UKC

My cousin's looking to upgrade the tyres on his commuting bike (Halfords Carrera something or other).

I'm a bit out of touch with commuting tyres, as I haven't bought any for years - I've not yet worn either set of mine out. I'd recommend them to him, but I don't think they're made anymore, at least in the same guise - Vittoria Rubino Intrepid / GommeItalia Blitz.

He basically needs something reasonably puncture proof but not too heavy that won't break the bank.

Thanks in advance.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Schwalbe marathon I have them on both my bikes (commute and tourer) and my wife's bike

In reply to Howardw1968:


I've not used the plain Marathons, but the Schwalbe Marathon Plus are quite amazing. I recently put my old pair back on my CX bike for summer and realised there is nothing wrong them. They are 6 years old, have done around 10,000 kms and have never punctured. Pricey and heavy, but considering how fast I seem to go through light tires on my road bike they have to work out good value by the km and after a couple of years of not puncturing commuting, I stopped carrying a spare tube and pump when going to work and back which probably balances out the weight thing.

I've now got Marathon Plus Tours (same except a more pronounced tread, good for gravel road and off road bikepacking) and Marathon Winter (studded), because I'm so impressed with basic Marathon Plus.

In reply to TobyA:

+1 for the Scwalbe Marathon Plus. If you read on the cycle touring forums they seem to be pretty much standard. The only complaint I have about them is that they are heavy and you notice this on just about any incline. Done over 5000 kilometres on mine and the little molding hairs are still in place Half my commute is road, the other half is canal tow-path so they don't have an easy life.

Not risked leaving spare inner or pump behind though.

In reply to Bob:

Here's a vote for Panaracer Tourguard Plus. Again, heavy and not cheap but bombproof.

In reply to TobyA:

Schwalbe Marathon Supreme are a bit lighter (and more expensive) -

They've great tyre in all conditions commuting for me over the last 2 years

Cheers
Mark

In reply to Bob:


Have you punctured them Bob? I got a snakebite puncture in my Winter ones once (hit a curb I didn't see under the snow and I think it had got so cold that the pressure had gone right down letting it happen), but they don't have the blue band protection in them. With the Plus Tours I also popped an inner tube, but again there I think I pumped it too hard then it got hotter through a day of riding in mid-summer. So there it was probably my mistake not the tyre. But as I saw with the basic Marathon Plus, no punctures, there is still plenty of tread too (and my commute was about 50/50 gravel bike paths and road). If anything is going to go, it will be the sidewalls I think.

In reply to TobyA:

No, but I don't want to be in the "These never puncture so I didn't bring pump and spare tube with me" position

It's a commute, I've clothing for work, etc, another 200 or 300 grammes isn't going to make any difference.

I swear by the Marathon Plus too. Reckon on about one puncture a year (about 4.5k miles) and it's always something I can't blame the tyre for - last was a nail, time before that a staple. I have new ones in stock for when the current ones wear out and will immediately buy new spares then.

In reply to TobyA:

Plain Marathons seem to get thorn punctures far more easily. I would second the recommendation for Marathon Plus, which tend not to until they are worn enough to be in need of replacement anyway.

Neil

In reply to LastBoyScout:

continental gatorskins

In reply to Bob:


Should probably mention that part of his commute is a big hill that starts off steep and gets steeper towards the top.

He's already on heavy wheels, so I think he'll take light and cheap tyres over heavy and expensive tyres.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

It's not so much steep hills that you notice them but those long slight inclines that you think "I should fly along here" and after a minute or so you start noticing it being harder work than you think it should be. My commuter weighs between 12 & 13 Kg so it's not exactly racing weight (my mountain bike weighs less for example!)

In reply to Bob:

But a big hill is still a big hill

In reply to LastBoyScout:
Marathon supreme's - 18 months and no punctures

In reply to LastBoyScout:

+1 for the Marathons

In reply to LastBoyScout:

the vittoria randonneur and continental touride are both good budget tyres that i've used. yet to be convinced that marathon plus is worth double the price.. anyone?

In reply to LastBoyScout:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental/tyres/?s=gatorskin

Loads of good reviews for the gatorskins, why are we still arguing about the marathons?

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Mine are plusses BTW forgot to type that bit, was early in the morning!

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Conti gatorskins or 4 seasons. certainly not poverty tyres but they're bloody awesome!