I need your tyre anecdotes.

pangolin

pangolin wrote:

Kaffenback with GP4000s' (about £52 pair)
4 punctures
Last 2 were little bits of glass. Lots of little cuts in the tyre.

Dolan with Vittoria Rubino Pro's (about £36 a pair)
0 punctures
Tyres look good.

Updated, it's now 4 - 0! Last one was in the dry again. Not inspected it yet.

Are GP4000s' not meant to be at all good at puncture resistance, just grippy racing tyres?

meanredspider

pangolin wrote:

Are GP4000s' not meant to be at all good at puncture resistance, just grippy racing tyres?

I've always found GP4000Ss poor for puncture protection and, as I've said before, Rubino Pros (which, IME, are excellent for puncture protect) roll seemingly every bit as well. A fast, grippy, tyre is no good if it's always flat. You'd be better off taking the corners slightly slower on a tyre with some air in it.

pangolin

Yup I am finding the same thing. GP4000s' result in more offs if we count getting off to fix them.

simon_masterson

I've been using Gatorskins since May on my main bike, and I'm pretty happy with them. On 27" wheels the choices (and sizes) are very limited, but based on my experience I'd happily buy them again; I haven't experienced any problems with punctures or grip, though they are 1 1/4" (32mm). I think once I've 'updated' to 700c, I'll probably go with GP4000s; I've heard just too many good things...

Bordersroadie

My tyre CV is limited because I've had so many puncture-free years and thousands of miles on Conti Gatorskins that I daren't change!

So:

Ultremo ZX 23c - amazingly comfy tyre, fast rolling, grippy but easy to puncture.

Gatorskin 23c - superb puncture protection, but feel harsh and less fast than the ZX (although in reality my route times are unchanged on average).

Gatorskin 25c - fast rolling, superb puncture protection, not so grippy in wet*

*rear wheel slips on steep wet hills even with smooth pedalling, one "off" last winter ended in A&E (front wheel slid out) but their impeccable puncture-free record (for me) mean that I've stuck with them, I'd be mad to change. I just ride slower round wet corners now - in my view better than having a grippy tyre that sees me mending punctures on dark, cold, wet commutes or winter night rides.

redjeepǃ

Have had GP4000's and GP4000s's on my bikes for thousands of miles with no problem. I fitted GP4 Seasons to my commuter bike earlier in the year and the rear lasted less than 50 km before being slashed beyond use.

In fairness, I don't think any tyre would have survived it, as I ran over something that resembled a stinger that slashed the sidewall of my rear tyre, trashed my rear mudguard and left a big scratch/ dent in my rim. I never knew what it was, but I'm guessing something like steel banding tape.

Anyway, I've fitted a Gatorskin to the rear and it's lasted well and I've had no problems in the wet. I still feel a bit more confident on the GP4000s's though.

mudcovered

Redjeep! wrote:

Have had GP4000's and GP4000s's on my bikes for thousands of miles with no problem. I fitted GP4 Seasons to my commuter bike earlier in the year and the rear lasted less than 50 km before being slashed beyond use.

In fairness, I don't think any tyre would have survived it, as I ran over something that resembled a stinger that slashed the sidewall of my rear tyre, trashed my rear mudguard and left a big scratch/ dent in my rim. I never knew what it was, but I'm guessing something like steel banding tape.

You had me worried until the second paragraph. I've found the GP4 Seasons reliable on road and pretty tolerant of abuse in CX style offroad riding as well. Not 100% puncture free but I do go months between getting them as long as I remember to keep the tyre at a sensible pressure. :oops:

Mike