Michelin Krylion or Conti GP4000S

Ffluff

Newbie road rider here with a need for some quick advice please..

Bike is an 07 Spesh Allez (Jalco rims, pretty standard bike at the mo), i'm around 80kgs give or take, and i wanted a tyre that rolled well and that I could leave on from now through the winter. I use the bike for training and club rides only. The roads are small back lanes and the occasional A road, but round here they're not always the best quality, plenty of potholes and farm equipment rolling around.

Having been over and over the forums, I've narrowed it to the Krylion and the GP4000s.
I can only find the Michelin in a 25 which actually appeals given the supposed slight increase in comfort? (is that right?)

Anyway, any pearls from those more experienced than me would be great - cheers in advance

gabriel959

The Krylions roll pretty well and are quite puncture resistant – they last for ages too, if longevity is an important factor for you. The ride is quite comfortable too and they are not very expensive. I have heard reports saying that they don’t grip well in the wet but they have never failed me when I have ridden them in the rain. I have had one puncture in about 1k miles and that was due to low PSI on the rear (my fault!!!) and the fact that I am 15st. On the negative side I would say that they are quite difficult to put in but I think that is more to do with the rim you use than the tyre itself.

I can’t speak about the 4000s but I have got the Continental Attack/Force (the best in the Conti range – one notch up from the 4000s) and they are amazing – they roll amazingly well, much better than the Krylions and the ride is very smooth. I have only been out with them for a couple of short rides so no idea about they puncture resistance but I have heard they are pretty good in that respect too. They are easy to fit too! Only problem with these tyres is the price (£60 quid for both of them) and that apparently they don’t last long in terms of time (one year I have heard on some forums!).

I have ridden now a few tyres and have found out that one of the biggest factors for not having punctures is keeping your tyres properly pumped.

Ffluff

that's extremely helpful, thanks for the advice..

would you consider the attack/force a tyre I could run through the winter? (wet/dry/cold etc..!)

i'm running the current tyres at 90psi front and rear? is that about right would you say?

passout

I always run mine at a fraction under the max psi - 115-120. I think it's best myself. I'd always have them above 100.

Monty Dog

The cut and puncture resitance of the Conti GP4000 / Attack/Force is significantly less than for the Krylions IME - a more realistic comparison would be between a Krylion and the GP4 Season - both are heavier duty training tyres. Given your weight and the roads you're riding on, I'd opt for a slightly heavier tyre in the widest section you can fit - a 25mm tyre has nearly 30% greater volume and therefore offers improved grip and better comfort for negligible weight penalty.

Ffluff

realistic comparison would be between a Krylion and the GP4 Season

Well that makes sense to me.. i'll check the bike later, but i'm sure i've read about others who are running 25's on an allez. These two seem to be pretty good options then..

Thanks

maddog 2

the 25 Krylion is heavier at about 270g, compared to the 23 at 240ish, if that's an issue.

I run some 23 krylions at about 90psi front and 100 rear and they're very good, and I'd definitley recommend them as a hard-wearing yet grippy tyre. The GP4Seasons is also a candidate - I run some 28mm on my winter wheels and they last and grip well. Either tyre is a good buy.

Having said all that, I'm about to go tubeless so we'll see how that goes.... 8)

guilliano

Keep in mind that a 25mm Michelin will be a fair bit bigger than a 25mm Conti (which look more like a 23mm from anyone else).

redddraggon

guilliano wrote:

Keep in mind that a 25mm Michelin will be a fair bit bigger than a 25mm Conti (which look more like a 23mm from anyone else).

That's backwards. My 23mm Krylions are tiny compared to my 23mm Contis.

Other Michelin tyres are quite wide, but we are talking about Krylions here, and they are noticeably narrower than other brands in the same size.

BigG67

I've run both and had more punctures with the GP4000s, not so many that it's an issue but certainly more.

Flip side is I "feel" that the Contis have a better grip and roll better.

I only swapped because I couldn't get the Krylions for a while but probably wouldn't go back.

ScottieP

I have a 2005 Allez Elite and can run 25mm tyres no problems - I have a set of Conti UIltragatorskins (the heavy wired bead version) for the winter and GP4000s (in 700x23) for the summer - I like them both.

giant_man

guilliano wrote:

Keep in mind that a 25mm Michelin will be a fair bit bigger than a 25mm Conti (which look more like a 23mm from anyone else).

Good point! My 25 Krylions are some FAT tyres!

redddraggon

giant mancp wrote:

guilliano wrote:

Keep in mind that a 25mm Michelin will be a fair bit bigger than a 25mm Conti (which look more like a 23mm from anyone else).

Good point! My 25 Krylions are some FAT tyres!

Wierd my 23mms are the narrowest 23mm I've ever owned

RWH

I have been riding the Continental gp 4000s for a while now and I think they are great in all conditions. They are pretty light and provide a very smooth ride even when pumped up pretty hard. Also they are not too difficult to put on the rim. I understand the latter is major problem with the Michelins.

The are bit pricey in the shops, but try to get them via internet (Bike24.net or Bike-Components.de), where they are about half the regular shop price.

The Mechanic

I have 23 mm Krylions on my road bike and 25 mm GP 4 Seasons on my audax bike, Like others, I bought the GPs because krylions were in short supply for a time. However, I like both tyres and would recommend either. My latest purchase of Krylions are 25mm but I haven't fitted them to anything yey. Just bought them because they became available again.

jarrvo

I got a pair of the Krylions 23s last week and im pretty impressed with them so far.

Cheapest was:
JE James @ £20 (instock)
CRC @ £20 (out of stock)
Decathlon @ £24 (in store only)
PBK @ £25 (in stock)