I won't claim to have compared a bunch of tires for this usage, but will say that I was surprised just how well I liked 26x2.1 Kenda Slant Sixes. I am usually inclined to want a racy road tire for on road and wasn't bothered by the fat slant sixes on the road sections of a mixed road/dirt tour. There are other similar choices so something else with light casing, flexible sidewall, and lots of low knobs that would be similar