miles to get fitter. I just wanna avoid punctures, I don't care whether I am on a 5 mile commute or a 60 mile ride. I guess the Marathon Plus are the best bet although pretty costly at nearly £30 per tyre, then again with tyres you get what you pay for, they are the same brand as my last tyres (albeit on a MTB) and are often said to be the best.

My dad used to say you can't scrimp on tyres - Michelins for his car cost something like £50 per tyre and I said dad thats £200! You could have got a set of 4 tyres for £60! He said yeah but you'd get through 4 or 5 sets of those on one set of Michelins.

I once had a tyre that started stripping away, the tread was peeling off the wire! I got home, typed the name of the tyre in (it began with X) and there was not one single web page AT ALL that had that word on the page, thats how bad those tyres were. Hard to imagine that you'd type the name in Google and not even get one result, it just shows how rare (or should I say downright awful) the tyres were.

bigjim

I can't agree with much of that and of course it's just my opinion. I think a lot depends on your weight, how you look after your tyres and of course the type of terrain you ride on. I have toured on £6 Michelin tyres and never had a problem. There is one on my daily ride now and it is fine. On the front is a 20 year old Michelin that has been correctly stored and is in fine condition, though I normally would not ride on one that old! I've done at least hundreds of miles on that combination without any problems. They are probably a bit heavier than more expensive ones but I'm not that bothered. On my other bikes I have Vittoria tyres that cost about £10 each on a Wiggle sale. Again no problems. Even for loaded touring. I'm much of the same mind about car tyres, though I don't do that much mileage, but I'm sure they all have to be up to a certain standard. Tyre repairers often will not repair a tyre with a simple cut in a sidewall. I'd rather they write off a £20 tyre than a £50 one. You can't guarantee getting all the mileage out of an expensive tyre.

Drumlin

Best 700c tyre for touring ? Well that depends on your budget, what sort of touring, what sort of roads, what sort of load, how much you care about rolling resistance v puncture resistance, and not least the width of your rims and the clearances on your frame.

For heavy duty touring I have no hesitation in recommending Schwalbe Marathons. I've used the 35mm version on the tandem for many years often taking in rough stuff and have been entirely happy with their longevity and puncture resistance.

Manc33

The tread on the Schwalbe Marathon Plus looks good even for use on light dirt trails, as well as the road.

I am gonna buy some soon. 8)

No punctures is paramount to me... I am lazy and don't EVER want to fix a puncture if I can avoid it.

This looks really heavy to me lol, bizarre. It must work because everyone keeps saying they never had a puncture on these tyres. In fact has anyone ever had a puncture on these? It must be possible with a long enough nail.

Ouija

Manc33 wrote:

The tread on the Schwalbe Marathon Plus looks good even for use on light dirt trails, as well as the road.

I am gonna buy some soon. 8)

No punctures is paramount to me... I am lazy and don't EVER want to fix a puncture if I can avoid it.

This looks really heavy to me lol, bizarre. It must work because everyone keeps saying they never had a puncture on these tyres. In fact has anyone ever had a puncture on these? It must be possible with a long enough nail.

The other thing about that is the rigidity of the tyre. With no air in it you'd be mistaken in thinking the tyre was fully inflated as it doesn't deform or squash flat under the weight of the bike. Even with no air in it and a rider sitting on the bike the tire doesn't deform enough so that your riding on the rims. Consequently, pumped up hard, the tyre barely deforms at the bottom even when a rider is sitting on it which gives it very low rolling resistance (but a bit of a hard and bumpy ride) as very little of the material is touching the road. Makes the tyre feel like your riding with something a lot skinnier on the wheel.

Weigh a ton though........

barney69

I'm back to running them over the winter and yes, I picked up a puncture last week.
And I've had at least a couple before now using them too.

Nothing is bulletproof.

Double your chances (and weight) by putting slime tubes in also??

Hoopdriver

Manc33 wrote:

The tread on the Schwalbe Marathon Plus looks good even for use on light dirt trails, as well as the road.

I am gonna buy some soon. 8)

No punctures is paramount to me... I am lazy and don't EVER want to fix a puncture if I can avoid it.

This looks really heavy to me lol, bizarre. It must work because everyone keeps saying they never had a puncture on these tyres. In fact has anyone ever had a puncture on these? It must be possible with a long enough nail.

People do get punctures on them, but it doesn't happen often. I have used them on my tourer and on my winter bikes for years, and thousands of miles and so far(knock on wood) i've never had a flat. They are heavier, of course, but this extra weight is often blown way out of proportion on forums such as these. For what they are - a touring and commuting tyre - they are excellent.

Ouija

Hoopdriver wrote:

They are heavier, of course, but this extra weight is often blown way out of proportion on forums such as these.

No. I think it's down to what your used to riding on instead of the Marathon Plus's. If you spend the summer riding around on skinny slick tyres that weigh less than 300g and switch to 850g Marathon Plus's in a larger diameter for winter the difference in weight feels massive (though they do roll like a skinnier tyre, as i mentioned above). If you ride heavier tyres all year round (think mountain bikers) then switching to Marathon Plus's doesn't feel that much different, especially if it was a medium to heavy weight bike to start with. On a carbon fibre bike with the lightest components that money can buy, the change in wheel weight feels larger relative to the rest of the bike.

mercia_man

My touring bike is on its second pair of 700x28 Vittoria Randonneurs and I'm yet to have a puncture over several thousand miles including camping tours in the Pyrenees and Alps and coast-to-coast across France in conditions ranging from scorching heat to rain 17 days in a row.

I've previously used Marathons, Conti Top Touring and Paselas but the Vittorias have out-performed all those and are much cheaper . I found the Marathons a bit sluggish and stiff to fit, the Top Tourings were good all-rounders and the Paselas were quick and really easy to fit but had slightly fragile sidewalls. All three did have occasional punctures but the Vittorias have had none. I know the Vittorias are not as popular as those others but I reckon they're well worth considering.

I have the standard Vittoria Randonneurs with wire beads and a light tread pattern. Got them really cheap in a Wiggle sale under City Tyres. They are light, fast rolling and grip well wet or dry. But the stiffish and undersized carcass (the 28 is more like 26mm wide) gives quite a firm ride. You can get a lighter Pro version with a folding bead and more supple 120tpi carcass, although sizing choice is limited, as well as Cross, Trail and Hyper versions.

Hoopdriver

Ouija wrote:

Hoopdriver wrote:

They are heavier, of course, but this extra weight is often blown way out of proportion on forums such as these.

No. I think it's down to what your used to riding on instead of the Marathon Plus's. If you spend the summer riding around on skinny slick tyres that weigh less than 300g and switch to 850g Marathon Plus's in a larger diameter for winter the difference in weight feels massive (though they do roll like a skinnier tyre, as i mentioned above). If you ride heavier tyres all year round (think mountain bikers) then switching to Marathon Plus's doesn't feel that much different, especially if it was a medium to heavy weight bike to start with. On a carbon fibre bike with the lightest components that money can buy, the change in wheel weight feels larger relative to the rest of the bike.

That is true - if you are talking about changing from one tyre to another. I wasn't thinking if that but of posts I have read where people have claimed Marathon Plus tyres weighed more than their bike, or required five times the effort to roll because of their enormous weight, or were heavier and stiller than Reynolds 531 tubing. Ridiculous stuff.

gloomyandy

Marathon Supremes for me. What sort of bike are you using? Mine is a 29er (no suspension) with front and rear racks that I use with full camping gear, the Supremes give a very comfortable ride and work pretty well on tracks (not so good in mud though) and the road. Seem to get pretty good reviews as well.

rodgers73

I'd vote for Continental GP4 Seasons - very puncture proof and plenty of grip.

Hoopdriver

rodgers73 wrote:

I'd vote for Continental GP4 Seasons - very puncture proof and plenty of grip.

Another great tyre.

Not quite the puncture resistance of the Marathon Plusses, but plenty resistant, lighter weight and very nice handling.

samsbike

I must be one of the unlucky ones as I have managed to have 2 punctures in under 1k miles on teh M+. However, I probably would have had more given my commute is half crappy canal path.

Hoopdriver

samsbike wrote:

I must be one of the unlucky ones as I have managed to have 2 punctures in under 1k miles on teh M+. However, I probably would have had more given my commute is half crappy canal path.

That is astoundingly unlucky. What was it that punctured your tyre?