# Clincher tire for 75% pavement, 25% dirt fireroad?



## zuuds (Nov 23, 2009)

Any recommendations?


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## Thom H (Aug 25, 2009)

Ritchey Speedmax is not too bad. If you can fit bigger tires on your sled there are some 35-42mm touring tires that would also fill the bill. Speedmax also comes in a 38mm or at least it used to. I personally like the extra size more than extra treads on a bomber fireroad bike. Good cross tires are aoften too light to use as heavy road/firetrail and tend to puncture on sharp sidewall hits. That is where the the touring tires seem to shine.


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## 88 rex (Mar 18, 2008)

Some good old touring tires fit the bill.


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

What are you putting them on? Most treaded tires bigger than 30c won't clear road calipers.
If you have some medium/long reach calipers, Kenda Small Block Eights (32c, but small) or Michelin Jet S (30c, but big)
tires work well.
If not, find some 28c Conti road tires.


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## TWD (Feb 9, 2004)

Thom H said:


> Ritchey Speedmax is not too bad. If you can fit bigger tires on your sled there are some 35-42mm touring tires that would also fill the bill. Speedmax also comes in a 38mm or at least it used to. I personally like the extra size more than extra treads on a bomber fireroad bike. Good cross tires are aoften too light to use as heavy road/firetrail and tend to puncture on sharp sidewall hits. That is where the the touring tires seem to shine.


The wire bead Speedmax (no point in buying the $$ kevlar bead just to burn off the tread on pavement) come in both 700X35 and 700X40. 

I've got a set of each, and the 40s aren't much bigger than the 35s. Measuring both with a digital caliper on the same rim at same PSI, the casing width on the 40s measured only 1mm wider than the 35s (34mm vs 33mm). The 40s are a bit taller, so overall have a little bit more volume, but not much. The tread on the 40s was actually 1mm NARROWER than the 35s.


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## joness (Dec 6, 2006)

I run Michelin Jets on my cross bike this time of year for the type of riding you are describing.


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## zuuds (Nov 23, 2009)

backinthesaddle said:


> What are you putting them on? Most treaded tires bigger than 30c won't clear road calipers.
> If you have some medium/long reach calipers, Kenda Small Block Eights (32c, but small) or Michelin Jet S (30c, but big)
> tires work well.
> If not, find some 28c Conti road tires.


Motobecane Fantom Cross Team with disc brakes, so clearance is no problem. I'm having a wheelset built with Stan's ZTR Crest rims, which are 24.4mm/21mm wide (OD/ID).


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## carlhulit (Nov 5, 2005)

schalwbe marathon extremes or XRs designed for road/gravel touring and will last way longer than cross tires


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## bluedog18 (Aug 19, 2006)

I'm going to 2nd the Michelin Jets, very comfortable tire to ride and will work well on the road to.


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## Quattro_Assi_07 (Jan 13, 2006)

*Specialized Borough XC Pro 700x45...*

I run those on my BMC CrossMachine. On my rims (DT RR 1.2) they measure 43mm. Don't know if you want a tire that large. I ride mainly on roads (it's my commuter) but the roads here are horrible and the larger volumn really helps out. They are also great for going off road as well when the mood strikes...


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## ZenNMotion (May 28, 2004)

You don't want "cross tires" as you don't need or want the tread and the lighter ones like ritcheys and the mich. jets puncture fairly easily. I'd pick Panaracer tour guards in 28 or 32c, which is what gets mounted on my cross bike during the "off" season, or one of the Schwalbe Marathon models. Or for more spendy (and supple) tires like Jack Browns, or Roly Polys from Rivendell.


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## a_avery007 (Jul 1, 2008)

another one for michelin jets
use for commuting on crappy roads here in san jose, ca and riding cross in real mountainous areas.

++ roll fast, corner well,can ride in the dirt without changing wheelsets, comfort
-- can be expensive, roll slower than 28c or full volume 25c

lots of selections


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## zuuds (Nov 23, 2009)

I've never really looked at touring/trekking tires before, lots of cool tires in that genre. Here's some other contenders:

Maxxis overdrive (700x38, 60TPI, wire, 580g)









Contintental Top Contact (700x37, folding, 550g)









WTB Pathway (700x38, wire, 695g)










Good suggestion on the Schwalbe's. I like the tread design of the Schwalbe XR (700x40, wire, 750g)








Looks like it would be relatively smooth rolling and cornering, but with some bite in the side lugs.

I'm also liking the look of the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme (700x40c, wire, 525g), the wider lug spacing would probably be grippier off road but noisier on road:









The Schwalbe's are pretty pricey, looks like CRC has the best prices, but you have to spend $244 to get free shipping from the UK, anyone know of other places to get good deals on them?


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## PT (Mar 8, 2002)

ZenNMotion said:


> ...I'd pick Panaracer tour guards in 28 or 32c, which is what gets mounted on my cross bike during the "off" season, ...


+1 for Panaracer touring tires. My current favorite -- roll well, wear like iron -- is the Urban Max. I ride 70% dirt/gravel, 30% road in the hills/mountains of southern Wyoming/Northern Colorado. I use to think for my dirt and gravel road expeditions that I needed "knobs", but found the Panaracer Pasela or Urban Max tires in 32c to perform exceptionally well. Using those tires I've done a number of dirt centuries as well as paved centuries.


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## TWD (Feb 9, 2004)

Also check out the Schwalbe Marathon Cross (700x38). It's got more aggressive cornering knobs so it's a little more capable off-pavement. Center tread is still pretty smooth, so they roll pretty well. 

These types of trekking tires wear like iron, but unfortunately weigh like iron and ride like iron too. 

You can only soften the ride so much by dropping pressure.


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## zuuds (Nov 23, 2009)

TWD said:


> Also check out the Schwalbe Marathon Cross (700x38). It's got more aggressive cornering knobs so it's a little more capable off-pavement. Center tread is still pretty smooth, so they roll pretty well.
> 
> These types of trekking tires wear like iron, but unfortunately weigh like iron and ride like iron too.
> 
> You can only soften the ride so much by dropping pressure.


Another intriguing possibility - and that tire is $39 (630g) versus $66 for the Marathon XR 
(750g!) or $78 for the Marathon Extreme (525g).


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## TWD (Feb 9, 2004)

One thing to note with the marathon cross, is that they run on the big side. I measured them with a digital caliper at 39mm wide at the outside of the cornering knobs. 

Most of the of the cross tires I've owned (with the exception of Mich Muds) have measured a couple mm narrower than the spec. So if you think you've got plenty of clearance for a 700x35, realize that these tires may be 6 or 7 mm wider than the 700x35 you're used to.


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## imba_pete (Oct 19, 2008)

Continental Ultra GatorSkin 28 mm width


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## cyklopath (Feb 24, 2007)

I'd suggest the Vredistein Premiato. 

It runs much narrower than its stated measurement, but the compound is rather hard, and the tread pattern rolls well on pavement while also cornering well. 

I ran one on my front this season and had good luck with it.


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## mitmoned (Apr 7, 2008)

Want uber Cheap? Kenda Kross Plus from Nashbar. $7 a tire is hard to beat.










I have a set of 42s. They feel like a (heavy) road tire on straight pavement, but if you turn/lean, the knobs let you know they're there. They aren't soft or plush by any means, but, unless you have thorns locally, I don't think you'll ever have a problem with getting a flat. Main drawback is weight.


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## BrianN (Feb 11, 2008)

Just took the new Continental Cyclocross Speed out for a test ride-

Tall - measured circumfrence - 2150mm
Narrow-ish - 700 x 35 measured 31.7mm on a 23mm rim
Durable - Classic conti tire, takes a beating well


A fast roller that corners well on dirt. My test track has pavement, compacted and loose sand, rocks, gravel and clay. I did get a bit of front slide under the hard braking sharp corner combo on pavement, but overall my new favorite combo tire. I have always been surprised by the long wear of Continental tires, so I expect these will last quite a while. Local terrain is typically dry and fast (I'm in the desert) so I plan to race these come October.

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/cross/crossquerfeldein/cyclocross_speed/cyclocross_speed_en.html 

-B


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## changingleaf (Aug 20, 2009)

*75% Road 25% dirt*

The WTB Pathway Flatguard is the way to go. 
700x38 or 700x32
It is a folding cable bead tires. $35 MSRP


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## Quattro_Assi_07 (Jan 13, 2006)

*Still loving my Spec Borough XC...*



mtbpete said:


> The WTB Pathway Flatguard is the way to go.
> 700x38 or 700x32
> It is a folding cable bead tires. $35 MSRP


They just soak up the bumps and keep rolling. And at 700X45 and 425gms, they are bigger and lighter than the Pathway Flatguards.


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## gregwjs (Nov 9, 2007)

Jack Brown Blues - :2cents:


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## ringmaster (Mar 26, 2005)

Sorry for the bump but this is a great thread and I have the same tire needs!

The only difference is that I want to keep the tire under 400g.

So far the best options seem to be:
Ritchey Speedmax 700x32 358g
Kenda Small Block 700x32 330g
Michelin JET S 700x30 340g

Are there other good options that I am overlooking?


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## biken (Jul 20, 2010)

ringmaster said:


> Sorry for the bump but this is a great thread and I have the same tire needs!
> 
> The only difference is that I want to keep the tire under 400g.
> 
> ...



Yes! The Panaracer Pasela. The Speedmax's came stock on my bike and I recently switched over to the Pasela's and they are a upgrade. They roll much faster and they are super quiet on pavement. The Speedmax's sound like a dumptruck on pavement. The Pasela's have very good grip in dry conditions- haven't rained here lately so I don't know how they do in wet. Check them out: http://www.ebikestop.com/tires_700c_bicycle_tires%29%291126.php


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## pacificaslim (Sep 10, 2008)

The Speedmaxes are pretty good for all-around riding. But if you're only going to be on fireroads and only 25% of the time like the OP, then I'd just use a 28mm "road" tire. I have speedmaxes and michelin mud 2 for dirt/cyclocross, and 23mm torelli open tubulars for pure road riding on good roads, and then 28mm panaracer pacella and to be honest they ride just fine on "fire road" type dirt roads and are much better than speedmax on the paved roads and can be ridden on paved roads in the rain (where knobby tires are sketchy).


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## ringmaster (Mar 26, 2005)

biken said:


> Yes! The Panaracer Pasela. The Speedmax's came stock on my bike and I recently switched over to the Pasela's and they are a upgrade. They roll much faster and they are super quiet on pavement. The Speedmax's sound like a dumptruck on pavement. The Pasela's have very good grip in dry conditions- haven't rained here lately so I don't know how they do in wet. Check them out: http://www.ebikestop.com/tires_700c_bicycle_tires%29%291126.php



I overlooked the Pasela on the Panaracer website. The specs look great for the folding version!

*700 X 32c Ara|Stl* 32-622 66 330|380g*

Now if only they made a black sidewall version  


Thanks


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## tashi (Apr 11, 2005)

Skip the knobbies, get some Grand Bois in 28 or 30's. I find semi-slicks slow and scary in the corners on the pavement and you'll be surprised how stable a wide-ish file tread is on the dirt. I've ridden some pretty gnar fire roads and doubletrack on my road bike with these tires.

Somewhere around 280 grams as well I think.

The Jack Brown's mentioned above are probably similar.

Edit: Pasela's are likely a good cheaper and far more durable option. They don't have the smoooooth ride of a fancy tire though.


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## tamjam (Jul 12, 2002)

Another vote for the Continental Speed 700x35. I used them for the same type of riding you describe and have complete confidence in them both on pavement and when cruising fireroads.


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## thatdrewguy (Aug 7, 2009)

*directional?*

After reading this thread I decided to try some 700x32 vittoria randonneur pro to replace conti speed kings.

Would you run both tires with the chevron pattern pointing forward or would you run the rear tire reversed maybe for better traction?


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## m_s (Nov 20, 2007)

Paselas are good and cheap.

It depends on your dirt roads. On my singlespeed which sees a lot of pavement and the tamer dirt roads, I like the panaracers. T-Servs are more puncture resistant than paselas but about twice as expensive, so pick your poison. If the new Conti Top Contact is as good as the Top Touring it would be worth a try as well.

If for training tires on my geared bike I use speedmaxes. I take that bike goes further into the woods where the roads are very rocky and poorly maintained, and it also might see singletrack as part of the same training ride. I use the 40mm comp version, which is actually no more than 35mm wide but is pretty tall so it adds a bit of comfort when it gets rough. They also last forever and cost less than 20 dollars. heavy though.



thatdrewguy said:


> After reading this thread I decided to try some 700x32 vittoria randonneur pro to replace conti speed kings.
> 
> Would you run both tires with the chevron pattern pointing forward or would you run the rear tire reversed maybe for better traction?


That chevron pattern is for looks only. It doesn't really matter which direction you use it in.


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

Michelin Sprint in Green. Didn't everyone buy a few extra when they started disappearning?


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## brianvonlehe (Nov 7, 2005)

second the T-serv 700x35, or 32 although they are a little narrow for rough stuff.

big volume is all you need for fire roads.

Cross tires (speedmax, jet) just wear out really fast on pavement.

Touring tires like Vit. Randonneurs and most of the schwalbel marathon models are excessively heavy.

Hence, Panaracer!


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

go cheap with some kenda kwick semi slicks


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