Which bike tyre should I go for please?

[AuraTodd]

I have a Dawes Sonaran hybrid bike which I use for commuting and touring. My back tyre need replacing, and so far I have looked at two Tyre's which are:

Crosstown Hybrid Bike Tyre

Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyre - Smart Guard

Schwalbe Marathon Plus Smartguard City Tyre

I have been told that these tyres are puncture resistant. Please can you advise me which is the best tyre to buy. I am a bit worried that it could make the bike heavy and bulky. Please can you advise me?

[Awf Hand]

It's tough to go wrong with a Schwalbe.  The marathon series will hold up well.  The other you mention is a Panaracer product.  They both run about the same PSI rating, so rolling will feel the same.
It seems like Schwalbe has the better rep, IMO, and if priced equally or nearly so, would be the better bet.

Heavier, bulkier...  Light is nice, but durable is better.

[cotterg3]

I have used shwalbe marathon, shwalbe marathon plus, and shwalbe marathon tour. Overall, I prefer the regular shwalbe marathons for road.

In my very personal and subjective opinion, the shwalbe marathon plus is a bit overkill on the puncture resistance side at the cost of weight (less of an issue for me) and difficulty in changing the tire (more of an issue). With the regular shwalbe marathon, I almost never get flats - maybe 1 every thousand miles and thats living in philly where the shoulders and bike lanes are covered in glass and litter (especially in my area).

[lonerider]

I have used Specialized Armadillo tires with excellent results. The Marathons are great, too.

[Tourista829]

Aura Todd couple of questions: I assume you are from the UK correct? Do you ride in a lot of rainy weather?
Do you use the bike 2/3 commuting and 1/3 touring? Condition of your roads?

I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus Smart Guard on my commuter bike, a Breezer Uptown. Tires size 26x1.60 or maybe 1.70 (can't remember) I think I paid $42.00 a tire.

I have some terrible roads in Tampa and knock wood, have not gotten a flat yet. (My old tires many flats)They also handle well in the rain. I think this would be a good compromise for commuting and touring verses the city. The city I can not remember the tread design and the wear factor. I will do a little research.

[staehpj1]

It depends on your preferences.  I value a lively ride and don't mind fixing a flat once in a while.  Given that I choose Continental Ultra Gatorskins in 700x28.  They have a lively ride and are fairly flat resistant.

If you want to avoid flats at all costs the Marathon Plus might be the one for you.  Personally I found them to ride like I was dragging an anchor and took them off after only a few hundred miles.  Some don't notice the ride difference and/or don't care or at least care more about avoiding flats.

If unsure I'd say go for something in between.

[mucknort]

I highly recommend the Schwalbe Marathon Plus!

My family and I rode from Boston to Seattle last summer/fall.
3 bicycles with Marathon Plus tires.
3 trailers with Marathon Tires.
At the end of the trip:
Marathon Plus tires = 0 flats
Marathon tires = 7 flats

[Westinghouse]

Continental Contact Travel. I think that's the name. It'll get you there. $37.50 or thereabouts. Two got me from east coastal FL to San Diego with tread to spare. Eleven flats total all the way across. One nail and the rest were those thin wires that come out of steel belted radial automobile tires. Best tires I have ever used.

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus is the premier cyclng tire, but it weights about 500 pounds and feels like you are dragging
a Boeing 747 behind you. Well, you know what I mean. You gain in one area and you pay in another. No flats but some extra weight. I can feel the difference even in a small addition like Mr. Tuffy tire liners. However, if you are just riding around and commuting and such, the SM is the best most durable tire.

[mucknort]

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus is the premier cyclng tire, but it weights about 500 pounds and feels like you are dragging a Boeing 747 behind you.

With all due respect to the esteemed Mr. Westinghouse, in 4000-plus miles of touring I didn't feel the Marathon Plus was unduly overweight (they weigh 850g) and certainly didn't make any one of us feel like we were dragging massive aircraft of any type behind us. By keeping the tires inflated to the recommended 85psi, I found the rolling resistance to be quite low. In contrast the Continental Contact Travel tires Mr. Westinghouse recommends weigh 695g and have a pressure rec. of 45 to 55 psi. Whilst others experience may differ, I found that having the peace of mind of getting no flats while traversing a continent was worth the extra grams of weight.

[Westinghouse]

Try 85 psi and 90 with no problem. Too bad.

[Westinghouse]

That settles it. The next time I do the ST I am using MP tires. I find stopping to fix punctures annoying. The Continentals are not as good as the MP tires, but they are still a very good grade of tire. I used to be doubtful of paying a lot for a bike tire because I thought the more expensive tires might not really be all that superior to the less expensive tires, but I was wrong about that. Tires like the Marathon Plus and the Continentals are far far superior to such tires as the $10.00-$12.00 Kendas and IRCs and such as those.

In fact, if you get the expensive tires you are actually saving money and time. Money because you will have to buy so many new cheap tires on a transcon tour you will end up spending more than on the initial outlay for the better tires, and time because you don't have to keep stopping to fix flats and go looking for shops where you can get new tires.

If you are serious about a transcontinental bike trip across the USA, you are saving yourself time and money by getting the best tires you can afford at the outset. Anything less and you are only hindering yourself.

[Tourista829]

Westinghouse, I agree with you. Although there may be better tires, I have been very pleased with the Marathon Plus for durability, handling, (especially in inclement weather) and resistance to flats. Tires are one area, relatively reasonable in cost, that I would invest in the best. I too hate changing rear flat tires in freezing, pouring rain. 

[Westinghouse]

Tourista829. Agreed 100%. When I am out there crossing the USA on my bike, I want to keep moving. Punctures are a pain in the neck no matter what kind of weather, and winter storms are the worst for stopping for punctures. When I tour I am out there getting it on. The fewer hindrances the better. The extra cost at the outset more than pays for itself. You pay more initially, but in the long run you actually pay less. I understand that now. I would never tour cross-country again on a cheapo tire. No way. Never again. Only the best or near best tires for me from now on.

[ezdoesit]

 
I hear what everyone is saying but I have a question  how about the Continental Touring Plus Reflex 700 x 32 what say you about this Tyre?

[Westinghouse]

I haven't used that one. How much does it cost? Continental is a good tire.