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Best Mountain Bikes & MTB Gear Reviewed

The Best Road Bike Tires for Puncture Resistance of 2018

September 15, 2018 By Melissa Arno

Product Name Wheel Size(s) Supported Traction Level Weight Price Range Score
Serfas Drifter 26, 27.5, 29 inches / 66.04, 39.85, 73.66 centimeters Medium 1 pound / .45 kilograms Affordable 3.2/5
Kenda Kwest 20 inches / 50.8 centimeters Low 1 pound / .45 kilograms Affordable 3.8/5
Continental GatorSkin 28 inches / 71.12 centimeters Low .75 pounds / .34 kilograms Medium 4/5
Continental Touring Plus 26 inches / 66.04 centimeters Low 3.9 pounds / 1.77 kilograms High 4.1/5
Hutchinson Fusion 28 inches / 71.12 centimeters Low .85 pounds / .39 kilograms High 4.3/5
Schawlbe Marathon Plus 20, 28 inches / 50.8, 71.12 centimeters Medium 1.3 pounds / .59 kilograms Medium 4.5/5

Make sure that you are using the appropriate type of tire for your riding needs. Our article is going to help you with this by reviewing six of the best road bike tires for puncture resistance. We’re also going to rank our selections using a combination of affordability and popularity.

6. Serfas Drifter

best serfas drifter road bike tires for puncture resistance

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Available Sizes: 26, 27.5, 29 inches / 66.04, 39.85, 73.66 centimeters
Grip Level: Medium
Weight: 1 pound / .45 kilograms

We’re going to start our list of the best road bike tires for puncture resistance with the Serfas Drifter series. It offers a hybrid approach that is perfect for cycling and light offroading needs. In addition to its versatile nature, this tire is fairly affordable and is typically easy to install on most bike brands.

As for durability, the tread pattern tends to last for a long time and the sidewalls wear evenly. However, the hybrid approach means it doesn’t ride quite as smoothly on pavement as some of our other choices.

5. Kenda Kwest

best kenda kwest road bike tires for puncture resistance

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Available Sizes: 20 inches / 50.8 centimeters
Grip Level: Low
Weight: 1 pound / .45 kilograms

The Kenda Kwest series is another one of the best road bike tires for puncture resistance. Their tires have special water dispersion grooves located along the tread pattern to help improve your traction and reduce splashback in wet weather conditions. The low rolling resistance design also helps to improve our acceleration too.

Unfortunately, we were a bit disappointed with the selection of available sizes. Despite this issues, users who can equip this tire to their bike will likely be impressed with its riding performance.

4. Continental GatorSkin

best continental gatorskin road bike tires for puncture resistance

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Available Sizes: 28 inches / 71.12 centimeters
Grip Level: Low
Weight: .75 pounds / .34 kilograms

The reason we selected Continental’s GatorSkin for our number four spot on our list of the best road bike tires for puncture resistance has to do with the unique tread design. The exterior of the tire is covered with a special textured layer called Gatorskin. This provides increased puncture resistance to protect the tire from a wide range of road hazards.

However, the texture is fairly flat in nature. This means that it doesn’t offer enough grip for more intense terrain types like dirt and mud. For road use, it’s more than adequate for extended riding sessions.

3. Continental Touring Plus

best continental touring road bike tires for puncture resistance

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Available Sizes: 26 inches / 66.04 centimeters
Grip Level: Low
Weight: 3.9 pounds / 1.77 kilograms

The Continental Touring Plus series was another one of the best road bike tires for puncture resistance. These tires feature a secondary layer located underneath the tire’s surface that adds extra protection from punctures. It also features a useful safety feature with a reflective sidewall design. This makes it the perfect choice for nighttime riding use.

Unfortunately, the high-quality materials and safety features do come at a slightly higher cost. In addition, the sizing options are a bit more limited with this particular tire type.


If you live somewhere muddy, maybe try tires designed specifically for mud.


2.Hutchinson Fusion

best hutchinson fusion road bike tires for puncture resistance

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Available Sizes: 28 inches / 71.12 centimeters
Grip Level: Low
Weight: .85 pounds / .39 kilograms

We decided to feature the Fusion series as our number two best road bike tires for puncture resistance pick. The main reason we went with this option as our number two pick is that this is one of the few tubeless tire models we recommend. This offers superior puncture resistance and is fairly easy to mount on most bicycle models.

However, users should also be aware that the overall purchase price is a bit high. This is due to the tubeless design and the high-quality rubber that is used throughout the tire’s construction. Ultimately, we feel that it’s an excellent choice that is definitely worth the extra cost.

1. Schwalbe Marathon Plus

best schwalbe marathon road bike tires for puncture resistance

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Available Sizes: 20, 28 inches / 50.8, 71.12 centimeters
Grip Level: Low
Weight: 1.3 pounds / .59 kilograms

Coming in at the top of our best road bike tires for puncture resistance list is the Schwalbe Marathon Plus. This tire is wire beaded to help improve performance and dependability in a wide range of riding conditions.

We love that this tire features a protective SoftGuard layer that helps prevent punctures from small pieces of flint and rock. While offering superior protection, it still manages to avoid increasing rolling resistance for a smoother ride. Overall, it’s an excellent tire that combines high-quality materials with an affordable price tag.

Conclusion

If you’re still searching for the best road bike tires for puncture resistance, please consider checking out one of our recommendations we reviewed. These tires all feature high-quality construction and come in a wide range of sizes and types. Once you’ve tried one of these tires out yourself, please tell us about your riding experience.

Comments

  1. Blair says

    November 5, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    I have heard that the Serfas Drifter is one of the better tires as it is sturdy and durable. As soon as I have the funds to invest in a mountain bike, I will investigate more into this brand of tires.

    Reply
    • Melissa Arno says

      January 21, 2019 at 9:06 am

      Hey, Blair! Yes, the Serfas Drifter is rock solid and can handle multiple surfaces. The Serfas Drifters are hands down some of the best all-round tires that you can get for the price.

      Reply

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