PandaExpress

Hey all. Picked up a Schwinn Mirada for a utility/commuter bike and I need to switch out the tires. It's a big heavy steel rigid frame mountain bike, so I'm a little concerned about how it'll handle narrower tires. Any recommendations on the skinniest tires I should go with?

Here are the two that I'm considering at the moment:

GEAX Streetrunner Mountain Tire 26x1.6: https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...5_10000_202472

Michelin Pilot City Commuter Tire 26x1.85:
https://www.rei.com/product/774366/mi...:referralID=NA

amgarcia

Get some fat Schwalbe Marathons. I have the pluses. They rock.

Kojak

If you have a more limited budget, you could opt for the Road Cruiser. It's actually a buck or two cheaper than the GEAX, and it's a Schwalbe.
https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_ti...s/road_cruiser

But I concur with amgarcia. If you're considering the $30/tire neighborhood, for a few bucks more the Marathon is a great tire that will likely last you 7,000 miles or so (less if you're fully loaded down all the time, but I suspect not if you're commuting).

jr59

Kojak,

If you could, would you compare the Marathon Dureme, Marathon, Marathon racer, and the marathon plus.

I've read the web site, any real world type experince?

sirtirithon

26x2.0 Serfas Drifters! ! Awesome tires so far for me. Wide enough to handle potholes, flat resistant (had to ride over a shattered windshield in the bike lane last week and no flats!) and they are still fast! Picked mine up for $29/ea at REI. The tread is perfect for street riding but still aggressive enough for off road use if need be.

amgarcia

For reference, I bought 35 Marathon Plus. I wish I would have gotten 40's instead.

Kojak

Even though they are all in the "Marathon" line, they are all very different tires.

Marathon is the most basic in this line and we sell more of these than any of the others. Great, long lasting, nice rolling tire with a very effective and thick puncture protection belt. Should last the average rider 7-10k miles.

Marathon Plus is our toughest and most puncture resistant tire. Very thick and very resilient puncture protection belt will virtually eliminate flats. Yeah, you can still puncture it, but generally it will withstand most anything that would puncture a normal bicycle tire. It's certainly heavier, and can be a beast to mount, but once mounted you shouldn't have to fuss with it much.

Marathon Racer is a lighter weight member of the Marathon line. It's puncture protection belt offers decent protection, but the tire is designed with speed in mind, not so much puncture protection. Unlike the other two mentioned so far, the Racer is available in a folding bead, which improves the weight savings significantly. The speedgrip compound is fast rolling and sticky in the corners, but you're not going to get the mileage out of this tire that you would out of the other two.

The Dureme is part of our Evo line of Marathon tires. Lighter weight carcass, rubber compound that is much more sophisticated and technically superior to the regular Marathon line, and a very light weight but tough and effective puncture protection system. These tires have great grip in all conditions (except snow/ice) and yet have the same longevity as the standard Marathons.

Hope this helps.

amgarcia

Edit: I have Marathon Supremes. Sorry for the confusion.

Kojak

My favorite in the Marathon line, but then I ride Ultremos. Fast, light and sticky are my favorite tire adjectives.

ClemY

I have recently found that Conti Sport Contact 26x1.6" are very flat resistant and quite fast. They also have enough cross section to soak up the rough roads I ride on.

maximumrob

I'll second the Conti Sport Contacts. Mine are 700c 37's and while I only have about 700 miles on them commuting, I ride through glass every morning on my route and haven't cut 'em yet.

Now that I write this, it'll probably happen tomorrow. Suppose I've just been lucky. Sheesh!

coldfeet

I will put in another vote for Marathon Supremes, smooth, sticky, great puncture resistance, fast for such a big tire ( i got 700 x 40s ) The only problem i have is that fitting fenders with them involves heavy modifications. Oh! and the price! But you get what you pay for.

hammandegger

I will vouch for the marathon supremes. I have 26 inch wheels and they only come in size 2.0 [for the 26's]. They aren't cheap, but I don't want to be fooling around trying to change flats when I'm going to work with a full load.

Cyclist0383

Another vote for the Marathon Supremes. They are and excellent commuting tire.