Tyres

secretsam

I've had it with my non-puncture Spesh tyres on my Sirrus, they have several cuts and are as P-proof as a balloon

Ribble have Ultra Gator skins at 12.99 a pop for 700 x 28: any good? Will be used for general riding and short distance commuting

attica

Gators are pretty good, I'd recommend the 700 x 25 if your wheels will take them, much more responsive. I run them at about 105 PSI and have very few problems, getting them on or off can be a bit of a problem though (although you'll need to do that less). I'd thoroughly recommend a decent set of tyre levers gets added to your kit!

secretsam

Attica wrote:

Gators are pretty good, I'd recommend the 700 x 25 if your wheels will take them, much more responsive. I run them at about 105 PSI and have very few problems, getting them on or off can be a bit of a problem though (although you'll need to do that less). I'd thoroughly recommend a decent set of tyre levers gets added to your kit!

OK, 25s may be a bit too focused for my riding and rotten roads locally

And Yatton is "near Bristol" :twisted:

attica

Ahhhh

Thanks SS, Been having real identity crisis since moving back to this area, I was born in Somereset, grew up in Avon and now live in North Somerset, but I guess that's an argument for another forum.

Back to business....

Helmets, If you don't wear them you should all be executed... or something :roll:

richardast

My Gatorskins were sh1te at the start of the Winter (I think I had 4 Ps in a week) so I switched to Spesh All Condition Armadillos and have been P free since.
I suppose it's just down to luck.

secretsam

richardast wrote:

My Gatorskins were sh1te at the start of the Winter (I think I had 4 Ps in a week) so I switched to Spesh All Condition Armadillos and have been P free since.
I suppose it's just down to luck.

I've taken against Spesh tyres on the basis of the p1ss poor performance of my current rubber... :evil: damn things puncture like balloons and have all the grip of an extremely un-grippy thing

Adamskii

Conti gator skins are pretty good against anything except glass it seems. I'm happy with them, they last for around 5000 miles but I've had a few glass cuts and punctures recently. You should be fine with 25 even 23mm.

Wooliferkins

Commute on road and a short section of off road on Gatorskin 25s absolutely no hassle. But now i've said it havent I. How far will I get in the morning?

attica

Commute on road and a short section of off road on Gatorskin 25s absolutely no hassle. But now i've said it havent I. How far will I get in the morning?

Hey kids, let's have a sweepstake, how far is your commute Wooliferkins?

My money is on the first mile (even though I love my Gators, I'm pesimistic by nature, the glass isn't just half empty but the milk is sour!)

dazzawazza

I have some nice handling Specialized Mondo std tyres on my road bike, which offer almost zero puncture protection. During the first few weeks of commuting during Winter I had many punctures.
However, after changing my riding positions and observations during the commute the punctures became less.
Now, it's very rare that I get punctures. So in my opinion having bomb proof tyres may prevent puctures most of the time, but why sacrifice speed and handling when all it takes is being more vigilant. (Please ignore if you ride tow paths or cycle lanes often)

The other day I had to ride in the gutter at slow speed, with my wife trailing on the way to Richmond Park; got a puncture almost immediately.