Bike Tire Questions and Reccomendations

[CanuckExpat]

Hello all,

I was inspecting my tire part way through my commute for an unrelated reason and noticed that my back tire is probably in need of replacement (there's a whole on part of the sidewall through which I can see the tube). I was hoping to get some recommendations on what tire to replace it with, where to get it, and whether I should also change my front tire.

I don't think about my tires that much, and last time I changed it was a few years ago when I had a blowout part way through my commute. I walked it over to the nearest bike shop and they replaced both tires at the time.

My bike is a Marin San Rafael  and the tires currently on it are Continental Tour Ride
Front: 28 x 1 5/8 x 1 1/8  (28-622)
Back: 28 x 1 1/4 x 1 3/4 (32-622)

I'm not sure why I ended up with different size tires for the front and back, I never noticed until well after I left the bike shop, and it has ridden fine size. I'm tempted to just get the same size tire online (any recommendations where?), or get the same as the front tire (though I don't see that size listed on the continental website).

Should I also be looking into replacing my front tire? Visual inspection shows that it has much less wear than the back tire, though obviously I don't pay that much attention to my tires if I rode a hole through the back one.

Are there other make/models of tires that might be better suited for my situation? This is my commuter bike, but I've also paired down to only one bike, so I also use this for fun rides: mainly on roads, sometimes grass/dirt/gravel.

If I happen to get a blow-out on the rear tire before I get around to buying a new one, I'll probably hobble into whatever bike shop is on the way home and have them replace it with whatever they have on hand and reccomend, but I get the feeling it will be much cheaper to buy it online.

Thanks

[mschaus]

Having a slightly different size tire on the front and rear isn't a big deal. Unless you highly value the aesthetics of matching, you can safely just replace whichever tires need replacing.

But to get specific recommendations from the group, the first step is to determine the actual tire sizes (and if you are satisfied with the widths - many bikes can accommodate a width up or down). No need for a ruler; it's printed on the tire. Look with a flashlight if needed. From what you wrote, I suspect it will say something like "700c x 32" or "700c x 40".

[CanuckExpat]

But to get specific recommendations from the group, the first step is to determine the actual tire sizes (and if you are satisfied with the widths - many bikes can accommodate a width up or down). No need for a ruler; it's printed on the tire. Look with a flashlight if needed. From what you wrote, I suspect it will say something like "700c x 32" or "700c x 40".

I was expecting to see something like that as well but didn't. I double checked again, and the other set of measurements printed are like follows:
Front: 28 - 622
Back: 32 - 622

Edited original post with those numbers.
Well I googled it while having lunch. I now understand that my confusion stems from mixing between ISO, French, and American Inch markings

[abiteveryday]

Tires are always a tradeoff of some sort.  I like Schwalbe Marathons because I HATE getting flats.    But they are heavy and slow.     If you have actually worn through the tire in a weird spot, it's worth checking if you wheel is true and/or brakes need adjusting.    Because it sounds (with a highly technical diagnosis over the internet *cough*)  to me like your wheel has a wobble that causes a particular spot on the tire to jump out and hit a mis-adjusted brake pad.     

[CanuckExpat]

Tires are always a tradeoff of some sort.  I like Schwalbe Marathons because I HATE getting flats.    But they are heavy and slow.     If you have actually worn through the tire in a weird spot, it's worth checking if you wheel is true and/or brakes need adjusting.    Because it sounds (with a highly technical diagnosis over the internet *cough*)  to me like your wheel has a wobble that causes a particular spot on the tire to jump out and hit a mis-adjusted brake pad.   

What you said about wobble and mis-adjusted brake pad might be true. I found the hole in the tire because I noticed a weird repeating noise coming from the rear wheel. It's not uncommon for my rear-brakes or fender to come a bit out of alignment (I can't keep the fender straight for the life of me) since I tend to handle the bike pretty rough, throw it in and out of the car, bump it into stuff and drop it, etc.

I think either way I'll have to change the tire, then look for anything else. Actually truing the wheel is out of my comfort level, but I can probably check the brakes, and maybe finally just remove the fenders for good.

As for trade-offs with the tire. I'd like cheap, high performance, and resistant to flats.. I take it I can't have all three..

[Slam]

Try this: http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

[Slam]

I really like Kenda tires.  They're relatively cheap, and very high resistance to flats.

[abiteveryday]

Tires are always a tradeoff of some sort.  I like Schwalbe Marathons because I HATE getting flats.    But they are heavy and slow.     If you have actually worn through the tire in a weird spot, it's worth checking if you wheel is true and/or brakes need adjusting.    Because it sounds (with a highly technical diagnosis over the internet *cough*)  to me like your wheel has a wobble that causes a particular spot on the tire to jump out and hit a mis-adjusted brake pad.   

What you said about wobble and mis-adjusted brake pad might be true. I found the hole in the tire because I noticed a weird repeating noise coming from the rear wheel. It's not uncommon for my rear-brakes or fender to come a bit out of alignment (I can't keep the fender straight for the life of me) since I tend to handle the bike pretty rough, throw it in and out of the car, bump it into stuff and drop it, etc.

I think either way I'll have to change the tire, then look for anything else. Actually truing the wheel is out of my comfort level, but I can probably check the brakes, and maybe finally just remove the fenders for good.

As for trade-offs with the tire. I'd like cheap, high performance, and resistant to flats.. I take it I can't have all three..

With what you describe there, I'm nearly certain of what I suspected before.   Definitely figure that out, or you will replace your new tire just as quickly.   Regarding your last statement, honestly you can barely have two of those.     Continental Gatorskins probably strike about the best balance in my opinion.