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My tires are worn out so I want to change them.

When I am trying to change them, I want them to be to the best fit for the conditions I cycle in. I cycle about 30 km a day on roads ranging from smooth pitched roads to very rough roads consisting of pits and stones in the most haphazard way.

Please suggest a type of tire that would be best for me. There do not need to be considerations for snow, it does not snow where I cycle.

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  • General comment: Look for a tire with no tread to speak of in the center -- any lugs should be off to the side and designed to not contact the road on a smooth surface. – Daniel R Hicks Jun 25 '12 at 20:25
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What you are looking for is a hybrid tire with not enough tread to be a nuisance and slow you down on the road, but enough tred so that when you go off road you are not losing traction on gravel and mud.

For example Bontrager makes a hybrid tire that is nice: Bontrager hybrid tire

Also, go with the hard wall tires whenever you can. they cost a little more, but they are more puncture resistant. So they will cause you less grief on the road.

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  • Despite the lack of tread, I think this will work for the situation described. Unless there are stretches of loose gravel or mud where traction is a problem, a smooth tyre like this should be fine. If not, the "semi tread" tyres will be better. Something like a Continental Travel Contact, perhaps. But some people dislike that style. – Мסž May 15 '11 at 23:03
  • I am wondering about one thing. Is there a risk of flat tire on rough terrains or even breakage or tears on such tires? – Starx Jun 2 '11 at 9:45
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    You run the risk of flat tires with all tires. If you want to mitigate that risk they sell tires that are lined with Kevlar. That's what I use because I commute all the time and having a flat on an eight mile commute sucks. – Chris Belsole Jun 2 '11 at 13:35
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I was looking for something similar to what you are now about six months ago. I was looking for low rolling resistance, durability and flexibility on a variety of surfaces.

Having used them for this time with one flat caused by a large shard of glass, I'm happy to recommend the 'Panaracer T-Serv PT'. Details at http://www.panaracer.com/urban.php .

I'm uncertain as to the availability outside this part of the world, but thought I'd let you know anyway.

Good luck!

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I might suggest you look for a "touring" tire, which I expect is made for reliable long distances on roads including rough roads. For example I have Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, and I like them (e.g. for 30 km/day): they are much stronger than my previous tires, and they resist getting flats.

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  • Yeah, this is a situation where a touring tire is ideal. Low rolling resistance on smooth pavement, but designed to handle rough roads. Lugged tires are not needed so long as the surface is not too loose. – Daniel R Hicks Jun 23 '12 at 20:22
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The WTB NanoRaptor (looks like it's now just the "Nano") is one of the more popular MTB tires with pavement performance in mind. It's more off road oriented than the tires that Stopher87 suggests, but still has a nearly continuous center bead that makes it roll smoothly on asphalt. It may work better for you on loose gravel roads. Here is the 29er version: http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/29er/nano-29er/

Nano

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Knobby treads are really only useful in mud, sand, or snow. On roads (even rough ones) they just add extra weight and noise.

Of the tires listed so far, the Bontrager and Panaracer tires look like better choices than the NanoRaptor.

I've heard good things about the Schwalbe Big Apple as well.

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First off, you haven't said what type of bike and size of rim you're riding. 26" tires will not fit on a bike with 700c wheels and vice versa. Also, if you're riding a road bike you probably won't be able to fit anything bigger than a 700x25 or 700x28 on it and you almost certainly won't be able to get anything with much tread on it.

That said, get the largest tire you can get on your frame. It'll slow you down a bit on the road, but it'll speed you up a lot on the rough patches and smooth out your ride as well.

As far as the tread goes, I would look for something with a good number of large knobs on it that are fairly close together. Too much tread and you'll feel it on the road, too little and you'll be slipping around on the pitted and rocky patches. I don't have experience with this particular tire, but this is what I mean by large knobs that are fairly close together: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=hybrid+bicycle+tires&hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=655&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=7981081227657122988&sa=X&ei=gsLoT4WcN-Ps2gXlwOSJCw&ved=0CKoBEPMCMAk4Cg

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