What tyres for a racer?

Jonny69

Jonny69

Jonny69

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It's new tyres time for the Jonny69 hack. Problem is I have no idea which ones to get or how much to spend :D

It's a classic Reynolds 231 frame, 12 speed and (luckily) 700c wheels so I can use modern tyres :cool:

Currently it's running some 25mm Hutchinson Excel kevlar tyres but I like the low rolling resistance of a skinny tyre and I think I want to swap to a 23mm wide. First question is I use this bike on the road, will a 23mm tyre be a problem with puncturing etc and should I stick to a 25mm tyre? Second question is I like the idea of a lighter tyre and I'm aiming for the 200g end of the spectrum rather than the 300g end of the spectrum. Again, is this likely to cause durability problems on the road?

I have a few options, ebay seems to be dead cheap compared to the local bike shop:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SCHWALBE-BLIZZARD-SPORT-TYRES-X-2-700x23c_W0QQitemZ320487680542

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pair-Continental-Ultra-Sport-Road-Tyres-700x23c-Black_W0QQitemZ310197800903

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Continental-Ultra-GatorSkin-700x23C-DuraSkin-Tyre-x2_W0QQitemZ300361339695

These look especially yummy:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2x-Schwalbe-Durano-S-Folding-Tyres-700x23c-White_W0QQitemZ370337953263

What makes a training tyre like the link below different?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2x-Schwalbe-Lugano-Training-Tyres-Black-Red-700x23c_W0QQitemZ310192423835

Also very yummy:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2x-MICHELIN-PRO-3-RACE-TYRE-MIC685005-RED-700x23C_W0QQitemZ370336392285
 
I go for either conti gp's or michelin pro race 3.

Both fast, relatively pucture resistant and come in a variety of colours.

I did not get on with the conti gp chilli compound. puctured too easily. and dont go for gatorskins, like ice in the wet.

edit - and the schwalbe blizzard sports are rubbish too. i once cheaped out and went for them, they went back to the shop within 10 mins of riding.
 
Cheers for the insight :)

What are slicks like on the road? There's very little tread on mine anyway and they have gone hard. Does a slick make a lot of difference on a tyre that skinny? I don't really ride it on the edge but I do like to be able to hit the brakes...
 
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they are great unless ... snowy.

Gp's or pro race are predictable. Gatorskins for me were not. I came of twice completely unexpectedly on wet corners.

good enough for the tour de france = more than good enough for me.
 
I have the Schwalbe Blizzards on my hack. They have been a good tyre, with decent grip and not a single puncture in 6 months. They didnt stand up to Turbo use very well though, as they melted and split, but otherwise I'd recommend them
 
I've got Conti GP4s on one bike, Schwalbe Marathon Pluson another and Michelin Krylion Carbons on another.

I used to have gatorskins, but I just found that they cut up and had far too many uscheduled deflations

So far the Krylion Carbons are my favorite for a balance of speed, grip and puncture resistance.

Slicks are fine on the road, you don't need anything else and if you do choose a tyre with tread you are reducing your grip.

Cycling forums are littered with threads asking this question and no two come out wth the same answer.
 
I went for Michelin Pro 3's in the end in bright red. I did Critical Mass last night so got some miles under my belt, changed the chain today and decided that the tyres are next, spokes, brakes and cut down bars soon...
 
Pro 3's are good.

I've had GP4000's before and they're not very good, I am running a pair of Vittoria Rubino Pro's at the moment that are a replacement for my Krylions that where pretty crap, they used to be good but have gone down hill.

I have a pair of Vittoria Open Corsas for racing though :cool:
 
Jonny69, how are you getting on with the Pro3?

I ride a Planet X SL Pro Carbon. I'm still using the tyres it came with a couple of years ago, the Continental Ultra Sport. The rear has a bit of a hole in it (1mm x 2mm) from a bit of glass so I'm thinking to replace. Looking at their range, it's pretty much a bottom of the range tyre, weighs 350 g.
Continental.png


My question is, is it worth upgrading? Either to the Continental Grand Prix Attack/Force pair or a different brand like the Michelin Pro3 Race? Are ~200 g tyres noticeably better than 350 g? Are they more or less puncture prone than my current Ultra Sports?

I'm 78 kg and don't ride huge distances, maybe around 60 miles a week during the summer. I am very wary of punctures so don't want to trade weight/grip for increased chance of punctures. I'd also expect to get at least 1000 miles out of a set.

I have a half Ironman race this weekend, then another next month.
 
Michelin Pro Race 3's are better than GP4000's and I'd say they're better than Attack Force too as they're quite abit more expensive than Pro Race 3's

Out of a good set of tyres you'd get more than 1000 miles, like 3000+.

I've got some Vittoria Rubino Pro's on my bike and they're awesome, long lasting good wearing, super expensive tyres don't make you go any faster tbh, although for racing I do use Vittoria Open Corsa's :p
 
Not quite following your first sentence, you mean the you think the Pro3s are the best? Are posh tyres more or less puncture prone than what I'm running now?
 
They're not the best, but I'd have em over Attack Force.

I used to have Ultra Sport, they're fine, you'd probs not notice much benefit from using more expensive tyres tbh.

Pro Race 3's and tyres like Attack force are racing tyres. If you want proper long lasting training tyres things like Vittoria Rubino Pro's would be good.
 
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