Best commuter tyre is...?

sarajoy

will3 how do you get on with the Halo Twin Rails in the wet? I like the look of the tarty coloured ones but am worried about cornering at any speed... :S

will3

Can't say it's been a particular problem compared with other treaded tyres, although to be fair, I can' remember the last time I had a proper wet commute (despite 5 day a week commuting). Mine are dual compound, though you'd need to be leant over a long way for the grey compound to come into play.
I think they do have less grip than the slickety slick sport contacts though!

Bassjunkieuk

sarajoy wrote:

will3 how do you get on with the Halo Twin Rails in the wet? I like the look of the tarty coloured ones but am worried about cornering at any speed... :S

But if you ride quickly your spokey dokeys won't make the clickey click noise!

biondino

Shimnolo wrote:

I'm a big fan of Schwalbe tyres, you get your money's worth and they certainly perform. But there's more to tyres than puncture-proofing.

I want my tyres to fly. I tremble at the hiss of a skinny road tyre on smooth tarmac. I want my bike to weigh next-to-nothing. Or less. This is why I cycle.

Sure, you can find a bullet-proof tyre and it will always feel like riding on Velcro. I'd rather have a few flats but relish the other 99.9% of my journeys. And you meet the most interesting people stopped at the side of the road.

My Ultremos fit all the above and haven't punctured once in over 2000 miles. AND LiT has them on the Maxima so they must be good

Stuww

Schwalbe Marathon Plus

PhilTheFish

My Boardman Hybrid came fitted with Maxxis Detonators. The tyres felt great to ride on, but 3 punctures in a week or so meant they had to go.

I plumped for the Armadillo All Conditions and have been impressed with the puncture resistance so far (6 months use now). They don't handle or feel as good as the Maxxis on the road but they look cooler than SMPs with a nice red side wall!

I'd give them an 8/10 personally.

symo

Another one for conti gator skins.

pst88

Schwalbe Lugano.

vorsprung

All the tyres I've ever used in order from "ride through glass" to "made from cheese"

Marathon +
Raleigh Dutch Perfect
Panaracer Pasella
Michellin Pro Race
Ultragatorskin
Continental 4 seasons
Continental sport contacts
Hutchinson 23mm tire cheap from LBS

Let's do it again using "fastest speedy tyre" to "slow sluggy overweight tyre"

Michellin Pro Race
Continental 4 seasons
Panaracer Pasella
Ultragatorskin
Continental sport contacts
Hutchinson 23mm tire cheap from LBS
Marathon +
Raleigh Dutch Perfect

CiB

Sticking a pair of Mich Pro Race 3 on my trusty steed has changed me from 'A pump? On this bike...? And you expect me to carry spare tubes & tyre levers as well?' to a confirmed carrier of a pocket full of tubes, patches, levers & a miniature pump designed specifically not to get quite enough air in to feel comfortable. Mich PR3 might be super quick, grip like nothing else and look los ballos dos pedros but they are in fact made of cling film when faced with a small pointy object in the road..

Gazzaputt

DON'T use Conti Ultra Race. Soft as anything.

4 punctures in the 4 last commutes. I've thrown my Vittoria Rubino Pros on from the weekend bike until I can get some decent rubber for the commuter.

DonDaddyD

I'm slowly beginning to think that Continental 4 seasons are the best tyres in the world on any vehicle ever, they are so much more durable that GP4000s (but a lot slower) its amazing.

Sometimes I ride over things hear a sound and am like sh*t puncture... oh no i just injured a stone...

gtvlusso

Gazzaputt wrote:

DON'T use Conti Ultra Race. Soft as anything.

4 punctures in the 4 last commutes. I've thrown my Vittoria Rubino Pros on from the weekend bike until I can get some decent rubber for the commuter.

May as well have spread marmite on your rims! They are hopeless! I managed 2 weeks before I gave up with them (mistook them for gatorskins...doh!)

vorsprung

ChrisInBicester wrote:

Sticking a pair of Mich Pro Race 3 on my trusty steed has changed me from 'A pump? On this bike...? And you expect me to carry spare tubes & tyre levers as well?' to a confirmed carrier of a pocket full of tubes, patches, levers & a miniature pump designed specifically not to get quite enough air in to feel comfortable. Mich PR3 might be super quick, grip like nothing else and look los ballos dos pedros but they are in fact made of cling film when faced with a small pointy object in the road..

I think they are ok when new

I once did a wet 600km across Wales including some awlful lanes on them. No deflations, no problems

I've taken them off my racing bike now I'm using it for commuting and I have a pair of panaracer straitus TG 26mm on instead. These tyres aren't as light and quick but other than that I wouldn't like to say how good they are, only had em a week or two

I'm not going to wear out a pair of Michellin Pros commuting

amircp

I have had Stelvio Plus 25mm for about 500 miles to replace Marathon which were getting punctured all the time. No punctures so far (though has been drier) and much better grip and speed.

CiB

vorsprung wrote:

ChrisInBicester wrote:

Sticking a pair of Mich Pro Race 3 on my trusty steed has changed me from 'A pump? On this bike...? And you expect me to carry spare tubes & tyre levers as well?' to a confirmed carrier of a pocket full of tubes, patches, levers & a miniature pump designed specifically not to get quite enough air in to feel comfortable. Mich PR3 might be super quick, grip like nothing else and look los ballos dos pedros but they are in fact made of cling film when faced with a small pointy object in the road..

I think they are ok when new

I'm not going to wear out a pair of Michellin Pros commuting

6 weeks is barely old. I'm sticking with them tho. They're good, but a bit soppy.

chrisinleedsuk

Ok, I'm back in the UK sans SMPs. The hack is fitted with Tioga Factory Street tyres which look pimp, grip like crazy and puncture at the sight of an uneven surface, let alone a piece of glass. The SMPs were truly bombproof but rode awfully so I'm wondering....

How far behind the SMP is the SM in the puncture resistance stakes?

roger_merriman

chrisinleedsuk wrote:

Ok, I'm back in the UK sans SMPs. The hack is fitted with Tioga Factory Street tyres which look pimp, grip like crazy and puncture at the sight of an uneven surface, let alone a piece of glass. The SMPs were truly bombproof but rode awfully so I'm wondering....

How far behind the SMP is the SM in the puncture resistance stakes?

not that much to be honest, though i can see the blue smartguard on big green so something has gone though and stopped by the smartguard. but that bike gets heavy use.

chrisinleedsuk

Just ordered the SMs from Bike+, let's see how they go...

Christophe3967

Clever Pun wrote:

beverick wrote:

I run Specialised Armadillo All-condition (700/25) on the road bike and Continental Gatorskins (700/28) on the hack.

The Armadillo's are virtuallty bomb proof but do tend to wear quite quickly, especially the rear one. I've only been running the conti's since April but they seem very good and give a better ride than the armadillos.

Both seem virtually indestructible.

Bob

I've always had the armadillos but I was looking at some gator skins yesterday and the weight difference it really noticable... are they just as puncture resistant?

There is no comparison between Armadillos and Gatorskins, and I would not ever go back to Armadillos. But Pro 3 s are something else again, although I've already had one visit from the PF (with I guess less than 500 miles covered) so there's a trade off. Was running SMPs on the old bike and they were pretty bomb proof but handling wise not as good at Gatorskins IMO. I've had slightly more PF visits with Gatorskins than Armadillos but its been well worth it.

Levi_501

City Jets for me, although a close second would have to be Marathon Plus, both from Schwable.

montriff

Im a postie and i ride a postie bike every day( to ,from and at work) with Schwable Marathon Plus on and have had one puncture in about 2 year , just bought a mtb and had 3 punctures in a fortnight :?

Riatsala

After my experiences chronicled in my "Falling off" thread involving Kendas I am really happy with my Bontrager Racelites recommended to me by Onyerbike.Good grip in the wet and so far (two weeks/150 miles) no punctures (touch wood!).

FyPunK

Continental's sports contact now for me, used the city contact for some time and was impressed but the sports have my vote now.

DonDaddyD

Commuting
Continental 4 seasons

Weekend/sportive/fast/best bike
Continental GP 4000s

Always, until they stop making them.

il_principe

Vittoria Rubino Pro is the king of commuting tires. Grippy, fast and tough as nails.

I run Pro Race 3 and GP4000S on the best bike. Happy with both, prefer the Contis though.

wantaway

My vote goes to continetal Gatorskins, without question.

When I bought my bike, I asked for them to swap the standard spec tires for marathons. After a long struggle and a lot of cursing they got them on but discovered they gave too little clearance with the mud-guards to be a practical option. I therefore got my second choice of gatorskins. They are fab. Been on the bike every day for months, riding through all kind of rubbish and not had a single problem. And when the day comes that I do have a problem, at least I will not have to fight the little bleeders off the wheel like I would a pair of marathons. Something I will appreciate as I sit but the side of the road in the rain holding a pair of tire levers.

solarflash

I'd like to get some commuting tyres for during the week, but then switch at the weekend to offroad tyres - so ease of getting tyres on and off is essential. Not sure if many of the tyres mentioned in this thread fit 26" wheels so far. Is it just the gatorskins and the smp to choose from really?

lardboy

solarFlash wrote:

I'd like to get some commuting tyres for during the week, but then switch at the weekend to offroad tyres - so ease of getting tyres on and off is essential. Not sure if many of the tyres mentioned in this thread fit 26" wheels so far. Is it just the gatorskins and the smp to choose from really?

Specialized Nimbus Armadillos. I've for 26" Nimbii(?) on my "Old Faithful" and the flatmates Halford special and neither of us have experienced a P*, and I've only once lost grip (December on a patch of black ice) since putting them on about 21 months ago. They're massively hard wearing and pretty easy to get on and off. I've done some gentle off roading across Clapham and Wandsworth Commons and not found the grip to be too lacking.

Mikelyons

I used to run Armadillo all conditions - no punctures in 2000 miles & plenty of wear left
when bike was pinched last week :-(

I had already decided on a change as armadillos were a bit harsh riding & had already bought Michelin Krylions when they were on offer earlier this year. These have now gone on the spare bike & they are certainly a much smoother ride (even allowing for differences between bikes)

I had previously used Schwalbe Marathon Plus & these were excellent on a Brompton, once in place.

Echo the previous comments about them being a complete pig to fit . I have taken an hour to fit one in the past after puncturing tube twice while fitting & skinning every one of my knuckles.

Mike