Schwalbe One review

CramCycle

So for years now I have been a slave/fan boy to the Conti GP4000S and SII. I started getting punctures in December, but due to funding issues, kept putting off getting a new one and just repairing the damage. Finally on one commute, enough was enough and I had to get a tyre quick. My LBS was closed but by the time I got closer to work I called into another one. No Contis so went for the Schwalbe one, decent puncture resistance if the blurb is to be believed and good reviews all round. Supposedly faster than my current tyres.

First of all, it did not feel faster, in fact it felt alot slower, I mean noticeably so. I am aware though of my own bias and it done the job, and over the last month, that bias seems to have dissipated. I can't tell now.

Grip. Very happy in cornering and moving on the road. One of my biggest issues with other tyres has been cornering, again why I love the Contis but it has to be said, they handle really well and after a fortnight of riding, I became quite comfy on them and have no issue with sudden movements, cornering at speed, they really seem to hold the road well, once or twice during stupid corners where I would have been skeptical with other tyres, they never gave me cause for concern.

All in all, a decent tyre that I am happy to recommend. Except of course for one thing. It is counter intuitive to me, as I praise it's grip going into corners etc. Don't rely on these tyres in an emergency stop. For some reason they just skate along. I haven't put myself in a situation where it would have caused a major issue and I can't think why. it may just be the roads at the minute, and it may get better in Summer, but I certainly had better stopping power with the GP4000SIIs.

Alek

Interesting. I have the same experience with my new Compass tyres after switching from GP4000S II - they corner very well, but are very prone to skidding when stopping hard. This makes me nervous to try how well actually do they handle corners...

GP4000 have very tacky and soft rubber compound (yet hard wearing!) compared to the new ones, I think this may contribute to this effect.

Is your Schwalbe One the original one or rather One Pro?

Tenzor07

CramCycle wrote: »

Don't rely on these tyres in an emergency stop. For some reason they just skate along. I haven't put myself in a situation where it would have caused a major issue and I can't think why. it may just be the roads at the minute, and it may get better in Summer, but I certainly had better stopping power with the GP4000SIIs.

Did you switch from Rim to Disc brakes? :pac:

check_six

This is interesting. As far as I can see, after faffing around with a load of jewellery, the Dark Lord Sauron poured all his grippiness and roadholding into the Continental GP4000SII tyre/ring. If there is another tyre that does a similar job, I'm happy to hear about it. What kind of price are the Schwalbe's?

jon1981

Out of interest how many KM had you put on the Contis before you binned them? What kind of use , commuting in all weather for example? My rear one was gone after about 2500km... commuting all year round. The beading became visible so was time to go. I've switched to four seasons for commuting so will see how they get on.

ted1

check_six wrote: »

This is interesting. As far as I can see, after faffing around with a load of jewellery, the Dark Lord Sauron poured all his grippiness and roadholding into the Continental GP4000SII tyre/ring. If there is another tyre that does a similar job, I'm happy to hear about it. What kind of price are the Schwalbe's?

I switched to the Schwalbe Durano + smart guard and find it way way better than contis.

I find contis have no grip and a very short life span.

Alanstrainor

jon1981 wrote: »

Out of interest how many KM had you put on the Contis before you binned them? What kind of use , commuting in all weather for example?

My Conti GP4000SII's would last in and around 7000km, but that was commuting through Dublin every day. So I'd consider that a hard life. After that point I found punctures would start to become a semi-regular experience. I've heard people getting 10,000km from them too, it's just one of those questions I suppose.

jon1981

Alanstrainor wrote: »

My Conti GP4000SII's would last in and around 7000km, but that was commuting through Dublin every day. So I'd consider that a hard life. After that point I found punctures would start to become a semi-regular experience. I've heard people getting 10,000km from them too, it's just one of those questions I suppose.

That's pretty good, i've never gotten more than 3500km out of the rear tyre. Must be my cycling style and it's definitely not due to too much wattage

jon1981

ted1 wrote: »

I switched to the Schwalbe Durano + smart guard and find it way way better than contis.

I find contis have no grip and a very short life span.

For lifespan i agree but at 450g a tyre it will only ever be a commuting tyre. I find the gp4000s have amazing grip though.

Alek

6 or 7000km on 28mm GP4000SII, still going (on wife's bike).

CramCycle

Alek wrote: »

Is your Schwalbe One the original one or rather One Pro?

It is the V guard / clincher version, not sure how long they have been around but the packaging looked new in the shop.

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Did you switch from Rim to Disc brakes? :pac:

LOL, I am stuck on n bikes at the minute, so discs will have to wait.

check_six wrote: »

This is interesting. As far as I can see, after faffing around with a load of jewellery, the Dark Lord Sauron poured all his grippiness and roadholding into the Continental GP4000SII tyre/ring. If there is another tyre that does a similar job, I'm happy to hear about it. What kind of price are the Schwalbe's?

The bike shop near my workplace gave me one + a tube for 50 flat. He asked for 55 but only charged 50 when I said I would fit it myself.

jon1981 wrote: »

Out of interest how many KM had you put on the Contis before you binned them? What kind of use , commuting in all weather for example? My rear one was gone after about 2500km... commuting all year round. The beading became visible so was time to go. I've switched to four seasons for commuting so will see how they get on.

I put them on and then use them for everything until they go, commuting daily in all weather, racing, etc. They go through everything with me untilt hey have to be replaced. How much mileage, I could not tell you. It has varied over the years, this one came from my old bike and had a few 1000km and then another 1800km on this bike. It depends on the level of commuting and the weather, my riding style at the time. They, for me, have a definitive end of life notification though. Any more than two punctures in a week and they are gone. It always happen that they go from putting on for a few 1000km with no punctures (bar human error) and then once they start, your on borrowed time.

ted1 wrote: »

I find contis have no grip and a very short life span.

I have had Schwalbes before (marathon + ) and the life span is incredible but until these ones, I have never found the grip to be great.

jon1981 wrote: »

That's pretty good, i've never gotten more than 3500km out of the rear tyre. Must be my cycling style and it's definitely not due to too much wattage

I don't measure it too accurately but a fair estimation would be one set per year.

On a side note, went to check the tyre there and missed the rotational direction arrow on it. It is facing the wrong way. Not sure if it makes a huge difference or if anyone here knows.

jon1981

CramCycle wrote: »

On a side note, went to check the tyre there and missed the rotational direction arrow on it. It is facing the wrong way. Not sure if it makes a huge difference or if anyone here knows.

I only copped this after my 4th pair of Contis, I ended up changing a tyre on both bikes as they were rolling the wrong way according to the arrow, thankfully it was the front so could just flip the wheel around :cool:

Alek

They, for me, have a definitive end of life notification though. Any more than two punctures in a week and they are gone.

I had a weird time once with my GP4000SII, suffered perhaps 10-12 punctures in one week. After that, they have been running fine with no punctures for a few months...

I would bin them if I could see the rubber wearing down to the actual casing, with fibers starting to fray - so far I can see a clear imprint of casing through the rubber, but the wear indicators are still there showing some life left.

check_six

jon1981 wrote: »

I only copped this after my 4th pair of Contis, I ended up changing a tyre on both bikes as they were rolling the wrong way according to the arrow, thankfully it was the front so could just flip the wheel around :cool:

B...b...but then the quick release lever would be on the drive side! *shrieks*





...unless you switched the skewer around, of course.

C3PO

ted1 wrote: »

I switched to the Schwalbe Durano + smart guard and find it way way better than contis.

I find contis have no grip and a very short life span.

I recently put Durano +'s on the commuter - just couldn't face the prospect of punctures at 5.45am! They seem bombproof but in no way comparable to the 4 Seasons they replaced in terms of grip of "rollability"!

jon1981

C3PO wrote: »

I recently put Durano +'s on the commuter - just couldn't face the prospect of punctures at 5.45am! They seem bombproof but in no way comparable to the 4 Seasons they replaced in terms of grip of "rollability"!

Ahhhh man don't tell me the four season are not enough... so you're telling me it's likely i'll still puncture :mad:

OleRodrigo

I also commute on Durano plus - currently over 10000 km on the current pair and still plenty of life.

Don't really mind punctures at the weekends or training spins ( conti's ) but commuting is unacceptable. If it does happen, I can ' rim it ' with a 36h H Plus Son Archetype on the rear, however this is a emergency measure and is faster than a puncture repair at the side of the road.

CramCycle

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Don't really mind punctures at the weekends or training spins ( conti's ) but commuting is unacceptable. If it does happen, I can ' rim it ' with a 36h H Plus Son Archetype on the rear, however this is a emergency measure and is faster than a puncture repair at the side of the road.

I used to carry a spare tyre and tube. A few minutes to swap and then investigate the cause later on. i really have to start doing this again after getting caught out before.

OleRodrigo

CramCycle wrote: »

I used to carry a spare tyre and tube. A few minutes to swap and then investigate the cause later on. i really have to start doing this again after getting caught out before.

Yeah, a spare tyre is just the thing. Something I never consider on the commute for some reason.

Maybe because there's so much other stuff in the bag.

C3PO

jon1981 wrote: »

Ahhhh man don't tell me the four season are not enough... so you're telling me it's likely i'll still puncture :mad:

Actually I never had a puncture with the 4 Seasons - I found them to be a great tyre. I just wanted a little extra reassurance. I commute on a SS and punctures are a PITA!

Wishbone Ash

I have 11,500km puncture free on a pair of Durano Plus on one of my bikes (probably just jinxed myself now). They still look very fresh but they are noticeably 'dead' on the road. I reckon they reduce my average speed by about 1km/hr compared with other brands but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

(Never had any luck with GP4000's - punctured on every ride I tried them on.)

magicbastarder

Alek wrote: »

I had a weird time once with my GP4000SII, suffered perhaps 10-12 punctures in one week. After that, they have been running fine with no punctures for a few months...

I'd be convinced I'd left something stuck in the tyre in those circumstances.

Alek

I'd be convinced I'd left something stuck in the tyre in those circumstances.

So was I. But I couldn't find anything!

I am not convinced though that worn out tyre increases chances of getting a puncture....

CramCycle

Alek wrote: »

So was I. But I couldn't find anything!

I am not convinced though that worn out tyre increases chances of getting a puncture....

I think it depends on the tyre and where you ride. With the Marathons, I met people in the UK and here who had made it down to the Blue puncture protection after years of hard riding and were still not getting issues. With the GP4000S, for me, at some point a small nick/hole would develop in the tyre. This nick would continuously pick up rubbish or grow and cause pinch flats. Up until this point though, there would never be any trouble. I have seen similar nicks on other tyres that I could have kept going on, just with the 4000S, it would add upto more hassle, maybe just like bad luck. Never experienced anything like yours though.

Seaswimmer

2,500kms up on my Tannus tyres so far and no complaints.

Hard to see myself using anything else now for commuting.

great feeling knowing you "cant" get a puncture....ever

Rogue-Trooper

Seaswimmer wrote: »

2,500kms up on my Tannus tyres so far and no complaints.

Hard to see myself using anything else now for commuting.

great feeling knowing you "cant" get a puncture....ever

As a matter of interest, what's the trade-off, if any? Weight, rolling resistance, speed, grip?

jon1981

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

As a matter of interest, what's the trade-off, if any? Weight, rolling resistance, speed, grip?

Very good website for this analysis

http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/compare/continental-grand-prix-2014-vs-continental-grand-prix-4000s-ii-2014-vs-schwalbe-durano-2015

oh wait there's no option for Tannus...still useful link for other folk.

Seaswimmer

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

As a matter of interest, what's the trade-off, if any? Weight, rolling resistance, speed, grip?

Well they aren't much different from tyre, tube, rim tape weight wise and you save having to carry tubes, levers, co2, pump ect.

My gut feeling is that they are slightly slower due to increased rolling resistance but its very marginal. More noticeable at faster speeds but not a problem. Grip is surprisingly good.

One downside is comfort. Fine for a commute but I did 100kms on them before Christmas and found that my wrists and shoulders were sore as you feel every bump Something which never happens on normal tyres/tubes.

Wishbone Ash

Seaswimmer wrote: »

2,500kms up on my Tannus tyres so far and no complaints.

Hard to see myself using anything else now for commuting...

I have 5,000kms up on a pair on the fixie/single speed commuter. Delighted with them and like you, I wouldn't be without them now.

(Great peace of mind going to work as I'm in a position where I can't really be late as I'd have a crowd of annoyed staff waiting for allocation when I arrive).

Keep_Her_Lit

I used Conti GP4000S for a few years. The ride quality was fantastic - super grip, with lots of feel due to the supple, light carcass and of course very low rolling resistance. But I eventually got sick of mending punctures on my commute ... and there were lots of them.

So I switched about a year ago to the "endurance" version of the same tyre:

Continental Grand Prix GT
https://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;product=26490;menu=1000,4,22,35

Vastly improved puncture protection with only a slight loss of performance. They use the same Black Chili compound, so still grip very well, and they tip the scales at a very reasonable 255g for the 700-25 version (just 30g heavier than the GP4000SII).

The casing isn't quite as supple, due to the integrated puncture protection, and this does take away a little bit of the feel. But overall an excellent tyre and just right for my commute. I'll be sticking with these for the time being.

CramCycle

Got a puncture on Saturday morning. Small bit of glass lodged in the tyre. Maybe the tyres were not hard enough but sin e. Removed glass and repaired tube to have it not annoy me again for the rest of the day. I am carrying a spare tyre in my bag again. Just in case.

irishrover99

I was using the Conti 25mm ultra sport 2 tyres from August till End December doing a few thousand Km's on them and their is still plenty of life on them. Not 1 puncture and good rolling resistance. I paid 8 Euro each(bought 4) for them over a year ago on Planet x so still have 2 of them for my work bike when i need them.

I bought GP4000s to pair with my new Zondas and used them yesterday on my first spin of the year and couldn't really notice any difference but then i did not really push too hard. I think punctures are down to the tyre condition and luck. Nothing is going to stop a piece of glass going through a tyre.

CramCycle

irishrover99 wrote: »

Nothing is going to stop a piece of glass going through a tyre.

Marathons will stop most glass, but I suspect if you were to ride a bike into a tank with fully inflated tyres, the tank would crumple under them. The puncture could as much have been me, I hadn't repumped them, and it certainly wasn't a slur on the tyre.

terrydel

Cyclesuperstore often have a set for 60euro, great at that price.
I find them grand.

Alanbt

I have them on 2 bikes and am happy with them. No problems with punctures.

Had some unhappy times with some continentals years ago and switched to schwalbe. Also have Durano on the commuter and they are very reliable if not super fast.

Schwalbe can be had at great value prices

InTheAttic

CramCycle wrote: »

So for years now I have been a slave/fan boy to the Conti GP4000S and SII. I started getting punctures in December, but due to funding issues, kept putting off getting a new one and just repairing the damage. Finally on one commute, enough was enough and I had to get a tyre quick. My LBS was closed but by the time I got closer to work I called into another one. No Contis so went for the Schwalbe one, decent puncture resistance if the blurb is to be believed and good reviews all round. Supposedly faster than my current tyres.

First of all, it did not feel faster, in fact it felt alot slower, I mean noticeably so. I am aware though of my own bias and it done the job, and over the last month, that bias seems to have dissipated. I can't tell now.

Grip. Very happy in cornering and moving on the road. One of my biggest issues with other tyres has been cornering, again why I love the Contis but it has to be said, they handle really well and after a fortnight of riding, I became quite comfy on them and have no issue with sudden movements, cornering at speed, they really seem to hold the road well, once or twice during stupid corners where I would have been skeptical with other tyres, they never gave me cause for concern.

All in all, a decent tyre that I am happy to recommend. Except of course for one thing. It is counter intuitive to me, as I praise it's grip going into corners etc. Don't rely on these tyres in an emergency stop. For some reason they just skate along. I haven't put myself in a situation where it would have caused a major issue and I can't think why. it may just be the roads at the minute, and it may get better in Summer, but I certainly had better stopping power with the GP4000SIIs.

I'm not a fan of the GP4000s in terms of their grip (in the wet) and puncture resistance in comparison to the Continental 4-season tires. The 4-season puncture resistance is second to none and I prefer their grip in the wet. I went 5,000km+ before I got a single puncture on the 4-seasons. Well worth the purchase!

CramCycle

InTheAttic wrote: »

I'm not a fan of the GP4000s in terms of their grip (in the wet) and puncture resistance in comparison to the Continental 4-season tires. The 4-season puncture resistance is second to none and I prefer their grip in the wet. I went 5,000km+ before I got a single puncture on the 4-seasons. Well worth the purchase!

I have never used the 4 seasons. This said, one of my reasons for the love of the GP4000sII are their grips in the wet. I suppose to an extent it is what you are used too. I have only slipped on them on road grease but never in the wet. I suppose we don't take into account riding styles either which may have an effect as well. Would you recommend them as a good commuting tyre?

InTheAttic

CramCycle wrote: »

I have never used the 4 seasons. This said, one of my reasons for the love of the GP4000sII are their grips in the wet. I suppose to an extent it is what you are used too. I have only slipped on them on road grease but never in the wet. I suppose we don't take into account riding styles either which may have an effect as well. Would you recommend them as a good commuting tyre?

Most definitely. As mentioned, 5000+km (included various sportives and races) on my first set of 4-seasons. Then I switched to GP4000s and got a few punctures in a short space, but they do feel that bit nippier than 4-seasons. I have my second set of 4-seasons now and am up over 3000+km on them... again without one single puncture

spyderski

terrydel wrote: »

Cyclesuperstore often have a set for 60euro, great at that price.
I find them grand.

Think they're Schwalbe Ultremos, not Ones (at least I've never seen CSS selling a pair of Ones for €60). Completely different tyre, but a lot of people do seem to get confused.

cython

spyderski wrote: »

Think they're Schwalbe Ultremos, not Ones (at least I've never seen CSS selling a pair of Ones for €60). Completely different tyre, but a lot of people do seem to get confused.

Cycle Superdeal from time to time has had a pair of Schwalbe One V-Guards and a pair of tubes for €60 in the past, which may be the offer the poster was referring to

Alanbt

Ribble are usually good value for Ones

jon1981

InTheAttic wrote: »

I have my second set of 4-seasons now and am up over 3000+km on them... again without one single puncture

Expect it sometime soon now after writing that!

coastwatch

Not commuting, but only 1 puncture with GP4000sII in the last couple of years so cant complain. Found spare tube in the saddle bag was also punctured (hadn't needed / checked it for a long time), so had to borrow one.

I think I'll be going tubeless this year anyway. This CW video has me convinced.
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/videos/cycling-tech/can-a-tubeless-tyre-survive-a-nail-video

JMcL

spyderski wrote: »

Think they're Schwalbe Ultremos, not Ones (at least I've never seen CSS selling a pair of Ones for €60). Completely different tyre, but a lot of people do seem to get confused.

Ultremos are super-fast, good grip, but puncture magnets. I had a set for a while a couple of years ago and they were great fun, but only got around 1500km out of them, and spent a lot of time changing punctures. They're (were - have they been replaced?) great tyres if you're racing - which I'm not!

Swapped to GP 4 Seasons and never looked back. Rotating the tyres front to back I get about 6000km puncture free other than a pinch flat that was my own stupid fault, and an escalating series of punctures at the point when there was already a considerable amount of casing poking through the rubber. Great tyres

harringtonp

JMcL wrote: »

Ultremos are super-fast, good grip, but puncture magnets. I had a set for a while a couple of years ago and they were great fun, but only got around 1500km out of them, and spent a lot of time changing punctures. They're (were - have they been replaced?) great tyres if you're racing - which I'm not!

Swapped to GP 4 Seasons and never looked back. Rotating the tyres front to back I get about 6000km puncture free other than a pinch flat that was my own stupid fault, and an escalating series of punctures at the point when there was already a considerable amount of casing poking through the rubber. Great tyres

Always felt the Ultremo ZLX was the fastest tyre I ever rode but as you say it punctures easily. Its 160g, looks fast and I've finally found evidence to back this up.

CramCycle

Revisiting here after the few months. To clarify my riding, since I started this thread, I took a month off and was riding my track bike so realistically 3 months, averaging 40km a day, 5 days a week. So give or take 3500km.

The Conti that was on the front before I bought this one is still fine. The schwalbe has become unusable after two skid stops which literally wasted it down to the inner shell with ease.

I have the tyre sitting at home if anyone wants it, free of charge, back to the devil I know full time.

spyderski

CramCycle wrote: »

Revisiting here after the few months. To clarify my riding, since I started this thread, I took a month off and was riding my track bike so realistically 3 months, averaging 40km a day, 5 days a week. So give or take 3500km.

The Conti that was on the front before I bought this one is still fine. The schwalbe has become unusable after two skid stops which literally wasted it down to the inner shell with ease.

I have the tyre sitting at home if anyone wants it, free of charge, back to the devil I know full time.

So you got 3,500km out of a rear Schwalbe One, including a couple of skid stops? What would you consider a long life for such a tyre? That's extraordinary considering it's so race oriented. I was getting 1500km out of the old Schwalbe ZX's, which were a savage race tyre, although not the hardest wearing.....

CramCycle

spyderski wrote: »

So you got 3,500km out of a rear Schwalbe One, including a couple of skid stops? What would you consider a long life for such a tyre? That's extraordinary considering it's so race oriented. I was getting 1500km out of the old Schwalbe ZX's, which were a savage race tyre, although not the hardest wearing.....

I get double that on my contis easily. The skid stops where only recent and ended the tyre immediately. While I had raced on them most of it was commuting and I generally use the front brake for stopping, hence why I remember the two distinct times I skid stopped. A couple makes it sound like a reasonable number. It was twice.

Just adding it up in my head, it might have only been 3000km. I average out about 1000km a month. The schwalbe on the front has done alot more. I'll come back in a few months with a comparison to the new conti I fitted on the back, in case the rear/front makes a huge difference.

Alek

So you got 3,500km out of a rear Schwalbe One, including a couple of skid stops? What would you consider a long life for such a tyre? That's extraordinary considering it's so race oriented.

8000km from Conti GP4000II 28mm, and only as the casing is letting go. The main rubber is cracked but fine, indicator marks are still there.

Numerous skids, even some fireroad / gravel rides.

route66

I've got 6500 from GP4000s on the rear and 9000 on the front (only replaced because of advanced aged appearance, wear indicators were fine)