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What do you know about the tyres on your bike? Little? Nothing? Never mind! Let us surprise you with just how much technology lies beneath the inconspicuous black rubber. First of all: Not all tyres are the same. The construction of the tyre plays a major role and influences the riding impression more than any other part of the bike. Want an extreme example? You can see what an ingenious invention the pneumatic tyre is when you ride airless plastic tyres. Indestructible, perhaps, but unsafe, rumbling and completely undamped; you immediately wish you had pneumatic tyres back. That's what we're talking about here. They are all much better than plastic tyres, but the pneumatic tyres also differ in not so small details. Their shape influences the steering behaviour, their flexibility influences the impression of comfort - and their grip influences riding safety. And with the option of varying the tyre pressure, you can adapt the properties of the tyre to the route and your preferences to an astonishing extent.
City, country, mountain
We tested eleven tyres in the travel/tour, city/asphalt and e-bike categories - with enormous effort on various test benches and in practice - whereby the properties of the tyres in the three categories overlap significantly in some cases.
The 11 tyres for travel, touring and city in the test
- Conti Contact Plus Travel*
- Goodyear Transit Tour
- Schwalbe Marathon GT Tour
- WTB Venture 50
- Continental Contact Plus
- CST Platinum Protector
- Kenda Khan II KS+
- Schwalbe Energizer Plus Tour*
- Continental Top Contact II
- Schwalbe Marathon Racer
- Maxxis Overdrive Excel
The touring tyres offer slightly more or more open tread for secure grip off the road; they should roll as well as possible. In the e-bike category, we sorted heavy, robust tyres that are trimmed for safety and grip. The pure asphalt tyres are less profiled and in some cases narrower.
The tyres are between 38 and 50 millimetres wide and weigh between 546 and 1,427 (!) grams - a wide range. We tested all tyres on the same course, which included all common surfaces from asphalt to gravel and unpaved forest paths. On loose and slippery surfaces, there are only two tyres that clearly stand out from the test field. The WTB Venture develops significantly more cornering grip than the others, while Schwalbe's narrowly designed Marathon Racer doesn't quite keep up in off-road terrain. In principle, however, you can also ride off-road with all tyres. A steep climb on gravel was feasible with all tyres.
There are also striking differences in the driving experience on tarmac. The widely varying weights are clearly noticeable in the steering and cost energy, for example when constantly accelerating in the city. This point naturally becomes less important with an e-bike. If you are only using muscle power, you should take a closer look at tyre weight and smooth running. For e-bikers, puncture-proof tyres that can cope with kerb bumps are particularly suitable, as the motorised bikes are heavier and not so easy to lift over obstacles. S-pedelec riders must also adhere to the tyres approved for their bike. For normal pedelecs, the choice is similar to that of non-motorised bikes.
The tyres also reveal noticeable differences in cornering behaviour. The Goodyear has a particularly racy set-up; the Transit Tour tilts very dynamically in bends, making it extremely sporty to ride and yet confidence-inspiring thanks to its large volume. The Schwalbe tyres also steer lively. Conti's tyres are comparatively neutral, similar to the other manufacturers in the test.
Breakdowns? Almost impossible
To make their tyres puncture-proof, manufacturers essentially pursue two strategies. Some tyres have an extra-thick rubber layer under the tread to ward off thorns or sharp stones. Other models have special cut-resistant fabric under the tread, such as Conti's Top Contact II. This provides safety without weighing you down. Two tyres in the test field can also be ridden without an inner tube, which also improves puncture protection: Goodyear has an airtight carcass, WTB is "tubeless-ready", meaning it can be ridden without an inner tube (but with sealing fluid). In the case of WTB, tubeless is even urgently recommended, as the puncture protection is otherwise very weak.
We tested how well the tyres combine the contradictory properties of smooth running and puncture protection in the laboratory. This showed that the differences in rolling resistance are considerable. If the construction and rubber compound are not easy-rolling, it doesn't help to inflate the tyres harder - it actually worsens the riding impression. Schwalbe's Marathon Racer is the lightest rolling tyre, which was to be expected due to its lightweight construction. What is surprising, however, is that its brand brother Marathon GT Tour, which is twice as heavy, can hold its own in terms of smoothness. It is by far the fastest all-rounder and therefore worth an extra tip.
Cleverly designed
Our test shows that there's a lot of technology in tyres: the cleverly designed products get the best marks. Schwalbe and Conti are at the top twice and once respectively - this also reflects the balance of power on the market. Schwalbe dominates in the original equipment of the bikes. Specialised exotics such as WTB are most likely to occupy niches alongside them. In the profiles you will find all the details about the tyres and perhaps your personal favourite beyond our rating system.
You can download the complete comparison test of the eleven bicycle tyres including all test results and individual ratings as a PDF below the article. The test costs 1.99 euros.
Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in MYBIKE. We don't charge for them, but the opposite is the case: we do charge for them - hundreds of thousands of euros every year.
