Best Winter Tyres for Grip and Puncture Resistance
piersj01
Posts: 32
What are your thoughts on best winter tyres for grip and puncture resistance? I normally ride Conti GP 4000s II and these are amazing for Summer. I was think GP 4 Season looked very good but interested if anything out there is generally considered better?
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Comments
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I've never had any issues with Lithion 2 tyres for winter.But if the price is no problem,GP 4 seasons0
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I use Lithion 2 as well, and Gatorskins (which don't grip very well but the longevity and puncture resistance are both excellent). I tend to buy cheap because they get ruined, and the Lithion 2 I have found to offer a reasonable ride, good puncture resistance, good longevity, and can generally be found for £15 (or less).0
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4 seasons are my default choice however, my commuting bike has run well with Pro4 Endurance which can be purchased much cheaper than the 4 Seasons. The 4 seasons have a bit of tread on them which in the wet chucks up large volumes of water - feels more so than other tyres I've tried - maybe a good thing for grip, but very wetting!!
Peter0 -
What is a winter tyre? Why do grip and puncture resistance suddenly matter in Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar and not the rest of the year?And the people bowed and prayed, to the neon god they made.0
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What is a winter tyre? Why do grip and puncture resistance suddenly matter in Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar and not the rest of the year?
Because there is more debris on the road that causes punctures in those months?
Because there is a fine layer of decaying leaf mould on some roads which is slippy?
Because the roads are damp and so offer less grip?
Because stopping to change a puncture when it's 20 degrees and sunny is a pain, stopping to change one when it's 3 degrees and just starting to rain and your fingers no longer work is potentially more of a pain?0 -
It's usually wetter in winter, there's less grip in the wet, you can puncture more easily in the wet. Personally my sense of humour fails much much quicker when repairing a flat in the pissing rain on a freezing day in January than on a hot summer day. Faster, more supple rubber like Schwalbe Ultremo for example seem to cut very easily, and I've never had a more puncture prone tyre than the Yksion that came with my Ksyrium Elites. To be fair I tend to use my bike with mudguards, lights and slow rolling puncture resistant tyres in summer when it's wet too. But that's another debate.0
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I'm a big Continental fan myself.
I swear by GP4000's in the summer and (usually) Gatorskins in the winter/for commuting.
The Gatorskins offer good levels of grip once worn in a bit - you don't really want to ride them from new in the wet though as they tend to be rather slippy.
The GP4 season is good, but wear pretty quick.
What i have found is the more grippy the tyre the more prone to cuts it is. The harder wearing/more puncture resistant the tyre the less grip you have.
I would give the Gatorskins a try, or maybe have a look at the Michelin Pro4 range.0 -
These are good. Don't brake the bank either.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-rubino-pro-tech-folding-clincher-tyre/0 -
In my limited experience a winter tyre needs 2 things; grip in the cold / wet and puncture resistance. I've run 25mm GP 4 Seasons on my wet weather bike for 7 winters, and feel they are pretty good in both regards. They have become eye-wateringly expensive though, and don't last forever. When this set wears out I may give the Michelin Pro 4 Endurance a go; I have the Pro 4 SC on the best bike and they have impressed me.0
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These are excellent certainly in puncture resistance: Schwalbe Durano Plus. That's what I've got on my winter bike, the 25C ones. The grip seems absolutely fine to me. And a lot cheaper than GP 4 Seasons. Seem to last a good number of miles too.0
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After a number of winters on GP4S I switched to Michelin Pro4 Endurance last winter and found them superior in every respect. Cheaper, grippier, better roll resistance (less!), better puncture resistance, larger carcass on the 25mm tyres so more comfortable (less pressure) and a better profile for handling in corners (on my 23mm wide rims).Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
Merlin are selling Michelin Pro 4 Endurance for about £20 at the mo.0
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In Northern Ireland we call that summerWhat is a winter tyre? Why do grip and puncture resistance suddenly matter in Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar and not the rest of the year?
Because there is more debris on the road that causes punctures in those months?
Because there is a fine layer of decaying leaf mould on some roads which is slippy?
Because the roads are damp and so offer less grip?
Because stopping to change a puncture when it's 20 degrees and sunny is a pain, stopping to change one when it's 3 degrees and just starting to rain and your fingers no longer work is potentially more of a pain?And the people bowed and prayed, to the neon god they made.0 -
Rubino Pros for me. Very cheap and you can get them with go-faster stripes in all kinds of colours. I have Michelin Pro 4 Endurances on my Caadx, which survived the RVV last March with nary a problem, but for whatever reason, on my bike they feel and sound like they stick to the tarmac in a speed sucking rather than confidence boosting grippy fashion. Have used gatorskins in the past but not enough traction and a real balls ache to change when they do puncture.0
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Just to throw another name in the hat, I've heard good things about the Vredestein Fortezza range, haven't tried them myself put I'm tempted to give them a go. Currently on sale at Wiggle.0
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What about Vitoria Open Pave? Anyone have any experience of these and how would you compare to conti GP 4 season?0
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durano plus for me, tough, grippy and roll well!0
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Just to throw another name in the hat, I've heard good things about the Vredestein Fortezza range, haven't tried them myself put I'm tempted to give them a go. Currently on sale at Wiggle.
Cheaper in pairs from Ribble in twinpack deal.0 -
Got some for the RVV. They're lovely comfortable to ride, very grippy over slippery cobbles or just wet roads, and everything about them looks top quality. However, they don't last very well. I've only done a few 100 miles on them plus a wet Ronde and they already look very worn as if I'd been riding them for half a year. They're wet weather racing tyres; great to have for racing in the wet, events or sportives in bad weather or bad roads, but it's not a training tyres that will get you through winter in my experienceWhat about Vitoria Open Pave? Anyone have any experience of these and how would you compare to conti GP 4 season?0 -
Just to throw another name in the hat, I've heard good things about the Vredestein Fortezza range, haven't tried them myself put I'm tempted to give them a go. Currently on sale at Wiggle.
I have the VF Senso on my Krysiums (didn't want the Mavic tyres that came with them as I heard bad reviews on here), and they have been good - but admittedly it's been mostly dry when I've used them so I can't vouch for the wet weather grip. I've not had any P's after about 500 miles on them, and they were perhaps the easiest tyres I've had to get on the rims.0 -
I don't rate Conti GP 4 seasons at all - cut up really easy and I had no end of punctures over the winter that I used them. I think they got binned in the end due to the crap nature of them!
Gatorskins - extremely puncture proof but wet grip is average. I've used them off and on for a couple of years and think I've had just one puncture in that time.
Vittoria Open Pave - my current choice of winter tyre. I used them last year and had 2 punctures from memory. Very good grip but they do wear down fairly quick. I ran 27mm and found them very comfy. I got a deal on a couple of 25mm so will probably run a 27m on the back and 25mm on the front. Very grippy.0 -
Challenge strava bianca for me closely followed by the vittoria pave. The conti gators kin hardshell does not puncture but ride quality is not great. I much prefer the gator skin tubular. Tubeless works too.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19725485#p19725485]Stanley the 2nd[/url] wrote:I don't rate Conti GP 4 seasons at all - cut up really easy and I had no end of punctures over the winter that I used them. I think they got binned in the end due to the crap nature of them!
Gatorskins - extremely puncture proof but wet grip is average. I've used them off and on for a couple of years and think I've had just one puncture in that time.
Vittoria Open Pave - my current choice of winter tyre. I used them last year and had 2 punctures from memory. Very good grip but they do wear down fairly quick. I ran 27mm and found them very comfy. I got a deal on a couple of 25mm so will probably run a 27m on the back and 25mm on the front. Very grippy.
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Maybe it's the roads around here but I've had zero luck with Conti (both 4000s and 4 Seasons, the latter in particular being absolutely woeful in wet weather for punctures).
I run Open Pave CG's all year round now as I ride rural lanes with fairly crappy surfaces. They don't last as long as some, but they're a mighty fine tyre.
That said I am giving a pair of Fortezza Senso Xtreme's a go on my actual winter bike as a comparison.Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.0 -
i've just put a pair of Fortezza Senso All Weather on my bike. First time riding on them, I thought I was riding on treacle, they seemed so slow. I upped the pressure from about 95 to 110 and now they are totally different.
They seem like a good tyre, but do need higher pressures to get the best from them.0 -
for grip i like Vittoria Pave, lots of folk aren't that big on them for puncture resistance but the only punctures i've had on the clinchers have been from knarled up rim tape on the inside, and I've ridden the full Roubaix route twice on the same pair... The latest batch of Pave tubs - black edition, seem a little off, had two blow out around the rim for no apparent reason now... maybe a bad batch0
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Michelin Pro4 Endurance 25mm for me, just punctured yesterday as I still had Vittoria Open Corsas on, switched to the Michelins today.
Love Paves, but I wouldn't use them in Winter.0 -
i've just put a pair of Fortezza Senso All Weather on my bike. First time riding on them, I thought I was riding on treacle, they seemed so slow. I upped the pressure from about 95 to 110 and now they are totally different.
They seem like a good tyre, but do need higher pressures to get the best from them.
Which is sort of self-defeating from both a puncture resistance and comfort point of view.Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
i've just put a pair of Fortezza Senso All Weather on my bike. First time riding on them, I thought I was riding on treacle, they seemed so slow. I upped the pressure from about 95 to 110 and now they are totally different.
They seem like a good tyre, but do need higher pressures to get the best from them.
Which is sort of self-defeating from both a puncture resistance and comfort point of view.
Just so you know, the higher the pressure the better the puncture resistance.0 -
i've just put a pair of Fortezza Senso All Weather on my bike. First time riding on them, I thought I was riding on treacle, they seemed so slow. I upped the pressure from about 95 to 110 and now they are totally different.
They seem like a good tyre, but do need higher pressures to get the best from them.
Which is sort of self-defeating from both a puncture resistance and comfort point of view.
Just so you know, the higher the pressure the better the puncture resistance.
Just so that you know, you're talking out of your bottom.
I'll give you a clue - think about how a tyre deforms around obstacles............ if that doesn't work, stick a piece of tape on a half inflated balloon and try and stick a pin through it, then put some tape on a fully inflated balloon and try the same thing.Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
have to say I was under the impression that under pressure tires are less puncture resistant too.0
