ModeratedUser

Hello all,

My expertise and experience is pretty limited when it comes to touring tires. My current setup is a bike that is used for everyday use as well as touring and off road riding. Most of my riding is on road with maybe 15% off road.

I've had a really terrible experience by going off on my own buying and using some tires I thought would be good, but both tires were less (literally) than what I was expecting. I buy tires thinking they're a size I'm trying to get, and end up being 3-5mm less! So please give me the heads up if the tires you are suggesting run a little narrow.

All responses are most welcomed and I look forward to some good suggestions.

bikemig 

schwalbe mondial 700 x 35c

elcruxio

I've heard good things about the marathon tour plus tire, but can't say about the actual width. That said, schwalbe is usually pretty spot on

indyfabz

Conti Top Touring II in 37c, which I believe is actually a bit narrower than 37c. Have taken them off road in Montana and South Dakota, among other places with no problems. Some of those miles were hilly/mountainous.

KC8QVO

I have been riding the Continental Tour Ride tires since early in to the riding season last year. They have around 1800 miles on them now. The vast majority of my riding is on crushed gravel trails. These have held up pretty well. I don't have a gauge yet for how long they will last, but there is a lot of life left in them. Mine are 42mm (spec size, haven't measured), you can get them in smaller sizes.

I am curious how long they will last. The tread has a solid strip in the middle then lugs going up the side walls with wide siping. Since the strip in the middle is what the wheels are riding on most of the time that is going to be the area the tires wear in quicker, there isn't much tread contact besides that. With the way the tires have been wearing that theory is holding true.

ModeratedUser

I'm gona need a little more info on Contis I'm now a little gun shy on them as I bought some Continental Touring Plus 700x37c and they were barely over 30mm wide! From my experience I'm thinking I'm going to fine out where the tires are made before pulling that enviable trigger. Seems like everything made away from the original factory, seems a little lite on the dimensions. I've had so far tires made in India and Thailand and both came up short on what was ordered.

So either a correct model number or link would be great (can't find a Continental Top Touring II). Bonus points if you could tell me where they are made.

PS: the Continental Tour Ride has a good feedback on Amazon, so that's really a good plus.

Doug64

I've bought Continental tires that were made in both Germany and China. Continental tires always seem to run a little small for the stated size. All the Schwalbe tires I have purchased recently, Marathon and Marathon Plus, were manufactured in Indonesia. The seem to run true to stated size.

nfmisso

Please note that the measured width depends greatly on the inner width of the rim - the difference can be more than 5mm on a nominal 35mm wide tire. @User1 - what width are your rims? I would guess on the narrow side.

NormanF

Schwalbe Marathon Dureme.

LeeG

+1

there are nicer tires for road or dirt but if the application is touring why not get a durable tire.


User1, I have Schwalbe Supreme and Mondiale in 35mm, the Mondiale looks something less than 35mm and the Supreme closer to 37mm so go figure. As mentioned variations in rim width will change tire width. Depending on your load you might be able to get away with a nicer riding tire in the front but the Mondiale is a tough tire.

ModeratedUser

The inside dimension is 14.1mm and 14.2mm. I'm thinking that is around average. When I mounted road, read 23 or 25mm tires from Germany, they measure true, +/- 1mm.

ModeratedUser

BTW, if anyone has ever seen an article that deals rim width vs overall tire width, please do share! I have yet to read someone's study on this and how much it does effect overall tire width. I'm betting it's not a 1 to 1 relationship. Example: does a 1mm increase in rim width equal 1mm tire width? I don't think so.......

nfmisso

I would classify 14/15mm range as narrow for a 32-35mm tire. I run Velocity Dyads on one of my commuters, and Velocity Aeroheats (same extrusion as the Dyad) on my other. They are between 18mm and 19mm inside, which works well with a 28mm and 32mm tires on the front. On the rear, I have the same rims with 35mm and 40mm tires. On the one I rode today, it has Kenda K193 Kwest tires, 28-622 and 35-622, at 100 psi, they measure 29mm and 35.5mm respectively.

LeeG

Why do you need such specificity on tire dimension? Those sound like narrow road rims, I wouldn't go beyond 32 mm. What kind of bike is it?

bmike

I have enjoyed the Clement tires for on / off (meaning dirt road, packed trail, and paved road).

X'PLOR MSO | Clement Cycling, Cyclocross Tires, Adventure Tires, Mountain Bike Tires, Road Bike Tires
https://clementcycling.com/ush

nfmisso

Totally agree, and I don't know of a study.

Scroll down to Width Considerations at Tire Sizing Systems

The current thinking is wider rims; for example the Velocity A23 Velocity Wheels - Hand Made in USA is intended for 23-622 tires and has a 18mm inner width.

On our tandem, I recently changed the front rim from a 40H Dyad (18.6mm) to a 48H NoBS (19.8mm); keeping the same Marathon Supreme 38-622 tire. I did not measure the tire, but it does appear to be wider now.

mdilthey

+1

Shifty

I'm not sure if you can go 700 - 38, but this is a great tire.

Specialized Bicycle Components

ModeratedUser

Yeah looks like these are narrow rims. I'd go with 32mm tires if I could get them at 32mm width. Last time I tried 28mm Vittoria tires, they were measured 25mm wide! I put those tires on cause I had one new one and needed another. This was before I started to realize that you don't get what you order nowadays.

Really I'd like to shot for a tire 32mm wide with any error going to being bigger, and not smaller.

The bike I have is a Kona Jake the Snake bike. I want it to be a road/off-road/lite touring bike.

LeeG

Ok, sounds like you just want a tire for those conditions with touring a lesser priority. Those
Clements look grippy for dirt, how about the Mondiale in the rear and a Clement Xplore in the front.

ModeratedUser

I like going with tires that are the same ones and also the same size. This way I can rotate the tires and they will be gone at the same time. I can get by on 32s. Just be rather proturb if they end up being 28mm wide.

imi

When measuring a tires width is it the width 'in the plane' or the curve of the tire from its side extremities that is measured?

Sorry, had a hard time formulating this question, hope you understand.

ModeratedUser

I think you're asking if I measure from the knobs, if there is them yes? I measure between the knobs and the widest part of tires. This should be a plane as you mentioned. If this is not what you are referring to, please advise.

imi

No, nothing about the knobs... hmmm, Look at the tire directly from the front. You can measure outer edge to outer edge with a hard ruler (straight across), OR measure between the same two points with a soft tape measure across the curvature of the tire (this will result in a larger measurement)

Which is the standard norm for tire width?

ModeratedUser

I'm sorry but I use a caliper for measurement. You want me to use a hard ruler?