700 x 32c Tyre Recommendations please

[John_S]

Hi A Nutter,

As several other people have already mentioned if it's puncture protection that you're after then something from the Schwalbe Marathon range would probably be a good way to go.

But there's always a trade off and they might not be the nicest tyres to ride on but with everything you've got to pick where your priorities are and pick the best tool for the job according to what you're after.

If you're willing to forgo some of the Marathon Plus and just want another option to consider along with the other suggestions above then you could consider the Panaracer Gravel King (and my apologies if these have already been mentioned and I missed that when I skimmed through).

https://road.cc/content/review/panaracer-gravelking-32-tyre-254221

Panaracer have quite a few tyres in their lineup including 32c options and for example I think that they do a more puncture resistant version of the tyre in the GravelKing SK Plus.

https://www.panaracer.com/lineup/gravel.html

Also whilst it's something I've never ever tried because I'm a bit of a luddite and don't fancy giving it a go right now but perhaps tubeless would be the way to go for you if you don't fancy fixing puncture by the roadside because in theory with tubeless anything but fairly serious damage should hopefully seal and get you home without having to repair a puncture.

Good luck on the search for the right tyres for you.

Cheers,

John

 

[Brooks]

I'm on a bit of a budget so opted for the Vittoria Randonneur, £15 a tyre at Decathlon and I have to say they've done me proud these past two years. Need replacing now and I'm going to buy the same tyres without hesitation.

 

[A Nutter]

Thanks so much everyone for your the time you've took to reply. Decision time

 

[rivers]

Pirelli Cinturato. I've done 5,000 miles+ on mine with zero punctures and tread still looks good. That includes a fair bit of off road and in all weathers. I have 32s and also run them at low pressure due to having carpal tunnel, anything over 45-50psi aggravates too much. Ok, I'm only 68kg, but gives a very comfortable ride.

Way better feel and lighter than M+. Expensive but very good value

+1 for cinturato velos. I have them on my winter bike and they have an excellent balance of puncture protection, weight, and rolling resistance. They're also not too bad off-road

 

[nagden]

I am a fan of the Vittoria randonneur. Real good value at €15 from décathlon France.

 

[A Nutter]

I ended up with Schwalbe Marathon Plus. Thanks all for your input once again.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I once picked a pair of Marathons in my local Halfords just out of curiosity. Strewth, they were heavy! I quickly put them down again before my arm got tired.....

Marathon Greenguards are great, and they roll pretty well. I've got these or the almost identical Delta Cruiser+ on several sets of wheels, in widths between 28 and 38mm. 2 1/2 years now, no visits from the Fairy on any of my Schwalbes. Five Fairy visits on my non-Schwalbe tyres. M+ are probably a bit OTT, and even heavier, so I've stuck with the regular version. If I ran a really heavy hub geared e-bike I might consider M+ for the rear tyre only though.

 

[All uphill]

I’ve just switched to marathon plus, a heavy tyre & buggers to fit😬 & after a 100 miles I’m not sure I like them.
They seem to have a bit of drag but it might be just me, might go back to the Roubaix pro’s as if I did have a puncture I wouldn’t want to try a repair on the road side.

That was my experience too.

Replacing them after 2000 miles with durano tyres was a revelation!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The only bike which feels noticeably different on Marathons is my Dawes Jaguar, which is fairly sporty and has a shorter wheelbase compared with the rest of my fleet. It is also the lightest bike I have, so the weight increase could be felt more easily.
It's a price I am happy to pay for the peace of mind that I can take most of my bikes for a 30 or 40 mile ride knowing that it is extremely unlikely I will have to repair a flat at the roadside. I still carry a basic puncture kit and pump though, even so. Riding is way more fun that doing unplanned repairs, and if that costs me a tiny bit off my average speed and slightly less brisk acceleration, then so be it.

 

[Tribansman]

The only bike which feels noticeably different on Marathons is my Dawes Jaguar, which is fairly sporty and has a shorter wheelbase compared with the rest of my fleet. It is also the lightest bike I have, so the weight increase could be felt more easily.
It's a price I am happy to pay for the peace of mind that I can take most of my bikes for a 30 or 40 mile ride knowing that it is extremely unlikely I will have to repair a flat at the roadside. I still carry a basic puncture kit and pump though, even so. Riding is way more fun that doing unplanned repairs, and if that costs me a tiny bit off my average speed and slightly less brisk acceleration, then so be it.

It's not about brisk acceleration or average speed for me. On M+s, my bike just felt a bit dead and less responsive when cornering. They just made cycling less enjoyable.

Had zero punctures on slightly less puncture resistant equivalents, which massively improve the quality and enjoyment of the ride. Even if I got a few punctures on them, 1-2 hours repair time a trade off I'm willing to pay as I do hundreds of hours of riding a year, but as yet not even had to do that.

Think I'd only opt for M+ where due to lack of facilities/time - e.g. on a Highlands Tour or time critical commuting, I'd value the near certainty of not getting a puncture

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

As regards M+, as opposed to regular Marathons I'd agree with you. Even I, who is pretty puncture-averse, regard the Plus version as just a bit too heavy and stiff to be worth using for leisure cycling. I don't cycle commute, so a flat is not going to get me earache at work for coming in late, but a flat is still a ride-spoiler albeit one with just a high annoyance factor nothing more.
I'm not the sort of rider who pushes the handling of a bike to the limit. I don't ride flat out very often at all, and when I do it tends to be on straight clear bits of road under very benign cycling conditions. Therefore I'm not pushing my luck with fast cornering and generally getting close to the limits of grip, where a tough tyre made of a hard-wearing rubber compound is certainly not going to give the rider the same confidence as racing slicks designed primarily to roll easy and grip well at the expense of shorter tyre life and less puncture resistance.

 

[TyrannosaurusTreks]

Just debating on going back to Roubaix pro tubeless or Schwalbe g-one all round.
I will probably save the marathon’s for the moustache hybrid I have ordered😁.

 

[cougie uk]

I ended up with Schwalbe Marathon Plus. Thanks all for your input once again.

Good choice. I have these on my winter bike and I've only had one failure in 10 years or more.
I did flirt with some Michelin endurance this year and had two flats in three rides - so went back to Marathons.