(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best bike tires

I'm lucky that I don't have a long commute. But this is by far the best way to get to work!

Edit: with links!

Little info on the bike for any others who are curios.

Bike: 2016 Raleigh Furley (on discount was ~$750 with tax). I love this bike it's awesome. Chromoly steel, real soft ride. Single speed so it's 0 maintenance. Last but not least, disc brakes. Not the best, but they are much better than rims especially in weather of New England.

Tires: Gatorskins 25mm

Honjo Fenders: Superb, takes a while to install. I could have a used a few more brackets to hold everything together better too. Definitely going to get a mudguard for the front maybe the back as well.

Rack is the Topeak explorer for disc brakes. Two Ortlieb back roller city panniers.

Misc: I have a cateye volt 700 for front light and the cateye rapid x3 for a tail light, both are super bright even in the daytime!

Bike computer: Old nexus 5 that I hold on with a quadlock to track everything to strava. I use Ipbike which hooks up to my duotrap and my scosche heartrate monitor.

As far as tires go, CX tires on pavement can definitely feel a little squirrely, especially when descending. I'd say have two sets of tires, one for road and one for off-road endeavors, but it's really up to you. I mean, I'm not the one spending your money.

When you're looking at CX tires, there are basically three categories: "file tread" tires, "all-around" tires, and mud tires. File tread tires have smaller, closely spaced knobs/grooves and are good for fire roads and dry trails. All-around tires tend to have a slightly more aggressive tread pattern than file tread tires, particularly with more pronounced side knobs. These tires are good for lots of conditions. Mud tires have super chunky tread patterns for sloppy racing conditions. They won't be very fun on pavement, and they'll be overkill for most trails.

Your current tires fall into the "all-around" category. Challenge Grifo tires are used by a lot of racers and they have a pretty good reputation. I don't have any personal experience with them, however.

If you want to use the same tires for road and trail riding you'll probably want a file tread tire. Michelin Jet and Kenda Small Block Eight are the first two that come to mind, but there are lots of other options too. And if you want to matchy-match your tire brands, you can always get the Challenge Grifo XS. File treads are definitely viable race tires for drier races with lots of hard-pack and grass sections and not very much mud or sand. A lot of people race with a file tread tire on their rear wheel with a slightly chunkier tire on the front to take advantage of both low rolling resistance in the rear and cornering "bite" in the front.

And as far as my personal recommendations: Michelin Mud 2's are the jamz. Great all-around tire which I would definitely recommend for CX racing if you end up not liking the Grifos. For road tires: Continental Grand Prix 4000S

For the bike itself I recommend you get a used old roadbike. That will offer plenty of fun already (you might never feel the need to upgrade) and it will give you time to figure if and what else you might want.

In addition to that I recommend: (All amazon links)

A bicycle tool with a chainbreaker tool, this will allow you to fix anything and everything that can go wrong on a bicycle. Not that the one I linked is very pricy, there are cheaper versions but with tools I always prefer having good stuff.

You will likely need new tires if you get an old bike, this is one point where you can drastically enhance performance by buying good ones. Ever since I bought Continental GP4000SII I haven't even thought about trying others. A set of these will last you for several years on a 3 Mile distance so the cost is neglible. Note that tyre sizes differ somewhat, if you get something really old these won't fit. Get the bike first and then buy the right size tyres (should be listed on the rubber of the old tyre, most road bikes use 700x25c).

In addition to that I would normally recommend a book on bicycle repairs, but if you head over to BikeMan4U on youtube he's one of the best people to learn that stuff from, very down to earth guy.

You will also need some way to transport your stuff to work, I recommend getting a simple wire basket and putting your backpack into there. Note that most road bikes are not built to accomodate a rear rack, you might need something like this.

That is basically what you will need to get started, maybe grab a cheap rain jacket and -trousers if you plan to really bike every day. I myself am no friend of cycle clothing and commute either in jeans / tshirt or aforementioned rain gear, which works just fine for my ~6 miles one way.

Of course that's just my opinion and you might end up buying something completely different, but this will get you on the road to happiness for 500 or less and I think at that point you do nothing wrong.

I agree with /u/DoOgSauce 100%.

I'd also say they aren't necessarily that much of an upgrade from the ATX Lite as adding suspension forks means you need to spend significantly more to get something good quality vs a fully rigid bike. The ATX Lite is also more suitable as a commuter than any of those, it would be a downgrade in many respects for everything except actual mountain biking. Snow use would be debatable, like I wouldn't be surprised if the forks on several of those bikes would sieze and go rusty the first winter, and I wouldn't like to bet on cheap Tektro hydraulic brakes in freezing temps.
A large proportion of mountain bikers don't use their proper MTB to commute on but have a bike like an ATX Lite or a hybrid or road bike as a second bike to use on the road and light trails that doesn't have suspension or knobbly offroad specific tires.

It's also not true that the ATX Lite isn't designed for trails, just not more extreme offroad like anything tougher than 'intermediate' grade MTB trails in good conditions. I've done offroad cycle touring in the mountains on a similar bike in preference to my modern expensive MTB, here's a photo I took when I was 50km from the nearest sealed road.

Edit - should clarify what makes a difference to snow performance is tires, that's like 95% of it - and you could run the same tires on all the bikes except the Cujo as you could on the ATX Lite, as the ATX Lite has the same tire clearance as a regular MTB. Only a plus tire MTB like the Cujo that can fit 2.8 or 3.0 tires would give you superior performance in the snow, and that would come with even bigger drawbacks with use on the road the rest of the year compared to the ATX Lite. Extra fat tires are also perhaps more if you're riding offroad or in fresh powdery snow - for icey conditions more often seen on the roads many riders prefer narrower spiked tires like these.

You could always head to Dover and get a ferry to Calais; then cycle/train your way to Paris from there. It would save you the horror of the Eurostar and the ferries are much easier with a bike. If sticking with the train, giving them a call soon, or popping into St Pancras when you get to London; would be advisable; they can give you the most up-to-date requirements and get everything booked in one go.

Wild camping is enshrined in law in Scotland, Illegal in France. So if you do it, it's on you and neither Reddit or I take no responsibility for your actions! ;)

France is a pretty big country, so I'd hesitate to give you a forecast; keep your eye on meteo.fr! Where my family lives tends to be quite up and down through autumn, further south and east is likely to be better. Be aware of snow through November. And when I say 'be aware of snow', I mean if you see a white star on a weather map, it wouldn't hurt to have some of these. My parents have gotten stuck plenty of times in the car even on well kept roads, and they always keep snow chains for if the weather looks to turn foul. I keep a worn-in set of winter tyres for my bike so I'm ready to go if necessary.

Finally, while English is well-spoken throughout France, it is not universal; and in many rural areas there is sometimes a culture of deliberately being difficult to anglophones who don't at least make an effort to speak French. A pocket phrasebook would be a very good thing to have in your bar bag, and will not cost you very much at all.

If you do end up going via Calais, Belgium is an interesting country that is not far away. The Eurovelo route obviously skirts the atlantic via the bay of Biscay, since you're not following the route anyway, and you seem to have plenty of time I'd consider heading south-east from Paris, perhaps dip into Switzerland and visit Geneva, Turin in Italy and then follow the Mediterranean towards the Pyrénées and rejoining the route into Spain? The straight line from Italy to Spain through med france is actually mostly national parks, so should be easier riding than a lot of other places!

Since it's the kind of scenery I love, I'd happily lead you from mountain range to mountain range (in Spain there's the Picos de Europa, one of my favorite places. Totally not really on your route though). I don't really know what you're looking for from what you've said here, so giving better advice than that is pretty tough. Also bear in mind that most of these places in the south are places I've been to only on motorized transport, so while I've seen bikes on the route; I've not done it myself! The parts of France I know well, are all north-west of anywhere you're considering going, so I really can't assist you much on specific routes!

I would highly recommend a set of Schwalbe Kojaks 700 x 35. They'll keep the same trail, so handling should be identical to using knobbies, but since they're slicks with nice supple sidewalls they roll very well and aren't priced to break the bank. Oh, and they're not that heavy either. Have a set and love them over Gatorskins, Conti 4Seasons and even my 4000S's.

Personally I would avoid gatorskins. Not a bad tire, but a bit more hype in regards to being bombproof and don't roll all that smoothly. They once were the best value, but their price rose and now they're ok.

You have gotten a number of crappy recommendations in this thread, from my time here it seems like the average ebiker is a 260lb dude who only wants a fat bike and to never peddle.

I am 135lbs, use a BBS02 on a mountain bike with Low rolling resistance tires and a 48V battery and have no problem going 30 with max peddle assist and half hearted peddling on flat ground.

When you are small you can make a lot happen without too much power, getting a little more aero and peddling a bit can be equivalent of adding 50% more power for basically free.

I would avoid hubs motors as they really heavy and ungainly to work on for smaller people, I have not ridden one but I bought one and noped out before finishing my build with a mid drive. Also being light means that you are a lot gentler on your drive train, a main criticism of mid drives.

You will be able to get 20 miles of range out of any good battery that isn't a meme battery like the mighty mini. Even with a smaller 11 amp hour battery 20 miles is doable while riding the bike like you stole it. A bigger battery gives you a buffer for windy/cold/hilly days and lets you go multiple short rides without charging.

I would spend a little bit more and get a nice setup if I was you, I personally found ebiking to be much more enjoyable than I thought it would be and would have splurged a bit more in hindsight.

A parts list something like this.

Motor: BBS02 with 46 tooth bling ring. $450

Battery:52V dolphin pack. $590

Bike: Random chinese bike(one I used). $300

Tires/rear shifter(bike uses bifters and you are replacing the brake levers with ebike ones) other bits and bobs: $100

Total cost before tax: $1450

You can go cheaper by going with a used bike, most anything will work really. Or get an ebay hub motor if you really want, but I find a 50lb bike already kinda a bear to deal with and a hub motor would push that weight higher and put it in a more awkward spot. Lastly by going with a 48v battery saving like $90.

You are probably not going to ride around at 30, at 30 you start catching a little air off really bumpy pavement and intersections feel sketchy. 25 is really comfy and with a setup described here you can do that all the time even up hills and have a little "merging power" left in the tank for faster roads.

Good luck with your build!

I have a Panaracer Pasela Tourguard 1 1/8" I only have one but it is a fairly fast, awesome tire that has not seen many miles at all. I would love to send it to you if you wanna pay for the shipping ( I could probably fit it in a flat-rate box)

http://www.amazon.com/Panaracer-Pasela-Guard-Bicycle-27x1-1/dp/B001CK2DZM

For bout $30 you could have a sturdy set of tires.

Thanks, really appreciate this.

On yours and u/5200mAh's recommendations I went with a Schwalbe Marathon HS 420 in the end: http://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Marathon-Wire-Bead-700X35/dp/B004T0GCYU since it was $40 shipped from Amazon and should be here Wednesday. And these also came in 700x35.

This will be my first time changing a tyre, so I guess I have some Youtubing ahead of me. I'll probably just skip riding tomorrow and do some weightlifting instead. Or maybe just stick to riding around here for a few blocks.

And yeah, the roads are pretty bad where I live. It's been my #1 gripe since I started cycling. I live in a small rural area in North Texas, and a lot of the roads are just garbage. As you said, I have been riding on the shoulder a lot, so maybe this is where I picked up the nail if it had been flicked off the road. Perhaps I should just stick to riding on the road even if there's a perfectly good shoulder there?

I would keep your tires for now, just to make sure you'll actually start using the bike. Then, definitely upgrade the tires, it'll feel like a new bike. If you want flats to be rarer than solar eclipses, these tires are highly spoken of. But any 25x1.75 tire in the $50 range is likely to be great, you can also go cheaper with still a huge upgrade in rolling resistance.

1. Go for a hybrid. Something like the Specialized sirrus will be faster than any mountain bike. Make sure the bike you buy has mounting points for full fenders and a rear pannier rack
   
   
2. Full fenders are a must. They will make a huge difference. Other things that can make a big difference in wet weather are shoe covers. Also, as other have said, backpacks are a bad idea because they make you sweat like hell. Go for waterproof panniers or a good quality messenger bag like this one. Finally, one thing you don't want is to have a puncture in the rain or cold weather. Get tires with good puncture protection like the Schwalbe Marathon Plus to reduce the chance of getting flats.
   
   
3. Clipless pedals (the one that hook your feet to the pedals) have a learning curve, but they will make you pedal more efficiently. If you want to go this way, try hybrid pedals first. They can be used with cycling shoes (hooking your feet to the pedal) or with regular shoes.

O wow thanks so much! What's the difference other than the tires though? Could I just put these tires here

https://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Marathon-Winter-Studded-Allround/dp/B001K72VO0/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1473879065&sr=1-1&keywords=Studded++Bicycle+Tire

On the other bike Speak_The_truf suggested? The Diamondback Bicycles 2016 Century 1 Complete Road Bike with Disc Brakes. Or would you definitely suggest I just get the other bike? I see the other one is about $160 cheaper with the hyprid bars.

Don't cheap out on the tyres. Schwalbe is a good brand, but spend the money on something better like the Marathon Plus. Not having to fix a flat on the side of the road, in the rain and cold, will be worth it.

Thank you so much for your response! I believe I'll just order the second product you linked to me as they're within budget and look cool.

Would I be fine ordering two of these tires for that wheel as well? Thanks again for everything.

I usually get my stuff from Amazon. I bought from Chain Reaction once. Good experiences from both.

I'm thinking of swapping my Schwalbe Smart Sam, 27.5”x2.10” to one of the following slicks but I'm not sure if they would fit my 27.5 wheel.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PZE2I6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=294D125K07MNN&coliid=I24TXMA1HILOWH

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AYA8KIA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=294D125K07MNN&coliid=I1RVZWM1E5ZKH4

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SR3O88/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=294D125K07MNN&coliid=IPPT3P4RB80T4&psc=1

Hopefully some good deal crops up for either of these though I highly doubt it. There's been nothing much to get since Black Friday.

https://www.amazon.com/Kenda-Kwest-Commuter-Hybrid-Bicycle/dp/B00LGVUZJ8

They come in a couple colors, but the red was a perfect one. They ride well and besides a chunk of metal one day, only 1 flat

That was a very helpful website. Out of everything I looked at the Schwalbe Marathon's looked to not only have good puncture resistance, lower rolling resistance, but were also the only ones I found that fit my bicycle.

https://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Marathon-Wire-Bead-700X32/dp/B004JKNY7I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473807134&sr=8-1&keywords=schwalbe%2Bmarathon%2Bgreenguard

Do you think I will be good using those tires with puncture resistant tubes?

Not original commenter, but I'd typically recommend Specialized Fat Boys. With that being said, I wouldn't spend that much money on slicks for that bike, I'd save as much money as possible for your next bike. I'd go with some cheaper Kendas and just ride that bike till it dies.

> Been about 6 months with 2 tubes popping. Recently I had a tire pop

If you bought the bike new, it's likely the tires are still under warranty. Go back to LBS and get a replacement. Even if it's from road debris, you can give it a shot.

If you are buying a new, I'd recommend Panaracer RiBMo. This is my current fav over Conti's Top Contact II. Schwalbe Marathon is excellent. Any of these tires is fine.

I just took out the Top Contact II (37c) and put on RiBMo tires (32c). Nothing wrong with the tires but during summer time, I wanted to ride with narrower tires. Wider tires are heavier.

I ride 35-38s now, and 23-25s in the past and have never bought a studded tire. That bike would be perfect in the winter. If you're apprehensive, go to a shop and get some marathon winters; they're like ~$50ea on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Marathon-Winter-Studded-Allround/dp/B001K72VO0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506697732&sr=8-1&keywords=marathon+winter

Something like this would probably do you great.

Panaracer Tour Tire with Wire Bead, 26 x 1.5-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZWXEV0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IqRlDbD3M36DT

Has anyone had any experience with Vittoria Rubino Pro III's? I remember seeing a thread a few months ago that they're a great value.

For winter (in montana) I just pick up a beater bike, convert to single speed, and throw some Schwalbe Marathon Winter - studded tires. Low PSI for ice and Pump them up to a high PSI when the roads are clear. Disc brakes, while nice during winter are pretty unnecessary for the speeds I'm traveling at on ice.

http://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Marathon-Studded-Mountain-Bicycle/dp/B003TNOZV0

I want to switch my bike to 29" tubeless, and have decided on the Maxxis Ardent Race Exo Kv 3 29x2.20 for the front and Maxxis Ikon 29x2.20 for the rear

Now to complete my new setup, can someone suggest what kind of sealant, rim tape and tubeless valves to get? (Bonus points if they're available on amazon.de :D)

Thanks a lot

Well, you can get Panaracer Paselas or Paselas with a puncture proof layer for not much money considering how well they ride. Those are some awesome tires most mainstream sites ignore and pretend that don't exist.

Look for the Panaracer PT 27" 1 1/4

Advertising budgets = $$$$$

You probably won't find a local shop that stocks them so see what amazon has to offer.

I hit a jutted up rock. You can hear it at :35 in the video. I've flatted the front before doing the same thing, but a different section. Going fast and hit a jutted rock.

Other flats I've had were from something that slit my sidewalls open and cut the tubes pretty bad. Those were the cyclo-x kings. These are the now I'm running the cheap CST tires and they are pretty nice. I might get a pair of Surly Knard 40c tires fore trail riding in the fall.

yes, i'd say my experience with the kendas was non-typical to say the least.

As for the Schwalbe's i'm finding them well within my budget, thanks for the recommendation.

edit: so the link I put there aren't the plus version apparently, will continue researching.

The diamondback pro 29 can run tubeless and I have no tubes on rn.

https://www.amazon.com/Maxxis-Ardent-Race-Folding-29x2-2/dp/B00GOFKPN2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=maxxis%2Bardent%2B2.2%2Btubeless&qid=1564530159&s=gateway&sr=8-1&th=1&psc=1


This is the rear you're suggesting right? 29, 2.2 tubeless ready. All good, price point looks fine etc?

I posted the same question a few weeks ago. I got the Vittoria Rubino Pro III after a recommendation and absolutely love them.

That Food Bazaar on Broadway/Manhattan was my go to when I lived in Bushwick!


I know you said 28c but these 32s have been my winter tires for the past 5 years, polar vortex included. Just installed a new pair last week... last set lasted me about 3000 miles. I bring out the fat bike with 4” tires if I have to ride through the blizzard or unplowed streets.


700x32 still feels a little sketch in the snow.. have to run about 20-30 psi and take things slooowww. 700x28 will be even less effective.

I just went with the recommended Tacx Trainer Tire from Amazon. Works well, matches my bike, and doesn't slip.

buying cheap stuff always ends up being more expensive in the long run. that hole looks like it has one of those recessed allen screws. its hard to tell from the picture tho. didnt this thing come with an instruction manual? if not, did you try to find a pdf of it online? i would also suggest that you get a trainer tire. they are made to withstand the friction better
http://www.amazon.com/Tacx-Trainer-Tire-700c-23-mm/dp/B001C6DBXE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1448970657&sr=8-7&keywords=trainer+tire

Your...your situation sounds identical to mine. First winter for me, I commute 6 miles each way, part on a multi-use path, the rest on roads.

I am using the Giant Roam 3 with studded tires and so far am very pleased with it.

I just recently put these on my fs Santa Cruz. It's definitely faster and easier to ride around on the streets, but they're so skinny it looks ridiculous. I wish Maxxis would make Hookworms in 27.5.

I use these for commuting after giving up on race tires because they wear out / flat too quickly.

https://www.amazon.com/SCHWALBE-Marathon-Plus-Smart-Guard/dp/B00FM3LYC8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=schwalbe+marathon&qid=1569507060&s=outdoor-recreation&sr=1-1

Looks like Kenda Kwests. They also appear to be mounted backwards.

I got these for my tandem and like them so far. Panaracer Tour Tire with Wire Bead, 26 x 1.5-Inch (38mm) paid $19.99 each
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZWXEV0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CoDwDbDVC5YC6

You could try these tires assuming your frame will fit them

http://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Kojak-Folding-Bead-Tire/dp/B004YIBJ90/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Brakes would need changed too, too expensive probably. Also there are good tires, this continental gatorskin is 27 x32, but is also too expensive.

I've got 35c studded tires - they worked OK for me. I didn't fall, although it felt kind of sketchy at times.

Big thing is traffic. Very few cars were out and about. When I did get near one I just pulled over, since I don't trust drivers on this stuff. That car at the light is the only one I saw moving on the road for like 5 minutes.

I saw a guy out there with a fat bike, he was killing it. But I can't see buying a fat bike to ride in the like 2 days a year we get snow.

You might want to pick up a training tire. They make less noise and have less wear so you will be saving money on buying new tires.

Would u consider these one day:

http://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Marathon-Winter-Studded-Allround/dp/B001K72VO0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415846439&sr=8-1&keywords=schwalbe+winter+tires

Where are you finding Marathon Winters for that much? Just buy them off Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004JKNY7I?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Schwalbe Marathon Greenguard in 700x32c

these?

What is "black chili" referring to?

I needed winter tires for my rear wheel drive car for the Colorado winters. I couldn’t get out of my subdivision with the previous storm, and it wasn’t that bad. I opted for studded bike tires and finding my ski base layers instead dropping $700. Less miles on the car, and now I get to enjoy snowy mornings. I learned my lesson on trusting Big O Tires on what constitutes an “All Season Tire” when all the google reviews reference them as summer tires that suck in cold weather.


SCHWALBE Marathon Winter HS 396 Studded Road Bike Tire (700x35, Allround Wire Beaded, Reflex) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001K72VO0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tDSZDbQPYDK0Y

For commuting, I'd suggest Gatorskins. They're heavy and slow but really tough.

I rode on Schwalbe Marathon Winter HS 396 last winter and really liked them. Hit some black ice one time and locked up the rear tire but these kept me up right. If it's not icy you can run them at 60psi and they still roll OK (they're still heavy as hell though), but you can drop the pressure and really stick if you need to.

The previous winter I rode on the non-studded version of those and my rear tire slid out through a turn. It was pretty dry otherwise that season so I couldn't justify buying them.

As PureBeetSugar said there aren't any good budget studded tires out there. I put three or four hundred miles on those and only lost a two or three studs total. Cheaper ones will either have steel studs that will rust out and/or poor methods for securing them to the tire - which means no more studs.