Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN

(now discontinued) Schwalbe Marathon Extremes in 57mm width, it was a good compromise tire as it rolled well on pavement but was adequate on difficult terrain. But on steep uphills in really rough gravel and cobbles I often broke traction from the torque at the back wheel, perhaps a pure mountain bike tread would have had better grip. But the pure mountain bike tire would not have worked as well on the paved portions of that trip. Thus it becomes an issue of where you want to compromise. If you are building up the bike, think about size of tires now so you can size your rims properly. But brands and models of tires change, you can pick the specific tire you want later.