I'm looking at tires for my 26" wheels. I have found tires from 1", 1.2" 1'3" up through 2" Some weigh as little as 250 grams up past 600. I want as fast a tire as possible, I'm used to 23 mm tires on my road bike. I found some 26" Continental Grand Prix 1' wide, 25mm. recommended as long wearing, puncture resistant touring tires over at biketiresdirect.com. I'm not planing on any off road riding, but I know sometimes it's unavoidable. Is 25mm too small? I'm not worried about ride comfort as my bike has a shock in front and a small 1" pivot less shock in the rear. I'll be pulling a BOB trailer with no extra weight on the bike.
What size tires do you use?

I've been considering these tires
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...=Touring+Tires

I used my Conti 1000 sport tires (700x25) ... same as what I use for Randonneuring ... same as what I use for training.

Hello,

I'm very curious to see the responses you'll receive on this one. My tires are also 26", fairly wide, not knobby. I've had only one flat in about a couple thousand miles. They hold up well with a full touring load, including camping gear, and provide good stability.

It seems though that it takes extra effort to pedal them around. I'd like to get tires that reduce this effort but still have the benefits I described.

Wolfy

I've used Conti Top Touring 700 x 32 for fully loaded touring - 4 panniers, including camping grea, and Conti Top Touring 700 x 28 for less loaded touring (rear panniers only, no camping gear).

I've never had any problems with 700X28. However, my tours have never been longer than ten days and I seldom carry more than a set of rear panniers. Except for a gawd awful stretch of gravel highway near Parnu, Estonia, I've never been off pavement on a tour, so a wider tire may be better if there will be any unpaved riding.

i toured with 1.95"s, but it was a pain to move around on paved road so i'm thinking about 1.75 for the front and 1.95 for the rear, think that it would improve the situation a bit. the reason why i'm not going with all 1.75s is that i'm doing the outback oz this year so it could be that 1.95 rear would be more suitable, i could be wrong though.

Before the age of Kevlar-lined tires, I used 23 mm slicks when touring with only rear panniers. I usually got one flat per tour. These tours typically lasted ten to fourteen days. On its final tour with new tires and tubes, I had no flats. I did not stray from paved surfaces often, but I had no problems when I took the occasional logging road or pebbly country lane.

My new bike has Kevlar-lined tires. I heeded the advice of the bike builder, who recommended that I go for 28 mm tires. I am sure that they are not as zippy as 23 mm tires, but honesty, I do not notice the difference with 8 or 10 kilograms hanging off the bike. I do feel slightly more stable on gravel roads and cobblestones, but I still ride carefully on unsmooth surfaces. My bicycle was designed for touring on roads, not mountain trails.

Kevlar-lined tires are not immune from punctures. I got a flat on the second day of most recent tour while walking my bike along a sidewalk!

Alan

On my first tour, I used a MTB with 1" Specialized FatBoys. These are just plain slicks. I was towing a bob at first, then switched to panniers. I got a few rear flats, and they wore out in only about 2000 miles. I didn't like them much - too many flats.

Since then I've been riding a tour bike w/700C wheels. I used the stock IRC's for an amazing 4500 miles (rear) and rotated the old front onto the rear, where it now sports a total of 6000 miles, and it's still ok !!! On the front I'm using a Conti TT 32mm, and it's doing ok after about 2000 miles, just starting to show wear. Neither of these tires perform well on gravel. I'm still looking for the perfect tire w/low rolling resistance but that doesn't drop you in the dirt.

Cheers,
Anna

But I'm pretty small, I think that makes a huge difference.

Schwalbe Marathon or Marathon Plus .

Haven't toured yet, but I just (today!) mounted 1.3" slicks on my MTB that I'm slowly making into a touring bike.

I have real good luck with Panaracer Paselas....700x37....for full loaded, 4-pannier touring.

I like Pasela too, but "TG" or "Compe" or whatever it is. The standard Pasela is too light and flats on a paper-staple, at least in the 28-32 I've used. I really like the Vittoria Randonneur... tough. Haven't tried the Armadillo, etc.

How's the flat situation with those tires?

Not bad. I change them every 3000K to 4000K, or so, whether they need it or not ... or in other words, I go through about 6-8 tires a year.

While I was touring in Australia, I covered 5000K, and I replaced both the front and the rear tires about half way through my time there. But in total I had 3 flats, and 1 of those was a "repeat" flat - where I didn't fix it properly, and it flatted again a little ways down the road.

I have good experince with the IRC metro's in 26 x 1.5 with the kevlar belt I usually get a little more than 2000 miles from them. I have them on two bikes and a MTB tandem,

I just switched from 1.95's to 26 x 1.5 City Slickers. A noticable difference in speed and handling. As for touring on them, time will tell.

I will second the Schwalbes.

--J

This is very close to my reccommendation. Since you asked for 26", go for 1.25 Panaracer Paselas. Never ever use 1" tyre for touring.

i third the shwalbs. I've got the marathon touring, and though i've only commuted with them as of yet, I've gone through loads of broken glass with a heavy pack strapped to the back, and not a single flat. They don't even deflate as quickly as other tires. The tread is far more capable on wet pavement without too much rolling resistance. A little heavier than most tires, but with all the glass that's unavoidably strewn between my home and every place else in town - it's an absolute miracle that I've not had a single flat. They're not the easiest to put on, either, but are so tough, changing a flat will be a very rare event. by the way, the kind i have are equipped with some kind of patented material, not kevlar, but whatever it is, shwalb boasts that you could ride through thumbtacks unscathed!

700x38 - perfect for a loaded bike. Never had a flat.

I find that a partially deflated tyre is very likely to cause flat. Please keep your skinny slick inflated to rec. spec. every morning before you start out, and lube the chain at the end of the day.