After a recent 120 mile tour around the canal paths and lanes in the Birmingham area the old bones and joints have let me know that they are no longer in their first flush of youth and that the faithful Ultra Galaxy bought as a retirement prezzie in 2009 is perhaps no longer best suited as a means of mixed surface transport
A change of bike isn't an option - I have too many as it is and I'm at the age where I no longer buy green bananas 
I've already replaced the drops (reluctantly) with some Truvativ Holzfeller bars and thumb shifters - along with a sprung Brooks Flyer borrowed from another bike in the stable - which has improved things somewhat. I have been running Continental Top Contact 700cx32 for the last few years and find them great on the road but any ventures onto a broken surface (or that simply foul Sustrans route from Bridgnorth to Iron Bridge that has been surfaced with railway ballast - which mental eunuch came up with that idea?
) reveal their lack of cushioning for an old fat lad and his camping gear 
I saw over the weekend in a LBS some Arisun 700cx38 Gravel Plus tyres which looked interesting. At 36 quid apiece they're not quite in the top drawer for price (nor are they in the bargain box come to that) and I wondered whether they'd be worth a punt. There seems to be little in the way of reviews on the 'net' though the spec looks promising. Has anyone out there used the tyres and can comment on their pros and cons.
I've previously used Schwalbe Marathon Supremes (35mm) when they first appeared. They felt good to ride on and are slightly lighter than the Arisuns, but disappointingly after about 18 months the sidewalls were cracking extensively. I understand this was an issue with the early batches but it has put me off buying any more.
Steve