Tire Speed and Weight (Final update July 2022.) The section of road that I've been using to measure speed has been repaved.
With the tires I have laying around, and a some new ones I decided to figure out which tire combination is the fasted. Over the course of a few rides I came up with the results. And I'll update this page as I spend money playing around with different tires.
No science involved here, just going downhill and keeping track of the downhill speeds when weather and road conditions seemed to be about same for each ride I measured.
Max speed measured on ICE Sprint FS E8000 with max pressure in tires and no breeze, And riding with Panniers. Fastest and slowest speed have been eliminated. And finally odometer adjustments were made for tire size.
The most puncture resistant tires are the Marathon Plus and Marathon Green Guard. They are also the heaviest. The Schwalbe Plus tires are noticeably harder on the road. The Green Guards are a more comfortable ride. The Plus is more difficult to install and uninstall. Make sure you have three solid tire levers. A final word on the Plus tires, they are flat resistant NOT flat proof. Repairing a flat while on the road brings a few expletives to mind. That being said I'll probably use them during the Fall and Winter when there is a lot of tree debris on the road.
As for a comfort, it is my experience that whatever you put on the rear makes the biggest difference in comfort. The Schwalbe 55/559 (26"x2.15") Big Ben on the rear beats them all for comfort while still maintaining a respectable speed.
The fastest tire set (but not by much) is the Continental Contacts front and rear. I really enjoy the handling of the Contacts.
I also wanted to test my new Schwalbe Plus 35/559, however I never got around to testing it before the road was re-paved and I wouldn't be able to compare speeds properly. But with the 35/559 Plus on the rear and the 35/406 Plus on the front it has been consistent at 38 to 39 mph on the re-paved downhill section.
Lastly, I prefer smaller tires on the front for more nimble handling.
Arranged fastest to slowest.
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| The maximum downhill grade is -6.6% per RWGPS |
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| Note; If you're wondering from the picture, yes that is the Adventure Ergo-Luxe seat on my Sprint. I find it more comfortable than the Sprint seat. |
Shown fastest to slowest
Continental 406 Contact (E25) and Continental 559 Contact (E25)
37/406 (20"x1.45") - 420g 0.93 lbs
37/406 (20"x1.45") - 420g 0.93 lbs
47/559 (26"x1.75") - 670g 1.48 lbs
Total 1,510g 3.34 lbs
Speed Average: 39.7 mph
Speeds: 41.1, 38.8, 38.3, 37.8, 40.6, 41.7
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Schwalbe 406 Marathon Green Guard and Schwalbe 559 Marathon Supreme
40/406 (20"x1.50") - 530g 1.16 lbs
40/406 (20"x1.50") - 530g 1.16 lbs
42/559 (26"x1.60") - 440g 0.93 lbs
Total 1,500g 3.25lbs
Speed Average: 38.8 mph
Speeds: 38.9, 38.5, 40.8, 38.1, 39.9, 38.1
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Schwalbe 406 Marathon Racer and Schwalbe 559 Marathon Supreme
40/406 (20"x1.50") - 340g 0.75 lbs
40/406 (20"x1.50") - 340g 0.75 lbs
42/559 (26"x1.60") - 440g 0.93 lbs
Total 1,120g 2.43lbs
Speed Average: 38.6 mph
Speeds: 40.8, 38.1, 38.5, 38.5, 38.1, 39.4
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Continental 406 Contact (E25) and Schwalbe 559 Marathon Supreme
37/406 (20"x1.45") - 420g 0.93 lbs
37/406 (20"x1.45") - 420g 0.93 lbs
42/559 (26"x1.60") - 440g 0.97 lbs
Total 1,280g 2.83 lbs
Speed Average: 38.2 mph
Speeds: 36.5, 38.2, 39.4, 38.7, 37.8, 38.0
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Schwalbe 406 Marathon Green Guard and Schwalbe 559 Marathon Green Guard
40/406 (20"x1.50") - 530g 1.16 lbs
40/406 (20"x1.50") - 530g 1.16 lbs
47/559 (20"x1.75") - 875g 1.93 lbs
Total 1,935g 4.25lbs
Speed Average: 36.5 mph
Speeds: 35.3, 36.5, 37.7, 37.9, 35.7, 36.1
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Schwalbe 406 Marathon Plus and Schwalbe 559 Marathon Plus
35/406 (20"x1.35") - 560g 1.23 lbs
35/406 (20"x1.35") - 560g 1.23 lbs
40/559 (26"x1.50") - 870g 1.90 lbs
Total 1,990g 4.36 lbs
Speed Average: 36.5 mph
Speeds: 37.1, 35.8, 36.8, 36.5, 37.8
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Schwalbe 406 Marathon Green Guard and Schwalbe 559 Big Ben
40/406 (20"x1.50") - 530g 1.16 lbs
40/406 (20"x1.50") - 530g 1.16 lbs
55/559 (26"x2.15") - 760g 1.68 lbs (race guard)
Total 1,820g 4.00lbs
Speed Average: 35.5 mph
Speeds: 35.7, 35.3, 34.9, 36.0, 35.5, 35.3
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