Commuter tyre help for road bike

Peck3277

Hi,

I'm fairly new to cycling. I got a Merida Ride 100 about 3 months ago for cycling too and from work. I've cycled to work everyday since I got it and the basic tyres I got with it are starting to wear a bit. Two shops I was in said I should look into getting new tyres (I've started to pick up quite a few punctures on my rear wheel thats quite scarred now).

I don't need racer tyres as I only really commute and I'm not looking to break the bank but I know so little about bikes that I don't even know where to begin looking. I just want something that I won't pick up too many flats with.

Hunterbiker

Keep an eye on your tyre pressures as low pressure leaves you open to pinch flats (tube gets pinched between rim amd tyre bead

As for new tyres most brands have an armoured tyre. They can be heavy and as they are designed for longevity not be as grippy in certain conditions.

I use conti gatorskins on my commuter. Heavy and supposedly not very good grip in wet. They are heavy but I find they grip well enough.

Internet Friend

Conti GP4000s (basically gatorskins with good grip in wet) or Schwalbe Durano. Can't go wrong.

rp

I'm quickly becoming a fan of Tannus solid tyres, weight/rolling resistance is as good as if not better than armoured tyres, and punctures, who needs 'em?

UDP

Continental GP 4 seasons seems to be the best all rounder from what I can see. I have used them for a year or two now and find them great.

omri

I used armadillos - never got a puncture (which was important for me) but they're really bad in wet conditions - so you'd have to adapt to that. I did over 10k on them. Now Im using gatorskins so far so good.

GasBrakeHonk

Hunterbiker wrote: »

Keep an eye on your tyre pressures as low pressure leaves you open to pinch flats (tube gets pinched between rim amd tyre bead

As for new tyres most brands have an armoured tyre. They can be heavy and as they are designed for longevity not be as grippy in certain conditions.

I use conti gatorskins on my commuter. Heavy and supposedly not very good grip in wet. They are heavy but I find they grip well enough.

Regarding the gator skins, In wet conditions you really need to run with lower tyre pressures than you would in the dry. The bike can feel very skittish otherwise. Once you keep that in mind its an excellent tyre for commuting.

tomasrojo

I used Armadillos for years. They rarely punctured, but when they did they made what should be a five-minute job an odyssey of strained tyre levers and strained thumbs. Eventually, I bought a new bike and with the slightly deeper rims, I couldn't even install Armadillos.

I've used gatorskins since. They're a more optimal combination of installability and toughness. I can't comment on grip in the wet, as I don't go all that fast.

rubadub

Schwable marathon plus for me. I had gatorskins and still got punctures, I am very careless about where I cycle and am in cycle lanes littered with crap. I never had a single one with the marathon plus in over 3 years.

petethedrummer

Get a 25mm or wider tyre, if it will fit on your bike. Pick the embedded debris out of your tyres every week or 2 with a pointy knife.

eclipsechaser

rubadub wrote: »

Schwable marathon plus for me. I had gatorskins and still got punctures, I am very careless about where I cycle and am in cycle lanes littered with crap. I never had a single one with the marathon plus in over 3 years.

They are heavy but many reviews say they are practically puncture-proof. I went with them after getting fed up of constant punctures.

LpPepper

eclipsechaser wrote: »

They are heavy but many reviews say they are practically puncture-proof. I went with them after getting fed up of constant punctures.

I've had a set on my commutter hybrid since October and no punctures after more than 1,500kms...my Dad has done more than 20,000kms on 3 sets and no punctures either. I do have one big nick on my front tyre from a shard of glass but the under armour in the tyre is still solid.

Pricey but definitely "tried and tested". The key is to check your tyre pressure every few days/week

rubadub

LpPepper wrote: »

Pricey but definitely "tried and tested".

Pricey but in the long run far cheaper, for me anyway. New tubes and/or repair kits are not particularly cheap, I was going through loads.

There is also the time & hassle which is a far more valuable saving to me. If I got a puncture on the way to work in the pissing rain, I would have gladly handed over at least €10 if it could have been magically fixed.

I was so confident I no longer bothered carrying around a pump & tubes, which could have weighed more than the additional weight they have.

Cycling forums obviously attract guys into racing who might be put off by the weight, so for this reason they might be against them. I wish I had heard of them sooner.

There are numerous old threads discussing the marathon plus

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057237466

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqQpyQtLIrk

tomasrojo

rubadub wrote: »

Pricey but in the long run far cheaper, for me anyway. New tubes and/or repair kits are not particularly cheap, I was going through loads.

I wasn't aware of this until I bought one at Bee Cycles, but you can get a roll of patching material for a few euro and cut your own patches. Combined with a mid-size tube of vulcanising solution, it's really cheap.

But I do like puncture resistance myself.