26" Tire

[KDean]

What's the best 26"  allround tire that is currently available ?

[in4]

IMHO Marathons for the rougher surfaces and Supremes for the smooth stuff. Others will definitely offer alternatives!

[mickeg]

On my Sherpa, before I tour I decide if that tour is mostly on gravel or pavement (tarmac) and I start thinking about what tires I want to use based on that.  And that decision includes what tire width I want to have on the bike.  And I might pick different tires if I was going to be doing loaded touring or riding an unladen bike.  And any tire I pick for dirt riding would not be a tire I pick for pavement riding.

If there was one best tire, nobody else would make tires.

[KDean]

"If there was one best tire, nobody else would make tires."
So do you change tires on route ?  When I did LEJOG there was a huge difference between so called canal paths  for instance some were like mountain bike tracks especially during 10 days of heavy rain  & other Tarmac & I had a happy medium of tire set up that I was happy with . I just wondered what that would be on a Thorn Nomad MK2 as the Dureme won't be available .

[mickeg]

"If there was one best tire, nobody else would make tires."
So do you change tires on route ?  When I did LEJOG there was a huge difference between so called canal paths  for instance some were like mountain bike tracks especially during 10 days of heavy rain  & other Tarmac & I had a happy medium of tire set up that I was happy with . I just wondered what that would be on a Thorn Nomad MK2 as the Dureme won't be available .

So, if you are looking for a Dureme, a Marathon with Greenguard or a Mondial might be alternatives.

No, I do not bring a bunch of tires and change them on a trip.  On my Sherpa, if the route is mostly paved I am using a Schwalbe Marathon (with Greenguard) in 40mm width.  If I am on a trip with mostly gravel I am using 50mm width Marathon Extremes (discontinued) or Duremes.  The Extremes have a more aggressive tread, the Duremes have a more pavement oriented tread.  On that bike, I am picking from those three options.  And I should point out that this assumes I am hauling my camping gear on the bike.  If I was going somewhere to ride an unladen bike, I would probably pick a 700c bike instead.

I make that plan in advance based on where the bike tour will be.  And I am also chosing a bike based on how heavily loaded the bike will be.  My other bikes, I am more likely to have a shorter list of choices, as I have used my Sherpa on a wider range of road surfaces than my other bikes. 

For a loaded tour, on my Nomad Mk II, I use 57mm wide Marathon Extremes, but I was thinking on the last tour I did with that bike that a 55mm Dureme might have made more sense up front, I have one of those that I could have used.  Up front the aggressive tread of the Extreme was overkill.

Since I have not bought tires for these bikes for several years, I can't say what I would buy today because I do not know what is available today.

If I carry a spare tire on a trip, it generally is not a replacement for a tire I am using, instead it is a light weight tire with minimal tread that I would use to get to a bike shop where I can get a better replacement tire.  Thus, my spare would be lighter and smaller in the bottom of a pannier.

[energyman]

Marathon Plus Tour beats everything !
(IMHO of course)

[martinf]

In 26" x 50 mm, my two favourites are:

- Schwalbe Marathon Supreme for tarmac and occasional, careful use on tracks and paths. This is a lightweight, semi-slick tyre with a foldable Kevlar bead, quoted weight 560g. Unfortunately discontinued in the new Schwalbe catalogue, but still available at the moment on some German web stores. Not found an equivalent for this once the current stock has gone.

- Schwalbe Dureme when I reckon there will be a lot of riding off tarmac. Similar, but slightly heavier than the Supreme, with a slightly raised tread that might possibly be useful off tarmac and stronger sidewalls which IMO definitely are a good feature. Discontinued in the Schwalbe catalogue for several years now, but SJS/Thorn had some batches made to order. Don't know if they will bother to do this again, as the 26" 559 size seems to be getting marginalised.

In the current Schwalbe range, the nearest replacement for the Dureme is the Marathon Mondial with a foldable Kevlar bead, which has other improved features as compared to the cheaper wire-bead version. This is more of an expedition tyre, it has a more aggressive tread than the Dureme, is probably better protected on the sidewalls, and is supposed to be very hard-wearing. And heavier at 740g, but still substantially lighter than Schwalbe Marathon and Marathon Plus.
 

[KDean]

Thank You for all your  replies .

[steve216c]

The best all round tyre depends heavily on how and where you ride- and what your expectations are.

The best tyre might be light
or with little rolling resistance
or tubeless
or not
or with puncture protection
or with off road tread
or slick
or a hybrid trekking tread
or great in the wet
or better in the dry

I personally love the Marathon plus range with reflex stripes for extra visibilty. I've discovered that one rarely needs tyres with chunky profile- even when off road, and the Marathon's with road tread work fine except in very slippery offroad conditions. From memory, the Big Apples I used to have on my MTB rolled slightly better than the Marathon Plus tyres I replaced them with. But the difference is hardly discernable. I prefer the peace of mind of the puncture resistance and resulting lower maintenance of the Marathon Plus tyres. For me, these are the best even if there are faster, lighter or better looking tyres on the market.

From personal experience- cheap unbranded tyres cost you more in service and replacement when they go wrong. Get a good quality branded tyre and you will own it long enough to vent about what you don't like in the 10,000 or more km or more riding you'll experience vice a cheapo that you'll likely need to trash after first puncture, or when it bulges or wears out prematurely.

While we are there- just how long is a piece of string these days?

[hendrich]

Don't know if they will bother to do this again, as the 26" 559 size seems to be getting marginalised.

I think Duremes are the best! I contacted SJSC last year and someone replied that it is possible they will commission another production run if there is interest. But with covid shipping delays, etc., it might be sometime before they consider. Please contact SJSC and voice your interest in another production run of 26x2 Duremes.

[KDean]

What are they like in mud ? I'm thinking  bridleways in torrential rain  .

[martinf]

What are they like in mud ? I'm thinking  bridleways in torrential rain  .

Duremes won't be as good as a dedicated off-road mud tyre in muddy wet conditions. But a dedicated off-road mud tyre will almost certainly be MUCH slower on tarmac and hard gravel paths.

As others have said, it depends on the compromise you want. In the winter of 2017/2018 I did several hundred kms of survey work in often wet conditions, about 30% off road on rural tracks, paths, field edges (so a lot of mud), the rest on tarmac. I used 50 mm Marathon Supremes, in the 650B size, which were the fattest tyres that would fit on that bike. Worked OK for me.

A couple of years previously, on a different survey work contract that lasted about 6 months, I used 50 mm Duremes in the 26 inch size on a different bike, about 50% on sandy tracks, the rest mainly on reasonably well surfaced cycle paths. The Duremes are IMO marginally better for off-road grip than the Supremes, but the main feature that makes me prefer them for off-road use is that I believe they have stronger sidewalls, so they should be less likely to be damaged by rocks, deep potholes or hard bits of tree stump. Not that I have (yet) damaged any Supremes.

[martinf]

Not that I have (yet) damaged any Supremes.

Famous last words!

Riding my utility bike back from the supermarket this morning I noticed a wobble on the rear tyre. The carcass had failed at the edge of the Kevlar belt underneath the tread, and I could see the inner tube. So replacement definitely needed.

If this happened on a tour I would probably patch the tyre from the inside with a section cut from a very lightweight tyre (16" folding Kojak) that I carry for the purpose.

The tyre in question dates from 2010 or 2011 and had been well used, something like 8,000 kms on rear wheels, less on the front.

One of the photos shows the longitudinal cracks on the sidewall, this tyre has had these for several years.