UKC

My friend is looking at replacing tyres on road commuter, max tyre width is 700x28c (non tubeless), route is 12mi each way on decent rural roads. Current ones are continental grand prix which don't have enough puncture protection for her liking. I advised against conti gator skins as they are pretty poor in the wet in my experience. Ideally she doesnt want to spend more than £20 per tyre, which I know is a big ask these days as tyre prices have gone up quite a bit.
 

Ive suggested Schwalbe Durano Plus (wire bead for cheapness)

Schwalbe Marathon, but theyre pretty heavy

Anything else come to mind please?
 

+1 for Marathons. I wouldn't dream of using anything else for commuting. 

I had good experience (few or no punctures before tyres wore out commuting) with Schwalbe Marathon but I also had equally good experience with Bontrager AW Hard Case and they're £20 or cheaper. I can't remember if tyres were hard case or hard case lite.

https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/components-c9/tyres-c125/bontrager-aw1-hard-...

https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/components-c9/tyres-c125/bontrager-aw1-hard-...

Tritoncycles shows weights of tyres.

Check if Schwalbe Marathon Green Guard lighter than Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

Schwalbe Marathon PLUS.  The Plus is important.  You won't get punctures.

I wouldn't fit anything else.

AW1 looks like just the right thing, thanks all

Marathon Plus are built like a tank and are the best option if you favour no punctures over everything else. They do roll slow though.

I've run durano plus for years on my general road bike which I also use for a 12 mile commute and have very few punctures. In fact none for probably 2 years now and they are much faster than the Marathons.

I think Durano Plus is a good idea and wire bead sometimes come up at a very good price online (I think I’ve seen them under £25 at best but not under 20). I’ve found Conti GP 4 Season fine as well but they are much more expensive. I agree that Gatorskins are unpleasant in the wet but lots of people are ok with them.  I’ve no experience of the others mentioned

I've been using the same marathon tyres for almost 10 years and they're still going strong! Big fan of the reflective strip on the wheel, saved me a few times at crossroads.

Conti Gatorskins for me.  Not had a problem in the wet, but I keep them at their minimum pressure (which also soaks up the bumps and is firm enough to avoid snakebites).  They last well and punctures are few and far between - riding in glass-strewn London, 13+ miles each way.  Cost is also a balance against longevity.  I budgeted about 50p/day for maintenance/repair costs.

To be fair I have used those and didn't get punctures either, however they're more slick than Marathon Plus and so less good on uneven, sometimes slippery paths like the MK Redways.  If you ride solely on actual roads, though, they're decent enough.

I should probably also point out that my present steed is a Decathlon hybrid which has their own brand of puncture proof tyres on it and I haven't had any with those either.  When they wear I'll put Marathon Plus on, that said, or if I do ever get a puncture.

I used Specialized All Condition Armadillo tyres for several years of cycle commuting and didnt suffer a single puncture (even when the rear tyre eventually wore down to the carcass).

My experience was of still getting occasional punctures but needing a crowbar to get the tyre off to fix them. I found the Marathons a better compromise. This was on Brompton size wheels though, larger wheels may be easier.

I've ridden probably well over 10,000 kms on Marathon Plus and sometimes Marathon Plus Tours (deeper tread) they are heavy but super reliable, I got one puncture in all those years and that was a real surprise after years of none. I've also got Durano Plus on my road bike and although I haven't ridden that so much in recent years, I've found them grippy, reliable and also puncture free in several thousand kms.

On my gravel bike, which is my commuter so main bike, and mountain bike I now only use tubeless set ups. On my gravel bike I've been really happy with the performance of Good Year Connectors, and some Vittoria somethings or others, but hated Panracer Gravelking SKs. Lots of advantages to a tubeless set up but a few disadvantages too. If I went back to tubes for some reason I'd go back to Marathon Plus just because they are so reliable, but when I ride my old bike with them on they feel super heavy and give a harsh ride in comparison to tubeless. 

I have had good results with Durano Plus. The only thing they don't like is blackthorn hedge cuttings.

Been commuting on a pair of Lifeline commuter armour tyres from chain reaction cycles, fairly happy with, main reason is bomb proof puncture protection, several hefty battle scars but very few punctures, lasting ages but also a good price, bit narrower than I wanted for my bike doing 11 mile there.

Not much comes to mind at that price point!

I've got a set of Bontrager AW Hard Case, but mainly been using just whatever I've happened to have in the garage to wear them out.

Never really had much of an issue with punctures, even in the wet - I think there's a perception that it's a much bigger issue than it actually is.

Had a set of Panaracer ones that lasted years and more recently been using a set of Conti GP 4Seasons.

Worth looking at eBay/Facebook marketplace for cheap tyres - I've got a couple of sets that way from people that didn't like/want the stock ones that came on their new bike.

Schwalbe Greenguard is lighter, cheaper, less rolling resistance than the Marathon Plus, with almost as good puncture protection?

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews

The last two new bikes I got for commuting came with light supple touring & off-road tyres.

The first bike I was exploring a new commute so I did end up down some glass strewn tracks and got a couple of punctures in the few days or first week.

The second bike I was following my now established normal commute (urban, road & dirty cycle path mix) and got a couple of punctures in the first couple of days (not even two return trips).

Somebody must find those nice light supple tyres on new bikes useful, but not me.

With Bontrager Hardcase AW & Schwalbe Marathon (Plus?) for that commute I got no punctures, maybe one a year or when AW very very worn.

Just to counter the Marathon plus comments (there's always one)

I purchased a set, for a touring bike I was building, on the advice of various forums etc. After years of off-road mtb dh and cc with very few punctures, I thought they would be perfect, despite their weight.

I had more punctures (thorns etc not spokes, before you say it) with the marathon plus tyres, over a relatively small mileage, than in my entire life of cycling, they felt awful to ride with as well. They're still on the rather dejected looking bike in my shed (road cycling is not in my DNA).

the marathon supreme is a good option for a lightweight tyre with good protection?

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews/schwalbe-marathon-sup...

all well and good but its £50+ per tyre

Don't know

Just checked what my tyres are - a mixture of Bontrager AW Hardcase and Schwalbe Marathon "The Original" Green Guard (so not Marathon Plus?).

I wasn't even riding the bike the last time I got a puncture with Marathons. It was during hellish dragging of the bike uphill through heather on trackless moorland when off road exploration goes wrong. My worst route ever.

Another +1 for Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

I've been commuting on the same pair of these in Glasgow for 10 years now, and had only one foreign body puncture that I recall in that time (couple of snakebites, but I can't blame the tyres for those).

They are heavy and slow, but for getting me to work reliably I can't fault them!