Tyre choice (yet again) Schwalbe differences and prices - tubeless?

[LittleGreyCat]

I've just punctured the rear tyre on my Specialized Vado 4 SL eBike.
[Another bike on the same ride also punctured, so it looks probable that we went through some hedge trimmings with spikes. The roads were a partly flooded mess.]

Apart from finding where it punctured, this seems a good time to review the tyre choice.
The tyres are a Specialized variety which I am not that keen on.
Size is 700 x 38C

I confidently went to my small stock of new tyres but they are all thinner.
Despite my Spa Wayfarer having Schwalbe Marathon 700x38C, which I have found to be pretty good in the past, I have no same size replacements.
[This makes me thing that the tyres go way back pre Covid before we reduced our bike count via a charity.]

Anyway, I would be happy to put Schwalbe Marathon on the eBike, but they don't seem to exist any more.

I then started to look for alternatives, and there are too many choices and too many prices!

Riding at the moment is mainly on poorly surfaced narrow country lanes; you don't get many cars on those!
Plus the occasional bridle way which I don't enjoy on this bike with the current tyres, because I find it too twitchy.
A slightly wider tyre might make this easier, perhaps.

I have never looked at using tubeless, although I see that 531colin has fitted 700 x 40C tubeless to his Vado.

So I think I am looking for something similar to a Schwalbe Marathon (do I need the plus?) in a clincher (I think that is the correct term for the traditional wire rim?). A touring tyre which can do both road and gentle tracks. 700x40C (I don't know if I can go any wider).

Spa Cycles has a confusing range, none of which are what I was looking for, but includes "green guard" tyres.

Amazon offers me https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schwalbe-Land- ... B076ZSML98
These seem cheap, but does this mean that they are old stock and no longer current?
If so, does this matter?

Some tyres are now marked as "suitable for eBikes" but I suspect that is for the very heavy, not lightweight, versions.
If a tyre is suitable for a steel framed Wayfarer with panniers front and back, then it should be OK for an aluminium eBike with just little me on it.

Am I looking at £30+ per tyre (maybe a bit more)?
Are tyres normally/sometimes sold in pairs?
Are reflective sidewall strips required on all current tyres (so lack of this means very old tyre)?

Anyway, thoughts and advice more than welcome.

[roubaixtuesday]

I've just punctured the rear tyre on my Specialized Vado 4 SL eBike.
[Another bike on the same ride also punctured, so it looks probable that we went through some hedge trimmings with spikes. The roads were a partly flooded mess.]

Apart from finding where it punctured, this seems a good time to review the tyre choice.
The tyres are a Specialized variety which I am not that keen on.
Size is 700 x 38C

I confidently went to my small stock of new tyres but they are all thinner.
Despite my Spa Wayfarer having Schwalbe Marathon 700x38C, which I have found to be pretty good in the past, I have no same size replacements.
[This makes me thing that the tyres go way back pre Covid before we reduced our bike count via a charity.]

Anyway, I would be happy to put Schwalbe Marathon on the eBike, but they don't seem to exist any more.

I then started to look for alternatives, and there are too many choices and too many prices!

Riding at the moment is mainly on poorly surfaced narrow country lanes; you don't get many cars on those!
Plus the occasional bridle way which I don't enjoy on this bike with the current tyres, because I find it too twitchy.
A slightly wider tyre might make this easier, perhaps.

I have never looked at using tubeless, although I see that 531colin has fitted 700 x 40C tubeless to his Vado.

So I think I am looking for something similar to a Schwalbe Marathon (do I need the plus?) in a clincher (I think that is the correct term for the traditional wire rim?). A touring tyre which can do both road and gentle tracks. 700x40C (I don't know if I can go any wider).

Spa Cycles has a confusing range, none of which are what I was looking for, but includes "green guard" tyres.

Amazon offers me https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schwalbe-Land- ... B076ZSML98
These seem cheap, but does this mean that they are old stock and no longer current?
If so, does this matter?

Some tyres are now marked as "suitable for eBikes" but I suspect that is for the very heavy, not lightweight, versions.
If a tyre is suitable for a steel framed Wayfarer with panniers front and back, then it should be OK for an aluminium eBike with just little me on it.

Am I looking at £30+ per tyre (maybe a bit more)?
Are tyres normally/sometimes sold in pairs?
Are reflective sidewall strips required on all current tyres (so lack of this means very old tyre)?

Anyway, thoughts and advice more than welcome.

No advice to offer, but I think "greenguard" are synonymous/ equivalent to normal marathon

[SimonCelsa]

On a forum recommendation a couple of years ago I fitted a pair of Continental Contact Plus 700 x 42 to my commuting / hack bike.

I fitted them in March 2023 and have done just shy of 5000 miles since then. I'm not going to tempt fate but let's just say I haven't had the need to remove them since fitting.

They are decent tyres, nothing spectacular but I had some issues with Schwalbe marathons in the past and these have been a very suitable substitute.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Continental-Co ... 103596.htm

[PH]

Marathon Efficiency are my preferred tyre in the 40mm 700c size, for all the reasons in this review:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazin ... efficiency

[SimonCelsa]

I've just punctured .............
...................
Anyway, thoughts and advice more than welcome.

No advice to offer, but I think "greenguard" are synonymous/ equivalent to normal marathon

Why must the entire post be displayed again for a one line reply.

Genuine question, am I missing something?

[LittleGreyCat]

Marathon Efficiency are my preferred tyre in the 40mm 700c size, for all the reasons in this review:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazin ... efficiency

Thanks.
These are probably too close to a slick for my needs.
I note the caveats about mud and grass.
Which hints that I might need to look for a gravel tyre.

[LittleGreyCat]

On a forum recommendation a couple of years ago I fitted a pair of Continental Contact Plus 700 x 42 to my commuting / hack bike.

I fitted them in March 2023 and have done just shy of 5000 miles since then. I'm not going to tempt fate but let's just say I haven't had the need to remove them since fitting.

They are decent tyres, nothing spectacular but I had some issues with Schwalbe marathons in the past and these have been a very suitable substitute.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Continental-Co ... 103596.htm


CCP.JPG

Thanks.
That looks more like the tread profile I think I need.
700x42C would probably be OK as the frame has a lot of room (but mudguards may restrict this when fitted).

[roubaixtuesday]

I've just punctured .............
...................
Anyway, thoughts and advice more than welcome.

No advice to offer, but I think "greenguard" are synonymous/ equivalent to normal marathon

Why must the entire post be displayed again for a one line reply.

Genuine question, am I missing something?

Just my laziness in not editing it.

Some forums only show one response, and limit the display of it to just a few lines, but here you have to do it yourself, and I'm too slothfulti bother. Sorry.

[531colin]

I’m happy with my Vado on Schwalbe tubeless 700 x 40 G one all round. Much better on bridlepaths than the original Specialised tyres, which were too narrow, too smooth and too harsh.
I had to get better mudguard clearance than the original guards, the original carrier limits clearance; how good is that?
I have had a soft tyre twice, both pumped up and spun, the sealant fixed them.
On tubes, I could puncture both tube on a one hour ride on my local paths.

[LittleGreyCat]

Just to add to my confusion:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cyclists-libr ... tyre-sizes
This doesn't even list a 700x40C, going from 38C to 42C.

[SimonCelsa]

Why must the entire post be displayed again for a one line reply.

Genuine question, am I missing something?

Just my laziness in not editing it.

I see, no problem, although you could always edit it now

[roubaixtuesday]

I see, no problem, although you could always edit it now

Thought I should leave it as evidence of my fecklessness. As a penance, I'll ask the mods if it's possible to reduce length display/ remove nesting beyond one.

[PH]

Marathon Efficiency are my preferred tyre in the 40mm 700c size, for all the reasons in this review:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazin ... efficiency

Thanks.
These are probably too close to a slick for my needs.
I note the caveats about mud and grass.
Which hints that I might need to look for a gravel tyre.

I would say the grip on mud or grass is about the same as the Marathon Greenguard, neither are good off road. I think the issue with all these road touring tyres is they easily clog, they just don't clear the muck. If you look at gravel tyres, which I know little about, the tread is much more open. For my off-road use I choose tyres with knobbly edges, from Schwalbe that used to be the Hurricane (Which I've used) but seems to have been replaced by the Silento (Which I haven't used)
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/Silento-11100241.01

Moving away from Schwalbe, the Continental Double Fighter (Which I use in a different size) is a decent all-rounder
https://conti-tyres.co.uk/commuting-tou ... le-fighter

[LittleGreyCat]

Marathon Efficiency are my preferred tyre in the 40mm 700c size, for all the reasons in this review:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazin ... efficiency

Thanks.
These are probably too close to a slick for my needs.
I note the caveats about mud and grass.
Which hints that I might need to look for a gravel tyre.

I would say the grip on mud or grass is about the same as the Marathon Greenguard, neither are good off road. I think the issue with all these road touring tyres is they easily clog, they just don't clear the muck. If you look at gravel tyres, which I know little about, the tread is much more open. For my off-road use I choose tyres with knobbly edges, from Schwalbe that used to be the Hurricane (Which I've used) but seems to have been replaced by the Silento (Which I haven't used)
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/Silento-11100241.01

Moving away from Schwalbe, the Continental Double Fighter (Which I use in a different size) is a decent all-rounder
https://conti-tyres.co.uk/commuting-tou ... le-fighter

Thanks.
It appears not to be a common tyre in 700C and I haven't yet managed to locate any for sale in the UK in 700x40C or 700x42C.

[Pendodave]

Just to chuck another one into the ring...
I've been using these on and (gentle) off road this autumn :
https://road.cc/content/review/pirelli- ... res-304331
Available at around £35 a piece. I've found them a decent all-rounder, no particular puncture issues - but obviously not enough data to be definitive.