Originally Posted by
N00dle
Nice, I'm kind of leaning towards the Gravel Kings. Not uber expensive like the Marathon Supreme but the more I read about them the more I like them on paper.
I only have about a 3 mile commute but the 2nd mile is through a bit of an industrial area where nails and such get dropped off the back of work trucks. I don't want to have to swap ties all the time so weekend distance rides are also a thing. I can swap tires if need be but would prefer something all around.
For a 3 mile commute, weight is a non factor.
But tread pattern and rubber compound make a difference.
I run Michelin Proteks. I had have 1 flat in nearly 2 years, with a similar commute length. And that wasn't tire related. That was a tube problem.
The Proteks have advantages like being cheap. They are $25 regular price and often available online for $20. They roll VERY well for a $20 tire. They are nice and zippy.
They also come in a more robust version with better flat protection called Protek Max, which have a 5mm puncture protection layer instead of a 1mm layer like the normal Proteks. But they have the same rubber and tread pattern. Those might be more suitable to the rougher part of your commute.
I recently tried the Marathon 420's you mentioned and went immediately back to the cheaper Proteks. The Marathons weren't so great for me like everyone told me they would be.
Here is the full product line of Proteks
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/search?kw2=protek
The downside is the tread on my rear tire has worn out once and needed replacing sooner than a Marathon would. But for $20....no big deal.