Michelin Pro4 Endurance

DaveyDave

Anyone have any experience on these?

I was thinking about swapping the Marathon Plus to Durano Plus but I've read some comments saying the Pro4 Endurance has the same puncture resistance as the Durano Plus. Weight is roughly 250g Vs 360g for 25c.

I didn't have a great time with the Durano Plus one split on me easily and seemed to get sliced easily but I'm willing to give them another shot. If I can go from no punctures a year to one, maybe two, then it's worth the weight saving.

I'm skeptical when people say X road tyre is puncture resistant. The GP4000S II were apparently fairly resistant but I didn't find they were. Compared to light race tyres, maybe.

The rolling resistance website says the Durano Plus is quite soft so despite having the same 5mm protection layer as the Marathon Plus it's easy to get through. Other tyres are a bit tougher, such as the Pro4 Endurance.

tuxy

I've no experience with this tyre but I find this list very useful when tying to decide what tyre to get.
Originally started to test rolling resistance they also test puncture resistance amongst other things.

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews

crosstownk

I've been using the Pro4 Endurance tyre for years. I've used them for both commuting through Dublin City and longer weekend spins and I find them well up to the job. They last me about 5,000/6,000kms and on average they probably puncture less than once every 1,000kms.

They roll really well and I've never had any issues with grip in the wet.

DaveyDave

They do seem like decent tyres but coming from the Marathon Plus I'm a little nervous to pull the trigger. It definitely sounds like they have decent protection over the likes of the GP4000/5000. As I said, the Durano Plus was prone to all sorts of nicks and cuts unlike the Marathon Plus.

Although to be fair I'm no longer commuting to Tallaght or Finglas and don't use the canal much anymore so glass shouldn't be too much of an issue. I may use the Marathon Plus as winter tyres for all the crap on the roads and be more vigilant in checking the Michelin for embedded glass and the like...

crosstownk

DaveyDave wrote: »

be more vigilant in checking the Michelin for embedded glass and the like...

99% of my punctures are due to glass. I regularly use a pick to remove small shards from the Michelin tyres. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the Pro4s. They’ve served me well on my commute from Terenure to Swords in all seasons. I’d have ditched them if they weren’t up to the job.

FWIW I tried the Michelin Power Endurance tyres but the side wall failed on one in less than 100km.

CramCycle

GP5000 have minimal, only had mine a few months with minimal riding (sub 1000km) and I can see the shadow of my finger through the carcass when changing tubes. Great tyres for racing but nothing else. GP4000SII though, on average were great, typically no punctures until north of 6000km, with one or two exceptions that were ruined within 10km (and I reported and got replaced).

tuxy

Will they continue to make GP4000? Or are they just selling off what's left and that's it?

CramCycle

tuxy wrote: »

Will they continue to make GP4000? Or are they just selling off what's left and that's it?

Looking at the German retailers, they are wrapping it up, unless they are just cutting sales for awhile to boost the GP5000 but considering that CRC etc are doing groupbuy options on them, I imagine they are packing it in and clearing old stock. It is a shame as I will have to pick a new tyre for commuting and nothing is jumping out at me. Tempted to get a set of 10 but it will take me ages to go through them.

DaveyDave

Pulled the plug on a set of 25c with grey colour on them, should match the bike nicely. Looking forward to the weight saving as the Marathon Plus feel like the tube is filled with sand!

I'll be sure to be vigilant in checking for glass. Hopefully they're easy to fit if I do get a puncture

crosstownk

DaveyDave wrote: »

Hopefully they're easy to fit if I do get a puncture

I found them really easy to fit on a pair of Giant stock rims - I could roll them on and off by hand with no need for tyre levers. When I changed to a pair of Zondas I needed tyre levers to remove/refit.

DaveyDave

I've only covered 500km on these so far but it's been a positive experience.

So far there's one cut on the rear tyre, slightly off to the side. There's a lot of stone debris in the bike lane between the N7 overpass and the roundabout heading towards Tallaght which is where I suspect it happened.

It's probably obvious but the higher TPI of the tyre seems to make a difference with durability, it isn't sucking up glass and stones like I've seen a few people suggest in reviews. I've cycled on the canal a few times now, particularly between Ninth Lock and Grange Castle where there's been car fires and such so a good bit of crap on the ground, no issues. Not a mark on the tyres at all apart from that one cut.

I've had one tiny splint of glass to remove and it hasn't left a gaping hole like it would on the Durano Plus and I've locked up the rear wheel twice now and there's no obvious damage to the thread like there would be on the Marathon Plus.

It's still early days but I'm impressed in how there's not a mark on them. I was considering swapping the Marathon Plus out for the Winter with all the grit on the roads but I'll see how they get on.

Not much hassle to fit on a set of Zondas either.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Ive has great success with Michelin Lithion tyres. I’ve been using them on my winter training/wet weather bike for the last 5 years and I think I’ve had two punctures in that time. They’re as cheap as chips and there’s usually deals for buying pairs on CRC and wiggle.

My current set have approx 2k KMs on them, the rear tyre is ever so slightly squared but the front looks like brand new. I’d imagine I’ll get another 2k from the rear tyre and I probably twice that from the front.