Should I switch tyres?

BenEadir

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to road cycling. I purchased a bike in June and get out 2-3 times a week for between 30km and 50km spins from Leopardstown up around Enniskerry, out towards Tallaght, down to Bray etc.

When the weather was mostly dry I had no issues with grip on the Schwalbe Lugano 25x622 tyres which came with the Fulcrum Racing 77 wheels on my bike but last weekend I lost the front wheel twice and the back end once and none of those events were high speed/careless manoeuvres. The back end I lost taking a pretty slow left turn at Stillorgan Luas in the dry!! Thankfully I corrected the slide and didn't fall but one of the front end slides put me on my arse!!

I guess it could be poor riding technique on my behalf but all three slides really surprised me so I asked my LBS if they could fit winter tyres to improve grip and they suggested 25m Conti Gator Skins which I've asked them to fit but having read some of the comments on here I'm getting a bit worried!!

Why so many negative comments? Do they not do a god job? My priority is to avoid injury, if that means some trade off in terms of comfort and speed the that's a bargain I'm willing to make.

Even if they are not everyone's cup of tea I assume they'll be way grippier than the Schwalbe Lugano's which appear to me to be pure slicks!!!

Thoughts from those of you more experienced than I???

bcmf

Run your tyres a few psi lower in winter then in summer. The roads are now a lot greasier and running a few psi less will give the tyre more contact with the surface.

BenEadir

bcmf wrote: »

Run your tyres a few psi lower in winter then in summer. The roads are now a lot greasier and running a few psi less will give the tyre more contact with the surface.

I've been running them around 100psi. Too high?

Beasty

Gatorskins are for puncture resistance and certainly not grip. Do a search here and you will find plenty of negative comments. Your old tyres were probably a lot grippier than the ones you have on now. Again a search will reveal a few threads even over the past couple of months with plenty of suggestions for suitable tyres for riding in the winter and particularly when you need that bit more grip

bcmf

BenEadir wrote: »

I've been running them around 100psi. Too high?

FOR 25's I would say possibly yes.
Go down to 95 and see how you fare.
Any lower then 90 and you may risk getting pinch flats.

crosstownk

I'm just over a year back cycling. I've been through almost 3 sets of tyres.

First were the Giant tyres that came with the bike. Rubbish. I got about 1,000km out of them. Then I changed to Michelin Pro 4 Sevice Course and the difference was immediately noticeable. They rolled better and gripped better and gave me more confidence. The Michelins lasted about 3,000km before the rear went a bit flat and worn. I changed to Mavic Aksions. The Mavics have done over 1,000km but don't have the grip or roll that the Michelins had. They feel a lot giddier on the road. I've a pair of Campagnolo Zondas on order and I've a pair of Michelin Pro 4's ready to fit to them and can't wait to try the Zonda/Michelin set up out.

Conti GP4000 get great reviews too but I haven't tried them yet. Lots of the folks here swear by them so that's a good thing. The Contis are probably more durable than the Michelins. I like a bit of puncture resistance but changing a tube only takes a few minutes and I'd sooner that few minutes to change a tube rather than get Gatorskins that will take minutes of each and every spin.

I run the Michelins around 90/95 PSI.

That's my limited opinion for what it's worth.

jamesd

I swapped from the 4000s to the 4 season's for the winter - really impressed with them.

BenEadir

crosstownk wrote: »

That's my limited opinion for what it's worth.

Thanks Crosstownk, appreciate the feedback.

I just spent some time reading reviews and i have to say the Conti GP4,000's appeal to me. I don't skimp on tyre's on my car so why wouldn't i get the best tyres i can afford for my bike? Like you, at 46old and 98kgs I'd rather spend some extra time fixing the odd puncture than sliding off the bike and nursing the damage for a few weeks.

jamesd

I didn't think the gp4000s had enough grip for wet weather

Wishbone Ash

I have Gatorskins on one of my bikes but after a few rides of cornering like a granny, I'll be swapping them when I get a chance as I've no confidence in them in the current greasy conditions. They're the Gator Hardshells which are even worse than the ordinary Gators for grip. I even had a slight side-slip while going in a relatively straight line on Sunday's ride.

Cyclewizard

gp 4 seasons all the way in a 25

Cee-Jay-Cee

I've Luganos back on my winter bike as they're the best I have come across for wet/greasy conditions.

Puggy

I've got GatorSkins 23 for 2 years now, and was happy with them, even in the wet, though they are tricky.

Tonight was really greasy for me. Had two minor slips, lost the front wheel on cobble stones and the rear on a flat section. I saw another cyclists lose the front wheel turning left on Belvedere Rd, no damage, but he was a bit shaken.

I guess no matter what tyre you have, there are times when there is less grip. Tonight was one of them for me anyway, kinda rattled my confidence just a little.

BenEadir

Cyclewizard wrote: »

gp 4 seasons all the way in a 25

You mean these lads? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-grand-prix-4-season-folding-road-tyre/



They look just what I'm looking for and get fantastic reviews for having super winter grip and puncture prevention without compromising too much on ride quality or rolling resistance. Could be a winner winner chicken dinner.

Wishbone Ash

A bit cheaper on Swim Cycle Run http://www.swimcyclerun.com/tyresclincher/continental-gp-4-season.html

BenEadir

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

A bit cheaper on Swim Cycle Run http://www.swimcyclerun.com/tyresclincher/continental-gp-4-season.html

Thanks WA but I like to get the LBS to do that sort of stuff for me. It's not like I don't want to save €10 here or there (I order a load of stuff from Amazon, eBay, AliExpress etc) but when it comes to maintaining the bike I want to have a good relationship with the LBS so buying from them with the tyres fitted etc is worth a paying a little extra for IMHO.

Wishbone Ash

BenEadir wrote: »

Thanks WA but I like to get the LBS to do that sort of stuff for me. It's not like I don't want to save €10 here or there (I order a load of stuff from Amazon, eBay, AliExpress etc) but when it comes to maintaining the bike I want to have a good relationship with the LBS so buying from them with the tyres fitted etc is worth a paying a little extra for IMHO.

Fair play. (Because of the link I thought you were going to order from Wiggle).

BenEadir

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Fair play. (Because of the link I thought you were going to order from Wiggle).

Na, I just use them for research and to get an idea of pricing. If my LBS is within 10% of Wiggle's delivered cost I'm happy, otherwise I do a bit of haggling and they usually throw something off.

I like being able to walk into my LBS and get some advice or a quick adjustment done to the bike FOC, you can't expect that sort of goodwill if you're buying all your consumables off Wiggle

ted1

Any body know how these compare to the conti 4 seasons? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ie/en/michelin-pro4-grip-road-tyres-free-tubes/rp-prod122123

The gatorskin I got last week is brutal for grip and is coming off the bike till spring.