Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires

My preference for tires is a wide, comfortable,  puncture resistant tire. And the below list reflects that.  . .

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 5 - Marathon Mondial 

These suckers are a little knobbly for an all tarmac / asphalt commute. They do come with "double" defence puncture protection as an option, which will mean you will hardly ever get a puncture. Life span for these tires is very high, and they will likley last for 12,000 kms.

These tires and there predecessor get very good long term reviews.

Marathon Mondial - Good on Tow-paths, Fire Trails and Dirt

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 4 - Marathon

The "classic" marathon tread is available in lots of different sizes, and different grades. For every day value look for the marathon green guard, or for biog spenders there is the marathon deluxe, with double defence puncture protection. Green guard is very good, and I have ridden these for 100's of miles with no punctures.

 Marathon "Green Guard"- Low Rolling resistance and a little tread for the rough stuff.

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 3 - Citizen

These tires can be had very cheaply and although they are not as puncture resistant as the previous two offerings I would not hesitate to buy a pair if you are on a budget.

These come in thinner sizes and so perhaps are not ideal if you are a heavy rider or carry a lot of weight in bags etc.

Citizen - Nearly Slick but not quite, very good value.

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 2 - Energizer

These tires are made to go on e-bikes, and for some reason this discourages people from putting them on normal bikes. In fact they are fine, they come in a pro version and a plus version. Plus as usual means extra puncture protection.

Energizer - E-bike . . . ANY bike.

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Number 1 - Big Apple (or Fat Frank)

Despite an effective downgrade in the new big apple, they are still a great tire for commuting, you may also wish to consider the Fat Frank. The big apple comes in variety of width sizes, and has "race guard" puncture protection which is the tire's only down side. Which is why you may want to consider Fat franks for the 2.35" size as they are "Kevlar Guard" and in my humble opinion a fair bit more puncture resistant.

If you fancy 26 x 2.15 size. . .  Lucky you, there is a "Plus" option with green guard.

Big Apple - Fat (or Phat) Rolls Lovely and Very Comfy

Top 5 Schwalbe 26" (559) Commuter Tires - Conclusion

Any of the above tires will give you many miles of puncture free commuting, the big apple is such a nice tire to ride on, I am slightly miffed that schwalbe do not offer the 2,35" in a higher spec, but there we are. If you are looking for a 2" (50mm) tire then choose one of the few available with "double defence", as they offer very good puncture resistance with little compromise on performance.

Let me know your thoughts.

Illustrator Devon

Energy Strategy