Touring tyre help please

[Brock]

These?

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Another vote for Panaracer Paselas. Used them for years with no problems.

700x32c is as big as you need to go for touring.

Edit: The muppets seem to have discontinued the 32s. Pity as they were perfect. I should think the 28s are a bit thin. Probably try the 35s if that's the choice. Maybe somone else has got some NOS 32s.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Might be worth remembering that on tour you will on the bike for hours every day for X weeks. Is that really the time to sacrifice comfort for a slight increase in speed?

are 28's really that much more uncomfortable than 32's? I don't know I've never riden anything except the 32's

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Ok so I have decided to go with 700x28 and narrowed the choice down to these

Schwalbe marathon +
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/108869.html


Schwalbe Marathon Reflective Kevlar Belt Tyre
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDeta...Schwalbe Marathon Reflective Kevlar Belt Tyre

Continental Sport Contact Hybrid Tyre With Tube
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDeta...ntinental Sport Contact Hybrid Tyre With Tube
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/6476.html

Panaracer Pasela TG Tyre
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5110000290&N=Panaracer Pasela TG Tyre



The cost is important but to be honest they are all affordable so let's put that aside...I want speed, puncture resistance and leightweight...so....is it a case of they are all as good as each other, or does one set stand out as a no brainer? help me out here chaps or I'll be here till christmas trying to decide....

at the moment I am thinking the marathon +'s first

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I've had Schwalbe Marathoun 700x28 on my Galaxy for years. I've done plenty of loaded touring and commuting on them and they've been fine.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Ok...I took the plunge and hit the button on these:

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/108869.html

hopefully all will be well.
THANKYOU all for your kind help.

 

[jags]

btfb listen forget about speed on a touring bike ,comfort with your 32 or 35 ,relia'bility in the tourers favourate tyre schwalbe marathon plus, i read somewere that 95 pressure is the sweet spot for these tyres,so my choice is smp

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

..well I have ordered the SM+'s just in a 28. For my money the 32's arnt overly comfortable anyway so the 28's probably wont be much different in the comfort dept but offer some limited extra speed and slightly lessweight.
Whatever happens I'll find out soon!

 

[jags]

good stuff btfb make sure you give the inside of the tyre a sprinkle of talcom powder and enjoy your tour

 

[Kirstie]

Yep that is the best choice. I don't use them myself but one of my friends who is a seasoned tourer, and whose opinion I really trust, swears by Schwalbe Marathons.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I just got an email saying they are in th epost...should be here tomorrow...cool...I sense a morning struggling with tyre levers coming on...

 

[HJ]

if you think of 700s as road wheel size, and 26 as mountain bike wheels you'll not go far wrong, the next option is the width, in the case of your tyres '32' is quite a wide road tyre.
Road wheels tend to safely accept a range of widths, normally 23-25 or 25-32... (I'm not really sure about this, someone will correct me). Your tyres have 700x32, so it's pretty safe to assume you could use 700x28 or even 700x25....maybe...
But basically the 32 part is width of tyre in mm.. I think.. hmmm Have you asked Sheldon?

Don't quote me or sue me, but that's how I see it.

Wow that was helpful wasn't it!?

Or you could try (the sadly late) Sheldon Brown's guide to tyre sizing...

 

[Percy]

I know you've already ordered (and now received?) them but I thought I'd put my pennies worth in.

I ordered a set of Schwalbe Marathon Plus with the idea of putting these acclaimed 'ultimate touring tyre' on for my tour. I couldn't for the life of me get them on my rims, nor could my LBS (and I've heard other accounts of problems on the net) - and they were definitely the right size for my rims. After a few hours of it I came to the conclusion that this was not the sort of hassle I wanted at the side of a road with a puncture so gave up and went back to my original Conti Top Touring. (I've still got the Schwalbes by the way, never used, 700x32, open to offers)

I understand that once on and ridden for a while they would probably be easier to take off/put back on, but it wasn't something I was willing to risk.

I ended up on Contis for most of the tour, with a few emergency no-name ones bought when things got desperate.

Not saying Schwalbes are always a problem, but I would advise you pay attention when fitting them first time and if you have real problems consider if you fancy doing the same on a cold, wet German radweg (something I did too many times!)

Would also say keep pressures up when you're away - all tyres have a nasty habit of the walls wearing away (and possibly then exploding) if a decent pressure isn't maintained, especially when you're carrying extra weight (I mean the baggage )

 

[wafflycat]

Schwalbe Marathons have seen me safely around the lanes of East Anglia (an the crappy surface said lanes present) as well as round Paris, other bits of France, bits of Germany & Italy.

 

[jags]

the fairy liquid always work's for me