DownTheRoad.org
The continuous bicycle touring story since 2002
no plans to stop

See My Videos Here

The Best Bicycle Touring Tire and Bike Commuting Tires from Schwalbe, Continental and Vittoria Randonneur.

Inspecting a tire for the razor sharp thorns in northern Argentina.

Tires are a hot topic in the bike touring world.  Many readers of DownTheRoad.org want to know where to buy the perfect high quality tire that will never go flat.  Others want to tell me about their favorite bike tour tire they believe is "bulletproof" and will never puncture.  What I have learned from years of traveling on a bicycle is that nothing is "bulletproof." Even brand new top quality touring specific tires can get flats.  If something on the road or trail is sharp enough, it will cut through any tire.  Because there is no perfect flat-proof touring tire, you should expect to fix flats during your travels.  My advice is to always carry a good pump, patch kit, tubes, and tire levers and get some practice patching punctures before you leave home.  Bicycle repair is best learned at home and not on the side of a busy road. 

It is best to start out with the highest quality tires.  I had to learn this the hard way.  Before my long bike tour in South America I ordered tires at the last minute (mistake).  The store only had one of my preferred cycling tire in stock (these tires sell fast).  I could not wait for their back order system so I had to substitute a cheaper city or urban tire.  I used this lower quality tire on the front of my bike knowing it would receive less wear but it still performed miserably.  I had numerous flats and punctures in my front tire which turned into a continuous problem.  This tire finally shredded completely, only a few months into the trip, and at the worst possible time.  I was riding across the world's largest salt lake, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.  It took four days to cross this barren expanse and there was absolutely no possibility for help when my tire gave out completely.  Fortunately, I had a spare folding tire in the bottom of my pannier just for such emergencies.  I rode on this spare for several weeks through the remainder of Bolivia and northern Argentina until I found a suitable replacement.  I learned from this experience to never leave home with substandard equipment.

My cheap city urban tire is rendered useless when the sidewall ripped apart in Bolivia.

The world's largest salt lake and worst place to destroy  a tire.  This is why I carry a spare.

I have had excellent experiences with two brands of bike tires on tour. The Schwalbe and Continental Touring tires have lasted the longest (most kilometers or miles) with the least flats, slices, and blowouts.  These bike touring specific tires have tread patterns that can meet most cycle touring needs.  They can be purchased two sizes: 26 inch (MT mountain bike) and 700c (road).

The only problem with the Schwalbe and Continental Touring tires is they are hard to find in bike shops, especially when you need them, while traveling on the road.  Often the best traveling tires I can find, without shopping online, are Vittoria Randonneur Touring.  These tires, in my opinion, are not as good as the ones mentioned above but are usually better than other tires on the shelf in a retail store and provide pretty good value for the money. 

A  lightweight Kevlar folding spare tire will always occupy the bottom of one of my bags.  Bad luck usually strikes when you are the furthest from civilization.  My advice is to start out with the best long distance touring tires and travel equipment and always be prepared for the worst scenarios.  The longest days usually have nothing to do with distance. 

Continental Travel/Contact Tires:  My Recommended Bicycle Travel and Touring Tire

Buy Continental Travel/Contact Tires here The long trusted Continental Travel Contact is a very dependable tire and a good deal for the price. In my experience, they get the highest mileage compared to other bike tour tires in the same weight category and possibly the highest miles of any I have used. I especially like the slick smooth tread on top, like a bald road tire, with the knobs on the edges that don't touch the ground until you hit the dirt. It seems to be the best of both worlds and reaches an optimal compromise between pavement rolling efficiency and loose dirt handling and stability. The square-ish profile seems to float on top of gravel and sand better than other tires of the same width. The only drawback is there is no folding option so I recommend starting with two new Travel Contacts and, if your trip is in the developing countries, more than six months long, or over rough terrain also carrying a folding spare tire in the bottom of a pannier as insurance against a very bad day. I waffle between the Travel Contact and the Schwalbe tires (below) as my recommended best bicycle touring tires for the kind of bike tour I am on. I was riding on new Schwalbe tires in Nepal when a sharp rock cut a four inch gash in the sidewall. This may have been a fluke as any tire can have problems, but it was an especially frustrating problem to fix in Nepal. Since then I've switched back to Continental tires. Buy Continental Travel/Contact Tires here My personal link to the tires that fit my bike. Continental Travel Contact Tire - 26 x 1.75

---

Vittoria Randonneur Touring Tires

Buy Vittoria Randonneur Touring Tires here There are many great tires on this page but the Vittoria Randonneur line of tires are the lowest price touring and commuting tires I would buy. Think of them as economical: the best value for the maximum miles/kilometers. I used these tires in Argentina and New Zealand and know they can handle long distances on pavement or dirt, while carrying a heavy load. If your travel budget is tight but you still want good quality tires, look no further. It would be too good to be true if a tire in this price range was folding so I suggest you start with two of these and carry a folding spare tire below if needed. With the money you save buying these tires you will have a few more days of cash to extend your adventures. Buy Vittoria Randonneur Touring Tires here

 

---

Schwalbe Marathon Dureme

Shop for Schwalbe Tires Here This is the tire I plan to try next. I have seen an increasing number of them on the bikes of other travelers I meet. They look very tough but expensive. I have to give Schwalbe credit for including a Kevlar bead to make the tires lighter and the ability to be folded makes them easy to carry as a spare or have them sent in the mail. It is surprising how many bike tourist and traveling cyclists find themselves needing tires mailed out to dark corners of the globe because they are picky about tires (like me) and can only stand to use tires found in local bike shops for a short time till the package arrives. If you want a worry-free trip, and do not mind spending the money, then this may be your best choice. Shop for Schwalbe Tires Here

 

---

 

Schwalbe Marathon Plus Punctures become obsolete with the MARATHON PLUS! The SmartGuard layer made from a flexible, special rubber offers particular resistance to shards of glass and flints. Even a thumbtack cannot penetrate this protective layer. The SmartGuard belt does not increase rolling resistance. The MARATHON PLUS rolls as easily as a tire without protection. (from catalog) Shop for Schwalbe Tires Here

Continental Touring Plus A compact, highly elastic rubber breaker makes the Touring Plus extremely resistant. Stones, glass splitters and thorns have no chance. The layer strength of the Breaker is adapted to the rolling movement of the tire. Features and Information Touring Plus. (from catalog) * Security breaker makes tire extremely resistant to punctures

---

 

Folding Emergency Spare Tire Schwalbe Marathon Supreme HS382 (Folding Tire) Manufacturer: SCHWALBE Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Shop for Schwalbe Tires Here