J.Higgins 

Sadly, yes. I'll be putting some different skins on my Bilenky for my tour this year, and I would love to hear if there is any fresh new hotness that anyone recommends. My go to has always been Schwalbes, but despite their inherent ruggedness, they handle like wooden wagon wheels. I'll be toting about 40lbs of kit, not including water, and I hope to be running something like a 32mm, which are the gatorskins that I now have on it.

Can anyone offer me some good advice? Oh, I'm 71" and weigh 200lbs.

stardognine

Most of my touring has been on Schwalbes & Continentals, as you've already mentioned, but right now, I have a Specialized on the rear, and a Serfas on the front. This is a matter of availability, but both are holding up quite well, so far, with the required Slime inner tubes. 👍

robow

My wife fears flats more than death itself, so recently I put Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on her touring bike. Peace of mind for her, but secretly I did this in hoping that it might slow her down a bit and I just might not get dropped so easily.

J.Higgins 

Do you find that the combination of the lighter tire, along with the Slime innertube, is a more desirable option than the balls-out Schwalbe flat-proof tires alone?

J.Higgins 

I know, right! My wife gets on her steed and churns my butter. I feel like I'm always playing catch-up.

DropBarFan

Schwalbe makes a lot of tires besides the heavy-duty models, what about the Marathon Supreme? OTOH while I haven't tried Gatorskins they seem to get good reviews. I've been thinking about Schwalbe G-One tires--pretty light yet with a semi-knobby tread, seems it would work pretty well on-road or off.

staehpj1

Yeah, the OP seems to assume a lot about a tire based on the brand. Schwalbe, Continental, and most brands make a wide range of models. As a result the question is kind of muddled. That said it sounds like the Op is planning on fairly heavy touring and I am guessing on pavement, so yeah maybe the Supreme or Gatorskin. I have been pretty happy with Gatorskins, but for my usage (much lighter packing style) I am thinking of going to a lighter tire.

elcruxio

Supremes wear super quickly and they aren't all that punture resistant. They are very fast though.

It's always a compromize. Would be nice if there were more thicker tubeless tires, like a between model of marathon plus and supreme

J.Higgins 

I'm kind of feeling it out all over again, and wondering if I am missing anything. When I find myself getting stuck on one platform for too long, it is then that I try to check if I'm still okay with what I'm doing. Make sense? I'm looking for any new trends. I'm wondering if people are touring with tubeless more now. I have several different sets of Schwalbes and Contis on all my bikes right now, and I love them all.

BikeWonder

I've had no issues with Panaracer Pasela PT 700 x 35c tires.
They've brought me 1500 puncture free km. I inflate them to max pressure. I still watch what I go over because you can't expect a tire to do all the work. Also, they look great and are really light per tire.

veloz

I’ll second the Pasela PT’s. We’ve used them on gravel for years, done extended tours and they’re decently light for a touring tire. We’ve run 28’s, 32’s and 35’s the last couple summers for touring, the 35’s being my favorite for gravel tours like the GAP, C&O & Katy. We run them at lower pressures and they hold up well.

linus

Panaracer Gravelking Smooth.

/thread

J.Higgins 

By smooth do you mean the herringbone tread pattern?

linus

Yep standard without any knobs.

J.Higgins 

@linus What sort of tubes should I run in them?

robow

Did they ever improve the sidewall durability of the Panaracer Pasela Tourers ? I know it was a long time ago but those darn things were notorious for blowing sidewalls.

linus

@NoControl, I use Schwalbe Tube #18 . I was using Vittoria Extralight tubes, but now I stick to Schwalbe for the suppleness of them.

BikeWonder

I think each manufacturer has their defects. I can see more going wrong with gumwall tires, but I've never had any issue with them. I don't over inflate them and I keep track of the weather with respect to tire pressure. If it's going to be 30+ for a bit,I can anticipate air expanding in my tire so I would release some pressure.

I also carry a spare tire with me in case something does go wrong. You really can't avoid a tire malfunction. It will either blow out, puncture, or tear from a piece of glass or something sharp.

I like going fast and traveling light. Pasela PT gives me all I need to have a great yet supple, reliable ride. I had marathons and disliked how slow and heavy they felt.

I rode them through the Rockies in some pretty rough terrain and they held up just fine.

CliffordK

Are you riding on pavement or gravel or Dirt?

Why not try some Gator Hardshells in the size you desire?

CliffordK

Oh, another tire to try is the:

Clement X'Plor USH, 35mm, 120TPI.



They are lightweight, with some tread, and the center rib. I had a pair and thought they rolled quite well, although I did eventually start getting excess flats as they started to wear down. But, I was generally happy with them up to about 1000 miles more or less.

J.Higgins 

I'll be riding pavement, Cliff. It'll be the ACA Northern Tier. I've got Gator Hardshells on it now, and I really like them. Guess I'll just reshod the bike with a new set.

dwmckee

The Gatorskins are a very durable tire... From the 80s. The most they have to update that tire is to put new graphics on it. Thet are ridiculously expensive for what they are and ride kust a bit better than bricks. But stll many peiople love them (though they have not tried anything else since the 80s!).

If you are willing to live with a touch less durability for a vastly improved ride then the Schwalbe G1s are really good, the Vittoria Terreno Dry or Terreno Zero is crasy fast and tough, the Panaracer Tourgard is also very plush.

Most people that recommend touring tires however are going to recommend flatproof bricks, just so you know... Marathons, Gatorskins, commuter tires, etc...

dwmckee

These are great too!

CliffordK

I think the Gator Hardshells are slightly more durable than the Gatorskins.

My most significant issue with them is that I did have a blowout about 75 miles from new. 700x23, Gator Hardshell, I think. 110PSI or so inflated during the cool evening the night before the ride (some warming the next day). I've backed off of the pressure slightly. While I like midnight tune-ups before heading out on the road, it might be best to let things like the tires settle in for a week or so.

Anyway, my blowout terrifies me. It is aggravating trying to make a road boot on 3" of bead separation. However, I still like the tires. But, I'm not beyond experimenting with something new either.

J.Higgins 

Finding the best compromise is a tough job without a crystal ball.