Best Mountain Bike Tires for Touring?

[Meek One]

What are some of the best Mountain Bike tires for touring? Thanks.

 

[EmmCeeBee]

My choice is Specialized Fat Boys, 26x1.25. They're slicks, 100psi.

I've put 8-10,000 miles on them -- loaded and semi-loaded touring -- and had no more than a dozen flats. (My wife, though, gets a flat every couple hundred miles...... same tires, same inflation. Go figure.) The only problem I've had with them is people telling me "Hey, your tires are worn out!" -- they expect to see tread on bicycle tires. I wouldn't use anything else.

-- Mark

Edit: That's not 10,000 miles on one set of tires..... Several sets, the rear lasts about 1,000 miles.

 

[Meek One]

Will they fit on Mavic 217's? Any idea? Thanks.

 

[EmmCeeBee]

I checked the width on the Mavic 217: 22mm, I believe. The Fat Boys should fit just fine. I've gone up to 24mm with those tires. As far as pressure, I'm sure the Mavics can handle 100psi -- right?

-- Mark

 

[MidBunchLurker]

What are some of the best Mountain Bike tires for touring? Thanks.

I've used Conti Avenues, in 1.75 and 1.3 flavours. Both work very well - the 1.75 s are better for dodgy roads. Then I've also used Vredestein S-Licks 1.3s, but I haven't seen those outside of Holland where I bought them.

 

[bikertony]

I used Avocet Cross for my trip through China, Tibet, Nepal and India. I also used Avocet Cross for the trip I just finished in South America. They were rated at 80 PSI, but I always pump them to 90 PSI. I never had any problems from the over inflation. I also have liners inside the tires to cut down on flats. They seems to work quite good, but these tires are hard to find these days. So I am switching over to Schwalbe. Most of the cyclist that I've met seems to like it. The only thing I don't like about it is that the max pressure is only 70 PSI for 1.75-1.9 size. By the way, my choice for size is 1.9. They are sure a hell lot better for travel in the rough roads of the third world. But 1.75 is OK too.