ManInBlack

I'm 47, 6'0" and 355lbs (down from 393 2 years ago), and back when I was about to turn 40 I was on a severe diet to drop 100lbs before my 40th birthday.

One of my goal/reward moments was dropping below 350, when I bought myself a Surly Long Haul Trucker with 700c wheels/tires. This is before they came out with the disc Trucker.

I rode that bike a good bit for several years but it's sat unused since we moved across town. Now I'm in a neighborhood and area that I'd love to ride but I need new tires and tubes, and really would like to get a more comfortable saddle and padded shorts. I've been having a hard time finding what I need. Local bike shop wants me to try a Terratrike Rover recumbent trike instead of working with me to order what I want for the Surly. I'd rather make what I have work--big investment in this LHT.


So, I'd like to find some 700x50 (or 50-622, or 29x2.0") tires that would work well for paved streets and gravel trails. Bike came with 700x37 Continental tires. I have been looking for Schwalbe Big Apple Plus or something similar for a little more cushion in the ride, but I want to keep fairly good / low rolling resistance.


Also have been reading threads about saddles...wasn't there a new saddle design / tech announced sometime recently that had a special kind of gel that could move but in limited range to better support the rider? I could've sworn it was one of the "Selle" brands but now I can't dig it up online. I know saddles are very personal, but I figure I can rule out a bunch of them based on my weight and size alone.


Shorts are incredibly difficult to find. I wear something like 52x30 jeans and at one time had a pair of bike shorts that fit, but they fell apart long ago. I had been considering getting some bibs with built-in chamois pad and wearing them under cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Any other suggestions are welcome.

rgconner

I would highly recommend the Vitesse EX, which comes in a 48.

The tread is very subtle, but grips great in packed dirt/gravel. The sidewalls are very supple, giving a smooth ride. Even in 38s, a railroad tie bridge was no big deal.

https://www.modernbike.com/soma-supp...48---black-tan

pdlamb

48-50 is pretty wide. Will the LHT fit tires that wide?

If you've not been riding for a while, is there a reason you don't either ride the tires you have, or replace them with something similar?

jsigone

Most "gravel" type tires will range from 38-42c, some would be outside of that zone but not up to full 50mm

https://www.jensonusa.com/WTB-Riddler-700X45-Tire

https://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/ge...l-tires-51877/

I'm running Hutchinson Overides in 38c tubeless, they are nice and fast on pave with firm traction in the dirt
https://www.hutchinsontires.com/en/c...ide-1-standard

ManInBlack

No real reason except they're hard as rocks over local streets and the tubes have developed pinholes, so I was going to do something else regardless. The width is to get more air volume and "suspension" or "cushion" effect. 50mm wide are supposed to fit the LHT without fenders. Most "700c x 50" tires don't actually end up being 50mm wide but somewhere around 47-48 actual width.

csport

I second that. I am just under 300lb and I run 42mm Supple Vitesses on Double Cross. Cazadero if you want knobby tires.
Panaracer Pasela exists in 38mm and can be pumped to 90 psi max. I have 32mm Paselas and run them at 90psi, they give surprisingly nice ride. It may be a slightly cheaper option. Panasonic makes the tires for Soma anyway.
Maybe Conti Speed Ride for some tread.

Some puncture resistance/rolling resistance tests: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews

Marathon Supreme and Marathon Almotion are available in 50-622 (there may be different versions with different rolling resistance, be careful about it).

ManInBlack

Thanks very much! Sounds like the Vitesse is a good pick for tires, slightly cheaper and more available than I found the Marathon Supreme or Almotion, although they do have enviable stats for rolling resistance.

csport

Soma's tires are similar to Compass tires, they both are made by Panaracer according to Soma/Compass specs, and they are lighter than Paselas. Rolling resistance of Compass tires in the test is more or less the same as that of Marathon Almotion/Supreme, the same is probably true for Soma's Supple Vitesse. Schwalbe may slightly outdo them in terms of puncture protection.
Not that I am trying to spread panic, but what is the internal size of the rims on LHT? I know its wheels used to come with DH19 rims for some time, internal width of which is 18mm. It may be too low for a 50mm supple tire (not "plus" touring tires LHT has) run at low pressure. I may be wrong here since I have only run 42mm tires on 19mm rims.

indyfabz

There is a decal on the frame that reads "Fatties Fit Fine."

But yeah, 50c is big street and gravel trail riding. I use my LHT for fully loaded touring, both on pavement and unpaved roads, including hilly/mountainous unpaved roads. Never used anything other than the Conti Top Touring II (or whatever they are called) that came stock. They are labeled 35c, but Conti notes on its web site that the tire is actually 37c.

ManInBlack

Per Surly's own website and a Q&A about maximum width tire usable with the Long Haul Trucker (non-disc):
700c LHT- 42mm with fenders, 45mm without. 26" LHT- 2.1 with or without fenders.

Followed immediately by someone saying they've run Schwalbe Big Bens in 700c x 50 with no clearance issues.

indyfabz

But see csport's comment above about rim width. My vintage (2011) LHT came with Alex Adventurer rims. That has changed. You need to look into whether the wheel itself can handle what you are planning.

ManInBlack

Gotcha. Mine is from 2010, and also has the Alex Adventurer rims. I'll have to go measure or find the label on them to know for sure the width.

88Tempo

I measured the clearance in the rear on my LHT (2012?) and with an actual tire width of 36 mm, I had 14 mm of clearance on each side.
I'll probably go up to 42 mm when I wear this set out.

ColonelSanders

Do you have a 26" LHT or 700c?

88Tempo

Good question. I have a 700c version. I should of thought to put that in the initial reply.

csport

Niagara and TreeFortBikes have the specs:
https://www.treefortbikes.com/Alex-A...hined-Sidewall
https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...ilver-sidewall
Internal rim width is 17.5.
Article by Jan Heine on tire pressure: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/...ure-take-home/
He is the guy behind Compass tires, which Supple Vitesse is more or less a clone of. Their walls are super thin. I would be wary of mounting supple 50mm tire on these rims. 640kb 42mm ought to be enough for everyone.
You can even try a 38mm Pasela (non ProTite), apparently Amazon has them for $15: https://www.amazon.com/Panaracer-Pas.../dp/B00GOVOR62

DumbPartsGuy

Jeremiesmith77

ManInBlack

I didn't have any problems with the stock wheels and tires at 350lbs and below. I didn't do anything radical or harsh, just on-road riding. As you can see from the thread, I'm working on getting some wider / higher air volume tires for the shock absorption properties they have, not because the factory rims/tires have a deficiency.

indyfabz

The bike is designed and equipped for fully-loaded touring. I am about 210 lbs. I have taken it on very rough, unpaved hilly/mountainous roads with as much as probably 55 lbs. of racks, panniers and gear. And I usually ride the stock Conti Top Contact II tires at max recommended pressure (85 psi). Have never broken a spoke. Minor truing on a couple of occasions in 7+ years is all. I should note that I have an older model with different stock rims (Alex Adventurer), but I have no reason to believe Surly would equip its signature (and popular) touring model with anything weaker.