alathIN

Needing to replace the tires on my commuter. It's a cross/rando type bike with disc brakes so no worries about clearance.

I've been running 32c Vittoria Voyageur which are nice for speed and quiet ride, but not very puncture resistant. Plus I think they could stand to be wider. I've gained some weight myself and don't always pack light.

Do the Schwalbes tend to run big or small?
My guess is that the 35c would probably be very close to what I'm running now and the 40c perceptibly, but not massively, wider.

Interested in any other suggestions or ideas you may have.

If it matters, I'm pretty much a fair weather commuter. I'll do light rain if it's warm, but most of my riding will be dry pavement.

My parents live on a farm off of a gravel road, so some gravel-competency is good.

alan s 

I have Marathon Supremes on 3 bikes. On my dropbar bike, 700x28 is great for paved roads and 700x40 is best on gravel. I have two wheelsets, so it’s easy to switch. Perhaps the 35s would be a good compromise for mixed surfaces. I tend to go wider if I have to choose, so in your situation with mixed surfaces, I’d go with 40s. They’ll be a little slower, but a lot more comfortable. They are true to size, in my experience.

alathIN

So if you put them on 3 bikes I am going to go way out on a limb and guess that you like them ;-)

When I ride to the farm it's only the last half mile that's on gravel, so I don't really need great gravel tires - just need to avoid anything that's super unpleasant on gravel.

Do you notice differences in road noise between tires? Except when I start getting into trafficky areas, riding is my peaceful time and I really appreciate a quiet ride.

alan s 

No, they are fairly smooth tires and don’t make any appreciable noise.

Rick

I would go with the 40c. They will be better on a bad patch of road and still low resistance on the smooth road.

downwinded

You have selected the right tire! With loose gravel involved on every ride, I'd probably go with the 40. The 35's would be ok for the hard pack 2 track most gravel roads turn into a little while after they've been graded.

alathIN

Thanks for the takes, guys!
Appreciate the experience represented here.

acidfast7

They're excellent tyres, but I run the Schwalbe Marathon originals with Green Guard due to the cost. I usually get a set of two 23-622s for €30.

They're very quiet and have excellent puncture resistance. People swear by the treadwear (maybe on a American asphalt) but I find that British roads tear them up. Having said that I find them light years better than Gatorskins for about half the price.

Not sure where you're located, but wiggle just bought bike24.de and they seem to be the cheapest.

Schwalbe Marathon Supreme run about €30/tyre:

https://www.bike24.de/suche?searchTe...rathon+supreme

Schwalbe Marathon Original with Greenguard run about €15/tyre:

https://www.bike24.de/p11037.html?q=...athon+original

maybe i'm just OG and like the first ones, maybe I'm cheap.

Puncture resistance is excellent on the originals as well.

chas58

I tend to run as big as I can, up to 40mm (unless I'm hyper concerned about weight and speed). 40 is a nice sweet spot - still feels like a road tire, has same or less rolling resistance than smaller tires (of the same build).

Panaracer Gravel king just came out with a + protection model, and Schwalbe G-one is great too. Those are probably going to wear faster than the marathons though.

If you can go tubeless, you won't have to worry much about punctures.

Skipjacks

Can you explain this to me?

Everyone says this about tubeless (so I believe it's true) but it doesn't make sense at first glance

In order for my tube tire to have a puncture a nail or whatever has to go through the tire and then through the tube. I've had many nails and stuff in my tires that didn't pierce the tube.

But on a tubeless tire, doesn't it just have to go through the tire to cause an air leak?

I'm sure there is a detail I'm missing that makes this all make sense. Can you tell me what it is?

chas58

Good question. Its because tubeless tires are designed to have sealant in them, that will plug a hole.

My comment on tubeless assumes that you have sealant in the tire. The sealant will plug any reasonably size puncture at least long enough to get home – typically permanently sealing the leak.

I have had all kinds of stuff go through my inner tubes, from a wire as thick as my hair (that took half a dozen blown tubes to find, it was so tiny and fine) to 3 penny nails. Truly, if you have a barrier that prevents something from going through the tire, that is the safest (although probably heaviest).

Probably the best benefit for me of tubeless is no more pinch flats – although I do tend to ride smaller tires more aggressively than is typical. Pinch flats shouldn’t be an issue with less aggressive riding on more appropriate sized tires. But pinch flats (i.e. snake bites) are impossible with tubeless tires.

Skipjacks

Aha! I didn't know about the sealant.

I knew there had to be a detail I was missing!

PaulRivers

40c is significantly better at handling road irregularities - potholes, dirt roads made of large rocks, some light offroad mountain biking. You get a very plush ride as well.
35c is worse at all these things, but is a bit faster.