Consensus re MTB tyres

[in4time]

I ride approx 50/50 road and dirt track, with the odd bridleway thrown in for good measure. My endura 26 x 2.0's are pensionable after pretty good service; albeit a little too 'nobbly' for road work. Any recommended replacements please?

[hubgearfreak]

halo twin rails are fastish on road and yet good on gravel tracks, bridlepaths and similar stuff

[hamster]

For something cheap an effective, have a look at Specialized Hemispheres. I use them on my MTB tandem.

[porky]

I tried my new Continental Travel Contact tyres this weekend and I am very impressed. These have a wide slick area in the middle and knobs around the edge. The curve of the tread means the knobs are well clear of the ground when riding on a hard surface.

On the road they are silent and noticably quicker than the Kenda Small Blocks they replaced. I am going everywhere a gear or two higher. They were fine on canal towpaths and also surprisingly good in deep wet mud. On a mud trail which was only slightly wet they did slither about a bit, I suppose they didn't sink in far enough for the knobs to come into play. They struggled on wet grass but then what tyre doesn't?

They claim to be puncture proof and back that up with a replacement guarantee, but they are not light.

£22 each including a free (Presta valve) inner tube.

[Anura]

I ride similar types of terrain to the author of this post and need new tyres.

Does anyone think that Schwalbe Marathon Pluses would be a good idea as there is sometimes glass around areas I have to go through?

Otherwise I have also seen some good Specialized tyres. Or are Continental ones better? I ask this as I hate mending punctures as I'm a 'girl'.

[Ash28]

I put some of these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-land-cruiser-mtb-tyre/ (Wiggle may not be the best place to buy them) on my off road bike and I am very pleased with them. They are cheap, tough,look the part, roll well on tarmac and reasonable grip off road although they are not up to serious off roading.

Hey boys hate mending punctures too.
I have a bike with Marathon Plus and have yet to have a puncture (touches wood), commuting often through broken glass. The down side is they are heavy and a little sluggish. They would cope with bridle/tow paths etc but would not offer a lot of grip in really muddy conditions.

[graymee]

+1 for the Schwalbe Land Cruisers. They have a continuous bead round the centre so roll well on road and are knobbly enough for jaunts off road when it's not too slippery. They're puncture resistant too.

[travelling]

+2 land cruisers

Smoother middle for road with edges for dirt plus puncture protection without the weight of marathons

And mine only cost 20 quid a pair posted

[Greybeard]

halo twin rails are fastish on road and yet good on gravel tracks, bridlepaths and similar stuff

+1 for me too. A very good 'all-round tyre' I've used 'em on my GT Palomar hack all through the snowy weather too and have been very impressed. I have no problem maintaining 17-18 mph on my commute - which ain't too bad for a fat fifty-something

Steve

[Bikefayre]

Try the new Continental E-Contact as it will work on both gravel and forest trails [Continental's claim not mine!]. It's basically a city/trekking slick.