Wozza2014

Hi,

I have Michelin World Tours 622 - 32 on my bike. They are now shot and I am going on a few long tours soon. Can anyone recommend some replacements?

Please remember I am in the UK so anything recommended would need to be easily available from a UK supplier.

Cheers,

3speed

Well the answer to this Totally depends on what kind of terrain you plain to ride on, your preferences for puncture protection, etc. My first thought is there's no question you should go to planetx.co.uk and get some Vittoria Hypers. I'm jealous. That's the only place I know of to still reliably get them, and it's ~$20 shipping to the US. Otherwise the Schwalbe Supreme would be my pick, I think. It's also a nice smooth tread for efficient road riding, but I assume being a Schwalbe, it'll have more puncture protection. They tend to make tough tires, though a little heavier and slower than some others.

Wozza2014

Hi.

Mainly road and riding around France in a month so I suppose the surfaces will be decent over there.

I've never heard of Planet X before today but you and someone else have recommended them. Are they THE place for bike gear?

The other person recommended Vittoria Randonneur Pro Road City from PX for £9.99.

The Supremes seem a little expensive for my wallet although they look great tyres but sadly I'm on a budget.

djb

yes, they are generally.
I had no problems doing the same as you back in the 90s when tires werent as good, so my suggestion is to get good quality tires, middle of the road price, and you will be fine.
Keep tire pressures up at right numbers, watch out for glass and stuff and dont run over it, if you do, stop and take 10 seconds to check if glass is stuck in your tire, and you are good to go.

3speed

For $10(I don't know how to make the pound symbol...), I'm sure the Randonneur is a good tire. I'd just look into the two tires and see what you think. I'd think the Hyper is probably a faster rolling, more comfortable tire. I've never ridden the Randonneur, so I can't say for certain. But basically Vittoria doesn't make any crap tires, so if you get one of theirs, you'll have a decent tire. It's just a matter of finding exactly what qualities you want out of it. The same goes for Schwalbe, but as you found, they're a bit more expensive. They tend more toward tough tires rather than really nice riding tires. Sadly, you can't have the best of both worlds.

fishboat

Hypers are still available? I thought they were discontinued in 2017. I checked the P-X site earlier this morning(when I was looking for something else) and didn't see them listed.

3speed

Well, here’s the lower end, wired version. Different versions seem to come and go
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYVIVO...ger-wired-tyre

fishboat

Seems to be very difficult to find specs on this tire, but I think it's safe to assume this isn't the lightweight(~400g) "hyper" version we've known in the past. Wish it was..

3speed

I would assume it's a little heavier than the folding version, but still has the same nice, supple ride. Personally, only because I've ridden the tire before, I'd actually probably pick this over most anything else if I were about to start a tour. The steel wire bead sucks, but a folding tire that is heavy or rides like **** sucks even more. And you can't beat that price... I'm just a sucker for a smooth ride. I can't stand things like Armadillo or Gator Skins. And I can't stand the weight of the heavy duty Schwalbes. I've always found myself happy when I've had Vittorias on my bike(minus one Diamonte, but I got that Lightly used at a bike swap for $2, so I wasn't too upset that it blew so easily). Between a few bikes, I'm currently running Vittoria Corsa, Hyper, and Peyote. ...I'll need to buy stock in the company soon.

I have heard good things about the Schwalbe Supreme, and it looks like a nice tire. I might get a pair of those to try out shortly before my next extended tour.

The Continental GP Urban also has my interest, but I'd definitely have to ride it for a while before deciding if it were tour worthy. It's not marketed as a touring tire, and only weighs 350g, so it might well be too light duty for loaded touring. I bet it makes a sweet riding urban tire, though.

Sci-Fi

Consider Michelin Protek with the 1 mm protection. Very quiet, smooth/comfortable riding tire with good grip and feel, even when fully loaded. Longevity is still in question, but no complaints so far (~500 miles). I'm using the 700x40c (622-42) @50psi. Panaracer Tour should be on your list too, especially if you are on a tight budget/want a lower cost alternative.