tire suggestions

[anorange]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I went to my lbs today and they said skinnier tires wouldn't make that much difference and that I should just work harder to keep up with my group. They did take a lot of time to ask about my riding, looked at my bike setup, etc. They suggested Schwalbe Durano tires. They didn't have Contis. I'm mulling over all they said, and might go back and get the Schwalbes. I'm thinking about this too much

[Cataboo]

Erm. I'm running panaracer t-servs 700x28 on my surly. That's also a much more upright bike for me, and until recently it didn't have very nice wheels....

However, the panaracer tservs definitely are slower than my 700x23 tires. Now, I also claim that some 700x23s feel slower than others, and my bf thinks it's all in my head... however, I'm pretty sure even given the uprightness of the bike vs the crappy wheels vs the t servs - the t servs definitely slow the bike down.

I can go down a hill on the surly leaning forward to make myself all aero and just be going....Erm... why aren't I picking up speed? There's definitely some rolling resistence.

Now, if they're slowing me down more than like .5 - 1 mph, I have no idea - but they're definitely on the slow side with that tread.

I haven't ridden any other 700x28's though.

I've got a set of continental gp4000's in 700x25 that I just bought and I'm debating putting them on a road bike. I'm just worried that they'll feel slow compared to my 700x23's I usually run (I use some hutchinson kevlar 127 tpi tires usually, can't remember the name).

Things I read seem to be mixed with regards to whether 700x25s are slower than 700x23s

[ridebikeme]

Schwalbes are a great choice! Any time that I have put them on a customers bike, they have loved them! In fact, as I started getting bikes this year for maintenance work, many have requested them!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I used to ride Pasela Panaracers w/Tourguard(kevlar). They were great tires and a good price, but a bit soft feeling.

Now I like Continental GrandPrix 4 Seasons. They are very puncture resistant but a bit harder than the Paselas, I like them. I use 700x25. Don't want to go thinner than that, since we do frequent riding on back country dirt/roughgravel roads.

[ttaylor508]

DH and I just put the Vittoria Corsa 700 x 23 on our bikes. Love them!!! Really didn't think tires could make that much difference, but these are really nice. They are a bit hard to install the first time, but once you have a few miles on them, they are much easier to get on and off the rim.

[madscot13]

I used to ride Pasela Panaracers w/Tourguard(kevlar). They were great tires and a good price, but a bit soft feeling.

Now I like Continental GrandPrix 4 Seasons. They are very puncture resistant but a bit harder than the Paselas, I like them. I use 700x25. Don't want to go thinner than that, since we do frequent riding on back country dirt/roughgravel roads.

how backroads are we talking? I have 32's that still can't prevent shell shock on the C and O. I find them more than adequate for the DC roads.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

how backroads are we talking? I have 32's that still can't prevent shell shock on the C and O. I find them more than adequate for the DC roads.

I don't know what the C and O means.

We are talking some very sharp rocky backroads. Brandy just posted a picture on her biking blog of a road she was on recently that looks similar to a couple of the worst back roads we have ridden on:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/...54b4740e62.jpg
(great blog, Brandy)
We once rode downhill on a dried out creek bed too that was basically just a river rock trail through the woods.
Lots of back farm roads here that periodically get graded and bulldozed and spread with fresh chipped stone (can't even really call it 'gravel'). Sometimes they do a section and you don't discover it til you are there and can't easily turn back.
I'm really amazed that I haven't gotten more flats.
I've gotten 2 flats in about 7,000 miles, both were from long pointy glass shards.

I used to ride 700x 38's Paselas- big fat cushy things. I didn't get any more flats with either the 28 Paselas or the 25 Continentals.

Yes, the 38's did have a bit more 'cush' factor, but they were heavier too.
I never seem to have any 'cush' issue concerning the smoothness of my ride, having the 25's doesn't feel harsh to me. Maybe it's because of my steel bikes? I don't know, but I have never experienced anything I would call a harsh ride. (Except the one time I test rode an aluminum road bike for a couple of miles...I thought my fillings were going to come out!)

[madscot13]

Oh the C and O stands for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

http://www.nps.gov/choh/

http://bikewashington.org/canal/

I ride a steal bike too! Maybe I should start wearing bike gloves. I try to ride it with 32 tires, but maybe they are not a true 32 because every time I see a size 35 tire I am amazed at how much larger they are than mine.

I don't know how comfortable I would be riding on any paths like the image you posted. I think my wheels would get banged up pretty bad.

[mayanorange]

seems like you guys like the Contis- I'm looking at tires for Fern (Raleigh Super Course) and in 27s I can find Gator Skins or Schwalbe Marathons with the reflective sidewalls. Suggestions? I was leaning towards Marathons since I might want to do dirt paths with her, but maybe I should get a slick set and a cross set?