Tyre questions Michelin Lithion 700 x 23 stay on or replace?

dru

Hi there,

My front tyre is starting to lose grip, the grey shoulders are losing there tread on the top so I am looking to get another tyre.

The question is - the back tyre has go plenty of life in it - do I only change the front one or should I change both to be 'matched'

Further on from above - can you mix and match tyres - or is it always best to have the same model front and rear?

I guess the question I am asking is.... should I stick with these same tyres all the time, or should I look now at making the change to a different/better tyre?

Priorities - I've just started cycling (road cycling) so hopefully I will be doing quite a few miles on it. Ultimately I will be using this for some Triathlons next year.

Budget - I've not got a great deal of money but If I said around the £30-35 for a pair of tyres - would that get me anything decent for my needs?

Finally I've got 700 x 23 at the moment - what are the advantages/disadvantages of going for a 25 or 28?

Cheers,



Dru.

softlad

it's unusual for the front tyre to wear faster than the rear - maybe you should just swap them round...

barbej

If you are just training this year then I would go for something like Gatorskins or Michelin KRYLION as these are reasonably cheap, puncture proof and will last a long time. I would go for 23mm on the front (your decent old tyre) and 25mm on the rear. This is a good combination as the front wheel and tyre make the most difference in terms of aerodynamics. Therefore a thinner tyre is better on the front, if fact this is main reason race cycle tires are narrow. 25mm on the rear will give you a bit more comfort on normally broken British roads so it is worth it. The airflow is already broken up by the time it has reached the rear wheel, therefore the rear tyre and wheel hardly have any effect on your drag.

Basically a wider tyre will give you more comfort and speed over broken roads. Narrower tyres do not give you better rolling resistance. They are narrower just for aerodynamics. Obviously we buy what the pro's use and as they go much faster than we do they really benifit from a 23mm tyre. When it gets to us normal bods 25mm is great unless you are doing a TT. You do not see 28mm much as most modern race frames do not have the clearance. Though older race bikes usually have, I think this is more for the look thing and having short drop brakes.

joewhitebaby

I'm afriad £30-35 would only get you ONE decent tyre in this day and age. I've tested numerous tyres and have found what I consider to be the best for grip in all conditions and good wear: Continental Attack & Force tyres. You can pick a pair up for about £45 now which as far as I'm concerned is a bargain as they are 2 totally different tyres intended for the front and rear wheels.

barbej

You can get two Gatorskins and tubes for 39.90 on Wiggle (without looking around). So not much over £35. I have some of these and they do last well and I have had no punctures. I have also have the Attack and Force which are excellent tires, but you will get less mileage out of them. They are race tyres so they weight less at the expense of length of service.