Maxxis Roamer 2ply

Maxxis' Roamer tyres are a 42mm-wide semi-slick, designed to cope with everything from commuting to weekend touring. If you're seeking fast-rolling, road-going rubber for your adventure tourer/gravel bike, you won't be disappointed – as long as your frameset has sufficient clearance, particularly at the rear triangle.

Horizontal frame ends will provide a little more breathing space but the Roamers were tickling the chainstay bridge on my cross-inspired test-machine, a bike that will comfortably entertain 700x35s with full length mudguards...

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

Other vital statistics include 60tpi casings, Kevlar puncture protection strips, 'leaf pattern' shoulders for improved cornering prowess, and they weigh 740g apiece.

First, how easy are they to mount? The first 65 per cent lulled me into a false sense of security, before peeling away from the rim as I tackled the remaining 35 per cent, and this didn't improve with use. "Tease!" was the most polite of my exclamations... and in the name of good neighbourly relations, I fetched my magic tyre wand. (A big zip tie will do – something I relied on when fixing my only flat some 10 miles from home.) Pinning the bead in place, I simply scooped the remainder in place with a tyre lever.

You'd need to be going some to pinch a tube here, but having recently suffered a bit of a puncture plague, I introduced 30psi and double checked everything was properly seated before blasting home the final 40.

I've found 55-60psi strikes just the right balance between comfort and efficiency. They're seriously plush, gliding over speed humps, manhole covers, impacted dung and rutted bridlepaths. They're surprisingly perky too: getting away at the lights, weaving around obstructions, or catching friends unaware on the climbs requires surprisingly little effort.

Greater contact with the road's surface improves traction full-stop, but at 55-60psi, pushing hard on greasy descents hasn't taxed them, the shoulders just biting that little bit deeper.

The Kevlar strip does run to the shoulders but is slightly thinner here, so purge accumulated mud, soggy leaves and similar debris using a stick or stiff bristled brush to make sure shards of glass and other sharps can't get embedded and create mischief later on. My only flat in 300 mixed terrain miles was caused by a flint embedded in some horse dung, which caused the inner tube to rupture irreparably along the seam.

My testing has included a good 100 miles or so of dirt roads, towpaths and less challenging forest trails – as long as you're not going too mad, well within their capabilities. Dropping their pressure to 55psi for these sort of surfaces, their ride is compliant and generally well mannered. Although the shoulders quickly become clogged along wet trails, handling remains surprisingly predictable up to around 18mph.

> Read our guide to road cycling tyres

Back in the concrete jungle, there's been the odd pregnant pause when tackling wet manhole covers, railway crossings and similar ironworks, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Ultimately, they've done exactly what Maxxis says they should in its blurb. I would gladly put the 26x1.65s on my Univega, but I'd also pay a few quid extra for a more comprehensive puncture-repelling strip.

Verdict

Very capable big section tyres for commuting, touring and general riding