# Tires recommendations for mixed surface commute



## yellowstoneyeti (Aug 24, 2004)

I just recently switched jobs which allows me to commute 11.5 miles to work everyday. My route is on the main thoroughfare to the busiest entrance to Yellowstone Park. My early morning ride is delightful since there is very little traffic. Just a few early rising fly fishermen. My afternoon ride is a different story. Tons of traffic-buses, trucks, RVs with rookie drivers. The summer is just beginning so it is going to get even worse. I have one alternative route that I can take on Forest Service (fire) roads. It's a little longer, but I'd only have to ride 1 mile of the busy highway. The problem is that the roads are dirt and sand, not even gravel. I tried the route tonight but it is very sketchy on road tires, especially the sandy areas. I'm currently riding on 700-32 Pasela tourguards on a Surly LHT. Does anyone know of a good hybrid or cyclocross tire with a raised ridge or smooth center for the road, but a fairly aggressive, somewhat knobby carcass? I'd like to stay around 32s but would go as wide as 37s. If we could keep it under $60 for the pair, that would be a big plus:yesnod: . Thanks in advance for the help.


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## ChuckUni (Jan 2, 2003)

Sounds like a cross tire might work for what you want to do depending on how much pavement is involved. I've had good luck with my ritchey speed max cross tires (35c)....they are very fast and cushy. Not a ridge down the middle but a very low profile ramped tread with ok knobs on the sides. They might not be super tough for glass and you might kill them somewhat quickly on pavement, but otherwise they work really well. Although, I've had good luck as far as having no flats, but the casing is thin, so I wonder if it's only luck.

I'm sure there are others, but that's what I have experience with......


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## treebound (Oct 16, 2003)

You must be over on the West Yellowstone side of the park. Nice place to live if you can find work, which you apparently have. :thumbsup: 

Post some pics of your bike, please? How do you like the ride of the LHT without a full load on it? Just curious if what some say is true about the "touring" bikes handling better with a full load than without.

I had a MTB tire with a negative image tread pattern, instead of knobbies it had recesses, fairly smooth riding on the road, somewhat okay off the road. For the MTB now I have some smoothish centered tires and aggressive edge knobbies, I forget what they are. Here's some Nashbar links since I don't have anything else to offer.

https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=1182&sku=7548&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Brand%3A%20Michelin









Shop the sales.
https://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?subcategory=&category=&browse=all&storetype=estore&estoreid=929&brand=&searchbox=&start=1&orderby=price2&cm_re=C2-_-R4-_-TireSale

This one might be nice, a Vredestein SpiderMax cross tire
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=15727&storetype=estore&estoreid=929&pagename=Estore%3A%20Best%20Tire%20Sale%20Ever









This Kenda "might" be okay, sort of similar to what's on my MTB at the moment
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=7544&storetype=estore&estoreid=929&pagename=Estore%3A%20Best%20Tire%20Sale%20Ever


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## Andy M-S (Feb 3, 2004)

treebound said:


> You must be over on the West Yellowstone side of the park. Nice place to live if you can find work, which you apparently have. :thumbsup:
> ...
> 
> This Kenda "might" be okay, sort of similar to what's on my MTB at the moment
> https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=7544&storetype=estore&estoreid=929&pagename=Estore%3A%20Best%20Tire%20Sale%20Ever


I have a pair of the Kendas on my touring bike, and it rides very nicely indeed. If they'll fit your bike (always an issue with wider tires) you will likely be very happy with them.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

WTB also makes some cross options, Crosswolf and Interwolf, hard to beat the Speedmaxs tho


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## singlecross (Nov 1, 2006)

yellowstoneyeti said:


> Does anyone know of a good hybrid or cyclocross tire with a raised ridge or smooth center for the road, but a fairly aggressive, somewhat knobby carcass? I'd like to stay around 32s but would go as wide as 37s. If we could keep it under $60 for the pair, that would be a big plus:yesnod: . Thanks in advance for the help.


Ritchey Speedmax DELTA 700x35mm. Not the regular speedmax comp or pro. The Delta has a completely smooth continuous center section with recessed knobs on the sides shaped like triangles. About $16 a piece. These work well on my 30 mile/day mixed surface commute.

http://ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey...ates/eproducts_single.aspx?id=23838&live=true

singlecross


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## nachomc (Aug 31, 2006)

What about the Specialized Borough Armadillo Elite:

click for pic

They're a little pricey, bu the Armadillo Elites are sweet tires. I use the Elite All Conditions on my road bike for my commutes


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## FrontRanger (May 19, 2004)

I have these

<IMG SRC=https://images.rei.com/media/t/1064491.jpg>

$19 each

WTB All Terrainasaurus


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## yellowstoneyeti (Aug 24, 2004)

Thanks for all the replies everyone. The Speedmax Delta is exactly what I'm looking for. It looks like a good dirt road tire without sacrificing too much on the road. I'll give it a try.

Treebound-Yup, I live out near Hebgen Lake and work in West. As far as the ride of the LHT...It's a nice ride bare or loaded, most of the time. I get a shimmy once in a while that I'm trying to track down :confused5: . Usually though it is a nice stable, comfortable, but not so fast bike.


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

*Michelin Transworld...if you can find them*

I've had these on my cross bike for the off-season (not enough tread for racing). They are bullet proof, have enough tread for moderate off-roading (like fire roads) but are reasonably smooth on pavement. I got them for $10 each at cyclocrossworld.com but I don't think they have 'em anymore. Worth looking for though. :thumbsup: 

good luck


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## pauly (Feb 11, 2004)

I have tried lots of different multi-surface tires over the years. From true cross tires to semi-slicks like the Ritchey Speedmax and IRC Mythos Slick and a bunch of others. The one tire I keep coming back to is the cheapest of the lot: Ritchey Alfa-Bite Trail Mix. Good traction in the dirt and gravel. On the road it rolls nicely, and it doesn't induce that scary feeling when cornering like you get from a lot of semi-slicks.



That said, the Speedmax Delta looks intriguing. Might have get a pair as the next challenger for the title.


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## RoadLoad (Jan 18, 2005)

I have been using the Avocet Cross IIs for the last 700 miles or so for just the uses you are asking about. I commute about 20 miles each way and am planning on using them for cyclocross this fall. They roll great as a result of the raised center tread. At 700X38s they eat up road noise, reducing fatigue. So far treadware isn't an issue and I haven't had a flat yet. I think I paid under $25 a tire. Below is the thread for their reviews.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/tires-clincher/avocet/PRD_104044_2489crx.aspx


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## drosenberg (Jun 13, 2006)

*They wear fast*



ChuckUni said:


> Sounds like a cross tire might work for what you want to do depending on how much pavement is involved. I've had good luck with my ritchey speed max cross tires (35c)....they are very fast and cushy. Not a ridge down the middle but a very low profile ramped tread with ok knobs on the sides. They might not be super tough for glass and you might kill them somewhat quickly on pavement, but otherwise they work really well. Although, I've had good luck as far as having no flats, but the casing is thin, so I wonder if it's only luck.
> 
> I'm sure there are others, but that's what I have experience with......


I agree they are very good tires for dirt roads and loose terrain. I used mine for a mix of paved commuting and trails. They wore totally bald in less than 1500 miles, but they gripped great on loose stuff and mud.


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## drosenberg (Jun 13, 2006)

*I had these for years on my old bike*



RoadLoad said:


> I have been using the Avocet Cross IIs for the last 700 miles or so for just the uses you are asking about. I commute about 20 miles each way and am planning on using them for cyclocross this fall. They roll great as a result of the raised center tread. At 700X38s they eat up road noise, reducing fatigue. So far treadware isn't an issue and I haven't had a flat yet. I think I paid under $25 a tire. Below is the thread for their reviews.
> 
> http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/tires-clincher/avocet/PRD_104044_2489crx.aspx


I forgot about these tires. I had them for years on my old Fisher Sphynx. They were great all around tires. That's what I'll try next on my cyclocross


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