# Best tyres for commute and gravel/dirt track



## SO8 (17 May 2011)

I have done a search but results vary ... thus this thread 

I have two Specialized bikes which I use for commuting and fun. My route are roads and tow paths which are dirt and gravel.

I currently have a Specialized Rockhopper with Crossroads Armadillo tyres ... which are great on the gravel and dirt but slow and tiring on the road. This is compared to my Specialized Crosstrail with Continental Travel Contacts which are skittish on gravel but great on the road ... !!

I want as puncture resistant as possible ... and a better combination between the two types of tyre I have 
I know tyres doing two things always have to be a bit of a compromise on one thing or the other ... but wondered if people have any ideas for alternatives ??

The only idea I have at the moment to roll quickly on road but have grip on gravel whilst being resistant to punctures is Schwalbe Marathon Plus ... or the Marathon Plus touring ...

Comments welcome ...


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## MickL (17 May 2011)

I have schwalbe land cruisers good grip on the dirt tracks and smooth enough on the roads.


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## Moodyman (17 May 2011)

Marathon Plus is more road based, but can handle dry dirt parths.

For what you describe, I would get the Marathon. Bit lighter and cheaper than the Plus and designed for mult-surfaces.

Not sure if you can get these in all the 700c sizes though


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## leyburnrunner (17 May 2011)

i used the marathon plus tyres on a recent c2c. so much faster than my old nobblies and no sign of a puncture yet...


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## SO8 (17 May 2011)

Thanks for the comments ... I will need to have a look at the tread pattern me thinks .... just got back from a nice long ride and on road my Crossroads are slooooooooow ...  I think I need to get fitter though so working harder on the roads may do me some good anyway


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## Peter88 (17 May 2011)

Iuse the Schwable Hurricane tires with the kevlar puncture protection on my commuter


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## David_widnes (17 May 2011)

Continental touring plus are decent tyres. they have the same puncture resistant qualities as schwable marathon plus but are a bit lighter and roll better.


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## tradesecrets (17 May 2011)

tbh ... there isn't the same amount of money spent on research and development like there is the motor world when it comes to bicycle tyres ...



And the hype surrounding Schwable	is beyond a joke ... 

a bike tyre is a bike tyre .. for a cycle

if it truly was possible to create a puncture resistant tyre then it would corner market and others would cease to compete .. 


The concept of puncture resistant tyres is utter BS .. because no one company or person has actually created a true puncture resistant tyre .

think of the profit margins and every new bike built would have them fitted .. like every PC comes standardised with Windown and IE with exception of Apple ...and you can't buy Mozilla OS PC can you


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## The Jayler (20 May 2011)

Slim tubes. Been using them for about 3 years and had no punctures to stop me riding. Only on my second set. You can then get any tyre.


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## Mark_Robson (20 May 2011)

tradesecrets said:


> tbh ... there isn't the same amount of money spent on research and development like there is the motor world when it comes to bicycle tyres ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your talking bollocks again. There is a massive difference between puncture proof and puncture resistant. Schwalbe don't claim that the Marathon Plus are puncture proof, they claim that they are puncture resistant, which they are. I have been using Marathion Plus tyres on my MTB for the past two years and I have travelled nearly two thousand miles on them and never had a puncture in that time. Are you going to tell me that's down to luck? They are that good I also have them on my *Boardman* Hybrid.

All manufacturers sell puncture resistant tyres, so I'm afraid that the concept of puncture resistant tyres is not bullshit. Now puncture proof tyres.....that's another story.


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## smokeysmoo (20 May 2011)

+1 for Marathon Plus


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## SO8 (27 May 2011)

OK, looking at Marathon plus ... they go to 700 x 38 .... my Crosstrail has 700 x 45 but no one seems to do tyres that are puncture resistant that wide ! 

Continental touring plus go to 700 x 47 but no one - including Continental UK - have any ! 

Would I badly notice a drop from 45 to 38 ??


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## SO8 (28 May 2011)

Decision made ... Continental Touring plus in 700x42. Now fitted ...

I had ordered 700x47 but they weren't dispatched by Chain Reaction Cycles ... so I will have to try and cancel the order as I have opted for the narrower ones which I found in stock at Evans.

Initial thoughts - well, they look loads narrower than the Specialized 700x45 tyres .... even though it is supposedly only 3mm less .... and they feel loads heavier - guess that has something to do with the puncture resistance. 

I don't know how they will fare on dusty gravel paths ... the standard tyres were superb ... but these should at least mean I get there without a puncture ! On roads they feel slower than the softer standard tyres - but again ... under a mile is hardly a good test period


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