Anyone who has ever thought to themselves as a cyclist, loosely based on Karl Valentin: "I would have liked to...", but then didn't really dare, probably had the wrong tyres fitted. But that doesn't have to be the case, because today the selection of good tyres for the city and trekking sector is more varied than ever before.
Apart from the general technical development, which has not stopped at bicycle tyres, today's diversity is mainly due to the fact that the bicycle industry is creating more and more niches. And when new marathon bikes, gravel bikes, fat bikes or XYZ pedelecs are launched on the market, the right tyres have to be developed to match.
Large selection of city tyres
Trekking cyclists will therefore find a great selection of city tyres, as many of the new tyres have also been developed for use on pedelecs. Models with thicker puncture protection in particular are usually approved for 25 km/h (normal pedelecs) or 50 km/h (fast S-pedelecs). While cheaper everyday tyres are equipped with simple compounds (rubber mixtures), expensive models use dual or triple compounds. For example, a harder compound is applied to the centre of the tread to reduce rolling resistance, while the sides are softer and therefore offer better grip.
New category: All-season tyres
If you don't want to change your tyres twice a year, you'll be pleased to hear that the new category of all-season tyres is becoming increasingly established. New rubber compounds and fine sipes or knobs give these tyres plenty of grip even in winter. However, it should be noted that when it gets really icy, there is still no way around studded tyres.
The current trend towards gravel bikes opens up new possibilities
Until now, when riding on field and forest paths, you only had the choice between relatively heavy touring tyres (with shoulder studs) or buzzing MTB tyres (with really thick studs). Now more and more gravel tyres are coming onto the market, which are quite large in volume but still don't weigh a tonne. Their profiles are designed so that they can also be ridden comfortably on the road. It is therefore not surprising that some touring cyclists have switched to gravel tyres for light touring.
There is a clear trend towards wider tyres on new bikes. While 37-622 used to be almost a standard size for trekking bikes, 42 or even 47-622 tyres are often fitted to new models. Wider tyres are comfortable and provide better suspension, but if you want to fit wider tyres to your existing bike, you should definitely check beforehand whether the clearance is available.
However, it is by no means the case that the theoretical tyre width always corresponds to the actual width. Because manufacturers like to cheat here, it is often possible in practice to fit tyres that would theoretically be too thick. We measured all sixteen tyres in the test field precisely and two of them reached or exceeded their nominal width. There can certainly be differences within a model range: While the Top Contact Winter II Premium in 37-622 is effectively only 32 mm wide, the variant in 42-622 is actually 44 mm wide.
Do not disregard puncture protection
In terms of puncture protection, most tyres used to have either thin layers of fabric as a "breaker" (e.g. made of nylon or Vectran) or a thicker layer of rubber protection under the tread (usually 3 or 5 mm thick). Recently, manufacturers such as Continental, Schwalbe and Vredestein have been installing new protective belts in which a fabric breaker is combined with a slightly thinner rubber layer. The advantage is that almost the protective effect of a thick rubber construction is achieved with considerably less weight.
Good puncture protection is particularly important in the city, but the weight of the tyre should not be disregarded. Wheels are rotating masses that are constantly being braked and accelerated, and the tyres are on the outside. In terms of riding feel, it makes a big difference whether each of your tyres weighs 500, 750 or even 1000 grams. Touring riders in particular should always keep an eye on the weight of their tyres. It is true that heavy tyres are not quite so noticeable on flat stretches, but if you want to set off on a longer mountain tour, you should be strict about tyre weight - you really notice every gram.
Puncture protection can also be achieved without a tube. Tubeless tyres have now become established on mountain bikes, and many gravel bikes are equipped with tubeless tyres. What do you think of tubeless tyres on trekking bikes? Major manufacturers such as Schwalbe propagate tubeless tyres as the future. It is undoubtedly true that such tyres have important advantages not only in terms of puncture protection, but also in terms of rolling resistance.
However, there are currently many disadvantages: The wheels have to be designed for tubeless and the initial fitting requires either a special pump or a compressor, as well as the use of sealant. If something goes wrong, there's a huge mess. In addition, the sealant has to be replaced at regular intervals.
It cannot be said or written often enough: Check the air pressure in your tyres at least once, preferably twice a month. If you've been thinking about buying new tyres for a while, the saying goes: the proof of the pudding is in the eating!
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 3/2017.
