what tyres

[spennie]

I,m looking for a good 700c all round tyre, has any one got any suggestions,and what size a 32" or 28"

[MacBludgeon]

I assume you mean 32mm or 28mm, size is dictated by the bike frame and clearances re mudguards, brakes etc and the size of your wheel rims(internal width). I'm only familiar with the Schwalbe range:-

Heavy, slowish but the best puncture protection - Marathon Plus
Good all rounder but doesn't go smaller than 32mm - Marathon Supreme
Super lightweight and fast, for a 28mm - Durano or Ultremo

[MikewsMITH2]

I have found the best all round tyre to be the Schwalbe Marathon. Hard wearing, ver good P**n**re resistance, smooth ride and easy rolling. There are various Marathon varieties, but as an all rounder, I reckon the plain ordinary Marathons are the best. I have fitted Panaracer Cross Towns, on my wife's bike and they seem equally good, though I can't comment (yet) on how hard wearing they are.

[ANTONISH]

I've been using Continental "Gatorskins" and "Ultrasports" for the last few years (28mm Gatorskins on my audax bike).
I prefer a smooth tread tyre and am rarely delayed by punctures - unless I'm cycling with a large group as there is always someone with worn tyres and a spare tube with 12 patches.

[WOOLIFERKINS]

+1 for the gatorskins. I have them on all three bikes. Customers however go the Marathon route.

[pq]

"All round" doesn't really mean anything. You need to say what type of riding you do and what style of bike you have before anyone can give you a meaningful answer.

If you never go off road, I'd go for something like gatorskins - they're fast but resilient. The other suggestions above (all the Scwalbe ones) are mostly very heavy slow tyres. I use tyres like that for commuting on glass strewn tow paths and heavy duty touring, but wouldn't touch them for normal road riding because it's like pedalling through treacle.

[MikewsMITH2]

but wouldn't touch them for normal road riding because it's like pedalling through treacle.

That may be the case for the Marathon Plus, but I wouldn't agree with that experience for ordinary Marathons. When the winter came I swapped my Conti Grand Prix 700x24 for Marathons 700 x 25 (at nearly twice the weight) and the difference wasn't noticable on "Urban" roads and cycle tracks. This may be different on really smooth roads (which can't be found easily in Dorset). I daresay the average speed dropped slightly but they definitely didn't feel like hard work. I certainly haven't missed the frequent p*n*t*u*r*s with the lighter tyres.

I used the Marathons all last winter, my son "borrowed" them all last summer and I am using them again this winter and they have remained unperforated. On last Sunday's club run someone remarked that it was "unusual the Mike hadn't suffered a p*nc*u*e". I's all the leader's fault he specializes in rotten roads...

[pq]

There is a trade-off between weight and puncture resistance, and different people have different preferences. I use GP4000s all winter (and was in Dorset last weekend) and rarely puncture. For me, the occasional puncture is a price worth paying for having a bike that's easy to pedal. I might think differently if I had a lot of punctures, but I don't.

I've used all sorts of marathons over the years (XR, Plus, Supreme, Racer and "normal") and my perception is that they're all slow tyres except the racer, some slower than others. Not everyone will percieve things the same as I do of course.

[nosmo king]

Vittoria don't get much of a mention but I use their " Randonneur" tyres ( 32mm). They've done about 2,500 miles so far and have been very reliable. No visits from the fairy, good grip in all weathers, and fast enough for day trips and audax rides. Not used them fully loaded yet though.

[reohn2]

For a quick tyre Gatorskins or P/racer RibMos.For something a little more robust but slower Marathons.For a bulletproof tyre Marathon Plus.

[DavidT]

Better make sure Panaracer Pasela Tourguards get a mention! Comprehensive range of sizes and a good lightweight road tyre that you can tour on - at a sensible price. Sidewalls are the main compromise as they are thinner. Popular on this forum

[gbnz]

Vittoria don't get much of a mention but I use their " Randonneur" tyres ( 32mm). They've done about 2,500 miles so far and have been very reliable. No visits from the fairy, good grip in all weathers, and fast enough for day trips and audax rides. Not used them fully loaded yet though.

I was intending to suggest the Vittoria Randonneur. I wouldn't have them on my fast, unladen road racing bike or even go out of my way to fit them to the tour bike (I'd prefer the tour bike on very light 25-28 mm road tyres or if off road touring, change rims/tyres for something heavier)

But I had a pair that came with a bike I bought seven years ago, the bike being used for daily commuting (2-5 miles), occasional leisure rides (20-50) and very short weekend tours (I.e. Penrith rail station, into the lake district, a weekend hiking/climbing, cycle back out to Penrith train station 100 miles).

The tyres simply "stick" to the roads, offering superb grip. Puncture resistence is excellant, I can't think of having experienced one in the past year or so. I run them at high pressure, which gives a fast ride (They're rated at something like 80psi,I've run them at 100psi for seven years without an issue). And they're durable - having realised around Christmas that I've had the front tyre on for seven years (I'm now on the third chainset on this bike!), durability is outstanding. Rear tyre lasted six years, after which it was shot. I replaced it with a Marathon,which had done 2000km touring and after eight months on this bike, was beyond further use, the sidewalls finally seperating from puncture resistant strip (The tread disappeared 5-6 months ago),while the front Vittoria remains ok.

I've just bought one for the rear, £13.99 from SJS (28mm)

[Colin63]

I'd be interested to hear from someone with experience of both Panaracer Pasela TGs and Conti Gatorskins. I'm currently running with Paselas. They're the first tyre I've had on the bike and I'm wondering what to replace them with when the time comes. Is the Conti significantly faster?

[PW]

I've not tried the Contis, though I've heard comments about lack of durability. I really do like Paselas in summer, but not winter time as they tend to get a bit skittish on slimy roads. This time of year I ride Marathon +.

[reohn2]

I'd be interested to hear from someone with experience of both Panaracer Pasela TGs and Conti Gatorskins. I'm currently running with Paselas. They're the first tyre I've had on the bike and I'm wondering what to replace them with when the time comes. Is the Conti significantly faster?

I was riding Paselas(not TG though)uptil winter,I ride Gatorskins on another bike,Theres not much in them IMHO the Paselas have a little more"feel" which I put down to their more supple casing/sidewalls.Both tyres are 700C x 28mm.