WINTER TYRES

elaine dey
elaine dey Posts: 21
edited December 2007 in Workshop
Has anyone tried Deda Tre tyres? At the moment using Conti Ultra Sports and puncturing about once or twice a week!!! Every time its due to shards of glass. Have tried Michelins and Vittorias but some of them are just too tight to get on rims (aksiums).

Any recommendations for winter tyres?

Comments

  • sloxam
    sloxam Posts: 861
    bonty hardcases on my aksiums. fit them on with my hands and perform great. £10 at atc.
    i hate hills (cos i'm fat)

    www.justgiving.com/steven-loxam/
  • elaine dey
    elaine dey Posts: 21
    had many punctures with them? Getting through a lot of tubes at the moment - pleased I bought in bulk!!
  • sloxam
    sloxam Posts: 861
    not yet, after 2 years and 10,000 miles. (wait til the morning commute now!)
    i hate hills (cos i'm fat)

    www.justgiving.com/steven-loxam/
  • elaine dey
    elaine dey Posts: 21
    always happens when:-

    (a) in a blizzard, two punctures and knackered pump

    (b) in a hurry to get home - never in a hurry to get to work!!

    (c) in the dark and you can't see what the heck your doing

    Thanx for advice
  • JWSurrey
    JWSurrey Posts: 1,173
    The Michelin Krylion Carbon gets a lot of good reviews as a winter tyre.
    The Conti Ultrasport, as far as I can tell, does not include the more puncture resistant Vectran canvas that the more expensive contis use.
    (Ultra-gators also get some negative press).

    I've been running GP4000, which have been fine regarding puncture resistance, though the soft tread requires one to pick out the flints after a ride.
    I'm moving over to GP4 Seasons shortly, just to see if they grip better, as they're supposed to be optimised for wet conditions.

    What size tyres are you running? 23c, 25c or bigger?

    Try a VAR tool. I carry one everywhere with me now - makes easy work of tyre re-seating.
    Available with instructions from BikePlus (web shop or walk-in). Also available from SJS Cycles.

    Crank Brothers Speed Lever is a similar tool to assist in tyre re-seating.
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    I'm quite a fan of Schwalbe tyres on both solos and tandems. I'm using Marathon Kevlar right now and something light (kevlar, can't remember the type, but still Schwalbe) on my normal road bike. I had very bad experiences with Continental tyres with sidewall failure on our tandem so I never use them.

    I no longer commute but before I retired I did 26 miles/day and rarely punctured on whatever tyres I was using at the time. My commute entailed a complete crossing of Derby each day as well as country roads/lanes. I always avoided riding in the gutter - that's real puncture country. I found riding 1 metre out, at least, was best.

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • elaine dey
    elaine dey Posts: 21
    I'm using 23c tyres - not much clearance with mudguards on my Surosa winter frame so couldn't use anything bigger. I've got one of those levers too which is a help. Must admit I like my conti gp4000's on my Issac, hardly any cuts in them after the summer (i'm commuting about 13m every day all year round) but worry about grip in the winter if I used them.

    Big problem is my office is next to a nightclub - always lots of glass in area and hard to see in dark which is where my tyres are pickiing it up from. Of course could always pack in work..............................................I wish!
  • fortyone
    fortyone Posts: 166
    Tried one of these but it seemed to wear too quickly - have found this winter that Continental 4 Seasons are ideal.
  • JWSurrey
    JWSurrey Posts: 1,173
    Well, I picked up my funky new DT winter wheels on Centaur yesterday, and booted them up with the GP4 Seasons (25c).
    Thankful I purchased that VAR tool, as it would have been hard work otherwise - Last time I tried mounting Contis I retreated a week later, tail between legs, to the LBS!

    Took them out for a quick pre in-law visit shakedown this morning - Very good indeed - Seemingly much improved over the GP4000. Wet roads and a heavy mist/light fog today.
    I stopped to adjust the front skewer, and some ice fell out - then I looked at the front of the bike - It was covered in ice! So I guess they're a lot more confidence boosting than the GP4000!

    I agree that Conti "race" tyres don't exactly look robust.
    The 4 seasons have a supposedly tougher sidewall, but to be honest I've never had any sidewall trouble.

    I was enviously eyeing up a pair of Panaracers (poss. Stradius Sport / Elite TG?) in the LBS on Saturday, wishing I'd bought those en lieu of the GP4 seasons - A much more basic looking tyre, poss. with not such a good canvas, but seriously chunky looking tread!
    (Puts tin hat on and awaits the "you don't need tread" comments).

    Check out panaracer.com
  • Steve I
    Steve I Posts: 428
    No disrespect intended Elaine, but you could just carry the bike through the glassy section near your work. You must be spending a fortune on new tubes.
  • elaine dey
    elaine dey Posts: 21
    The street is covered in glass all the way down as pub on one side and nightclub on the other. They've just resurfaced the road (or part of it) and it would be pretty slippery walking with cleats on especially as we are at the bottom of the hill!! I've just sent an email to the Council to try and get them to clean the area up......its still dark when I arrive at work 7.15am so hard to see glass.

    Looks like new tyres are needed now - seriously thinking about the conti 4 season ones just have to wait until after Christmas and hit the credit card again!!!

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