Best tyre for a Ridgeback Voyage

[PeterJ]

The Continental tyres on my Ridgeback Voyage are starting to feel like they are losing grip (I've had a couple of years use out of them). I was considering buying a set of Contintental Grand Prix 4 Season tyres but they only seem to come in smaller sizes (700 x 28 max). I'm assuming this means that they will be too narrow for my wheels?

Can anyone suggest a grippy tyre - I already have some Schwalbe Marathon Winters for when it's really icey, but I'd like something that is confidence-inspiring in the wet all year round. I'm not bothered about speed.

Thanks!

[Moodyman1]

I recently installed vittoria randonneur city on my bike and they're very good in the wet. Puncture protection good also. Can get them in wider sizes too.

[R_nger]

I have 28's (Schwalbe) on my Voyage - my wheels are Alex Ace Rims (???) and I think when I looked it up they could probably/possibly take 25's.

May be some useful advice here...http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-635376.html

[531colin]

Read Willem Jongman's contributions to this thread about Conti Winter tyres.....http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70034&hilit=winter

[PeterJ]

Thanks for all the suggestions and pointers. The Conti Winter tyres sound great. I'm wondering if there's enough clearance on my bike with mudguards fitted (I can just about squeeze in Schwalbe's Marathon Winters). I'm torn between those and the Conti 4 seasons.

[531colin]

Conti Winters on my bike don't measure much more than 32mm.
They ride OK, maybe not quite as fast as nice light slicks, but they don't feel like riding through treacle.
I have ridden them a fair bit on the usual sort of stuff you get in the back lanes at this time of year, ie. wet, muddy, broken tarmac, with no trouble at all.....but then I generally ride that stuff on ordinary Schwalbe Marathons with no trouble at all.
Also ridden over the odd diesel splash in the wet, which always makes me nervous...no bother.
Yesterday was the first time out on frosty roads, riding slowly and carefully I just carried on.....I didn't push it to see if I could make them slide, I expect you could if you worked at it, but it was certainly possible to ride sensibly and (so far!) safely. I'm getting too old to go pushing the boundaries .....finding out how good they are means risking coming off, and I'm not keen to come off on tarmac these days.....injuries take longer to heal.....so I'll just ride them, and it will take longer for me to decide how good they are......but so far, its looking OK.

[PeterJ]

Thanks Colin, that's really helpful. I'm not bothered about speed - have never used anything lighter than 32c Continental Contacts.

I feel the same as you about coming off! The Conti Winters sound like the safest non-spike winter tyre.

Have you ridden them in warmer weather? I'm wondering if they perform well then.

[531colin]

No, they were an early Christmas present to myself!
They should roll OK in warmer weather, I think, might wear a bit quicker than harder compounds?

[willem jongman]

The 700c size is nominally 37 mm but on my bike only 31 mm wide. It is relatively tall, however. Grip in the cold is definitely better than any ordinary (summer) tyre. Rolling resistance is not an issue, unless you are into the last bit of performance. My wife noted that when I recently fitted the 50-559 version on her bike it was faster in the cold weather we had at the time than her summer tyre, the 50 mm Schwalbe Big Apple. I take them off for the summer, because I find they are getting slower when the weather gets warmer. They also wear faster in the heat, which I want to avoid given their high price.
Willem

[PeterJ]

Thanks Willem. I think I'll get a set just for winter use then swap them with a different tyre when the weather is warmer.

[Aubergine]

I'm continuing this post, but a slightly different question - I'm thinking of using my Ridgeback Voyager for a South America tour and I'd like some advice on tyres!
We'll probably be cycling some off road parts - definitely the salt plains and possibly some unpaved roads in Chile / Bolivia.

I've currently got schwalbe marathons on (700x 32c), which coped well in some off road parts of the Himalayas, but I will probably need to be more sturdy if I'm having to carry lots of water with me for this trip. Any ideas?

I've been suggested:
Schwalbe CX COMP - since they are 'semi slick', so still speedy on tarmac but have grip at the sides if the road is rough, or
Continental travel compact.

Again, I worry if I go too wide then the tyres won't fit under the mudguards? Will it be a lot slower on tarmac? (I've only ridden a bike with really wide tyres 5 years ago, which was torturous going out with friends with thin tyres...)

I'd appreciate views of those who know more than me! Thank you.

[bryce]

CX Comps are nice versatile tires but significantly more draggy than 4 seasons. I bought some for mixed use riding, they ride nicely off road and feel fine if slow on road. After riding with them for 3 weeks, it was nice to go back to 4 seasons which work well for most of what I do. The CX comps do complement them well for occasional use or if you prefer a cheaper tire. They'll go back on when needed.

[reohn2]

Two possibilities to consider,a)more weight bigger tyre section,b)gravel roads=need for sturdy tyres.
I'd go for the biggest tyre the bike can handle with ample clearance ie 15to20mm under the m/guards if used.
If the Marathons did the job in the Himalayas why not South America? but going up a size to 700x 35 or 37's I've found them OK for dirt/gravel roads
Or you could consider two pair of tyres if prolonged off road sections are envisaged,Vittoria Voyager Hypers for the tarmac(quick and slick) and Schwalbe Mondials or Vittoria Randonneur Cross or CX Comps for the dirt.
It may sound a daft idea but involves only a max 1.250kg weight penalty and a 1/2hour stop to change tyres for the worst dirt road sections and would halve tyre wear.
Obviously you'd want to be using folding tyres to reduce bulk on the bike and you'd need to know how long the gravel sections are,as you wouldn't want be changing tyres every day.

[Aubergine]

Thanks for the tips!
Bryce - What are the 4 seasons? Are these a Schwalbe tyre?
Reohn2 - Thanks for the tip. We're going to do a few sections where we'll need to carry water for 8 days, so I'll definitely have greater weight than in South America. Would 37s be ok for this greater weight do you think?

Thank you,
Sara

[Bicycler]

You could carry two sets like R2 says and have tyres for each occasion. But if wanting a single set of tyres and wanting them to be sturdier than the marathons I'd be looking at the Marathon Mondial which is available in 700x35c and 700x40c. They are really designed for the kind of laden mixed terrain tour you envisage.