Ribble build, help with tyre choice.

Myster101

Hi all, hoping somebody can point me in the right direction. I'm currently looking at buying my first road bike and have decided on a Ribble 7005 Sportive. I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible as mountain biking is my main hobby, and thid will be my 4th bike, but want a road bike so I can jump on and go when time is limited. So far I've upgraded to Shimano 105 group set and Mavic Aksium One wheels. What I'm struggling with is the tyres, as I said I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible but having read a few reviews on the default choice tyres (Yaw Nitro Rigid Tyre) I'm thinking I need to upgrade these as well. Just wondering if any of these are half decent as the upgrade price isn't too bad:

Continental Ultra Sport 2 Rigid Tyre
Schwalbe Lugano Folding Tyre
Vittoria Rubino 3 Rigid Tyre

Or do I just go for no tyres and buy something else? Won't be doing any epic rides on it (not yet at least) and won't be the fastest but would like tyres with a bit of puncture protection.

Sorry for the long winded thread but any advice would be much appreciated.

adz999

They may cost more, but if you don't like punctures, shop around around and go for continental Gatorskins, been riding them for 4 years in all conditions and never had a puncture.

timshogun

the Gatorskins are about the most durable you'll find. But the Roubaix Pro 3 have worked very well for me, at a much lower cost

MisterMuncher

Anything but Lugano. Abysmal tyre. For my money, really hard to beat Schwalbe Durano as a general purpose tyre, fast and smooth enough, and last a long time. Rubino aren't a bad tyre by any means, but in my experience they're great in the dry, OK in the wet, but sketchy in mixed conditions. As ever, depends on your riding style. Definitely get folding tyres it the budget allows.

keef66

None of those. I tried the Rubino's once, found them slippy in the wet, and wrote off the rear when a flint shard sliced straight through it. Rubino Pros may be better.

I'd say go for a folding tyre just to save weight, and 25mm for a bit of comfort. Michelin Pro 4 SC are a good all rounder, and cheaper than the Conti 4000s II which are favoured by many

arlowood

If your budget will stretch I'd go for the MIchelin Pro4 Endurance in 25mm (around £50 the pair at Ribble)

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/michelin-pro4-endurance-v2-folding-tyre/michtyrf150

If that's too much then there's not a lot wrong with the Michelin Lithion 2 in 25mm (about £23 the pair at Ribble)

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/michelin-michelin-tyres-road-tri-track-folding-michelin-lithion-2-folding-tyre/michtyrf425

doug5_10

The best tyres on the Ribble drop-down menu on the bikebuilder are quite expensive; Conti 4 season, GP 4000s II Schwalbe One etc.

For sake of convenience and 10 - 20 quid, I would just get from Ribble with the bike, but you can select no tyres and get something else (or the same models) on sale from elsewhere (or Ribble themselves, they have a wider selection in the actual tyres section rather than what is available in the bikebuilder)