I built up a hybrid a couple of months ago to use on some local rails-to-trails and some gravel riding. It's a Schwinn Vantage F1 and I went with Continental City Ride II tires in 700C x 37
https://www.continental-tires.com/bi...res/city-ride2 . The tires just don't give me the handling I'm looking for once off anything but dry hard pack and asphalt. It's not bad, or hadn't been until I got into some freshly dumped 1.5" sand stone that was put on a road that runs along a river that had been under water recently.
I was running the tires at 45 front and 50 rear (psi) which isn't the lowest I could get by with but close (the tire is rated to 70 psi). The bike is just over 30 pounds and I'm 215+, I'm thinking below 40 psi I'm going to be pinching tubes.
With the 37mm tires I have maybe 5 mm of clearance in the chainstays but in the forks I have clearance for a 2.5" tire easy. One of the options I've considered is going with a slightly more aggressive tire in 47 mm front and 37 mm rear. Continental offers the Country
https://www.amazon.com/Continental-C.../dp/B00BBY8R0O . Or I could go with an even more aggressive tire like this
https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...CABEgJ9sPD_BwE in 38 front and rear.
While the tires I have are fine for well over 80% of the riding I'm going to do I want something that's more confidence inspiring on the occasion that I do get into some rougher stuff, of course without having to give up any noticeable efficiency on the majority of my riding. Lastly, with this being a budget bike I'd like to stay under $50.