New Tyre Advice

[Andybg]

I am looking to change the tyres on the my Tour. Currently running Pasella Tour guard 26 by 1.75 and do not find them to take the bumps as well as my 1.75 Marathin tyres. Potentialy taking the bike more on unbeaten tracks I was just wondering what tyre people would reccommend for 80% on road 20% on a mixture of dirt/rock and gravel tracks.

My initial thoughts are just to get a set of Schwalbe marathon in 26 by 2.0 but thought I would ask here just incase I am missing a trick.

Andy

[jags]

supreams are great but not so on rought stuff side walls are a bit thin me thinks.the marathon plus  are way to heavy.
sorry andy thats as much as i know.

[Cambirder]

I find the TGs great for the road, and fine for gravel, not much use for rough stuff (of which I do little). Trouble with tyres that suit the rough stuff is that they are not great for the Tarmac, the big marathons are going to be horribly slow in contrast with the TGs. Unless all my routes contained some rough stuff I would go with 2 sets of tyres and only fit the heavy duty ones for the rougher rides.

[brummie]

Perhaps one of the new Panaracer Tour tyres?
Marathon Duremes are quite good too.

[mickeg]

I am quite content with a 26X2.0 Schwalbe Dureme on the front and 26X2.0 Schwalbe Extreme on the rear.  They roll better than I expected.  I use that combination for trips predominantly off of pavement, the Extreme however is quite noisy on pavement.  I probably have about 700 miles with that combination carrying about 60 pounds of camping gear.

I have not tried the 2.0 width Dureme on both the front and rear but if I was going on a trip with 80 percent pavement and only 20 percent off-pavement, I would consider using the Dureme on both front and rear if I felt that the extra traction of the Extreme would not be necessary.  But, if the traction of the Extreme may be necessary off-pavement, then I would use the Extreme and live with the noise on the road.

I am not sure if the Duremes or Extremes are made anymore, they might not be.

[Andybg]

Thanks for the advice guys. The other one I am considering is the Marathin Deluxe which looks like it might be a good allrounder for what I need but at a cost of about double the standard marathon.

Andy

[martinf]

I was OK with Marathon Supreme in 2.0" width on my 2011 tour to Spain/Portugal. Roughly 80% tarmac and 20% tracks and paths, with only a few really rocky bits. Supreme worked really well on tarmac, including in very wet conditions. With a month's touring load and knowing the tyres were lightweight I took extra care on the rocky bits.

But as Jags says, the sidewalls on the Supremes are thin, so in the Schwalbe range the heavier Marathon Deluxe might be a safer choice. The latter replace Duremes, which SJS recommended to me for that type of riding when I bought my Raven Tour last November.

Going from 1.75 to 2.0 also means you can use lower pressures and therefore get more comfort, especially off-road.

[Andybg]

Starting to thing that a set of 2" Deluxe may just about be perfect. Just need to get to terms with the cost.

Andy

[jags]

Andy have you a link to that tyre i cant see it on chainreaction site ,they have a sale on schwalble tyres.

[martinf]

Discount price 41.90 euros at Bike24 Germany, but don't know how much shipping would be:

http://www.bike24.net/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;menu=1000,2,103,104;product=39598

[jags]

thanks for that link Martin i also spotted the shimano 105 rear hub i'm after for 39 euro my LBS was charging me 90euro for the same hub.

[Andre Jute]

I've had Marathon Plus, mentioned above, and also their Bontrager workalikes. They're high pressure tyres which sacrifice everything to being puncture proof. They do what Schwalbe promises, being as puncture proof as it is possible for an inner-tube tyre to be, their longevity is excellent, the corner tread is useful off-road, and they're fast; but even on smooth roads their ride is harsh, and that's if you inflate to the lower limit; if you inflate to the higher limit, your hands and bum will soon buzz. I didn't regret leaving the Marathon Plus behind for Big Apples.

I would recommend Marathon Plus to those who ride the meaner streets of the city, broken glass on the verges, suchlike, maybe commuters for whom the excellent longevity might matter, but I don't think it will make much of a touring tyre, especially since there are close relatives that Schwalbe themselves consider better for touring and that experienced riders here recommend.

Andre Jute

[jags]

 ::)what where did my post disappear too it took me 10 minutes to type.

[Andybg]

The lowest price I have found for them is at Rose cycles at 39.50 euro:

http://www.rosebikes.com/article/schwalbe-marathon-deluxe/aid:643283

[Andybg]

Ordered!! Two tyres and shipping direct to Bulgaria (same price to UK) for about 78ukp - not bad at all - will let you know how long delivery takes

Andy