Recommend me some tyres

NITR8s

I want to get a decent set of tyres as I am paronoid that the cheap set that I got with my bike at putting me at a disadvantage due to poor rolling resistance.

I was thinking of a set of Schwalbe Ultremo ZX Tyres in blue, but are open to suggestions.

danlikesbikes

They are a pretty good tyre as are the conti GP 4000's - will depend on what you are looking for though.

Tyres tend to be super light, more expensive & no so good in the worse weather or towards the opposite end of the scale and you have to either go for one set for sumer and one for winter or a sort of compromise between the 2.

Would possibly ask either people you ride with or your LBS who will probably be riders themselves and they should be able to recommend a set for you based on the local terrain.

stovesym

Conti gp4000s I'd recommend. You see them reviewed as a lightweight 'race' type tyre and they do run quickly. But mine have been remarkably puncture free in 100s of mile of use. Rubble selling a pair for £54 at moment. I just bought 2 more for some new wheels I'm getting; after some online research into similar Michelin & schwalbe I couldnt justify changing.

marin_maniac

After my Conti GP4000s wore out I replaced them with Scwalbe zx's (only cause they were free to me!)

Hands down I prefer the feel of the Conti's. The ZX's are virtually new, but I'm trying to justify to myself buying another set of Conti's before they've worn out!!

NITR8s

Thanks for the responses I will have a look into the Contis, I live in somerset and some of the country roads are quite rough. In fact you can tell the diffence between the different roads, as I can cycle fine on some but on others I always feel like a struggle no matter how fresh I am.

One thing that I know for certain is that anything I get is going to be better than the Kenda Kampagins that are currently on there.

jonomc4

Got to admit - I prefer the Conti GP 4 seasons tyres - better all rounder I think and seems to be more puncture resistant,

NITR8s

Just had a look at the Conti gp4000s, they look quite good.

rick_chasey

Had only excelllent experiences with GP4000s. Had one pair for 6,000km and not a single puncture.

Some on here say they don't feel particularly nice - like you're riding on hosepipes -and that others in the similar price bracket, Schwalbe Ultremos for example, have a more plush ride. Indeed, I'd look into all the other brands at that price range - they'll all be pretty good.

No-one I know disputes the GP4000s re-performance for an every-day tyre.

Some people ride in areas which are pretty tough on tyres though - often areas with lots of flint - so that's worth baring in mind, since these kinds of tyres tend to cut up in those conditions, even the GP4000s.

Having said all that, I've never ridden a tyre that's better in the wet than GP4000s.

MartinB2444

I am using Schalbe Ultremo R.1s. They weigh in at around 180g so are seriously light. They've now been superceded by the ZX which is a bit heavier, presumably to improve durability. The R stands for race so they are orientated towards performance rather than durability. There are lots of reports on here of the Ultremos being fragile - cuts and punctures so I might just have been lucky. As much as possible I ride on small lanes in the Peak District, there's a lot of potholes, grit and other crud as well as some fast curving descents. I started with the tyres at the end of January so have ridden in all weathers. After 1600km I have just replaced the rear tyre with another R.1 after noticing a small bulge in the wall. After this distance both tyres have a few cuts but non have compromised the inner wall. Between nearly every ride I check closely for any flints and on the odd occassion have extracted a small piece of glass or stone (best to partly deflate the tyre to do this). I know I shouldn't say this but I haven't had a puncture yet which, I'm sure, is down to a good chunk of luck.

Schwalbe talk about the nano technology employed in these tyres which I usually dismiss as hype but I've found these tyres to have amazing grip in wet conditions which is apparently down to the tiny particle size used in the rubber.

I'm willing to accept some compromise on durability for the sake of performance and am happy with tyre life I've had so far, the front tyre is still going strong. The Conti GP4000s are very highly regarded on here, I don't know how they compare performance wise.

Martin

schlepcycling

Can I put in a vote for Michelin Pro Race 3s and 4s.

smidsy

NITR8s wrote:

I want to get a decent set of tyres as I am paronoid that the cheap set that I got with my bike at putting me at a disadvantage due to poor rolling resistance.

I was thinking of a set of Schwalbe Ultremo ZX Tyres in blue, but are open to suggestions.

In reality I doubt most of us in the Road Beginners section will notice the difference.

I ran Cont Gator Hardshells initially and now run Schwalbe Durano S and other than the look of them I have not noticed anything else different.

I accept I am no expert but that is kind of my point.

klep

I've been riding over 2000km on second hand Conti GP 4000's and I suspect that they've been ridden more than double that amount in total. No complaints whatsoever

wishitwasallflat

For comfort Vittoria Paves that's all

Amoger

Been round the houses thinking about new tyres, but on strength of this thread, going to try some Conti GP 4000s. Had sort of settled on the Schwalbe Ultremo's for puncture resistance, but not sufficiently settled to actually buy any. Also suspect my first puncture was more related to under-inflated tyres so bought a proper pump.

Should perhaps be getting new wheels (mine a bit naff) too, but one thing at a time! Thanks for advice on here.

Dmak

Conti GP4000s defo, tried a few others, Vredestein, Michelin, Specialized...they all suck in comparison going by durability and puncture resistance balanced with feel and grip.

Amoger

Dmak wrote:

Conti GP4000s defo, tried a few others, Vredestein, Michelin, Specialized...they all suck in comparison going by durability and puncture resistance balanced with feel and grip.

Gone for the GP4000S now wondering if I should have got 700x25 instead of x23, any views?

rick_chasey

Amoger wrote:

Dmak wrote:

Conti GP4000s defo, tried a few others, Vredestein, Michelin, Specialized...they all suck in comparison going by durability and puncture resistance balanced with feel and grip.

Gone for the GP4000S now wondering if I should have got 700x25 instead of x23, any views?

23's are fine for a road bike.

People argue the toss but the difference is minimal.

NITR8s

Cheapest place so far for GP4000s is jejamescycles at £26.99, any one found any cheaper. My LBS does a price match policy, so trying to find the cheapest to pricematch agaisnt. Although I dont think they are going to be happy pricematching from £43.00 to £27.00

lostboysaint

Rick is wrong about the difference between 23 and 25. 25 is far more comfortable and rolls just as quickly. Having changed to the larger tyre (in Conti GP4S) I now run 10 psi less, have lost no speed and the smoothness of the ride is noticeably enhanced.

It was a recommendation from the LBS and I don't know of a single rider that's done it that has gone back to 23mm.

Amoger

Thanks; ordered (x23) from Rubble, £54.32 the pair, though Rose is cheaper (not sure what postage is at Rose).

lc1981

NITR8s wrote:

Cheapest place so far for GP4000s is jejamescycles at £26.99, any one found any cheaper.

I got mine from bike-discount.de (http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k373/a4826/grand-prix-4000-s-23-622-mm-black.html) They're currently €26.95 each, plus €5.95 total postage, which works out at around £49 in total for a pair. They arrived very quickly - probably quicker than I've had stuff arrive from Evans or the like.

bisoner

Works out at £47 for a pair of GP4000's at JEJAMES with the JUB5 discount voucher for £5 off when you spend £50. Shame they aren't selling the 25mm 4000's though.

andy46

Another vote here for Michelin Pro 3's. I've had mine for a couple of months and can't fault them really.

£26 from Ribble.

warrerj

I've been looking into some new rubber and looked at all that have been mentioned.

quite few people in our club have bought ultremo over the last few months and ALL have had problmes with them spliting. I've never been a big Schwalbe fan so thats them out! The other 3 that keep getting pushed are conti GP400s, Conti GP 4season and Vittoria Open Pave. I can't quite decide which to go for but thinking of the Open Pave as the 320tpi should make for a better ride but I'm assured they are very puncture ressitant.