What are my tyre options?

top_bhoy

The last of my Michelin Pro race 3 tyres are nearing the end of their useful life. In general these have did me very well over the years hence I bought a few spares when they were being discontinued and going cheap. I've no more replacements left in the tyre vault so my question is, what do I replace the Pro Race 3 with?

I observe that the Pro 4 tyres come in various variants of which I'm not sure what would be best. There are also others such as the Conti GP4000S II. I'll be unlikely to use them for racing and far more likely to be used for 2 hour x 3 rides during the week and a longer 5 hour x 1 ride at the weekend.

Any suggestions on a suitable tyre where durability and puncture resistance is good without having an excessive weight and a high rolling resistance? On price, I'm thinking a price with a maximum of £35 per tyre should see me able to get something decent and suitable. While Michelin tyres have clearly been a favourite of mine over the years, I'm not looking to steadfastly remain with that brand and I'm open to all brand possibilities.

Cheers

arlowood

Michelin Pro4 SC in 25mm would be my first suggestion. Have used them over the past year and only suffered 1 p*n*t*r*. Great tyre - comfortable and fast.

My second suggestion would be the Michelin Pro4 Endurance. Have recently fitted the 700 x 28c version to replace the 25mm Pro4 SC's and they have proved to be a revelation. Super- comfortable and no obvious penalty in terms of rolling resistance. If your frame can't take 28c tyres then have a look at the 25c versions. On offer at PBK at the moment

http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-tyres/michelin-pro4-endurance-v2/11090762.html

Grill

Pro 4 SC are great. Keep in mind that the 25c version is wide. Really wide. Like 27mm+, so check you have clearance or just run the 23c.

lostboysaint

Pro4 Endurance. Brilliant. I run them in 25c size which actually comes up at around 27mm.

ManOfKent

I've found Conti GP4000s in their various guises to be very good. I have some Pro4SCs in the garage and am looking forward to trying them on the summer bike when the OEM Luganos wear out. Those have also been brilliant, I have to say, for £10 each or whatever they cost: only one puncture in 2500 miles and that was from hitting a large stone at 30mph. I also loved my Ultremos and rode them through an entire winter without incident. On the rough roads of Kent that's no mean feat.

Just to provide some balance, Conti Ultra Sports are rubbish.

keef66

Mich Pro4 SC in 25mm on my summer bike. Loving the grip and the extra volume. Seem to be wearing OK

PTestTeam

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19700610#p19700610]Top_Bhoy[/url] wrote:

The last of my Michelin Pro race 3 tyres are nearing the end of their useful life. In general these have did me very well over the years hence I bought a few spares when they were being discontinued and going cheap. I've no more replacements left in the tyre vault so my question is, what do I replace the Pro Race 3 with?

I observe that the Pro 4 tyres come in various variants of which I'm not sure what would be best. There are also others such as the Conti GP4000S II. I'll be unlikely to use them for racing and far more likely to be used for 2 hour x 3 rides during the week and a longer 5 hour x 1 ride at the weekend.

Any suggestions on a suitable tyre where durability and puncture resistance is good without having an excessive weight and a high rolling resistance? On price, I'm thinking a price with a maximum of £35 per tyre should see me able to get something decent and suitable. While Michelin tyres have clearly been a favourite of mine over the years, I'm not looking to steadfastly remain with that brand and I'm open to all brand possibilities.

Cheers

I know some people will say they're not durable enough – but I've used Veloflex Corsa's since spring and not had one puncture. They also seem to be wearing well.

Veloflex clinchers are superb – great grip, lovely feel and fast. And at this price it would be daft not too

http://www.acycles.co.uk/veloflex-corsa-folding-tyre-700x23-black-4666.html

rolf_f

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19700791#p19700791]PTestTeam[/url] wrote:

Veloflex clinchers are superb – great grip, lovely feel and fast. And at this price it would be daft not too

http://www.acycles.co.uk/veloflex-corsa-folding-tyre-700x23-black-4666.html

No shortage of UK shops offering similar or better deals though with more convenience. Probikekit give you a penny change from £50 for two and chuck in two inner tubes and a tyre lever!

http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-tyres/veloflex-corsa-23-clincher-road-tyre-twin-pack-with-2-free-tubes-black-700c-x-22mm/11137443.html?utm_source=googleprod&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gp_cycling_bundle&affil=thggpsad-bundle&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gclid=CL_YrI-A78cCFUu6GwodlyEKew&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKHwtI-A78cCFapR2wodOLADhQ

PTestTeam

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19700881#p19700881]Rolf F[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19700791#p19700791]PTestTeam[/url] wrote:

Veloflex clinchers are superb – great grip, lovely feel and fast. And at this price it would be daft not too

http://www.acycles.co.uk/veloflex-corsa-folding-tyre-700x23-black-4666.html

No shortage of UK shops offering similar or better deals though with more convenience. Probikekit give you a penny change from £50 for two and chuck in two inner tubes and a tyre lever!

http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-tyres/veloflex-corsa-23-clincher-road-tyre-twin-pack-with-2-free-tubes-black-700c-x-22mm/11137443.html?utm_source=googleprod&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gp_cycling_bundle&affil=thggpsad-bundle&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gclid=CL_YrI-A78cCFUu6GwodlyEKew&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKHwtI-A78cCFapR2wodOLADhQ

:shock:

lostboysaint

These would still be my choice for the coming months, and in on price and with goodies as well!

http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-tyres/michelin-pro4-endurance-v2-clincher-road-tyre-twin-pack-with-2-free-tubes-black-700-x-25c/11137503.html?utm_source=googleprod&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gp_cycling_bundle&affil=thggpsad-bundle&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gclid=CIT27PKR78cCFQu3Gwodu2gAlw&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CIXO-PKR78cCFal72wodA6IC7g

wotnoshoeseh

Personally I wouldn't go for the Pro 4's. I had a pair of these but only got 1700 miles out of them. SC's in a 23. By contrast I had GP4000S previously and got ~3200 miles out of them.
Needless to say I went for the GP4000SII next time out.

Grill

I've got around 3500 miles on my last 3 sets of Pro4 (2x SC, 1x Endurance). Got the same out of my GP4000s, but they're a lot more expensive. Really like the Veloflex Corsa, but you'll be lucky to get 1500 miles out of them.

pippi_langsamer-2

Pro 4 Endurance. Nothing else comes close IMO

cycleclinic

Sometime with a a particular tyre like the Vittoria Corsa SC I wear them out with little punctures other times I split the casing quickly. This goes for every other tyre I have tried, conti's GP4000's, conti 4 seasons, conti gatorskins, vittoria Open Pave's and it goes on and on.

The only tyres I have not punctured are schwable marathon plus but I did not do enough miles on them either because they were so horrid. Conti gator hardshells are pretty robust too.

The sort answer is this thread comes up a lot with answers like i got x miles from these tyres with no punctures so they are brilliant. unfortunatley some one else's experience may be different. I once had a spate of bad luck with conti 4 seasons one set of new tyres lasted 25 miles holed one at 24.5mile and then holed the other at 25miles. Is that the tyres fault or bad luck. Had lots of bad luck with these again is it the tyres fault or just bad luck. I know lots of folk who ride the 4 seasons without getting punctures at all but I get them alot.

Try different tyres to see which one you like but be aware all tyres puncture and not pucnturing has more to do with how lucky you are which in turn is related to how much rubbish there is on the roads you ride. I pick alot of gravel strewn (lots of flint too) back roads in east anglia. This is where all my punctures happen (or happen just after a leave one). If I stuck to better roads I would suffer less and oddly enough the rides I do on better roads rarely end in a puncture. I also ride alot so punctures will happen to me far more often too.

Perosnally I like the following, Vittoria Open Corsa SC 23mm, Vittoria Open Pave 27mm, Conti GP4000's 23mm, 25mm or 28mm, Challange strada Bianci clincher 30mm (these dont seem to puncture much maybe good luck), Conti Competion tubular, Conti Sprinter gator skin tubular, Conti GP4000s SR tubular, Vittoria Corsa SC tubular, conti Gator skin hardshell, specialised something or other (seems O.K actually). These are all the tyres I am curently using (I have alot of bikes and to be fair some tyres get used more than others).
Curenttly I do most of my miles on vittoria Open Corsa SC, Challange strada bianchi and Conti competition tubulars. I have not even mentioned the MTB tyre's I use.

So pick a tyre ride it if you like and note that. Then try another and see whats that' like there is no right or wrong here.

Oh my experience with veloflex was horrid got 0.5 miles once before a flat the other time I got 2 miles. bad luck or the tyre either way I dont use them any more.

top_bhoy

Thanks to everyone for their input and experiences. The options I have appear to be the Pro 4 Endurance (only due to its apparent superior robustness over the SC), the GP4000S II or the Vittoria Open Corsa SC. I usually go for 23c but on this occasion I may elect for the 25c if they will fit and available.

At least it appears that of these 3 tyres, none would be a bad choice so thanks again for the help to narrow things down to assist with my decision.

Anonymous

Open corsa is a lovely lovely tyre but don't expect to get many miles out of them. Defo not a winter tyre.

Michelin have been spot on for me. Better value than conti and feels a bit nicer.