C&O Home  GAP Home
The C&O Canal Towpath Trail and Great Allegheny Passage

Reply to Tires?


Cancel and Return to Forum
Scroll down to see the discussion
All submissions are reviewed for appropriateness. We reserve the right to remove or edit any comment that we consider incorrect, misleading, or inappropriate, at our sole discretion. Please remember that this is a family-friendly website.
Subject:
Reply to Tires?
Your Name:

This does not have to be your real name. It could be a "screen name", your initials, or just leave blank.
Your Hometown:

Optional - it's just interesting to know where people are from
Email Address
Comment:
So we know you are a human, please answer this easy math quiz:
2 + 1 =
Joe from Buffalo, NY on 4/18/2012 10:25:52 PM:
Riding Cumberland to Gtown next week. My touring bike has 28 mm Vittoria Randonneur tires (road touring). Ok? Or would a 32 mm cyclocross tire (Maxxis Raze) with a file tread work better? I am an experienced cyclocrosser racer with strong legs.

 
speedster on 4/19/2012 3:44:26 PM:
IMO, either will be fine.

I personally use road-oriented, tour tires, with basic treading on them, but nothing elaborate is required.

If its absolutely pouring rain and getting soppy and soft, the slightly wider, heavy-treaded cyclocross would make out better, but honestly, people waste too much energy on here worrying about tire choice, if I'm to speak frankly about this issue.

The C&O is a very run of the mill trail surface and not some trials/downhill mountain bike course. That said, I wouldn't necessarily advise doing it with a narrow, untreaded race slick either..so just use common sense and you'll be fine.

 
lenny on 4/19/2012 7:16:15 PM:
Put the bigger tougher tire on. You will push the road tire to its limit. I have pushed better tires than your 28 andhad some failures. I dontg think I am as strong as you either. the C&o can get ugly tough, surface wise.