Road tyres for Vado SL 5.0?

[fatshark]

I've seen lots of good words about Pathfinder Pro's and a few other tyres for gravel and tracks, but haven't found a recommendation for replacement road tyres on a Vado SL 5.0 EQ. The tyres provided are Nimbus II Sport Reflect, 700x38mm, which I think are about 750g each. The roads I ride aren't perfect, but they aren't gravel tracks and I was hoping to get something lighter and perhaps a fraction narrower ... I've not looked around much but did notice Schwalbe Marathon Racer's in a 700x35c which are about 460g. However, I'd prefer a recommendation rather than taking pot luck.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@mschwett:
Mark, with what tyres do you ride your "just a bike"? I know you like the light weight and have tons of road-cycling experience.

 

[mschwett]

750g is a VERY heavy tire!!

i’ve used only three “road” tires on my just-a-bike and creo in various combinations, aside from reneherse off road tires.

right now the non-e bike has specialized turbo cotton pro, great ride and very light and fast rolling but not recommended for general use.

i rode on gatorskin hardshells for a long time because i was afraid of punctures. never got one. ride quality was so so but they would have lasted 5,000 miles or more!

my favorite all around are the continental GP5000, good combination of speed, puncture resistance, and ride quality. i seem to get around 2,500 miles from a rear tire, not bad. for a vado ridden mostly on road it would be a nice tire, especially set up tubeless, but it only comes up to 32mm and are presently very hard to find.

a good resource:

Road Bike Tires Test Results | Bicycle Rolling Resistance

An overview of all road bike tires which have been reviewed after being tested on our rolling resistance testing machine.

www.bicyclerollingresistance.com

and

Best road bike tyres in 2023 | 14 of our favourite clincher and tubeless tyres

The best tyres for racing, training and more…

www.bikeradar.com

i haven’t ridden those schwalbe tires, which seem reasonably well regarded, but if you’re good going a bit narrower i’d suggest considering a true road tire in 32mm, tubeless, at around 45psi. ride will be comfy and fast and there are a ton of choices.

 

[fatshark]

With many thanks. It turns out on checking the shed (!) that I've got some 32C's on my analog Cannondale. Not tubeless, but a reasonable tyre (Schwalbe Marathon Supreme) so I'll try these on the Vado and see how they are.

I'm trying to find the Nimbus weight online again. It's almost never quoted and there's a chance I was incorrect with 750g (which is a daft weight). I'll weigh one when I swap them out.

 

[Pork Rind]

I've been really pleased with the Gravelking Slick Plus+ tires, set up as tubeless. Yes, there is both the word 'plus' as well as the plus symbol in the name. Makes no sense. But they're light (350g), have puncture resistance technology, mounted easily, and held air well even before I put in the sealant. The tan sidewalls and minimal tread pattern look nice too. I run about 40 psi, and at that pressure, they eat bumps well, have more grip than I will ever find the limit of, and have held up well over the last couple hundred miles.

That 'Plus+' business is still dumb though.