Winter Tyres

Swebb46

Hi all,

I'm looking to get some winter tyres for my Pro Carbon, I've been looking at some Continental GP4000s but I'm open to any suggestion they need to be fairly puncher resistant as I mainly ride on country roads

Thanks Sam

holiver

The Michelin Pro4 variants seem to come out pretty well in this regard. I am certainly happy with mine.

imposter2.0

GP4K is an expensive tyre to destroy in winter. Save your money and go for Gatorskins or similar. 'Puncture' resistance will be just as good...

KINGGARY

GP 4 seasons, lighter with better grip than gatorskins.
If you can fit 25 mm they are a very comfy ride.

feemackenzie

Gatorskins.

I've cycled approx 2000 miles on my set with one puncture, and I cycle all year round. They grip in wet and dry; they might not be the lightest but for our roads they do exactly what I need.

Swebb46

Cheers guys
Sam

sloppyschleckonds

feemackenzie wrote:

Gatorskins.

I've cycled approx 2000 miles on my set with one puncture, and I cycle all year round. They grip in wet and dry; they might not be the lightest but for our roads they do exactly what I need.

To be fair, 2000 miles isn't exactly high mileage. 25mm in whatever tyres you chose though. I use Vittoria Paves.

meanredspider

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

feemackenzie wrote:

Gatorskins.

I've cycled approx 2000 miles on my set with one puncture, and I cycle all year round. They grip in wet and dry; they might not be the lightest but for our roads they do exactly what I need.

To be fair, 2000 miles isn't exactly high mileage. 25mm in whatever tyres you chose though. I use Vittoria Paves.

I'm with the SS on this though Paves are expensive. I'd avoid Gatorskins. The grip is worse than a Vittoria Rubino Pro and the puncture resistance worse (in my extensive experience of both tyre). The Rubino is cheaper and, for better grip, go for the Evo version in 25C. As an alternative, the Pro4 Endurance comes highly recommended.

BTW - you won't get any general agreement on this topic as everyone seems to have pretty different experiences. Equally, it's often a trade off between cost, puncture resistance, grip and speed and people place different emphasis on each.

eddiefiola

3 punctures in 2 days on my 27mm rear Open Pave, to be fair i think its done its mileage total so ready for the bin, that and the glass and shit still left over from New Year as ze Germans havent bothered cleaning it up yet.

Have a left over 25mm Pro 4 SC which I'm going to bung on the front and ordered a 25mm Pro4 Endurance for the back, should hopefully see me through till Spring.

bungalballs

Ribble have some good deals on twin packs of Vredestein Fortezza Senso Extreme/All Weather. They were recommended in cycling weekly and get a good review on here.

Can't comment on what they are like as I have never tried (yet) but have just ordered a pair of extreme weather 28c's for my winter/commuter for about £40. The have the mich pro4 endurance as a pair for similar money.

DKay

I'm another big fan of the Pro4 Endurance. I run the 25mm version which come up large, so you can drop the pressures for grip and comfort through winter. Their cut resistance in particular, is excellent. I've been running them all the way through autumn and winter and there isn't a single knick on them with around 700miles done in all weathers.

northpole

I generally run with Conti 4 Seasons for the best part of 3 seasons! They are quite a good compromise. I've also had decent experience of the Michelin Pro 4 Service Course, which are not as hardy as their Endurance relatives. I would not suggest GP4000s for winter riding. An alternative would be the Schwalbe Durano Plus. Beyond that you are into the heavier duty tyres which concentrate more on p*ncture protection such as Spesh Armadillo and Schwalbe Marathons.

Peter

iron-clover

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

feemackenzie wrote:

Gatorskins.

I've cycled approx 2000 miles on my set with one puncture, and I cycle all year round. They grip in wet and dry; they might not be the lightest but for our roads they do exactly what I need.

To be fair, 2000 miles isn't exactly high mileage. 25mm in whatever tyres you chose though. I use Vittoria Paves.

I've done in the region of 7-8000 miles on my pair of 23C Gatorskins- had a few punctures (it has to be expected from everyday tyres over 2 years and 3 winters) but no more than 6 in total. They have been flattened off now and they are pretty scarred, but they're still going and should last until spring when I'll probably treat myself to new 25C versions.

I find grip is OK, but then I've not used any other winter tyre- I might take a punt with another make but I know for sure that Gatorskins will give me my moneys worth. I find running between 100-110psi rather than their max helps a lot.

meanredspider

If you find the grip OK on Gatorskins then maybe try Rubino Pros in a 25C. I used to run Gators until my new bike came with Rubinos so I thought I might as well try them. Never went back - I just found them better in every aspect. At around £17 each if you shop around, you aren't risking too much if they don't work out.

paxington

Merlin cycles have a good deal of Continental Grand Prix GT(as opposed to just Grand Prix.) 2 tyres and tubes for £50. There are some very good reviews of these on their customer feedback
Ribble have a twin pack of Grand Prix (non GT) for circa £33 without tubes. Not sure that these are as puncture resistant.

2002

I have been running 25c Cont 4 seasons which are now worn out and Is there much difference between these and the 28 c ones rolling wise as I was thinking of try them.

pippi_langsamer-2

Pro 4 Endurance

As already stated, their resistance to cuts is mind boggling :!: coupled with the bead-to-bead protection, I can't think of a better tyre. They're also grippy, and far from sluggish. I run them all year round. I've had two punctures in three years of riding on them.

Take heed the advice on the 25mm though as they're apparently more like a 27/28.

stueys

Conti 4s for me. I run them in 28's on my winter bike. Only been using since last winter but I find they grip better in the wet than the gatorskins, are lighter and don't seem to trade much in puncture resistance/wear for that. Very happy with them.

eddiefiola

Not sure if the grey will look kack but i just took a punt on these Pro4 Endurance 25mm, a bit cheaper than black and come with free tubes http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/de/en/michelin-pro4-endurance-tyre-grey-25c-free-tube/rp-prod119818

pippi_langsamer-2

eddiefiola wrote:

Not sure if the grey will look kack but i just took a punt on these Pro4 Endurance 25mm, a bit cheaper than black and come with free tubes http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/de/en/michelin-pro4-endurance-tyre-grey-25c-free-tube/rp-prod119818

The black n grey look fine. However...

Heads up for anyone else- you can get x2 P4Es in black for £40 from Probikekit with their discount code...

iron-clover

meanredspider wrote:

If you find the grip OK on Gatorskins then maybe try Rubino Pros in a 25C. I used to run Gators until my new bike came with Rubinos so I thought I might as well try them. Never went back - I just found them better in every aspect. At around £17 each if you shop around, you aren't risking too much if they don't work out.

That's a good shout- I have a pair of pro slicks that came with a pair of wheels early this year and I was impressed with their durability and seemed similar to the contis- the regular pros look like a better option than the slicks for winter' general use.

holiver

The grey Pro4 Endurance look pretty good on my Kinesis in my humble opinion

feemackenzie

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

feemackenzie wrote:

Gatorskins.

I've cycled approx 2000 miles on my set with one puncture, and I cycle all year round. They grip in wet and dry; they might not be the lightest but for our roads they do exactly what I need.

To be fair, 2000 miles isn't exactly high mileage. 25mm in whatever tyres you chose though. I use Vittoria Paves.

Thanks for passing judgement on my mileage - surely 2k or 5k miles is all relative to who you are, your circumstances, the time period taken, etc, etc. Just like tyres, everyone has any opinion on what constitutes a decent mileage. I was merely offering an opinion on winter tyres!

Swebb46

Thanks for all the replies, I've decided to get some Gatorskins in 25mm

DKay

Swebb46 wrote:

Thanks for all the replies, I've decided to get some Gatorskins in 25mm

Doh.

pippi_langsamer-2

Swebb46 wrote:

Thanks for all the replies, I've decided to get some Gatorskins in 25mm

Good luck trying to stay upright!

lostboysaint

Hmmm, as has been said they're "fun" in the wet!

Michelin Pro4 Endurance. Roll fast, wear well, come up slightly large (the 25mm is about 27mm) so nice and comfortable because you can stick 5-10psi less in, cheaper and inspiring grip levels in the most miserable conditions. (And I ran both Gatorskins and GP4S before trying them - I won't be going back!)

pippi_langsamer-2

Does seem odd how ppl seek advice...receive advice.............and promptly ignore advice!

Gatorskins are the only tyre I’ve ever fitted new……ridden a few times…..and promptly send to landfill after several near- “offs”, in greasy conditions. The compound on these tyres is utterly rubbish- dangerous I’d say. I’ll put safety over puncture resistance any day.

gimpl

I've run Gatorskins through the winter and been alright. I did buy some GP4S for this winter in 25mm but couldn't fit them onto my bike with mudguards so have gone back to my 23mm GP 4000's I've been using all year anyway.

From doing a bit of research I'm not sure what the major difference is between the 4S and 4000's anyway - same rubber compound and Vectran puncture resistance. The tread is different but that's pointless anyway so what is different between the two?

pippi_langsamer-2

Gimpl wrote:

I've run Gatorskins through the winter and been alright. I did buy some GP4S for this winter in 25mm but couldn't fit them onto my bike with mudguards so have gone back to my 23mm GP 4000's I've been using all year anyway.

From doing a bit of research I'm not sure what the major difference is between the 4S and 4000's anyway - same rubber compound and Vectran puncture resistance. The tread is different but that's pointless anyway so what is different between the two?

Dunno- maybe its the lack of suppleness in the carcass or something then. All I know is I lost my wheels on several occasions. This was a few years back. I then switched to Michelin Krylions which were 100% better. The Krylions were then reincarnated as the P4 Endurance and I have never, nor will ever look back :idea:

iron-clover

Gatorskins are fine- if anything they seem to have gotten better when they switched to the 'black chilli' whatever it is, and I was very surprised to see they have a 240tpi casing- much more than the Vittoria Pro for example.

As long as they aren't pumped all the way up to 120psi (or beyond :oops: ) even the 23C versions are fine grip wise. Sure- racing on them in the wet round corners isn't such a great idea, but then you wouldn't be using them in a race or your club runs should be taking it easier in the wet anyway.
As long as the road is gravel/ muck free my 23C versions are plenty good enough.

The only reason I want to try another tyre for general use is to satisfy my curiosity about other winter tyres- otherwise I would use never change from using Gatorskins as my general use tyre.