Best tyres for commuting?

[DavidS]

a change is as good as a holiday, so they say.

You may be right, maybe I could even catch you in the commuter challenge with different tyres

DS

Just think he many kms I do on marathon plus tyres....

Too many no doubt.

DS

[Ant_S]

Well if you want a spare tyre in your bike bag then maybe folding? Otherwise I usually end up going wire bead.

I think the Durano range changed since I had mine. The Plus I thought did have some sidewall protection as they were stiff as heck all round, but mostly focussed on the central tread. I think the smart guard is a bit thicker, as in it can take a thumbtack into the middle tread without hitting the tube... I didn't really get sidewall slashes on mine though, mostly just working into the tyre.

I think my Gatorskins are the standard rather than hardshell. I didn't really realise that until after I'd bought the standard ones. That said they're generally pretty tough if you keep them pumped up. I would think though that they could get slashes on the sidewalls as they appear a bit susceptible.

[Lukeyboy]

Gatorskins and GP4000s are some of the worst tires when it comes to sidewall protection.

[DavidS]

The Duranos look quite wide when I saw them on a bike today. I was amazed I was looking at a 25mm wide tyre. Still thinking Durano Plus are the go but might dip my toes into 25mm tyres on one bike at least (the 25 also comes in folding while the 28 is wire bead only, although not sure I really care that much).

Still love the Marathon Supreme, might also email Schwalbe and ask why they don't make it in 28 any more.

DS

[Mububban]

I found this site which compares rolling resistance of some tyres and their puncture protection and weight etc, this is the touring/commuting section:

http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews

The Schwalbe family are king if you trust their data.

The Energizer Plus (made for 50kph ebikes) and the GreenGuard (some recycled material) look good for price vs puncture protection, and their rolling resistance isn't dramatically worse than the Marathon Supreme.

[BetterIwas]

I have been happy with Durano Plus. Not as long wear as others (about 6k) but seemingly better grip/rolling resistance.

Just on old tyres - what do people do with them - I have 6 sitting around in shed - presume putting them in rubbish bin is a no no.

Thanks

[warthog1]

the 25c durano plus on the front of my commuter has done a ridiculous amount of k's now. 15-20k I reckon. No sign of retiring it yet.
6k out of a rear tyre is an excellent run . More than I've ever got

[pumpinpistons]

I have specialized roubaix pro's. probably 4000kms or so. the back is squaring off nicely, but the front is pristine. I ride them usually at 90-100PSI, and they are the 23/25c model. my commute is some road, some footpath, no grass, about 14kms. they hang off a poorly kept but trusty commuter bike with an early 90s chromo roadie frame, mixed shimano groupset (4600 shifting) and halo aerorage wheels

I previously had used Gatorskins (alround good, one got torn up by really nasty nails), GP400s2s (fantastic feel and totally acceptable puncture protection, but eventually got unlucky and punctured) and have Duranos on another bike. I put the duranos between the roubaix pros and the GP4000s for feel and they perform well.

back to the roubaix's, key points are
NO punctures 4000 ish ks of commuting
1 pinch flat - totally my fault, bunny hopping my 95kg frame over a kerb with 70ish PSI tyres. duh.
Subjectively, nice smooth, fast ride
Set and forget tyres really
I had read about the early ones delaminating or something. hasnt happened to me

[caneye]

at the moment, i've done more than 6000kms on my Conti 4Seasons 28mm.
majority of the commute is on debris-littered M2 road shoulder.

3 punctures during that time - 2 = NFF, No Fault Found. No cuts (Slow leaks which I'm attibuting to the tubes). 1 was due to a 3cm long wood screw.

i continue to be impressed. rear tyre is squaring-off nicely too.
front looks almost new.

[DavidS]

I now have a Durano on the rear of one bike and the front of the other.

They sure are large, seem much bigger on the wheel than the same size (700x28) Marathon Supreme. Not convinced this means they are slower but it does feel different.

Might give some other tyres a go: Continental Grand Prix 4000 and Grand Prix 4 seasons both look interesting. Any opinions?

DS

[Thoglette]

They sure are large, seem much bigger on the wheel than the same size (700x28) Marathon Supreme. Not convinced this means they are slower but it does feel different.

Despite the tyre-width-deniers around who'd have us on 19mm tyres, width has very little direct impact on speed.

Width does set limits on your pressure choices which, when mixed with surface finish, does affect speed. What matters is construction (vs. load vs. type of road rubbish). FWIW I just (6 months ago) had my third real puncture in a decade.

[NhiTrac]

Only flicked through the last two pages... No one likes Maxxis Refuse?

I love mine in 28 and had my first flat in two years, though I think it was a tube failure as opposed to a foreign object causing the puncture.

[Thoglette]

Only flicked through the last two pages... No one likes Maxxis Refuse?

There's your problem. Always read the first few pages first. Your question was asked on page 4

[Mububban]

FWIW I just (6 months ago) had my third real puncture in a decade.

What makes a puncture real or false? Do you mean penetration of the tyre vs a pinch flat?

[AntiNSA]

I ran matahon plus 15000km only had one serious gash that slised through my tires. Now switched to marathon plus tour for a little extra protection. I need to update the review/

[ironhanglider]

I ran matahon plus 15000km only had one serious gash that slised through my tires. Now switched to marathon plus tour for a little extra protection. I need to update the review/

Most people would say that one puncture in 15000km is pretty good, but you think that it is so bad you need something better?

Cheers,

Cameron

[Thoglette]

What makes a puncture real or false? Do you mean penetration of the tyre vs a pinch flat?

Something like that. Pinch flats (especially ones caused by me pinching the tube while mounting ) don't count.

Real punctures involve something working it's way in from outside, typically glass, wire or prickle.

(sorry for the delay in responding!)

[Rob74]

What size are Schwalbe Marathon Supreme when fitted to Rims? Are they a wide fitting tyre??
=>> is 32mm Wide accurate? or are they closer to a 28mm or 32mm wide when fitted to Mavic Open Pro's?

Looking to fit to Mavic Open Pro's

(eg Existing 700 x 28 Vittoria Randonneur measure at 25.4mm when fitted to Mavic Open Pro's)

Thx
Rob

[Rob74]

Duplicate

[queequeg]

What size are Schwalbe Marathon Supreme when fitted to Rims? Are they a wide fitting tyre?? Looking to fit to Mavic Open Pro's on SFB commuter.
For 700x32...
=>> is 32mm Wide accurate? or are they closer to a 28mm or 32mm wide when fitted to Mavic Open Pro's?

(noted Existing 700 x 28 Vittoria Randonneur measure at 25.4mm when fitted on the Mavic Open Pro's)

Thx
Rob

I had the 28mm Supremes on the Open Pro (the original Open Pro rims, not the current wider version). They were definitely over 28mm when fitted. They also didn't lasy very long. Both tyres destroyed within 6 weeks. One delaminated and the other one had a slashed sidewall. It's like they were made of tissue paper. The tyres had barely worn as the little rubber bits were still protuding from the tyre. Would never use them again after that, but they were defintely a much lighter tyre and technically they didn't puncture..but $120 of tyre for basically 6 weeks of use was poor value. Straight back to $34 Marathon Plus for me, and they last around 15,000km

[nmelser]

Revisiting this old thread.

Context
I bought a carbon bike for pretty cheap and I'm using it to commute. It only has clearance for 23mm tyres (which I discovered when my 25mm gatorskin durano plus combo didn't transfer to the new bike so well). Front tyre fits but rear was rubbing the underside of the frame. Both gatorskin and durano plus are pretty hard to come by in 23mm.

Options
I'm considering Maxxis Re-Fuse and Continental 4 seasons after looking at various options.

Reasons
I don't really mind a harsh ride and the Re-Fuse could be gotten pretty quickly (have to ship 4 seasons from overseas). Also, price is better on the Re-Fuse. But the 4 Seasons tyre is supposedly a lot more comfortable.
So just wondering if it's worth waiting for and buying the 4 seasons? And if so, is it good for puncture protection? I can handle the rare puncture but don't want a weekly event. I ride 19kms each way to and from work on a mix of bike path, bad busy road and quiet roads.

Alternatives
Finally, any other 23mm options I should consider? I would probably get rid of the bike because I like having wider tyres, but the bike is a 2007 Cell Victor with ultegra gears, and it has been pleasant to ride (compared to my old aluminium trek 2200 with 105s) and I don't think I could get a comparable bike in my ultra budget budget.

Thanks for your time.

[P!N20]

I run Maxxis Refuse on my commuter and sometimes on my road bike. I'm not all that fussy with tyres but they seem to roll nice, last a long time and don't puncture easily. All that and they can usually be purchased without re-financing the house. Approved. Haven't used 4 Seasons though, sorry.

[nmelser]

I run Maxxis Refuse on my commuter and sometimes on my road bike. I'm not all that fussy with tyres but they seem to roll nice, last a long time and don't puncture easily. All that and they can usually be purchased without re-financing the house. Approved. Haven't used 4 Seasons though, sorry.

Thanks for the review. I've seen most reviews of the Maxxis say the tyres are excellent for durability, where the 4 seasons reviews are up and down.

[Thoglette]

Finally, any other 23mm options I should consider?

23mm is really a question of: how fast do you want to spend? As Pin20 noted, the Maxxis Refuse is cheap and cheerful. Used them for commuting on a bike with similar spacing problems and had no complaints.

[nmelser]

Finally, any other 23mm options I should consider?

23mm is really a question of: how fast do you want to spend? As Pin20 noted, the Maxxis Refuse is cheap and cheerful. Used them for commuting on a bike with similar spacing problems and had no complaints.

Yeah, I wondered if having thinner tyres makes better tyres more or less important. Given they're thinner I assume it matters less because there's less surface for it to impact. But that could be wrong.

I bought the Re-fuse tyres because I would get them faster and I like no frills and dependability more than speed and better road resistance. Might consider 4 seasons again in future.