Atlantis! Tire question

[Birdman]

Hi all,

I am beyond thrilled to say that I just put a deposit down on a 64 Atlantis with a double tt! Now I get to enjoy many months of anticipation while fantasizing about bike builds...

Speaking of which, I always rode 32mm pasellas on my Quickbeam as well as on my current touring bike, because of its relatively narrow crown and chain stays. The option of running larger tires on the Atlantis is part of its appeal for me, but I don't really know where to begin.

Any tire size/brand recommendations for commuting and touring with some gravel and dirt roads? I know it all comes down to compromises and personal preferences, but where should I start?

Thanks. I haven't posted here in many years. It's great to be coming back to the RBW Owners Bunch.

Isaac

[dougP]

Isaac:

Congratulations on having excellent taste in bikes.  Be sure to post photos when you've rec'd the bike. 

One of the many beauties of the Atlantis is the ability to fit all sorts of big chubby tires.  While 29+ may be pushing it, for your intended purpose you have tons of good choices. 

My personal bias is to Schwalbe because I hate flats.  I've been pleased with the 40 mm Marathon Supremes on my 58 cm Atlantis, having used them for many years.  When I was doing more touring (5-6k miles per year) I would only get a flat or 2 per year.  Rear tires lasted a year & fronts a bit longer.  I'm doing about 3,000 miles year now so rarely deal with a flat.  I also don't insist on getting the last mile out of a tire. 

I've also tried the Marathon Mondials.  They give better traction off pavement, at a penalty in ride & weight. 

Others have used a wide variety of tires for similar uses so you'll no doubt get plenty of responses with personal use information.  Compass, Soma, et al have all been used with good result.  The trade-off, as always, is puncture resistance and ride vs life span and flat resistance.  You may end up with your own tire inventory.  It's a harmless indulgence.  Enjoy.

dougP

[Ed Fausto]

+1 on the Marathon Supreme 26 x 1.6"

Used it on my 51 Atlantis during my TransAm tour last 2016.

I only had 2 flats in my 4 months of touring.

Ed

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[John Bokman]

Doug, I'm curious if you've ever tried your Atlantis with Marathon Green Guards. Wondering how they compare to the Supremes. On paper, the Supremes rein supreme, but in real world conditions I'd be curious. Of course they are heavy, but to paraphrase Grant: "With weight comes good things." I know over at the blog "Cycling About", the author did a tire rolling comparison (drum rollers, not real world) and puncture comparison, and the Marathon Green Guard came out very well indeed - especially considering the price per mile. For a true commuting/touring tire, it looks to be extremely long lasting.

J.

[Keith Muller]

I've been running Bruce Gordon Rock N Roads on my 64cm Atlantis with fenders. They are a 43c label width and measure about 43mm on a mavic a719 rim. When I'm not running fenders, I like running schwalbe thunder berts in a 2.1" width. 2.1" wide tires work great without issues of toe overlap. I get toe overlap running fenders with 2.1s. Running 43c tires with fenders, gives me just the right amount of clearance so I don't get any toe overlap.

Hope that helps!

Keith

[drew]

I have a 700c hunq and I also have run 2.0 marathon supremes and liked them a lot. Previously I had big apples, and felt the supremes were a step up in durability and cushiness. currently using 2.1 wtb nanos, which have been awesome on dirt, decent on pavement and can be found super cheap. 40mm conti speed kings felt ok but too small for the frame.
On my list to try are thunderburts and soma cazadaros. Wtb byway looks great and I hear they are gonna make a 700c version.

[William!]

Congrats on the Atlantis! I've owned mine just about 10 years and literally loved it to pieces. Currently waiting for a skilled frame builder to complete the repair…

I currently (well, previously currently) ride 43mm Soma Shikoros on my Atlantis. They are a slick round supple tire, basically a wider Jack Brown. I really like them for commuting plus occasional dirt/gravel and worn trails. They are wide enough to provide comfort and confidence, roll fast, feel great and they're hard to flat. My only wish is that they made them in even wider sizes. If they made them in 53mm, I'd be in heaven.

Best,

William

On Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 7:31:38 PM UTC-7, Birdman wrote:

[John G.]

You're going to love your Atlantis!

I'm running a set of Compass Snoqualmie Pass (44mm) on Atlas rims. They're nice and zippy, and really plush--a good transition if you're accustomed to riding 32mm tires. I like them a lot more than Schwalbe Big Bens. People say they have flat issues with them, but I've had only one (caused by a roofing nail) in a few months.

[RichS]

Birdman, congratulations on your journey to getting an Atlantis! 

I have a three year old 26" wheeled 53cm model. Tires used: Panaracer Paselas with Tourguard 1.5" for a more roadish feel. Compass 1.75" that feel sluggish on pavement but are fine on rough surfaces. Majority of my rides are pavement so my preference is the Paselas with 40-45 lbs of air.

Enjoy the anticipation!

Richard    

On Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 10:31:38 PM UTC-4, Birdman wrote:

[Birdman]

Thanks y'all, I appreciate the goodwill and good tire recommendations. I'm creating a list based on this thread, so feel free to keep them coming.

I'm beginning to think that having a couple of sets could be handy. One set of something tough (Marathons?) for 90% of my riding, which is commuting and erranding in the city, and a set to throw on for gravel/dirt road tours...

[Deacon Patrick]

For a Compass tire-ish like ride (plush and smooth, without built in flat protection) while having knobbies, Thunder Burts (less aggressive lungs, slightly better on asphalt) and Racing Ralphs (more aggressive lugs, better in mud, snow, and loose, a bit noisier on asphalt but still quite smooth) are excellent options. Racing Ralphs are my Hunqa's tire for coming up on two years now, after a year with Thunder Burts.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Birdman]

Thanks, that's one I hadn't encountered before.

What about a Compass tire-ish ride WITH flat protection?

[William Henderson]

That's be the Shikoro or Jack Brown Blue, I think.

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William

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On Mon, May 22, 2017 at 9:33 AM Birdman <ien...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks, that's one I hadn't encountered before.

What about a Compass tire-ish ride WITH flat protection?

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[Birdman]

I am super-intrigued by the Shikoro tires

[Deacon Patrick]

In my experience, outside a glass or thorn heavy environment, a low inflation, wide, supple tire is its own flat protection, as the suppleness allows the tire to compress around sharp rocks etc. I've only gotten pinch flats (from underinflation) and from riding the tires after the tread was worn down.

Patrick of the Moore swears by using liquid latex in his tubes to prevent flats in his goat head infested niche of the world.

There seems to be a wide variety of what works for people (no doubt for a variety of reasons) on commutes. Experience will be the best teacher. I'd aim for the plushest ride first and add flat protection if you get a lot of flats that aren't fixed by proper inflation (which can take a bit to dial in -- the basic idea is just enough air to prevent pinch flats and tire rolls in curves).

With abandon,

Patrick 

[Birdman]

Thanks Patrick, I've been looking forward to being able to go with a cushier ride on the Atlantis and had no idea that it can actually help resist flats. It seems i'll have to do some experimenting!

[William Henderson]

Agreed. I typically ride at higher pressures (70-80psi) for my commute, though I'll drop down for gravel rides and other such. I started with the Soma Supple Vitesse, which are absolutely lovely but just flatted too often for me. After a few weeks of that, I switched to the Shikoros. The do feel a bit stiffer, but they are still quite lively. They seem to roll almost on their own.

Curiously, the Shikoros flatted several times too – at first (including one flat during the World Naked Bike Ride. Made for pretty awkward pumping). This may have been terrible luck, but I wonder if the brand new tires were somehow 'stickier' and tended to pick up glass and other debris. I got two or three flats in the first two weeks of daily riding, and almost gave up. I'm glad I persisted: a year and a half later I'm still riding them and I haven't had a single flat. The tires have worn nicely, plenty of tread left (according to Ride Report I've put 3.5k miles on them).

Best,
William

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[Deacon Patrick]

Exactly. For me the Barlows on my Quickbeam and Racing Ralphs on my Hunqapillar are the sweet spot of cushy and thus allowing enough protecting for the riding I do. I can easily see how riding elsewhere would require a different choice -- in which case I'd try liquid latex next.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Ty Graham]

Hi, I'm a first run Atlantis owner (seventeen years, woot!)
I ran ruffy tuffy for a while, then Mara supremes on GP recommendation, then Jack Brown for many years.
Hated the Mara Supremes. Deadest feeling tire I've ever ridden. No flats, but what a price to pay!
Jack Brown was pretty good, but there's so much room on Atlantis, why not something wider.
Simultaneously, I discovered Gran Bois Cypres on my '69 Raleigh. Great feeling tire for a go fast bike.
When Compass came out with the Barlow Pass 700x38, I was first in line. I love this tire in both EL and regular trim.
I rode Portland to San Francisco 2 years ago, 900 miles fully loaded on varied road surfaces. No flats. Not a one.
I'm riding the coast again this year and I plan to stay with the Compass BP.

Ty Graham
Seattle

[dougP]

John:

No, I haven't tried the Green Guards.  I have used the Plus Tour.  It's even heavier & tougher.  One flat in 6,000 miles on the rear & it was a big screw.  I did notice a big improvement in ride & performance when I went back to Supremes.  I think the Plus Tour is about 2X the weight of the Supreme.

One of my touring buds uses what is probably the Green Guard.  He refers to them as "regular old Schwalbes, $35 each".  He gets few flats & they last a long time.  He does over 12,000 miles per year.

IME, once the bike is loaded up, I don't notice as much difference in tires.  But without a load, I can definitely notice differences in ride quality & performance such as getting up to speed from a stop. 

dougP

[Bill Lindsay]

If I had a 700c Atlantis on the way, I would seriously consider running the newish WTB Riddler 700x45 on there.  

https://www.wtb.com/products/riddler-45c

BL in EC

On Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 7:31:38 PM UTC-7, Birdman wrote:

[john Bokman]

Doug, thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I’m sure the Plus Tours would feel awful sluggish to me. I’m not a bruiser by any stretch. A loaded touring bike for me is only about 30 pounds of gear, max, so I would not be interested in anything more stout than the “regular old Marathon”. Even that might be unnecessary for my purposes. 

[dougP]

John:

A bicycle is such an amazing device.  We consider "only about 30 lbs" to be a moderate load.  What else can easily carry more than it's own weight?

Assuming that the 30 lbs is an occassional load like a lodging tour or an S24O, and most of the time you're riding unloaded, my suggestion would be the Supremes ride better than the Green Guards.  But for double the money they should do something. 

dougP

[john Bokman]

To be specific, a Rivendell bicycle is an amazing device, being able to carry loads with ease, while not giving up a great feeling, fun ride.

[Ed Fausto]

Hi Deacon,

Is the Racing Ralphs more plush and smooth compared to Thunder Burts?

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[Jeremy Till]

Another plug for Marathon Supremes, especially in the 700x40.  My touring-ish bike (Long Haul Trucker) is first and foremost a commuter, and my commute involves urban and industrial streets with glass and metal debris, and even when I'm on country roads the goatheads are endemic, so while I can see the appeal of Compass or Soma suppleness it just doesn't make sense for me.  And I actually feel like the Supremes ride better than a lot of other Schwalbe tires, certainly the heavier plain Marathons or Marathon Plus's.  I even think they ride better than the supposedly lighter weight Kojak, but a lot of that is probably down to volume (35 vs. 40mm).  Also, reflective sidewalls, which are a big plus for me.  

If you are looking for something slightly more on the supple side but not full on Compass wispy, Continental has some sleepers in their tire line.  Before switching to the Schwalbes I rode Continental Speed Ride in the 700x42 flavor and loved them, great ride, fast and decent flat protection.  It's kind of a combo cx/street tread so would also be great for gravel road exploring without giving up much on the street.  I may go back to them once I wear out my current Supremes but judging by their wear rate that may be  while.

On Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 7:31:38 PM UTC-7, Birdman wrote:

[Patrick Moore]

On Tue, May 23, 2017 at 8:51 AM, Jeremy Till <jerem...@gmail.com> wrote:"... the goatheads are endemic, so while I can see the appeal of Compass or Soma suppleness it just doesn't make sense for me. "

Just in case: 175 gram tires with Orange seal are fine on our dirt roads, and I'll be we have more goatheads than you do.

[Deacon Patrick]

Not that I noticed, Ed, but I just switched and kept riding happy and delighted, so I suppose the most accurate answer is the Racing Ralphs are at least as plush as the Thunder Burts as I'd have not kept ridding them if they were less plush.

With abandon,

Patrick

On Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 3:04:23 AM UTC-6, ed wrote:

Hi Deacon,

Is the Racing Ralphs more plush and smooth compared to Thunder Burts?

On Tue, May 23, 2017 at 12:31 AM, Deacon Patrick <lamon...@mac.com> wrote:

For a Compass tire-ish like ride (plush and smooth, without built in flat protection) while having knobbies, Thunder Burts (less aggressive lungs, slightly better on asphalt) and Racing Ralphs (more aggressive lugs, better in mud, snow, and loose, a bit noisier on asphalt but still quite smooth) are excellent options. Racing Ralphs are my Hunqa's tire for coming up on two years now, after a year with Thunder Burts.

With abandon,

Patrick

On Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 8:31:38 PM UTC-6, Birdman wrote:

Hi all,

I am beyond thrilled to say that I just put a deposit down on a 64 Atlantis with a double tt! Now I get to enjoy many months of anticipation while fantasizing about bike builds...

Speaking of which, I always rode 32mm pasellas on my Quickbeam as well as on my current touring bike, because of its relatively narrow crown and chain stays. The option of running larger tires on the Atlantis is part of its appeal for me, but I don't really know where to begin.

Any tire size/brand recommendations for commuting and touring with some gravel and dirt roads? I know it all comes down to compromises and personal preferences, but where should I start?

Thanks. I haven't posted here in many years. It's great to be coming back to the RBW Owners Bunch.

Isaac

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[Singlespeed Johnny]

i installed some maxxis torch 29x2.0 on my appa a couple weeks ago. super underrated tire. folding bead, lightweight and rolls super fast.