# Tubeless Road Commuter Tires



## Bhaalgorn (Jul 16, 2015)

I don't see a recent thread on tubeless road commuter tires (not gravel/CX tires), so I'd like to see what everyone else is running. 

I've been on 35c Schwalbe Marathon Supremes for about a year now and have really liked them. Zero flats, they hold air well, and they roll nicely.


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

Depends on what you want out of a tubeless tire (flat protection, performance, etc.). In my [not so humble] opinion, the main draw of tubeless is performance increase...which is almost always at odds with adding a puncture belt/cap on the tire. I gravitated from truly dead tires (large Conti tourRIDE) which did their job admirably, to slightly livelier tires (Maxxis Refuse), to lightweight tires (Compass, aka Panaracer, Snoqualmie Pass), which were not only lighter, but larger, too.

I realized gradually that I had one freak flat in 3 years of riding, and probably didn't need to be riding around on tires that weighed (in some cases) twice, or more, as much as another comparable profile/tread. I know (from experience, unfortunately) that people are sold 'puncture protective' tires under the auspices of [read like a mobster stereotype] "it would be a shame if you were to...get a flat", regardless of where or how they ride.

I firmly believe that there is benefit in tubeless regardless of the tire you pick, but I also think that added protection that isn't necessary is, well, not necessary. Faster, farther, with less energy? I'll take that, yes, and thank you.

My commutes were typically between 8-25 miles one way, with only your average flat issues (broken glass, construction debris) so take all of that with a grain of salt, I guess.


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## SurlySingleSpeeder (Apr 7, 2017)

I roll schwalbe thunder burts on my commuter and had two good years with only a few minor punctures. They rocked proper until a few months ago, had a piece of sharp stone create a rather large puncture right in the center of the tread, approx a heavy eighth inch. I tried more stans, tried different stans, tried removing tire and completely cleaning and reinstalling it which worked the best, lasted through landrun100 actually! Yeah, the Burts have been pretty solid. I always carry a tube for back up, but I do not think you can refute the radness of tubeless!


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## cyclingdutchman (Mar 18, 2015)

The only ones that I can think of are the schwalbe almotion.

But if you like the supremes, why not stick to them?


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## Bhaalgorn (Jul 16, 2015)

That's what I ended up doing. I just wanted to investigate if there were better options. The Schwalbe Marathon Supreme (Evolution/Tubeless) 35c is really a great blend of rolling resistance, weight, durability and versatility.


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## SteveF (Mar 5, 2004)

I recently saw that the Marathon is going to be available tubeless. FWIW, I use G-ones for mixed road (paved/dirt) and they roll fine. I'd use them on a commuter, no problem.

https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_supreme


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## joshhan (Apr 1, 2011)

SteveF said:


> I recently saw that the Marathon is going to be available tubeless. FWIW, I use G-ones for mixed road (paved/dirt) and they roll fine. I'd use them on a commuter, no problem.
> 
> https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_supreme


+10000 on the G-Ones. Even the 2.35 are fine for commuting!


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

SteveF said:


> I recently saw that the Marathon is going to be available tubeless. FWIW, I use G-ones for mixed road (paved/dirt) and they roll fine. I'd use them on a commuter, no problem.
> 
> https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_supreme


I have a G-one on the front of my commuter and it's a very good tire. I just wish they were a bit wider. Would have preferred a 42, or even 45, over the 38.


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## Bhaalgorn (Jul 16, 2015)

I debated a lot about getting G-Ones originally, but went with the Marathon Supremes for longevity. How many road miles are you getting on a pair of G-Ones?


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## SteveF (Mar 5, 2004)

I've only had them on for a couple hundred miles-so far they show very little wear.


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## Berserker26 (Feb 13, 2014)

I've run both G-One's and WTB Horizons tubeless on my Slate which I commute on, never going back to Tubes.


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## jbandt (Apr 8, 2016)

Haven't gone tubeless, but I use the specialized sawtooth. It only comes in 42mm. It's tubeless ready I'm pretty sure. I've put several hundred miles on them and it's been great so far. 120tpi makes a difference in comfort and I find them to roll pretty quick.



Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk


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## Joe_Re (Jan 10, 2011)

I commute on my road bike. I'm running Bontrager R3 TLRs, 700x26. I've put a few hundred miles on them, I think, and I like em so far. They have been (knock on wood) very trouble free.


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## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

I've run a set of Schwalbe Marathon Mondial tires tubeless for the last 4 years with good results. Some tread wear information below:
- 




Only had one puncture over that time due to a finish nail entering the tread and exiting right next to the bead.


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## GTR-33 (Sep 25, 2008)

What's the difference between a "gravel" tyre and a "commuting" tyre? 

I have been really into the Specialized tubeless tyres. The Roubaix Pro 30/32 are hands down IMO the best in this class. Very comfy, pretty fast, a very practical size and only $40 retail. I've run these on all sorts of terrain, from 20PSI to 90PSI. IMO best on the road between 40PSI and 70PSI. They aren't the best on wet cobbles because of the lack of tread but are great on any dry and most other wet surfaces like pavement. 

There is the Sawtooth in 38C, 42C and 650x47B These are nice tyres too. $40 retail price for a tubeless tyre. Not as fast as the Roubaix Pro and definitely more of a mixed terrain tyre. These are a pretty decent winter tyre IMO and definitely shine off pavement. Definitely grippy and lots of traction. It is a soft compound tyre, so it's not long lasting tyre. 

Despite being 1CM larger than the Roubaix pro, these aren't particularly better ridind and are about the same in compliance as the Roubaix Pro. These tyres are more sensitive to tyre pressure IMO. Too high and they get bouncy and hard. 

Puncture resistance in a tubeless tyre is pointless IMO. I've also commuted on the Specialized Turbo Tubeless race tyres with 100% confidence. I'd only worry when it comes to the likely hood of a catastropic failure.

Schwalbe Marathon tubeless is a slow tyre but has great life span. I wouldn't worry about puncture resistance on any tubeless tyre really but the Marathon will last the longest. Life is IMO the only reason to choose a tyre like the Marathon. Marathon Supreme is a great tyre in 35C and 40C but is $84 for tubeless. G-One Allround and Speed are a good tyre too.


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## Volsung (Nov 24, 2011)

I like my 700x48 Soma Supple Vitesses a lot. They're super light and comfortable and roll well. The SLs will probably only last me 1700ish miles, but there are extended wear versions.

They also have Shikoras in 48mm tubeless that'd probably make it a good 5k miles at the price of ride quality. 


Their tires come in smaller sizes as well but they're not tubeless yet.


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## Bhaalgorn (Jul 16, 2015)

GTR-33 said:


> What's the difference between a "gravel" tyre and a "commuting" tyre?


There's ton of overlap here. Durability and longevity are the primary differences, and a proper commuting tire should favor these attributes more than a gravel tire. Gravel tires will generally be wider, have knobs and softer/more grippy rubber.

It's worth noting that there's a significant difference between the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme (SMS) and the tire of the same name sans "Supreme."

The SMS's have the best combination of weight, rolling resistance and longevity that I've found. See https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews for more information and comparisons.

I've got 3k miles on a pair of SMS's and I'd guess they're probably only half to 2/3 of the way through their lifespan, plus I've never had a flat.


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## GTR-33 (Sep 25, 2008)

Bhaalgorn said:


> Durability and longevity are the primary differences, and a proper commuting tire should favor these attributes more than a gravel tire. Gravel tires will generally be wider, have knobs and softer/more grippy rubber.


According to you... No offense, but a "commuting" tyre can be almost anything and so can a "gravel" tyre.

Also, this discussion is about TUBELESS tyres. Marathons are great tyres with inner tubes, but IIRC the Allmotion are the only tubeless ones. There are other tyres out there that are better tubeless commuter tyres, they just aren't listed on your chart.


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## Bhaalgorn (Jul 16, 2015)

GTR-33 said:


> According to you... No offense, but a "commuting" tyre can be almost anything and so can a "gravel" tyre.
> 
> Also, this discussion is about TUBELESS tyres. Marathons are great tyres with inner tubes, but IIRC the Allmotion are the only tubeless ones. There are other tyres out there that are better tubeless commuter tyres, they just aren't listed on your chart.


No, my Marathon Supremes are tubeless.


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

There's a dearth of tubeless-bead tires in the commuter segment. Maybe it's only the newest Supreme. Neither the Compass nor gravel bike tires quite fit the bill, though of course you can use either. I'm not sure about using a tire tubeless that's supposed to have ten thousand miles of life. At some point you must have to break it open and scrape out the crud, otherwise after some years you're going to be riding around on solid latex.

After a rash of flats this summer at the hottest part of the dry season, I started converting some bikes to tubeless. I like it, but not enough that I'm in a rush to convert them all right away. I replaced a FOD-slashed tire with a regular Marathon and considering my yearly mileage it might be years before that one is ready to swap for something tubeless-specific.


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## lesoudeur (Nov 3, 2005)

Installed Mavic Yksion Elite Allroad 30mm tubeless on DT Swiss R460Db rims. Mavic sealant. Been running them for about 400miles and had one puncture that self-sealed whilst riding so got home OK. Have bought a couple of tubeless repair kits, one external that I carry riding and one internal for a more major repair back home. No problems fitting and just top up with air every couple of weeks. Big improvement on ride quality and they grip well. I have about 70 psi in them.


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

I see that WTB now has a less expensive commuter tire with a tubeless bead (Cruz TCS Light). I'd try it if I were buying today but I'm not in need of tires right now


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## joshhan (Apr 1, 2011)

Found a decent deal online for a pair of those. Gonna mount them to hopefully combat the rash of flats I've gotten in the last few days. Thanks!


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## polojoel (May 2, 2018)

I've purchased two G Ones and they've tarnished Schwalbe reputation in my book. Both got puncture holes too big for sealant almost immediately. One has the brand name misaligned on the sidewall. I feel like I got a bad manufacturing run.

Moved on to WTB Riddler. Nice tire but after ~500 miles having slow leak. Hoping addition of sealant solves. Perhaps its just the wrong tire for the work. 

I want to believe in tubeless for commuting. Flats suck, but so does sealant & slow leak issues.


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

polojoel said:


> I've purchased two G Ones and they've tarnished Schwalbe reputation in my book.


About 1650 km on the G-one Speed (aka S-one). Maybe my problem is that everyone (both online and IRL) promised me they were going to be the greatest tires ever installed on a bike, and they were priced accordingly.

They've been.... mostly good I guess? Tubeless at 50PSI, they do indeed seem to roll like a 90PSI road bike tire, and handle pulverized pavement like a fat CX tire. But the wear rate is a bit off-putting, the rear tire is looking pretty worn.

Maybe it's my fault, the combination of paranoia from an accident and new hydraulic disc brakes on the road bike means that every time a driver cuts me off, I skid the back tire like a noob.


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