A few days ago I made a totally noob post asking if my Toppeak seat pack had enough clearance to ride safely – happy to report I've been on some test rides with the pack fully loaded and everything is well, I pretty much don't notice the bag and can almost hold the same paces I do with an empty bike!
Now I have a question about tires. I'm going to ride 1100km on all kind of roads in England and Scotland (no gravel), and for now my road bike (Van Rysel NCR AF) has its stock tires: 700 X 28 Hutchinson FUSION 5 Performance.
My friend told me I should get something sturdier, like the Vittoria Randonneur (700×28 as well). I bought the tires but haven't swapped them yet.
Will it really make a difference? I enjoy the smooth ride on my stock tires but then again, I'm a complete noob.
Pic: going around the local roads to test the setup today, Basque Country, France.
by berlinparisexpress
3 Comments
PS: online reviews say that these tires are a pain to install properly, which is why I’m hesitating to fuck things up 10 days before the trip. Also will probably need to ride them a bit to get proper traction?
PPS: that house is 400 years old!
If you are happy with your brand new tires you are allowed to keep them. If they are worn I would recommend changing them before a long trip
That being said, I’m considering 32mm continental grand prix 4 seasons for my upcoming trip
The 32mm will give more comfort on longer rides
Gp 4s seemed like a good trade off between speed and puncture protection
If you are on roads, your current tires should be fine. I prefer narrow slick tires on good pavement. Less rolling resistance and smooth ride.
For crappy roads and occasional dirt and gravel, and for rain, I’d prefer the widest tire I can fit on the bike, with tread. Wide to handle bumps better, tread to shed the water. Look for “touring” tires, around 35-38mm. Like the Schwalbe Marathon or Continental Ride Tour Cross/Hybrid.
My current touring bike has Terevail Sparwood 2.2” (56mm), but I’m doing mostly gravel roads