What tyres is everyone using

fidbod

Having nearly had a car-bike coming together on the way home today I have decided that the armadillos I have on my commuter are not grippy enough in the wet weather.

I have got ultra gatorskins on my other bike but they are a bit puncture prone for a commuting tyre. So what does everyone else use?

Agent57

Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my commuting bike, IIRC.

roger_merriman

Agent57 wrote:

Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my commuting bike, IIRC.

same here but not sure they are that good grip wise.

at 38mm on the hybrid the stick well but, I think most 38mm probably do.

fidbod

38 mm tyres are probably too big for the langster frame - should have mentioned that earlier :roll:

Jay dubbleU

Marathons on the MTB - although its on the knobblies at the moment awaiting the snow

Aguila

fidbod wrote:

Having nearly had a car-bike coming together on the way home today I have decided that the armadillos I have on my commuter are not grippy enough in the wet weather.

I have got ultra gatorskins on my other bike but they are a bit puncture prone for a commuting tyre. So what does everyone else use?

Gatorskins for me on the commuter. Generally very pleased with them, They dont puncture much at all when new but do seem to cut fairly easily. I used to have schwalbe blizzard sports which were good anti puncture wise but I swapped due to poor wet grip.

flybywire

These are good imo http://www.parker-international.co.uk/1 ... -Tyre.html (ideal for winter/wet commute)

April I will put the conti gatorskins back on

downfader

Ultragators here too. Was using panracer crosstowns before but they're less suitable for a langster. Big fan of Racelites here too.

TBH I just get around the grip issues by going carefully and slow it down.

biondino

Are you wanting to move to a thicker tyre you can run on lower psi for a bigger contact pacth? Because if not, you want to find the slickest tyres you can as they are most effective in the wet. I recommend Schwalbe Ultremos.

downfader

biondino wrote:

Are you wanting to move to a thicker tyre you can run on lower psi for a bigger contact pacth? Because if not, you want to find the slickest tyres you can as they are most effective in the wet. I recommend Schwalbe Ultremos.

I think theres a Vitoria (sp?) like the ultremos, but minimal PFP. Michelin have some very sticky tyres too

flybywire

I run these wider 1.5's with sipped tread at 60psi. The gators are at 95psi in the summer months where I can really fly ..

The roads on my 14mile commute are rural with plenty of mud in the winter and poorly maintained with large potholes,ruts and the like. I need a tyre that has low rolling resistance due to mainly long straight roads which are quite flat, but grip well in corners and hills.

If your riding is urban then non-grooved tread is more suited as contact area is the key over seemed tarmac etc in the wet & drop the prssures.

Although my lights are good for commute (N/Rider minewt x 2) I ran over a brick the other evening and stayed on at approx 20mph!! - tyre sidewall is another consideration for comfort and shock absorbtion (rigid/straight forks). wheels are ok since that bang & bounce

MonkeyMonster

Specialized All Condition Pro

Roastie

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Specialized All Condition Pro

+1 The Spesh tyres are still "up there" in terms of what I've tried.

cjcp

Up until last month, had used Gatorskins for nearly two years. Now using Schwalbe Durano Pluses.

Before Gatorskins, I used Michelin Krylion Carbons. They cut up a bit too easily for my liking, but they did have grip in the wet, and have some fans on here.

Canny Jock

Just fitted 28mm Marathon Plus to the Tricross - not ridden them yet, but a bitch to get on and feel very heavy. On the plus side though, you can see how they resist p@#$tures well.

Jay dubbleU

Think I'd go for marathons rather than the + lighter, more 'feel' and tbh seem to be just as good against the PF

Wallace1492

Canny Jock wrote:

Just fitted 28mm Marathon Plus to the Tricross - not ridden them yet, but a ***** to get on and feel very heavy. On the plus side though, you can see how they resist p@#$tures well.

A man after my own heart.... fitted ones to my Tricross, real bummer to put on, and managed a blow out while pumping up tyre - must have just nicked tube on the tyre rim, was rather loud in my living room!!

Only managed about a weeks commute on them before tearing my calf muscle, but found them really good, far better rolling resistance than the Borough's, but have a little more "feel", not great on rougher surfaces, but maybe I was too used to MTB with front sus.

Roll on another week or two and I will be back in the saddle!!

benno68

I've got Michelin Krylion Carbons, nice tyre and good in the wet but as said before they do seem to cut up easily. So I'll be looking for another option soon.

fidbod

Well the nice man at Luciano cycles sold me some Bontrager race lite hard cases - Lets see how they get on.

He also nearly sold me a Kuota Kharma, that will have to wait for another week though

prawny

I've been using ultra gatorskins all year and only had 1 deflation. They do cut up but it doesn't seem to have any negative effects.

fossyant

Conti Grand Prix 4 Seasons 23mm for the commute for the fixed, Pro Race for the 2 road bikes.

Very impressed with the contis for grip in the wet, and 'deflation' protection.

Canny Jock

Wallace1492 wrote:

Canny Jock wrote:

Just fitted 28mm Marathon Plus to the Tricross - not ridden them yet, but a ***** to get on and feel very heavy. On the plus side though, you can see how they resist p@#$tures well.

A man after my own heart.... fitted ones to my Tricross, real bummer to put on, and managed a blow out while pumping up tyre - must have just nicked tube on the tyre rim, was rather loud in my living room!!

Only managed about a weeks commute on them before tearing my calf muscle, but found them really good, far better rolling resistance than the Borough's, but have a little more "feel", not great on rougher surfaces, but maybe I was too used to MTB with front sus.

Roll on another week or two and I will be back in the saddle!!

Good luck Wallace, hope the weather clears up a bit by the time you get on!

Had the same problem as you - went through 2 inner tubes, although the ones that came as standard on the Tricross seem rubbish, can't understand why they don't use Specialized ones?

Trailradar

I am using tyres made from rubber, they have a nice shade of black, as black as the midnight sky. My tyres have a adequate level of grooves and tread to handle wet weather riding and off-road adventures, the size is pretty good too and can assist for high speed cycling, on any terrain. Basically (excuse cliche), they are a good all-rounder, and do me proud. They also will look good as a pair off over-sized ear-rings for fancy dress! Nuff said.

p.s. the width is narrow enough for maintaining speed with minimal amount of effort, yet at the same time wide enough to provide adeqaute comfort and minimal risk from punctures - damn I said the 'p' word - opps - every cyclist worst word and nightmare. :evil:

p.p.s - they also can, would you believe it have enough room for an innertube.

gs3

Specialized Roubaix Pro II with Flak Jacket protection - 23mm tread on a 25mm carcass. No p***tures in 6 months. Fitted to my (road commute) Tricross Comp at the moment.
Great grip, low weight, low rolling resistance and a bit more forgiving than a pure 23mm tyre.

purple rain

28mm Marathon Plus here....they are a bastard to get on, and at first the grip felt shite, inspiring no confidence. Also had a rear thorn puncture after 4 days. . I'd hate to get a visit from PF out in the sticks with these.

Run them for a month or so now and I think they have broken in, the anti-puncture bit has softened up a lot with the ride feeling more forgiving, and the grip has felt much better over the past few weeks even with the severe snow & ice.

Will probably purchase again, just gotta see how next years MONSTER MILEAGE goes...

kurako

I'm a big fan of Conti's. I found this on their site. Article was originally in a German bike magazine I think (TOUR). Anyway, take it with a pinch of salt if you wish but the test rig looks like a lot of fun 8)

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/w ... 00s_en.pdf

crosstowncommuter

I'm so-so on the conti ultra gatorskins - for the daily commute at any rate. Despite running them at max pressure I was getting a few punctures a month on the daily commute.

Would be interested to try the new Gator hardshells which should be available now with a bit more protection.

Recently switched to Maxxis Re-Fuses after some good reviews over on the FGSS forums (700x25), and have now been puncture free for 2 months and counting, also excellent grip in the wet or dry. They are foldies too so easy to change if required.

hisoka

Schewalbe Marathon Plus, I do not like visits from the deflated tyre brigade.

noah bubblehead

I'm not a fan of Schwalbe Marathon Cross after running them on my mountain bike last year. They were extrememely prone to punctures both on the road and on trails/towpaths. I ran them at 60psi and was impressed with road resistance and had no issues with grip. I had no problems with fitting and could put them on without levers. They also cut up very easily. Following advice from a large internet based supplier I bought some Continental Town and Country, and promptly had a flat the first time I used them on boxing day morning when the temperature was about -3. As an aside, I'm not sure that Slime tubes work so well when temperatures are down about freezing point

pollys_bott

I started commuting last autumn on the wife's old Trek 1200 flat-bar - it's currently got Bontrager Race Lites on and I'm not confident with them on frosty / icy country roads at six in the morning. Am I right to be concerned about lack of grip given that they are effectively slicks? Would a lower psi help much? A knobblier tyre wouldn't help as it would be reducing the contact patch with the road: wouldn't it?! What would be the widest tyre I could put on rims currently holding 700 x 23c tyres? Any advice gratefully received as I really want to carry on biking to work: with two young sprogs in the house spare time for riding is almost non-existent.

Confused... :oops:

cjcp

Pollys Bott wrote:

I started commuting last autumn on the wife's old Trek 1200 flat-bar - it's currently got Bontrager Race Lites on and I'm not confident with them on frosty / icy country roads at six in the morning. Am I right to be concerned about lack of grip given that they are effectively slicks? Would a lower psi help much? A knobblier tyre wouldn't help as it would be reducing the contact patch with the road: wouldn't it?! What would be the widest tyre I could put on rims currently holding 700 x 23c tyres? Any advice gratefully received as I really want to carry on biking to work: with two young sprogs in the house spare time for riding is almost non-existent.

Confused... :oops:

Yes, slicks aren't great, but neither are knobblies. You need studs for ice. Check out the Schwalbes.

I've got 700 x 30mm Michelin Mud 2s on my 700s, but they're no use on ice. That *might* be their limit from what I've read elsewhere on the forum.