New commuting tyres?

divuk83

divuk83

divuk83

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York
I currently use Continental Sport Contact 700x32c tyres (I'm coming towards the end of my 3rd set), however they don't seem to make them any more? I want a fast rolling 28c commuter tyre for an all tarmac commute. I was going to splash the cash on some Grand Prix 4000S II (Folding) or maybe go for some slightly cheaper and more commuter friendly GatorSkin (Folding). If anyone has any thoughts or recommendations that would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Dave
 
Thanks, they need to be and all weather commuter tyres as I cycle every day regardless of the weather. Sounds like the gators are ruled out. I like the look of the Michelins.

Dave
 
I currently have Gatorskins (23c front/28c rear) on my bike, and haven't noticed any issue on damp roads - Fully wet roads might be an issue. Can't really comment on Speed as haven't tried many different brands, but were much better than the Hutchinson tyres my bike originally came with.

Not had any punctures in the 3 years or so that I have had them.
 
Few guys I have rode with have gatorskins and seem to have more punctures than most, I personally haven't used them but they do seem to be very hit and miss with the majority going with the latter.

I have GP4000s II (£55 for the pair) and they have been fantastic over my stock tires, were perfect through the winter and really come to life when the weather is better, no punctures for 1,500+ miles (which is quite good I think!).

Guarantee I get a puncture cycling home later now. :p
 
Avoid Gatorskins like the plague.

The only issue with some of the more expensive options (like GP4000SIIs) is that the softer rubber compound will be worn through a bit quicker than some of the other tyres you may consider. This is pretty much a case of balancing grip and rolling resistance vs longevity.
 
PermaBanned said:
Would certainly recommend looking into Vittoria. They're often overlooked, but I've had nothing but good experiences with them. Great grip and I haven't had a puncture to date. This is a great deal:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vittoria-randonneur-ii-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod124108
Click to expand...

I bought a pair of 35c Randonneur Pro IIs a while back, but the bike I bought them for (which needs a few bits doing to make it road-worthy again) hasn't been on the road since the purchase!

Must admit I am guilty of pigeon-holing Vittoria in the "pants" bin, all because of the amount of punctures I got with (Rubino Pros?) in the 90s. Bar those Randonneur Pros, I'd struggle to remember the last time I did not use Schwalbe on my own bikes...

I tell a lie, it was the stock Specialized Houfflaize 32c that came on my 2009 Tricross, that punctured on their first ~5min pootle around the block!
 
I can recommend the 4 Seasons for all weather use.
I've had them on over the winter (replaced a pair of GP4000s II) & I haven't noticed any difference in rolling resistance. Grip is certianly better & no punctures for the 3,000 miles they have covered.
 
Thanks all, got some Michelin pro4 28c from Wiggle. Annoyingly the box said 28c but after fitting the tyres I notice the tyres are 25c. Is it really going to matter that I squezed my conti 28-37 tour tubes under them?

Annoyingly I have noticed my front wheel bearings need doing while taking the wheels off, though this isn't a job for doing at work!

Dave
 
divuk83 said:
I want a fast rolling 28c commuter tyre for an all tarmac commute
Click to expand...
Little bit late but I just wanted to hype these Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres, can't speak highly enough about them! . . .

Durano-Plus_640.png
 
Michelin pro 4 roll and stick really nicely, recently bought some 25c from acycle £26 all in, however previous ones did not wear very evenly and had to retire them earlier than I would like due to threads appearing (maybe it was a pot-hole) - I had considered contacting michelin.
However extremely difficult to get on rims too, but fortunately never had a puncture, I contemplated trying to get some new plastic tyre irons, wondering if this might help ? .. in the rain/cold genuinely not sure I could change an inner tube !
 
@Random Think Schwalbe do an 80mm 18-28c tube. Or there's a bunch of non branded ones on ebay. There's always valve extensions. You're probably fine either way though.

@jpaul Tyre levers? What are you using at the minute like? How difficult a tyre is to get off depends on the tyre/rim combination really. I do like plastic levers though, less likely to damage the rim.
 
ok brookes (not a relation of David Bailey - sorry) probably from dark ages .. did not realise technology had moved on
even clipping onto spokes is hard

iron_zpsjcagjgs4.jpg~original


*update* rims are 622x13 mavic cxp-22 . could I have anticipated that a pro 4 25c tyre would be extremely difficult to fit ?
 
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