Commuting tire recommendations?

[mstone]

I’d suggest braking more on the front and less on the rear.

I’ve been happy with the Continental Contacts (not the Top Contact or Travel Contact or Sport Contact, etc. — their naming system is terrible). About 2.5k on them so far, some tread wear in the back but not near replacement levels.

[thecyclingeconomist]

@WillStewart 8288 wrote:

Surprisingly (at least to me), Schwalbe has low rolling resistance balloon tires called Big Apples for $25 to $30 that absorb quite a bit of road/trail shocks without slowing one down, giving close to the effect of full suspension. I switched to them and am so pleased that I’m not looking back…

Note the reviews at MTBR.com and bikeforums.net.

I have ridden gatorskins, armadillos, and then about 25 others in the “road” category from fortezza to EVOs to sewups to STANS. For commuting, I must say that the schwalbe big apples in a 29X2.35 are about the coolest commuter setup I’ve ever had. Super plush, yet low enough rolling resistance that I can ride along at nearly my road pace once up to speed. They are HUGE, but run at a high enough PSI that they give a fast ride while allowing you to run over just about anything… including those random 6″ potholes…with no chance of a pinch flat.

The only flats I’ve had on these (now at about 1500 miles on this set) have been from a full sized roofing nail and a 2″ screw… can’t blame the tire on those.

They come in 26″, and 29″ (the same as a 700c)…

[birddog]

Gatorskins are the best!

[vvill]

@thecyclingeconomist 32528 wrote:

I have ridden gatorskins, armadillos, and then about 25 others in the “road” category from fortezza to EVOs to sewups to STANS. For commuting, I must say that the schwalbe big apples in a 29X2.35

How many frames will fit a 29×2.35?! Even my hybrid only goes up to maybe a 33mm. 2.35 inches is almost 60 mm!

[Rod Smith]

2+ inch wide tires for commuting? No thanks, my usual route is fully paved. Unfortunately no sandy beaches or snow covered mountains between home and work.

I’m using 26 x 1.5 Schwalbe Marathons and 700 x 28 Continental Gatorskins on my commuters. 700 x 28 Schwalbe Duranos on my weekend ride. The Marathons and the Gatorskins have performed well for me. Not enough miles on the Duranos yet to pass judgement.

[Rod Smith]

@thecyclingeconomist 32528 wrote:

The only flats I’ve had on these (now at about 1500 miles on this set) have been from a full sized roofing nail and a 2″ screw… can’t blame the tire on those…

Perhaps not, but a contact patch three times wider than normal tire might be three times more likely to pick up nails and screws. :confused:

[thecyclingeconomist]

Surly’s can take them… “Fatties Fit Fine”…Or, you convert 29ers into a beastly all terrain commuter…

But that’s not why I wrote the recommendation… as I said: they have numerous sizes. There are TONS of different studies out there that show that rolling resistance and tire-width specs aren’t necessarily correlated. Some of which have been done with pretty rigorous scientific methods. Running a larger tire at a slightly lower PSI can improve power transfer. In fact a Vittoria Open Corsa EVO in a 700X25c running at 110psi is faster than most 700X23c at 130psi. In fact, picking the right tire can mean a difference of over 20 watts in sustaining 19mph. (Brandst and Morse have some good data out there on this stuff).

In addition the contact patch on my 2.35’s isn’t noticeably bigger that on my former 700X32c Vittoria Randonneur’s or other 32+ width commuters; and these roll significantly faster, especially when compared with some of the other’s referenced (Armadillos are NOTORIOUSLY slow). The nice thing is; because of the size and pressure, the contact patch remains constant on these, even when in deep turns… you never feel unstable in corners.

The only thing that might add to puncture rates is the fact that I actively ride much more aggressively through areas that I would never take my road bike. Also, you’re telling me that in the last 1500 miles of riding; you’ve had less than 2 flats? And if so… you’re time is coming… we all know that flats come in bunches.

[jrenaut]

@thecyclingeconomist 32625 wrote:

Also, you’re telling me that in the last 1500 miles of riding; you’ve had less than 2 flats? And if so… you’re time is coming… we all know that flats come in bunches.

What I wrote above – 1200-1400 miles on my Armadillo Elites:

I had exactly two flats on those tires. One was a poorly installed tube – the stem – whatever the heck you call the thing that you put the air in – sheared off when I hit a bump. The other was the nail through the rear rim.

And that’s almost entirely in downtown DC – 14th Street and the Neverending Construction Bikelane Closures, the cycletracks on 15th and on PA Ave, etc. After using the Armadillo Elites, I simply don’t expect flat tires. I carry a spare tube, but at this point it’s old enough that I’m probably going to replace it, unused.

[jabberwocky]

@thecyclingeconomist 32625 wrote:

Surly’s can take them… “Fatties Fit Fine”…Or, you convert 29ers into a beastly all terrain commuter…

Their roadie and road-ish frames will definitely not take a 2.3″ tire. The Cross Check will clear a 45mm (1.75″ or so) without fenders, and the pacer/steamroller will take a 32/38 respectively. The long haul trucker will take a 2.1 in 26er guise, but only a 45mm in 700c. Running a 2.3 tire pretty much locks you into converted MTB frames. Though I did once mount my DJ wheel (2.4 Holy Roller on EX729 rims) on my Soma Saga, and it just barely fit.

[thecyclingeconomist]

I never said that these would fit on a road bike…

The thread was started with a question of the best commuter tire. So, as to not start another needless debate that has nothing to offer for anyone reading: for anyone NOT riding a road frame, the Schwalbe Big Apple is the best I have run. Insofar as Surly… if you use the LHT platform, you’re good to go with a 26X2.0. The rest of their road line; or any road commuter, I’m still a fan of vittoria’s… either their Randonneur or Voyager lines. I’ve had very good luck with the Randoneeur Pro. It’s sticky enough to feel comfortable cornering, but hard enough to give pretty good life.

[jabberwocky]

Sorry, I thought you meant run the Big Apples on one of their roadish frames (since pretty much any MTB frame will clear a tire that large). Sure, almost all MTB frames will clear a tire that large, but MTBs have lots of drawbacks as commuters IME (unless your commute is fairly short or over really rough terrain). I have a touring bike (a Soma Saga) running 1.6 Marathon Supremes, and while the larger tires are indeed comfortable, they certainly aren’t as quick as the 28mm Paselas I run on the fixie (and not even close to the 23mm Pro3s I run on the road bike).

It comes down to preference, of course.

[thecyclingeconomist]

Agreed… preferences are huge in the tire market in general.

For non-commuting purposes on my road bike, I now only prefer to run Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX. I alternate between the 700X23c and 25c depending on the best deal I can get online (these things are stupid pricey). But, they are wicked fast, sticky and reliable. If I simply can’t get a good deal on the EVOs, then I run their Rubino Pros. That all being said, I did pick up a pair of Michelin Pro 4’s for a steal ($24.99 each) online, and they do feel good, but I tend to prefer 25c’s for a bit plusher ride (even on the road bike).

[Rod Smith]

Weight and aerodynamics are the reasons I prefer to commute on 700 x 28 and 26 x 1.5 tires. I’m kinda lazy. I use 28s for recreational riding too. It seems odd that when you’re not riding tires that are too fat for me, you’r riding tires that are too narrow for me. I guess I prefer tires that are more all-purpose while you seem to prefer tires designed to perform well in a narrower range of applications. I’m not saying I’m right or you’re wrong. In fact, your approach makes more sense, really.

[OneEighth]

Frankly, there’s nothing wrong with Vittoria Zaffiro’s, especially at roughly $15 a tire. I commute on them almost year round (the exception being snow or other freezing precipitation). They run high pressures and are typically good for a season barring any nasty, sharp debris. But at that price, switching out a compromised tire is no big deal.
Every bit as good as the Conti’s I used to use. Better, even. Certainly better than my experience with Michelin’s.
Sometimes you get what you pay for…sometimes you just get taken for a ride.

[thecyclingeconomist]

@jabberwocky 32644 wrote:

Sorry, I thought you meant run the Big Apples on one of their roadish frames (since pretty much any MTB frame will clear a tire that large). Sure, almost all MTB frames will clear a tire that large, but MTBs have lots of drawbacks as commuters IME (unless your commute is fairly short or over really rough terrain). I have a touring bike (a Soma Saga) running 1.6 Marathon Supremes, and while the larger tires are indeed comfortable, they certainly aren’t as quick as the 28mm Paselas I run on the fixie (and not even close to the 23mm Pro3s I run on the road bike).

It comes down to preference, of course.

I commute 100+ a week on my frankensteiner-29er… only been Cat-6’d twice in the last 12 weeks… and they were “Elites” whose egos couldn’t handle being passed by a guy with 2.35″ balloon tires… Mwhahaha. I don’t ride a MTB… I ride a full-suspension road bike… LOL!

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