I bought these 40mm width tires and installed them on my 2015 KONA Sutra. I was looking for something wide and absorbing enough to handle gravel, but not with so much drag as to prevent me from riding on pavement. At the same time, I wanted the bullet proof reputation of the Schwalbe brand. I have not been disappointed. I've put about 1000 miles on these in mixed gravel/road use. I love them. Quiet, durable and reliable. Exactly what I wanted. Is the price too high? Well, it's really a personal choice, I guess. For me the ability to ride long distances without flats or other tire damage is worth every penny. They are heavy compared to other options, but my bike is a tank anyway, so it all works together.
I have converted my Cannondale Adventure One Hybrid into a light touring bike. After riding the GAP/C&O this past summer with the original 700x38 tires (which performed adequately), I wanted a bit larger tire with a little more "meat" underneath me. My research led me to this Mondial 700x40. I have approximately 200 miles on these now and I am very comfortable using these for my next tours. They have a very stable, secure feel, corner in the turns without hesitancy, and roll very well on pavement. So far, they are the perfect tire for me. BikeTiresDirect offered them at a very fair price and had them delivered without delay - thank you!
I rode the Erie Canalway route last week from Buffalo to Albany, NY as part of the Parks and Trails NY annual event. There are both on-road and off-road segment. I knew from a prior ride from Buffalo to Little Falls that the unpaved segments of the canalway trail can be soft and muddy when it rains. As such I decided to use the 700x40 Mondial tires. They performed spectacularly!
I rode a loaded touring bike (front and rear panniers, front bag, fenders, etc.) and had no problem maintaining control and traction in the mud, on the grass, on the compacted crushed stone, or on the loose stone and sand encountered. They rode nicely on the pavement also. No flats either! They proved to be a much better choice than the 700X32s with a street tread pattern that I had on the bike the last time.
I've also ridden these tires on local city and town roads that are in poor condition with lots of cracks, alligatoring, potholes, loose gravel, sand, sticks, manhole covers, utility access covers, etc. They are great tires for use in the city... comfortable and stable.
Just finished a 1300 mile shakedown slash warmup self-contained tour in the Midwest. This tire performed flawlessly over every surface from melting chip-seal, to gravel, to debris covered shoulders and trails, good road, bad road, no road, wet, dry, everything. Absolutely no traction or rolling resistance issues. I can't even notice any wear on the tires yet. That's a good thing, because I am headed up to Vancouver to do the Pacific Coast Route in a couple of weeks. It's hard to beat a Schwalbe tire, and this one is among the best of the best. It is expensive up front, but when you aren't changing flats or hardly ever checking tire pressure beyond the Charmin squeeze test you realize what a good deal you got.
Two thousand miles commuting and touring through one season. Not one flat or even partial loss of air. Not even a cut or slit to boot. No visual wear on rear with added weight of bags. Tread is great even on gravel roads. Soft sand not so good with 35mm, but expected. Rolling resistance is great and with the cross bike stripped down can average 18 mph on flats. Cornering is where you notice the aggressive tired, but still handles good. Just top off pressure twice monthly.
This is the most expensive tire I have purchased, but hands down the toughest, most reliable, and still fun to ride. Hard to place a price on that.
Bought specifically as a rear tire for my gravel bike because other tires werent cutting it in the wear and durability department. I am pleasantly surprised with the decent traction this tire has on gravel. This tire has already surpassed the other gravel tires Ive ridden while showing minimal wear.
Great all round tire for road and off road. They are a little noise at speed on the road - 25 miles an hour or above. If you want a tire to go anywhere that rolls well this is a great choice.
Touring and recreational riding use with loaded panniers. Good flat protection and rolls great. Front tire tends to grab at ridges in the road and can feel unsteady when you are not paying attention. Other Marathon tires are more rounded and do not share the grabbing. Mondial is however better off the pavement.
I got these tires for my gravel bike. I do mostly road riding, wanted a tire with some tread but still smooth riding. These are great for me. They are not light weight but they are very durable.
