nameless

I've exhausted the search function here and seem to only add to my list of choices.

I'll be spending 2+ months in Europe this spring, mostly on paved roads (but with the occasional dirt and gravel canal road) carrying a fairly light load (rear panniers and handlebar bag). I'm thinking I'll run 700x32 up front and 700x35 in the rear. I'm looking for a compromise between
a) ride quality,
b) flat protection, and
c) cost

The current contenders:
-Panaracer Pasela TG
-Vittoria Randonneur Pro
-Vittoria Randonneur Hyper
-Marathon Supreme (only available in 28 and 35mm)


Do any of these tires stand out among the others? Is there another tire I'm missing altogether?

fietsbob

the 35 ish wide 700c Conti Travel Contact is their adventure touring tire,
smooth down the center, a fringe of knobs for dirt road/path traction.

why do you seek a different front tire , nothing bigger will fit?

escii_35

I've toured on all but the Vittoria Randonneur Hyper.

For heavy on road touring or med touring with some stints on "well maintained" paths. I would put a 35 marathon supreme on the back and any of the others in 32 on the front.

I found all the pasela and the 35 Randonneur Pro a bit mushy on the back for on road riding. After my 35 wore out near the grand canyon I replaced it with a 32 and -actually- noticed a difference.

big_rider

Can you run 35s in the front? If you can, go with the Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. They are fantastic. They ride great loaded or unloaded. They seem to grip well, but the best thing about them is they are almost flat proof, and they last much longer than any of the other tires you mentioned. I had a Vittoria Randonneur once, and on a tour I wore it out in less than 1,000 miles on the rear.
If you don't like the Marathons, I would go with the Panaracer Pasela TG. It is decent all around, cheaper, and is fairly flat resistant. It wears longer than the Vittoria tires in my experience.
Since front tires last almost forever, would you consider a Panaracer on the front and a Schwalbe Marathon in the rear?

Booger1

I ran Panaracer TG's for many years,I liked them.Some people say the sidewalls don't last.I don't know about that,I can tell you that they don't go bad in 6 months,the treads worn out after that.(5-6000 miles)

Lately I've been running Marathons,a bit heavier than the TG's but also a good tire.

I have no complaints with either one.

LeeG

google around for a 700x35 Schwalbe XR for the rear tire, someone might still have one. All the above tires you list ride nicer than the XR but it's nice having a tough rear tire. Having Schwalbe Supreme on the list pretty much takes you out of mid-price category. The Vittoria ride nice but they're the only ones I've had flats with commuting 10miles/day. Maybe it was bad luck. Panaracer T-serv ride almost as nice as Paselas with a bit tougher sidewall.
Given the criteria you list I'd put a Supreme on the rear and a T-Serv on the front. Nicer ride would be Pasela on the front and T-serv on the rear. Most expensive would be two Supremes. Tough and expensive would be Supreme on the front and XR/Dureme on the rear.

https://www.bikeman.com/TR2289.html

nameless

Ride quality is gonna win out over durability and flat protection for this ride. I've toured on XRs in the past and have to imagine the 4 tires I listed outperform the XRs there.

The T-serv looks like a good option. Other than price, are there significant differences between it and the Pasela TG (tread pattern even looks identical)?

Doug64

Depending on your weight, I'd actually recommend going with 32mm all around. Part of our route through Europe this summer covered 400+ miles of unpaved dirt and gravel roads and trails, and 500+ miles of cobblestone roads. We ran 32mm Schwalbe Marathon (not the Supreme). We were fully loaded, and for 2 of us we only had 3 flat tires during the 3000 mile ride. The 32mm were more than adequate, and the plain Marathons are a lighter tire than the supreme. If I include another 1000 mile trip the previous summer, each tire had about 4000 actual touring miles, and another 1000-1500 training and short trip miles for a total of 3 flat tires for all the riding. I'll change a few tubes during a trip for a lighter tire. To me that is a good trade-off.

LeeG

ok, guess you know the XR, I can't tell differences between the Pasela and T-serve, supposedly it's a bit heavier but the kevlar/puncture proof strip takes away some of the very fine riding characteristics of a light casing like the Pasela TG. T-serv is a good value and feels more supple than the Supreme. I figure if you're going with rear panniers then there's some load there and durability is worth something which is why I'd put a Supreme back there with a T-serve or Pasela in the front.

10 Wheels

I bought 4 T-Serves. Three 700X 28's and one 700 X 35.

The 35 measures out large at 700 X 40 and is very tall.


1000 miles on a 28. with one glass flat through the contact area.
Then a blow out which ruined the side wall.