Change tyre or not for commute...

londonbairn
londonbairn Posts: 316
edited May 2009 in Commuting chat
Hi all,

New poster so be gentle!!!

I currently commute from Ealing to the city, ~13 miles each way basically following the central line (Uxbridge Road -> Notting Hill -> Oxford Street -> Holborn -> Bank)

The route is not so nice in the West End as the roads are attrocious!

I have a Giant FCR 1 2009 which is a fab bike, but I am entertaining the idea of changing the tyres...currently I have Kenda Kriterium L3R Pro 700x25mm (OEM) and tempted to go for a set of 23mm or better set of 25mm.

Bearing in mind the West End is literally a bunch of roads with concrete and someone throwing stones in there waiting for it to set, is this wise?

I was considering the Gp4000 or GP4000S as I have heard good things, but I don't want to be constantly changing tubes.

So, what should I do? :)

Comments

  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    I agree with you the roads are atrocious. Personally I run a 700*18c on the front (my bike has ridiculous clearance forks) and it is brutal - I don't get many punctures but I have to run it at 140 psi and the ride is very harsh. I have considered buying a new fork just so I can run bigger tyres.

    So in summary:

    - you could run 23s and they will be fine but make sure they are pumped up good & hard
    - personally I would probably stick with 25s
    - I run GP4000s on my road bike and am very happy with them both for grip, rolling resistance and lack of punctures
    <a>road</a>
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Welcome to the forum! :)

    I've got the 4000S for weekend riding/sportives and stuff. Not used them for the commute though. I've got 23mm Conti Gatorskins (non-folding) for that. Been very pleased with them. I've used the 25mm version too, and also very pleased with them.

    Jash on here recommended Vittorias a few weeks ago. Not tried them, but maybe worth asking for the views of others.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    +1 on CJ's advice.

    Personally I'm a fan of teh equivalent Spesh Armadillos....
    David
    Engineered Bicycles
  • jedster
    jedster Posts: 1,717
    I ride a cross bike which obviously has plenty of clearance and I've used conti ultra gators in 25mm and 28mm, bonty race lite hard case in 28, vittoria rubino pro in 25mm. TBH I see no advantage of 25mm over 28mm and certainly wouldn't consider 23 or less for commuting. I can run 28mm gators (my preference) at 120 psi if I want but usually try to keep them around 100.

    I have spesh armadillos on my town bike and they have been pretty bombproof. I might try spesh all condition pros as an alternative to gators if I see some at a good price.
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    You've probably done so already but give the Kendas a try for a few weeks before buying something else - you might find they're fine and puncture-free. I commute on 23s but if I already had 25s on the bike I don't think I'd go narrower for a city centre commute.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • londonbairn
    londonbairn Posts: 316
    Thank you so much guys, very friendly forum!

    The Kendras seem good, but wondering if I could gain more by trying another rubber. I think I will try another to see what it is like, but the route especially at Holborn is horrific road wise, probably right that 23mm would be too small! There are some amazing parts of my route (around Uxbridge Road) that I can really put foot to the pedal as the surface is fantastic and if it was consistent, it would be a no brainer for a smaller width!

    I have only had 1 puncture and that was my fault mounting a small kerb to get past a motorist who decided the bike lane was fine for him to drive in...

    Thanks again, I will stick around!
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    londonbairn wrote:
    Thank you so much guys, very friendly forum!

    The Kendras seem good, but wondering if I could gain more by trying another rubber. I think I will try another to see what it is like, but the route especially at Holborn is horrific road wise, probably right that 23mm would be too small! There are some amazing parts of my route (around Uxbridge Road) that I can really put foot to the pedal as the surface is fantastic and if it was consistent, it would be a no brainer for a smaller width!

    I have only had 1 puncture and that was my fault mounting a small kerb to get past a motorist who decided the bike lane was fine for him to drive in...

    Thanks again, I will stick around!

    I'm on Kenda 25s on the ss commuter, and on the rare occasion that I do my commute on the tifosi on 23s it seems a much harsher ride. Obviously that's not just the tyres, but I think they're a contributory factor.

    I have to say I like the Kendas, p*nct*re free, but have never tried any other on that bike.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    londonbairn wrote:
    Thank you so much guys, very friendly forum!

    The Kendras seem good, but wondering if I could gain more by trying another rubber. I think I will try another to see what it is like, but the route especially at Holborn is horrific road wise, probably right that 23mm would be too small! There are some amazing parts of my route (around Uxbridge Road) that I can really put foot to the pedal as the surface is fantastic and if it was consistent, it would be a no brainer for a smaller width!

    I have only had 1 puncture and that was my fault mounting a small kerb to get past a motorist who decided the bike lane was fine for him to drive in...

    Thanks again, I will stick around!


    I agree, Holborn is a disgrace
    <a>road</a>
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    I checked and it's the Vittoria Rubino Pros I was thinking of.

    I still can't decide whether to get these or the Conti Gatorskins in 23 or 25mm, given that the 23s have served me very well.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    LOL, I ride on 35s here. :lol: Used to use 23s but I honestly dont see that much of a difference speed wise. I think I have slightly more puncture protection and grip off road, but I've gone from Racelites to Crosstowns.

    I think tyres only start to really matter when you're getting into the racing side of things. Or for fowl weather.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    downfader wrote:
    I think tyres only start to really matter when you're getting into the racing side of things. Or for fowl weather.

    What do you think SCR is?! We're all perfectly honed racing machines on this forum, you know. It's all about eeking out as much advantage as you can get from your gear. :P
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    cjcp wrote:
    downfader wrote:
    I think tyres only start to really matter when you're getting into the racing side of things. Or for fowl weather.

    What do you think SCR is?! We're all perfectly honed racing machines on this forum, you know. It's all about eeking out as much advantage as you can get from your gear. :P

    ..well it lives up to the "silly" bit. :lol::lol::lol:
  • londonbairn
    londonbairn Posts: 316
    el_presidente wrote:
    I agree, Holborn is a disgrace

    I hope Boris is investing in these roads, Bayswater is also a disgrace, especially when cycling away from Marble Arch. My area (Ealing) seems generally good roads wise for the bike.

    I think I will stick with the Kendras for now as they are quite decent.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    +1.  It seems that there's actually a helluva lot of bad roads in City and West End. Once I'm off Putney Bridge (heading home), it gets much better. Actually, I have an idea...
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    cjcp wrote:
    +1.  It seems that there's actually a helluva lot of bad roads in City and West End. Once I'm off Putney Bridge (heading home), it gets much better. Actually, I have an idea...

    ..you're gonna swim across..? :wink:
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    downfader wrote:
    cjcp wrote:
    +1.  It seems that there's actually a helluva lot of bad roads in City and West End. Once I'm off Putney Bridge (heading home), it gets much better. Actually, I have an idea...

    ..you're gonna swim across..? :wink:

    You laugh, but I had to walk across on Friday! (There was a crash.)
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • londonbairn
    londonbairn Posts: 316
    They basically need to relay the roads in the West End, it's horrible, it looks like no one takes care of them at all.

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