# Touring tyre help please



## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

Ok I know have asked about tyres elsewhere on this board but i am still confused. I need to change the tyres on my Galaxy before my German adventure because the rear one is worn down a fair bit. I want to take the opportunity to relpace them with tyres that provide a faster ride than the schwalbe marathons my bike was supplied with, but they still need to be approriate for touring with a full camping 4 pannier load.

I thought about fitting these:

Schwalbe racer
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360025486&N=Schwalbe Marathon Racer

But because I wasn't sure I asked Wiggle for their comments as to if they would fit and suit my need. Here is the reply:

_Thank you for your email.

Mentioned tyre will not work.
You will need tyre form this range:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/CategoryProducts.aspx?categoryName=Tyres - Road City&cat=Cycle

Schwalbe Marathon Reflective Kevlar Belt Tyre 700x32 will be fine:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDeta...Schwalbe Marathon Reflective Kevlar Belt Tyre

It will be OK for touring - if not ideal.

Specialized Inner Tube Presta 700x28-38:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=819656385&N=Specialized Inner Tube
will be appropriate 

Regards


Wiggle Customer Services_

...so now I am still confused...why wont it work? The suggested tyre is in their words "not ideal"...erm...why?

Also the lower weight of the suggested tyre is appealing to me...but what is the trade off compared to my existing Marathons?

...these tyres need to get me from from Bremen to Basel safely, so I want to get it right....what would you do? Which tyres should I fit?

Thanks in advance for any help offered.


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## domtyler (20 Feb 2008)

Have you considered Sport Contacts? I have them in 700x28 on my bike and that is used with full panniers and a child and child seat on the back which must be considerably heavier than just panniers. They have been going all winter long and still look fine, no punctures in that time. They are very light and almost as fast rolling as the GP4000S tyres I have on my other bikes.

While they are slicks I have been going off road with them too, gentle stuff like across the fields and down the canal tow paths in dryish weather with the kid on the back with no problems whatsoever.


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## redfox (20 Feb 2008)

I have traditionally been a big fan of Marathon Plus for touring but, since a trouble free switch to Schwalbe Stelvios for audax use, I decided to do the last tour on them and they seemed fine.

I was really concerned at first because they look flimsy compared to the M+ ( most tyres do I guess), but there wasn't a lot of choice in the 700*28 sizing I wanted.

I kept them on through winter and have done about 4,000K on them now. Virtually without incident until a few weeks ago when some glass shredded the rear's sidewall and required a replacement. However, the glass probably would have taken out the M+'s sidewall as well.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

These?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDeta...ntinental Sport Contact Hybrid Tyre With Tube

Will they fit my wheels? I have 700cx32 (which means little to me...it's just written on the tyre)

..I couldnt find the Schwalbe Stelvios on wiggle or evans sites...(I may be looking in th ewrong place though)


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## redcogs (20 Feb 2008)

Never had a puncture on Marathon plusses


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## domtyler (20 Feb 2008)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> These?
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDeta...ntinental Sport Contact Hybrid Tyre With Tube
> 
> Will they fit my wheels? I have 700cx32 (which means little to me...it's just written on the tyre)
> ...



Those are the Sport Contacts I have yep. A good compromise between light weight racer and heavy duty tourer I reckon. They will fit your wheels no problem if you already have 32's.

Aren't the Stelvio's lightweight race tyres? I had them on my Focus Cayo in 700x23 and really liked them but I don't know if I would trust them for touring though?


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## jags (20 Feb 2008)

what about the marathon supream's


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

> They will fit your wheels no problem if you already have 32's.



Ok...so I should order the 700cx32 size right? I dont understand what these numbers actually mean (sorry) ..if somebody can explain them to me that would help me as well.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

> what about the marathon supream's



http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/c2-1068-schwalbe-tires-marathon-supreme.html
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/108852.html

Ok I found this on them..they look cool as well...in fact they are the lightest of those I have seen so far as well...but they only have a 700x35 option not a 700x32 option WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??????


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## Brock (20 Feb 2008)

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.


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## Brock (20 Feb 2008)

Wow that was helpful wasn't it!?


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

Cheers mate..I understand now. 

I am assuming that thinner tyres means faster but less comfy as a general rule right?

Those supremes look excellent but they only seem to be available in a 35 or a 40 width...so even though the tread might be faster am I correct in assuming that the extra width of the tyre might negate the extra speed of the slicker tread design?
And will these fit under my mudguards still????
...see this is where a GOOD Lbs could earn some cash from me...shame all those around here are simply interested in selling me an MTB.


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## Brock (20 Feb 2008)

I'd suggest looking for 700x28s, it'll be a significant change from your 32s, but should still be reasonable for touring.
The Panaracer Paselas maybe an option if you can stomach brown sidewalls?


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## Brock (20 Feb 2008)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> I am assuming that thinner tyres means faster but less comfy as a general rule right?
> 
> Those supremes look excellent but they only seem to be available in a 35 or a 40 width...so even though the tread might be faster am I correct in assuming that the extra width of the tyre might negate the extra speed of the slicker tread design?
> And will these fit under my mudguards still????



I think you're right on all these assumptions mate, the mudguard thing especially is a critical consideration.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

..hmm...those Continental Sport Contacts are available in 700x28...


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## Tony (20 Feb 2008)

My Galaxy was supplied with 700x32, and I stayed with those for years. Before my trip to Oz, I asked in the LBS and took up their advice for 28's, which are considerably smaller then the 32's. They are M+ Schwalbes, the ones with the anti-fairy band round the running surface, and come up a little bigger than other 28's. 1000 miles without problem in Oz, including a lot of unmade roads. Less comfortable, but quicker, than the 32's. I wouldn't like to go any amaller on those rims, but did run a 36 for a while on the rear when my tyre failed big style in Spain, and that was the smallest I could buy.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

which tyres do you have on your bike Brock mate?


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## Brock (20 Feb 2008)

I used continental 700x28 ultragators for a year or so, much faster than the Marathon plus I have now, but I had so many punctures I could'nt possibly recommend them. Others do though!


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

..so I could go with M+'s with a smaller width...say 28...which would speed things up, keep the puncture resistance and reduce the weight a little from my 32's...or go with the continental sport contacts...


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## jags (20 Feb 2008)

say btfb what pressure do you put in your marathon plus,


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

> what pressure do you put in your marathon plus



95 psi..sometimes 100psi


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## Cathryn (20 Feb 2008)

I've got spesh nimbus armadillos on my tourer. No punctures in about 700 miles, including some pretty nasty roads in India. Might be worth investigating?


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

..I am leaning towards just getting some 28 marathon+'s...cant really go wrong there I suppose...dunno...will they be any quicker though....I dont suppose I'll ever really know until I fit them.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

or maybe I might go with wiggle advice and get these in a 28:

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


...they are cheaper..hmm....somebody make my mind up for me!!


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## John the Monkey (20 Feb 2008)

Brock said:


> The Panaracer Paselas maybe an option if you can stomach brown sidewalls?



I ran these on my old bike - I was impressed with them, they seem to roll well, and the unplanned deflation protection worked well on the commute. They have a bit of a tread pattern on them (as I recall) so should handle loose stuff slightly better than a slick.


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## vernon (20 Feb 2008)

Cathryn said:


> I've got spesh nimbus armadillos on my tourer. No punctures in about 700 miles, including some pretty nasty roads in India. Might be worth investigating?



I found the Armadillos totally unsatisfactory. All three of the ones that I purchased delaminated i.e. the thick rubber central tread debonded from the tyre carcase. One delaminated at the front and two at the rear.

To be fair, I don't recall suffering any punctures with them.


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## vernon (20 Feb 2008)

Brock said:


> I'd suggest looking for 700x28s, it'll be a significant change from your 32s, but should still be reasonable for touring.
> The Panaracer Paselas maybe an option if you can stomach brown sidewalls?



I'm a convert to Panaracer Paselas. I've used them for the past two years. I use 700c x 28 on my Galaxy and 700c x 25 on my road bike. I've had very few punctures in the past couple of years and these usually occur towards the end of the tyres' lives when the tread is quite thin.

I'd not worry about the brown sidewalls you can barely see them when you're pedalling


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## Cathryn (20 Feb 2008)

vernon said:


> I found the Armadillos totally unsatisfactory. All three of the ones that I purchased delaminated i.e. the thick rubber central tread debonded from the tyre carcase. One delaminated at the front and two at the rear.
> 
> To be fair, I don't recall suffering any punctures with them.



Thanks for the warning...I'll keep an eye on them!!


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## domtyler (20 Feb 2008)

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?


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

> I'm a convert to Panaracer Paselas




Which ones?
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/find.asp


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## Brock (20 Feb 2008)

These?


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## Tim Bennet. (20 Feb 2008)

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.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (20 Feb 2008)

> 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


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## Bigtallfatbloke (21 Feb 2008)

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


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## Rhythm Thief (21 Feb 2008)

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.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (21 Feb 2008)

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.


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## jags (21 Feb 2008)

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


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## Bigtallfatbloke (21 Feb 2008)

..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!


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## jags (21 Feb 2008)

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


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## Kirstie (21 Feb 2008)

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.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (21 Feb 2008)

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...


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## HJ (21 Feb 2008)

Brock said:


> 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.





Brock said:


> Wow that was helpful wasn't it!?



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


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## Percy (22 Feb 2008)

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 )


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## wafflycat (22 Feb 2008)

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.


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## jags (22 Feb 2008)

the fairy liquid always work's for me


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## Bigtallfatbloke (22 Feb 2008)

The story continues here:

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=9203


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## twowheelsgood (26 Feb 2008)

Tim Bennet. said:


> 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.



Tim, they changed these a year or two back. The old 32 was ridiculously undersized for a 32 (it was more like a 28.5). As far as I can see that tyre is now sold as a slightly generous 28.

Either way it's a brilliant tyre. At 300g it's half the weight of these touring behemoths and almost as tough (although it does tend to look like its falling apart quite quickly, even if it isn't).


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## vernon (27 Feb 2008)

twowheelsgood said:


> Tim, they changed these a year or two back. The old 32 was ridiculously undersized for a 32 (it was more like a 28.5). As far as I can see that tyre is now sold as a slightly generous 28.
> 
> Either way it's a brilliant tyre. At 300g it's half the weight of these touring behemoths and almost as tough (although it does tend to look like its falling apart quite quickly, even if it isn't).



I've used nothing else for several years now. Due to lapse in the routine maintainance of my bike, I reckon that I rode a 120km Audax with the rear tyre down to canvas - a recently fitted bottom bracket dynamo had accelerated tread wear.....


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## bonj2 (27 Feb 2008)

without reading too much into it, it might be 'cos theyr'e 26" and your bike's 700c (or wiggle have assumed your bike is 700c)


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## bonj2 (27 Feb 2008)

crc are better for advice than wiggle btw.


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## twowheelsgood (27 Feb 2008)

vernon said:


> I've used nothing else for several years now. Due to lapse in the routine maintainance of my bike, I reckon that I rode a 120km Audax with the rear tyre down to canvas - a recently fitted bottom bracket dynamo had accelerated tread wear.....



The version I buy here has a black sidewall, it seems to hold the tyre together better and of course the sides don't stain with brake crud and oil.

I do check for obvious defects but I find that when worn out it's pretty easy to tell because they start puncturing quite regularly. In fact the last set didn't punture once in normal use until completely knacked.

As I said before great tyre. I can't understand why so many use those 600g+ clunkers on their commuters. As a bonus too the flexible sidewalls mean a better ride than the heavyweights.


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## vernon (27 Feb 2008)

twowheelsgood said:


> The version I buy here has a black sidewall, it seems to hold the tyre together better and of course the sides don't stain with brake crud and oil.
> 
> I do check for obvious defects but I find that when worn out it's pretty easy to tell because they start puncturing quite regularly. In fact the last set didn't punture once in normal use until completely knacked.
> 
> As I said before great tyre. I can't understand why so many use those 600g+ clunkers on their commuters. As a bonus too the flexible sidewalls mean a better ride than the heavyweights.



I normally check for obvious defects every few weeks but hadn't factored in the accelerated wear because of the dynamo. I'd done three 100km Audaxes in the previous week and each of them involved a couple of hours of riding with the dynamo.

The rear tyre to its credit had not punctured once before its removal. Mine have the amber sidewalls.

Their flexible sidewalls make a better ride for this heavyweght


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