tyres for race bike

JacksonHeightsOwn

at the moment im using Gatorskins ,for the obvious reason of good puncture resistance,

the one thing that does bug the hell out of me with the gatorskins is when you do get a puncture, the job of trying to put the tyres back on, they're damn near impossible to get onto the wheel

so is there anything out there that had good puncture resistance but is easier to get back onto the wheel?

100Suns

I'm not familiar with Gatorskins so cant really comment, but...

Wheels can be as big a factor when mounting tyres. What type of wheels do you have?

BTW, throw the tyres in a tumble dryer for 5 minutes before you try and remount them.

shaungil

or the hotpress.

kennyb3

100Suns wrote: »

BTW, throw the tyres in a tumble dryer for 5 minutes before you try and remount them.

Just dont forget after 5 mins. I managed to melt a zip off my swords jersey into a whole heap of clothes at teh weekend, needless to say it didnt go down too well with herself

OldPeculier

shaungil wrote: »

or the hotpress.

Will that fit in the saddle bag:D

I also user gatorskins and have had far fewer punctures since I began using them. I've found it very difficult to put the tyre back on but then again the punctures I've had have been out on the road and too far from home to take advantage of the hot press or tumble dryer.
Will defo try that idea out in the future though.
Only thing I've found using gatorskins is that you need steel tyre levers (used carefully of course so as not to pinch the tyre!), as I have broken several plastic ones!!

JacksonHeightsOwn

OldPeculier wrote: »

Will that fit in the saddle bag:D

I also user gatorskins and have had far fewer punctures since I began using them. I've found it very difficult to put the tyre back on but then again the punctures I've had have been out on the road and too far from home to take advantage of the hot press or tumble dryer.
Will defo try that idea out in the future though.
Only thing I've found using gatorskins is that you need steel tyre levers (used carefully of course so as not to pinch the tyre!), as I have broken several plastic ones!!

exactly, ive no bother putting the tyres on while at home, but out on the road they can be a real nightmare, you're talking the guts of 15 minutes to change a tyre

exactly what do the race teams use in the likes of Roubaix or the tour of flanders, surely they must be using something fairly puncture resistant

100Suns

Puncturing on those races is not a problem. They change wheels and engage the engine housed in the down tube a BB to catch back on.:pac:

They do use deeper profile tyres at lower pressures to cope with the pave. I'm not sure if they use additional puncture resistance. Lumen?

kennyb3

GP4000s tyres. Think i ve had 2 punctures since last spring. cue puncture on the way home now

JacksonHeightsOwn

kennyb3 wrote: »

GP4000s tyres. Think i ve had 2 punctures since last spring. cue puncture on the way home now

what are them puppies like for putting back on Kenny?

chakattack

I've got Pedros tyre levers and they are invincible yet not sharp in any way to pinch a tube.

kennyb3

chrisbonnie wrote: »

what are them puppies like for putting back on Kenny?

Fine for me, i put them on with my hands, no levers. Are you on fulcrums by any chance? I hear they can be tough to get tyres onto

buzzingnoise

kennyb3 wrote: »

GP4000s tyres. Think i ve had 2 punctures since last spring. cue puncture on the way home now

worst tyres i ever used. three punctures in a single race in france last year cost me a good place. never ever again. plus changing them is a curse at least with ksyrium sl's. side walls are also made from tissue paper.

JacksonHeightsOwn

kennyb3 wrote: »

Fine for me, i put them on with my hands, no levers. Are you on fulcrums by any chance? I hear they can be tough to get tyres onto

yeah, just cheap and cheerful fulcrums

OldPeculier

chrisbonnie wrote: »

you're talking the guts of 15 minutes to change a tyre

Glad to hear its not just me!!:)

jamescon

buzzingnoise wrote: »

worst tyres i ever used. three punctures in a single race in france last year cost me a good place. never ever again. plus changing them is a curse at least with ksyrium sl's. side walls are also made from tissue paper.

Agree, just had a sidewall blow out on GP4000 today with only 200 miles on it.

LCRC_BAX

100Suns wrote: »

Puncturing on those races is not a problem. They change wheels and engage the engine housed in the down tube a BB to catch back on.:pac:

They do use deeper profile tyres at lower pressures to cope with the pave. I'm not sure if they use additional puncture resistance. Lumen?

The pros use specially hand made 27mm tubulars by Vittoria, for some reason they tend to be green in colour. Most riders also use old style box section aluminium rims with a high spoke count as they're indestructible. For the cobbled classics they also heavily modify their bikes using cross bike forks, extra wide frames for wheel clearance, double wrapped bars etc, as 100suns says some even use engines...apparently.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gallery/article/pro-bike-alessandro-ballans-roubaix-special-15801?img=1&pn=pro-bike-alessandro-ballans-roubaix-special&mlc=racing%2Fin-depth%2Farticle#

Lumen

100Suns wrote: »

They do use deeper profile tyres at lower pressures to cope with the pave. I'm not sure if they use additional puncture resistance.

They don't need pinch-flat puncture resistance because tubs don't pinch flat.

There's some info from Zipp in 2009 here, talking about carbon wheels, bumps drums etc.

Looks like 27mm/72psi is the recommendation, but lighter riders can get away with 24mm.

And then here there's Columbia using 25mm Continental Pro Limited Competition tubulars, but others using the green Vittoria Pro Team Special Pave (also from 2009).

kennyb3

buzzingnoise wrote: »

worst tyres i ever used. three punctures in a single race in france last year cost me a good place. never ever again. plus changing them is a curse at least with ksyrium sl's. side walls are also made from tissue paper.

I ve heard about the sidewalls alright, and had one go myself but just thought it a freak. any recommendations so for same level of rolling and puncture resistance?

cdaly_

I've found the gatorskins easy enough to remount. Once or twice I've used a lever but mostly it's just thumbs...

fat bloke

Yeah, I've gatorskins and I put em on myself from new without any great hassle - no more than any other tire anyway. I had to remove the back tire last week - dirty big nail in it and that was fine too.

Last year I had Schwalbe Ultrema R1's on my good bike and I used them all season on loads of spins including a month in France and a good few sportives. They were fairly ragged by October but only once did I get an actual flat on the road.... no wait... twice.

I'll be getting em again this year. - And I got em in Joe Daly's - he was cheaper than cycle super store for them

DaveR1

I've had a pair of Bontrager Race Lite (Hard Case Triple Puncture Protection), which were put on last May, front and back. Cycled around Ireland, cycle every weekend with the club. Have done over 3500km (very conservative estimate) on the tyres and 0 punctures. NOT 1!!!!
I got the 2 lads who cycled around Ireland with me to use them aswell, and we got no punctures full trip. That was 1000km, each for 6 tyres. Neither has gotten a puncture since either (but they aren't really winter cyclists so haven't been out much since).
The pair on my bike look so worn now, well are so worn, but still do not puncture. Bought tyres in my local bike shop for about 20 euro. (Not sure if the price has changed, I don't even know how much a tube is any more)!!!
Pretty much they are just normal tyres, but as far as I can see their puncture protection works. Also have very little trouble getting them on. None of this hot press or tumble dyrer messing. Just put them on. 2minutes done and won't have to do it again for quite a while.

Hail 2 Da Thief

I recently put a pair of Gatorskins on Ritchey DS Pro wheels. There was no way I would have got them on without using tyre levers!

Raam

I once spent 40 minutes struggling to get a pair of gp4000s tyres on to my deep section wheels. When I was done I noticed that I had put gatorskins on by mistake.

PWEI

Trying to buy new race tyres for my bike but have no idea what to buy.
Cyclesuperstore have a special on at the moment on two different tyres.
The Schwalbe Ultremo R.1 and the Panaracer Extreme Evo III.
Would anybody recommend either of these tyres?

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/Deal.asp

Rallymad

DaveR1 wrote: »

I've had a pair of Bontrager Race Lite (Hard Case Triple Puncture Protection), which were put on last May, front and back. Cycled around Ireland, cycle every weekend with the club. Have done over 3500km (very conservative estimate) on the tyres and 0 punctures. NOT 1!!!!
I got the 2 lads who cycled around Ireland with me to use them aswell, and we got no punctures full trip. That was 1000km, each for 6 tyres. Neither has gotten a puncture since either (but they aren't really winter cyclists so haven't been out much since).
The pair on my bike look so worn now, well are so worn, but still do not puncture. Bought tyres in my local bike shop for about 20 euro. (Not sure if the price has changed, I don't even know how much a tube is any more)!!!
Pretty much they are just normal tyres, but as far as I can see their puncture protection works. Also have very little trouble getting them on. None of this hot press or tumble dyrer messing. Just put them on. 2minutes done and won't have to do it again for quite a while.

I got a puncture this morning doing 61kph down a hill with bontragers .On closer inspection the side wall had split where the puncture was its in the bin now gaterskins going on tyres only 2 months old back looked ok but confidence gone in them gaters allround for me.

PWEI

PWEI wrote: »

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/Deal.asp

Anybody use either of these tyres?

recedite

kennyb3 wrote: »

GP4000s tyres. Think i ve had 2 punctures since last spring. cue puncture on the way home now

jamescon wrote: »

, just had a sidewall blow out on GP4000 today with only 200 miles on it.

two different tyres; the "s" type is the better one, the black chilli tyre compound is good in the wet.

buzzingnoise

recedite wrote: »

two different tyres; the "s" type is the better one, the black chilli tyre compound is good in the wet.

my experience above was with the black chilli tyre type s tyre. never again.:mad:

kennyb3

buzzingnoise wrote: »

my experience above was with the black chilli tyre type s tyre. never again.:mad:

What tyres do you use out of interest?

C3PO

What is it about road tyres ..... for every person who likes a particular tyre there's another one who hates them! What's a new arrival like me supposed to do? At least with mountain bikes if you buy UST Maxxis Ignitors you just can't go wrong ....... (now wait for the detractors!!)

Idleater

RPL1 wrote: »

What is it about road tyres ..... for every person who likes a particular tyre there's another one who hates them!

Not 100% sure on this, but I agree as I'm in the same boat. It might be down to preference for a tyre attribute style eg grip/rolling resistance/weight/road feel and because the tyres are so small the tolerance on each of these is much lower than off road where you are always sliding one way or another in a relatively (un)controlled manner.