Most Comfortable 23mm Winter Tyres

simon_masterson

Dippydog3 wrote:

My new winter bike has 32mm tyres. Yummy comfortable.

I normally ride 25mm. I am not convinced the 32mm ones are any slower at my pace. (25 to 30 kph average.)

And now I do not have to avoid cattle grids, gravel, small potholes, ripped Tarmac, etc.

I remember reading a story not long ago of a former climbing specialist pro that now swears by 28-32mm tyres. The truth is much as you've described - traction, comfort, puncture resistance... Disregarding any clearance issues that dictate usable tyre size, I think the scaremongering about wide tyres is mainly a matter of fashion (though those clinchers really look pro ), and the rolling resistance is hardly anything to write home about anyway in terms of the performance impact on real world cycling. The way that some paint it, you would think that certain speeds are only accessible with a sufficiently narrow tyre. And not all 28mm+ tyres are built like Marathon Pluses, either.

My main road bike has 32mm tyres - having 27" touring wheels, 27x1 1/4" is one of two readily available sizes, and the best readily available tyre I've found is the Gatorskin. It's a little bit heavier than a 25mm, but so what? My latest build on the other hand has 21mm tubs.

blackpoolkev

bendertherobot wrote:

I have Pro 4 Service Course 25c. I wouldn't necessarily run them in winter but they are cheap. They roll brilliantly and blow up bigger than 25c. There's no way on earth I'd go back to 23c

I fitted a pair of Michelin Pro 4 Service course 23mm to my bike a few weeks ago. They were replacements for my tried and trusted Michelin Pro 4 Endurance. Following a post regarding the Pro 4 SC's, it was brought to my attention that SC's actually measure slightly narrower than 23mm.
After using the 23mm SC's for a few weeks, I can say for sure that they ride much more harshly than the 23mm Pro Endurance. The SC's lean(only dry use so far) and roll better but I'm going back to the comfort of the Pro Endurance when the SC's wear out.

Summary to the O.P. - Michelin Pro 4 Endurance are a good all year round 23mm tyre, IMO.

bendertherobot

blackpoolkev wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

I have Pro 4 Service Course 25c. I wouldn't necessarily run them in winter but they are cheap. They roll brilliantly and blow up bigger than 25c. There's no way on earth I'd go back to 23c

I fitted a pair of Michelin Pro 4 Service course 23mm to my bike a few weeks ago. They were replacements for my tried and trusted Michelin Pro 4 Endurance. Following a post regarding the Pro 4 SC's, it was brought to my attention that SC's actually measure slightly narrower than 23mm.
After using the 23mm SC's for a few weeks, I can say for sure that they ride much more harshly than the 23mm Pro Endurance. The SC's lean(only dry use so far) and roll better but I'm going back to the comfort of the Pro Endurance when the SC's wear out.

Summary to the O.P. - Michelin Pro 4 Endurance are a good all year round 23mm tyre, IMO.

I do find that, like the old Krylium, Endurance are harder to get on the rim.

mattrixdesign2

bendertherobot wrote:

I have Pro 4 Service Course 25c. I wouldn't necessarily run them in winter but they are cheap. They roll brilliantly and blow up bigger than 25c. There's no way on earth I'd go back to 23c

I am running the above but in 23c, and they are smaller than any previous 23c I have had. Lovely soft tyres (used with lightweight innertubes), really grippy, but I wouldn't run them in winter either as a bit too light weight.

I ran GP4000s over a few winters and puncture free. Currently running 1 of these plus a Gator Skin, both old and ragged, but reliable tyres for the winter, I do find the GatorSkin a bit too hard in terms of the rubber, and for that reason they can slip when you put the power down.

In the poor weather I use my TriCross, so now looking for something that is bigger, say up to 30c - anyone recommend any thing, or even big 25c+, ideally at the cheaper end of the scale, not Challenge Strada Bianca prices :shock:

bendertherobot

See if you can find some Vittoria randonneur pro 2

mattrixdesign2

They come up cheap so on the radar. Anything out there that is more of a slick?