tire suggestions

[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.

[anorange]

So I purchased the Schwalbe Durano tires. I got 700 x 25's. I really thought I was getting 700 x 23's, but failed to tell the guy at my lbs that was the size I was looking for. He thought I was looking for the 25's, and that's what he put on my bike. I didn't realize this until about 1/2 mile from the shop, riding on the new tires! I quick called them up and told them it was totally my fault, that I didn't explicitly say what size I wanted (in my excitement to get new tires I just forgot that important piece of information!). I asked if I could bring them back for the 23's and he said they didn't have them in 23's. He said I would notice a difference from my Panaracer T-Serves because these were lighter and faster. So I will give it a try and hopefully I will like them, because they were also more expensive that I was thinking. Where was my head in all of this??!!! From now on I mustn't lose myself in my excitement. I also fell in love with another bike while I was in there (don't let my Smoothie ES know). It's another Soma- a Speedster in a beautiful garnet red with a lugged steel frame. (Un) Fortunately it doesn't come in a small enough frame size to fit me. Phew!

[madscot13]

that will happen sometimes, but at least they are just tires. It is not like you bought a whole NEW bike because you got to excited.

[ASammy1]

LOVE the Conti grand prix 4000's! With the black chili compound, they are the best! No flats for me in years.
Tho I must say I don't know how they work in wet weather. I live in the desert so...

+1 on the Grand Prix 4000s! Thats what I ride and many of my friends ride the Gator Skins, so either would be a good choice.

[OakLeaf]

I've got GP4000s.

I just replaced the rear after about 2,300 miles. There was still at least a third of the tread left on it, which I thought was impressive, but it had several deep cuts, and I'd actually got a flat from cr*p that had worked its way into an existing cut. It was my second flat on the tire, and I'd already bought a spare since I wasn't sure how many miles I'd get out of them, so I went ahead put the new one on. I've had one flat on the front, just recently.

I like the feel. They seem to stick reasonably well in the turns, but I don't corner super hard. I rarely brake all that hard either, and don't remember anything particular about these tires under very hard braking. They do have a considerably more "triangular" profile than the Michelin Lithions I'd run in the past (like Dunlop motorcycle tires, if that helps anyone), so they turn in a lot quicker but might feel a little twitchy or take a little getting used to. I've never used them in very wet conditions, so can't speak to that. I admit it, I'm a fair-weather rider.

[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?