Best Road Bike Tyres

jmcd104

Could somebody please advise me on some good road bike tyres.I am currently using Michelin Pro 4 service course folding tyres.I find these a great rolling tyre but the big problem is trying to fit them onto the rim.I have just purchased new 50mm clincher wheels and found it nearly impossible to roll them onto the rims.I paid around €30 each for these so was hoping someone would recommend a tyre around this price.

BGT

Conti gp4000s are slightly more expensive but very good, & easier to fit than the michs.

martin.mcevoy

+1 on the Conti 4000s

iwillhtfu

I don't think I've ever had a set of tyres I could roll on by hand. I better hit the weights.

Conti gp or Vittoria pro evo are good tyres.

Merlin have the contis at a good price at the min

jmcd104

Thanks lads conti gp it is then

Mechanic365

If your just going to use the 50mms in the dry then maybe schwalbe ultremos but gp4000 is the best allrounder

bcmf

Ultremos are crao. Fast and grippy but weak and have seen the outer layer peel away from the carcass on more then one occasion.

not yet

martin.mcevoy wrote: »

+1 on the Conti 4000s

+2 On the conti's, got them a while back and will not be changing EVER.



until a better tyre comes along

C3PO

I'm with the rest on the Conti's - great all round tyre! The Ultremo's broke my heart!

ROK ON

Vittoria Open Pave are not in your price bracket (circa €50/tyre).
However they combine great grip with decent puncture resistance. They are a very comfortable tyre to ride on.

They have two vitally important characteristics that for me seal the deal;
1. The roll on and off a wheel very easily - I often do this without a lever,
2. When the puncture they don't lose shape - you can cycle a few km on a punctured tyre.

These two factors for me make them an ideal tyre in my view. No one likes puncturing, so when you eventually puncture use tyres that make your life easy.

I only used Specialised Armadillos once. Got about 8000km until first puncture.
P1ssing rain half way down the Wicklow Gap in the Hollywood side.
It took about an hour to change the tube - broke two levers and needed help from another cyclists. I will never again use tyres that are a hassle to remove.

Mechanic365

bcmf wrote: »

Ultremos are crao. Fast and grippy but weak and have seen the outer layer peel away from the carcass on more then one occasion.

Never heard anyone praising the earlier ones alri but I've had absolutely no problems training on the tubeless version

Dooish

always bought Conti 4000s for my summer bike but had two sidewalls blow out on me. any one experience something similar, not sure if i want to chance another pair

slap/dash

I get a season from the 4000s, and like them fine, but I'd be tempted by the paves. The open pave look to be discontinued? Is that true?

Mechanic365

Dooish wrote: »

always bought Conti 4000s for my summer bike but had two sidewalls blow out on me. any one experience something similar, not sure if i want to chance another pair

One of mine developed a little hole in the sidewall, but I just stuck a patch on the inside and I'm still using it.
You can't get the original gp4000s anymore anyway it's the mk2 version that's out now and I'm told it's fairly different casing but I haven't seen them yet, not going to need tyres for a good while tbh since the gp4000s that I have are wearing so slowly

ZiabR

I have been using the Mich Pro 4 for awhile now on 2 bikes. Great tyre. The Terminator wouldn't even manage to roll these tyres onto a rim. I have always used tyre levels in reverse to get these new tyres onto the rim.

yop

Been using the Pro 4 now for 3 years and find them great and hard wearing, haven't had a puncture on the yet (I've probably cursed myself!:D) They can be tough to roll on by hand but just do more weights!

Great reviews about the Contis and have a set at home but yet to use!

mossym

yop wrote: »

Been using the Pro 4 now for 3 years and find them great and hard wearing, haven't had a puncture on the yet (I've probably cursed myself!:D)

you haven't had a puncture in 3 years?

lismore7

I changed to C gp 4000s a year ago after a succession of punctures with Schwalbe. Very happy with them and will buy again.

Anyone any thoughts on moving from 23mm to 25mm?
Met a guy on a recent Sportif who changed, to get a smoother ride?
(sorry if a bit off topic)

yop

mossym wrote: »

you haven't had a puncture in 3 years?

Yip I always have the pressure at 120 and a few sweaty "Oh fook" moments when I was sure I had pricked the tire but thankfully no punctures

Not sure what mileage I have done, but I suppose it might be 5/6000 kms

mossym

yop wrote: »

Yip I always have the pressure at 120 and a few sweaty "Oh fook" moments when I was sure I had pricked the tire but thankfully no punctures

Not sure what mileage I have done, but I suppose it might be 5/6000 kms

i've done that this year and had 3 punctures. fine roads around you..:)

slap/dash

lismore7 wrote: »

I changed to C gp 4000s a year ago after a succession of punctures with Schwalbe. Very happy with them and will buy again.

Anyone any thoughts on moving from 23mm to 25mm?
Met a guy on a recent Sportif who changed, to get a smoother ride?
(sorry if a bit off topic)

Yeah I switched last year. Went from 23 to 25 contis on the road bike and 23 gatorskins to 28 4 seasons on the single speed. No regrets, much better grip in both cases, far more comfy on rough roads and no discernible diff in rolling resistance on road bike.

yop

mossym wrote: »

i've done that this year and had 3 punctures. fine roads around you..:)

I wish, they are frickin awful.

After all this I will probably get one now Sunday! The tires on now have a few nicks so their time is nigh. Had them on now for 2 years so they have done their deed.
KM's are sh!Ite as I am still suffering with back issues, until then I'm afraid it might be only 2000km's a year.

yop

slap/dash wrote: »

Yeah I switched last year. Went from 23 to 25 contis on the road bike and 23 gatorskins to 28 4 seasons on the single speed. No regrets, much better grip in both cases, far more comfy on rough roads and no discernible diff in rolling resistance on road bike.

Would you not lose speed on the wider wheel?

slap/dash

yop wrote: »

Would you not lose speed on the wider wheel?

With the 28 from 23 sure but gators are sucky tires anyway for grip in winter.

With 23-25 4000s not at all. There are lots of data on how the resistance may even be less with the 25s. Either way, for me the increased confidence gripwise is also a positive factor in taking more aggressive corners/ descents

Maidhci

Does anyone have any comments / experiences regarding Mavic Powerlink and Griplink tyres? How do they rate alongside the popular ones mentioned above i.e. Conti 4000 etc. etc.?

Cee-Jay-Cee

I'm on my second set of Pro4 SC's and love them. Comfortable fast and great puncture resistance. I had zero punctures on the first set (2500kms) and there's still plenty of life in them but I put a new set on for Mizen/Malin last week which I completed puncture/trouble free.

I'd like to try GP4000 II's but find it hard to pass the Pro4's especially considering the price difference.

The Pro4's are difficult to get on first time but using tyre levers and inching them on bit by bit does the job.

Brian?

+28 for the go4000s

mossym

had always heard the gp4000's were great tires, so picked up 3 of them for nothing with rose points late last year, but only got around to putting them on the road bike on Saturday as i worked my way through other tires. so first spin with them yesterday. 2 punctures.

admittedly one my own fault, hit a pothole i didn't see and pinch flat.


not blaming the tires just yet, i had a feeling it was going to be one of those days anyway:)

ZiabR

yop wrote: »

Been using the Pro 4 now for 3 years and find them great and hard wearing, haven't had a puncture on the yet (I've probably cursed myself!:D) They can be tough to roll on by hand but just do more weights!

Great reviews about the Contis and have a set at home but yet to use!

Much like myself, using Pro 4 now for awhile and love them. Good quality for the price. Yes they are hard to get onto the rim but the offer great grip in the dry and wet.

Donie75

Just did an extended 870km Mizen to Malin on a new set of Conti GP4000S2's. Fantastic tyres, zero punctures. Actually, the two year old pair I took off never punctured either. And I'm a big guy but I always run them at 120psi.

Alanstrainor

I had a similar thread up a couple of months back. I reckon I've covered maybe 1000km on my GP4000s on the rear and have only had one puncture...a screw...completely embedded. Nothing would have survived it. Awesome tire, love the grip, to cover that mileage purely through Dublin city centre and only have one puncture is amazing to be honest. I never put mine on the front, have a cheap vittoria (13 quid!) and it's covered 3500kms with no punctures. Also a great cheaper option imo.

EDIT: This is the vittoria I've had. Had 2 sets, and only replaced the rear out of fear of potential punctures after 2500kms. I reckon it would have survived a lot longer tbh.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/vittoria-rubino-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod31768

kuro_man

jmcd104 wrote: »

Could somebody please advise me on some good road bike tyres.I am currently using Michelin Pro 4 service course folding tyres.I find these a great rolling tyre but the big problem is trying to fit them onto the rim.I have just purchased new 50mm clincher wheels and found it nearly impossible to roll them onto the rims.I paid around €30 each for these so was hoping someone would recommend a tyre around this price.

or get one of these...http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/var-tyre-levers-prod27539/?geoc=us

Fian

kuro_man wrote: »

or get one of these...http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/var-tyre-levers-prod27539/?geoc=us

Thank you.

jmcd104

The VAR tyre levers look to be the answer to my problems alright if I'm going to keep using Michelin Pro 4's.Thanks kuro_man.

magicbastarder

i got a panasonic rimbo PT a few weeks back and put it on my back wheel. all good. got another one today, put it on my front wheel, put the wheel back on the bike, and pumped it up. wheel wouldn't budge.
turns out the kinda elongated profile on the tyre means that there's not enough clearance in my fork, so it wedges itself against the inside of the top of the fork when the tyre is inflated.

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

there's not enough clearance in my fork

has anyone else ever come across this issue? i have a relatively worn 23c tyre in there at the moment, and there's only about 3mm of clearance. is this normal? the frame is a ridley triton, probably at least five years old.

bullvine

How long should a road tyre last for? I have a GP4000 since August on the rear and I have done around 3000km since then, the little holes on the tyre to identify the wear are still perfect but I noticed a huge amount of tears in the tyre yesterday and I have ordered a Michelin Pro 4 to replace.

Just wondering. Thanks

Idleater

bullvine wrote: »

How long should a road tyre last?
Just wondering. Thanks

I've consulted with the piece of string and the answer is :
|<

---

>|

Way too many variables, I was delighted to get 3000km from my rear veloflex, yet I have 6000km on my commuter bontragers and still going strong.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Ture wear depends on rider weight, type of road surface, tyre pressure and ridersaverage speed.

I got 2500kms from the Pro4 SC on the rear of my bike. It was worn flat although there may have been plenty more life in it, I just felt with it being flat it would be slower and have higher rolling resistance so I changed it but I have seen people say they got 6000km+ from their Pro4's so maybe I was just being picky changing it so early.

Alanstrainor

bullvine wrote: »

How long should a road tyre last for? I have a GP4000 since August on the rear and I have done around 3000km since then, the little holes on the tyre to identify the wear are still perfect but I noticed a huge amount of tears in the tyre yesterday and I have ordered a Michelin Pro 4 to replace.

Just wondering. Thanks

I think I have around 4000km on my GP4000s all commuting. And they're still going strong, although I do have a replacement tire waiting to go on. The rear tire is showing a lot of cuts but I haven't had issues with grip or punctures yet. Just 2 punctures in all that time so it's not bad going. I'd say I'll put another 1000 on them before I switch them out to a Vittoria Pro to see how I like them.

gaffmaster

Currently, I've got a Gatorskin on the front and an Armadillo on the back.

I just ordered my first carbon road bike. So I think a tyre more suited to the bike would be fitting. But as you can probably tell, I find the trouble of changing a flat more annoying than a little rolling resistance.

Just how puncture resistant are GP-4000s? Or Michelin Pro4s?

Also tempted by 25c if my new bike has the clearance.

bullvine

Thanks, I am around 14.5 stone, so not the lightest, my cycles consists of a lot of spins around north wicklow plus the commute to Work. I have a slime tube in the rear to see how that works, I know the are very hit and miss but I have had one before and went almost a year without a puncture so I think they may work for me. It was yesterday that I noticed the greenslime seeping out of the tyre but the tyre was still rock hard. I went for a short 20km spin and the air stayed in it, probably just lucky though.

Alanstrainor

gaffmaster wrote: »

Just how puncture resistant are GP-4000s? Or Michelin Pro4s?

Also tempted by 25c if my new bike has the clearance.

The GP4000s is exceptional for a grippy tire with relatively low rolling resistance. I've put mine through hell and they still provide great grip and puncture resistance. I haven't tried the Pro4s yet however. I ride 23c and don't see any need to change that at present.

Thargor

How much rolling resistance do you sacrifice with Gatorskins does anyone know, is it actually noticeable?

Alanstrainor

Thargor wrote: »

How much rolling resistance do you sacrifice with Gatorskins does anyone know, is it actually noticeable?

My biggest complaint with the Gatorskins is the lack of grip in the wet. I found them lethal taking corners, even at relatively low speed. I wouldn't go back given the other options out there.

As for the rolling resistance, I wouldn't be the best judge of that to be honest, but I didn't notice anything major.

mossym

it's pure luck. i've a GP4000 at home, less than 50km on it. piece of glass all the way through it, punctured 3 tubes on one spin. hole is not huge, thought about patching, but i had a spare gp4000 at home and just replaced.

less than 50km out of a decent tire. i'm not that annoyed though, i got three of them from rose for postage only as i used the rose points i got when i bought my road bike from them. would have been a lot more annoyed if i i had paid full whack.

on the flip side, not had one puncture on the other wheel (Gp4000 as well, put on the smae time as the first), or this wheel since i replaced the tire

just pointing out there are no guarantees

Wishbone Ash

Thargor wrote: »

How much rolling resistance do you sacrifice with Gatorskins does anyone know, is it actually noticeable?

I noticed an improvement when I went from Panaracer Ribmo's to Gatorskins.

As Alanstrainor has said, their performance in the wet is their biggest drawback. You really need to shed speed coming into a wet bend. And that's just the standard Gators - the Gatorskin Hardshells are particularly slippery (but bombproof!).

Alanstrainor

mossym wrote: »

it's pure luck. i've a GP4000 at home, less than 50km on it. piece of glass all the way through it, punctured 3 tubes on one spin. hole is not huge, thought about patching, but i had a spare gp4000 at home and just replaced.

less than 50km out of a decent tire. i'm not that annoyed though, i got three of them from rose for postage only as i used the rose points i got when i bought my road bike from them. would have been a lot more annoyed if i i had paid full whack.

on the flip side, not had one puncture on the other wheel (Gp4000 as well, put on the smae time as the first), or this wheel since i replaced the tire

just pointing out there are no guarantees

Indeed.

I had a screw penetrate my GP4000 within the first 100km, but nothing would have stopped it. It left a noticeable hole, but have been riding on it ever since without issue. My second puncture was a sizeable sharp piece of glass that punctured it. Took me quite a while to find it. That was more recently after a lot of wear, but given the piece that was embedded I couldn't complain tbh.

Thargor

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I noticed an improvement when I went from Panaracer Ribmo's to Gatorskins.

As Alanstrainor has said, their performance in the wet is their biggest drawback. You really need to shed speed coming into a wet bend. And that's just the standard Gators - the Gatorskin Hardshells are particularly slippery (but bombproof!).

Thats grand thanks I usually go for a run in the rain instead of a cycle anyway if the forecast is bad, managed to blag a free pair of Gatorskins on my new Defy from the giant Store on Saturday when I brought them a report about the stock Giant wheels falling apart soon after purchase, as I said before I nearly gave up cycling 3 years ago before I started using the Gators, haven't had a single flat since.

The tax man

Speaking of tyres, fresh delivery landed this morning.

Forgot I had ordered them and was expecting delivery of a new crankset. Nice surprise upon opening the box.

bullvine

Should I bin the the GP4000 that I noticed the slime coming out of even though its rock hard.