The Best Bicycle Touring Tires

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Bike touring lets you cover more terrain than walking, while seeing more closely than you can from a car. Whether you're out for a weekend or pedaling across the country, having the right gear can make or break your trip. While sometimes overlooked on a gear list, your tires will affect how your bike feels and what kind of terrain you can pedal through. Consider the type of riding you'll do on your tour and match your tires to fit your bike and your needs.

Michelin Transworld Sprint

Michelin's Transworld Spirit 700x35CC can handle the varied terrain on your bike tour. The Spirit comes with a tread pattern that will ride nicely on road but uphold on trails as well. The 35-centimeter width is much larger than a standard road bike and will be able to better disperse the bumps in the road. If your tour includes both road and trail, this tire is a good fit. Retailing for $16 as of March 2010, you can find out more at MichelinBicycleTire.com.

Vittoria Randonneur Cross

The Vittoria Randonneur Cross Tire comes in a range of sizes from 700x28CC to 700x35CC. Choosing your size allows you to further customize your tire to your touring. Choose the narrow tire for a faster ride on pavement or the widest tire for tours with a lot of off-road riding. Vittoria uses a double shielding technology to protect your tire from road debris and help prevent flats. The Randonneur Cross retails for $28 at Vittoria.com.

Continental Touring Plus

The Continental Touring Plus tire's design focuses on puncture resistance. An extra layer, designed as a puncture "breaker," increases protection against flats. A simple tread pattern will handle gentle dirt roads, but will ride more efficiently on pavement. Starting at $29.99, the Touring Plus comes in both road and mountain sizes. You can find the Touring Plus at Conti-Online.com.

Serfas City Drifter 2.0

The Serfas City Drifter 26x2.0 inch will fit bikes with mountain bike sized tires. If you use a mountain or mountain-hybrid bike for touring, it's important to choose tires that will perform well on the road while still providing the comfort that often leads people to mountain bikes for touring. The City Drifter's inverted tread will not increase rolling resistance on pavement and still provides traction on rough terrain. The 2" width absorbs bumps in the road and will handle off road touring better than a more narrow tire. The City Drifter can be purchased for $28 at REI.com.

Resources

Adventure Cycling Association

Article Written By Kathrine Cole

Kathrine Cole is a professional outdoor educator. She teaches rock climbing, backpacking, cycling, and bike maintenance classes. She is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School, a Wilderness First Responder, and a Leave No Trace Trainer.

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