23mm Tyres

AdrianStuart

Yes I have done a search and read all the posts regarding this issue however I have another question to ask.

I popped into the LBS and asked for Gatorskins, the guy in the shop convinced me I should not go for them and instead use Specialised Armadillo All Condition tyres. However they only had these in 23mm and I have always used 25mm.

I decided to go for them despite reading differing opinions on here and other forums. The question I have is was I right in going for Specialised Armadillo's and just to open up another can of worms will I be as safe on 23mm compared to 25mm? :?:

seanorawe

Not sure about what tyre is better. But you are safe on the 23's. They just wont be as comfortable as 25's until you get used to them.

drlodge

FWIW, I've used Gatorskins 23c and 25c and they're a decent enough tyre. I did find I was getting quite a bit of road buzz, but since I dropped the pressure of the front tyre from 110 to 95 psi on the front (rear is still 110), its been fine.

careful

I had to bin a couple of nearly new Armadillos when the treads seperated from the fabric of the tyre. I spoke to another guy last week whose Armadillo tyre suffered the same fate. Not sure if this is a common problem but I have never had any problems with Gatorskins. As for 23mm, just put about 10% more air in and expect a slightly firmer ride. I much prefer 25mm now, and used up some old 23mm on the front where the difference is less noticeable.

jonomc4

Armadillo tyres tens to have stiff sidewalls - this can make them overly bumpy in my opinion (and yes I have done about 3k miles on a set)

I would really recommend Continental 4 seasons above the armadillos - I have used both a lot and find the continentals a better tyre - both are good at fighting off punctures - but the continentals are lighter and grip much better in the wet - but this is just my opinion.

Monty Dog

Armadillos are probably the worst handling tyre in the wet I've ever ridden, as well as having a very harsh ride. A 25mm tyre has 20% more volume and so help improve ride feel and comfort - your LBS has done you a disservice IMO. Agree on GP4Seasons or Durano if you want something durable - mind you I did have a dodgy moment on GP4S last week on a 60kph descent in Devon where the road was running water.

AdrianStuart

Monty Dog wrote:

Armadillos are probably the worst handling tyre in the wet I've ever ridden, as well as having a very harsh ride. A 25mm tyre has 20% more volume and so help improve ride feel and comfort - your LBS has done you a disservice IMO. Agree on GP4Seasons or Durano if you want something durable - mind you I did have a dodgy moment on GP4S last week on a 60kph descent in Devon where the road was running water.

Oh good!

mkviken

I went from 25mm conti ultra race to 23mm conti gp4000 and the handling and grip is better. they roll a lot quicker and I can honestly say comfort/ride is no worse.

mike6

I also use the Conti GP4000s Black Chilli in 23mm, and find them good for all season riding. They are quick rolling, grippy and I am yet to have a p******e despite the awful roads in Northumberland. I am on my second set and only changed as the first pair were worn past the depth markers. They did last about 4000 miles though.

mkviken

My ultra race are now relocated to turbo duty

I would definately buy another pair of 4000s when the time comes for road use. Excellent tyre.

Pickled Pig

AdrianStuart wrote:

I popped into the LBS and asked for Gatorskins, the guy in the shop convinced me I should not go for them and instead use Specialised Armadillo All Condition tyres.

Out of interest, did the shop definitely have Gators in stock?

declan1

You should feel lucky on 23s! I just got a nice old vintage bike (pictures coming soon - I promise!), and it's running 20s. They're so narrow!!!

drlodge

+1 on Gatorskins (current bike) and have chosen GP4000S for my good bike (ready soon I hope). Glad to hear those black chilli tyres are nice to ride on!

beverick

The initial advice seems strange. Most of the time I'd expect the general advice to move from 23c onto 25c and not the other way around - unless you really want to feel every bump, lump and pothole through your contact points!

I've run both Armadillos and Gators on the road bike (23c, 25c and 26c) and hybrid "hack" (28c and 32c) for fifteen years and I think it comes down to a compromise between durability and feel.

Armadillos are pretty much bomb-proof but, as far as feel's concerned, you may as well have solid tyres. Gators give much more feel (and are less likely to slide in the wet or, in 28c form "tramline" - which is disconcerting at speed!) but you'll get more flats, especially around town and more so in the wet.

There are no doubt better tyres out there for distance runs but for all year, round-town commuting, I'd always use Armadillos. However, for longer runs, especially away from glass strewn streets, it's Gators all the way.

Bob

Bordersroadie

I've used Gators for well over 15 years in both 23c (dry bike) and 25c (mudguard bike) and can vouch for both the far greater comfort of the 25c over the 23c (the 23c are somewhat bone-jarring compared to the Ultremo ZX 23c I had and much harsher than the Gator 25c).

Strange initial advice from the shop, since I think Gators are the best compromise between road feel/comfort vs wear vs p**** resistance. I'm doing 400 miles a month on mine, in all weathers and the p**** rate is very, very low.

If I could fit 25c on the dry bike I'd change to them.

Ron Stuart

This is a topic that gets a lot of airing and is a very personal opinion type thing. Difficult to judge wear, road holding puncture resistance when there is such a difference in rider weights, terrain and pressures being used.

I would say from personal experience the best rolling conti is the 4000s but the walls are very thin. the best wearing tyre I have found to date and also a tyre that resists cuts the best is the conti Grand Prix Black Chilli in a 24 size, these I use for training/general club rides as does a friend in the Rapha team. I have just purchased a set of michelin Pro4 endurance to complement my best bike to do Sportives etc where the road surfaces can still be pour. I used pro 3's but they just cut far to easily. As for the other conti's I got sick of the strands of string coming away from the sidewalls, totally naff if you ask me.

Oh! and by the way the shop advice was dodgy

hstiles

So you went into a shop looking for Gatorkins in 23c. They presumably did not have these in stock and not only succeeded in persuading you that the brand you wanted were wrong, but that the size was wrong too.

Good salesman.

Ron Stuart

hstiles wrote:

So you went into a shop looking for Gatorkins in 23c. They presumably did not have these in stock and not only succeeded in persuading you that the brand you wanted were wrong, but that the size was wrong too.

Good salesman.

No pr*ck as our man and the whole of the readers of this topic aren't in anyway impressed with our salesman. The exact opposite to good advertising. :roll:

AdrianStuart

hstiles wrote:

So you went into a shop looking for Gatorkins in 23c. They presumably did not have these in stock and not only succeeded in persuading you that the brand you wanted were wrong, but that the size was wrong too.

Good salesman.

They did have the Gatorskins, I wanted Gatorskins originally as I read so many differing reviews on here I decided to go for the Gatorskins. However once I explained my situation to him he started talking about the specialized armadillo's and they would be a better option

mkviken

just get some 4000S and carry a spare tube if your worried about punctures. theyre great tyres

they also do a 24mm if you think theyre more comfortable but like i already said coming from a 25mm conti ultra the 23mm 4000s is not any worse in comfort at all