looking for some on/off road tyres

Frank pole
Frank pole Posts: 112
edited March 2016 in Road buying advice
Just converting an old allez for on/off road use and looking for a suitable tyre for light country park trails with a bit of road also

Been looking at the marathon plus in 28c flavour but is there anything else i could consider?

Thanks!

Comments

  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,612
    Vittoria Randonneur Pro
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    MrB123 wrote:
    Vittoria Randonneur Pro
    Bought these in the Px sale for under a fiver each!
  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    Your problem is that your Allez frame will be limited to 700x25 or 700x28 maximum and there are few cyclocross treaded/knobbly tyres available in those sizes.

    One possibility is the Panaracer Treaded Touring tyre

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25mm-PANARACE ... 1749276531

    or maybe the Panaracer RiBMo which is more of a city tyre but might give you a bit more grip than a conventional road slick tyre

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/panaracer-ribmo ... city-tyre/

    or another option might be the Continental Top Contact Reflex which is again an urban/city tyre but does have some tread that might help on tracks and trails

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-con ... road-tyre/

    I would avoid the Marathon Plus option if possible - they are reputed to be amongst the most difficult tyres to fit so I wouldn't want to be stranded on a forest trail trying to repair a puncture.
  • iron-clover
    iron-clover Posts: 737
    I would also avoid the Marathons for putting on a road bike tbh. They are very heavy, and although they do get up to speed they don't have a nice 'feel' to them and don't feel as grippy as most other tyres. They are also a nightmare to get on and off, although wide rims help a lot.
    I use mine on my hybrid town bike and they cope with bridleways fairly well, and I also don't have to worry about punctures when doing the weekly shop or popping around town.

    As above the Allez won't have enough clearance for cyclocross or city tyres that would be ideal, but you might find some suitable touring bike tyres.
    However, you can take road tyres off road as long as you're careful- I've done gravel tracks on 23C and 27C road tyres without any major panics- you just have to remember to take it more slowly as you can't slow down or corner anywhere near as well!
  • Moonbiker
    Moonbiker Posts: 1,706
    Iv'e used rubino pro 23c on gravel forest tracks fairly often
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    There is also the Panaracer Gravelking http://www.zyro.co.uk/panaracer/product ... PA700GRAVK
  • trailflow
    trailflow Posts: 1,311
    I regularly ride my Rubino Pro 3's at 20-25mph+ along the Middlewood Way old railway line between Marple/Macclefield and i've never punchered. So i agree they are quite tough tyres and can handle fair amount.

    But if you still want more grip and your frame clearances are tight then check out Kenda Karvs. The 28c's measure up around 26-27mm inflated and they only weigh around 250-275 grams each. Plenty fast on tarmac not much different from a normal road tyre. And give a good balance of grip/speed on gravel.

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kenda-KARVS-7 ... Swv0tU9iAL