Super cheap to mid range priced tyres - recommendations?

daniel_b · June 2009

Hello all,

after a bit of advice, as I am after 3 sets of tyres, probably 2 sets blue, and one red.
I am addicted to tyres with colours in

I have already bought some Pro race 3's (yellow) for my roadie, but I now want a pair for the following bikes with the following budgets:

Langster: Toy, just want some new boots for it, supercheap, might take it down a towpath on occasion, limited miles in the extreme.
Priorities - Appearance
Budget - Super cheap

Marin tourer/winter bike: Bit of touring, bit of turbo trainer work, and winter training
Priorities - Puncture resistance, and not super slow, grip in the wet would be nice too.
Budget: Up to £15 per tyre

My GF's roadie: Training and longer weekend rides, possible turbo trainer use.
Priorities - Reasonably low rolling resistance, and some kind of puncture resistance would be nice, as well as wet weather grip.
Budget - Haven't asked her, but I would imagine up to around £15 per tyre, maybe up to £20 per tyre if it's very special.

I have scoured the web, and discounted several tyres due to bad reviews, so have come up with the following lists.

Langster:
Vittoria Zaffiro Rigid tyre - £5.36 from Ribble
Michelin Orium rigid - £6.95 from Parkers
Vredestein Ricorso Folding - £7.95 from Parkers (This looks quite the bargain)
Vittoria Rubino rigid - £9.25 from Parkers

Marin/Trek: (All these are folding tyres)
Vittoria Zaffiro pro - £10.04 from Ribble
Continental Ultrasport - £11.66 from Ribble (Good for turbo trainer use apparently)
Michelin Lithion - £12.95 from Parkers
Vittoria Rubino Pro - £15.08 from Ribble
Panaracer Stradius Sport - £15.29 from Wiggle

Does anyone have any experience of any of the above tyres, and comments about their relative performance, grip levels etc etc?

Any I should discount totally, or other ones I should look to consider?

I'm planning to go for 23mm width on all three sets, unless anyone has a reason otherwise.

Many thanks in advance

Dan

ride_whenever · June 2009

I'd suggest popping into your lbs, and seeing if they'll cut you a deal for a lot of tyres!!! Might work out a bit better.

maddog 2 · June 2009

at the top end (GF roadie) you have:

Vredestein Tricomps for £38 pair posted

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/road-bike ... -pair.html

or Mich Krylion for £40 posted

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=20460

at the mid level, some of the Scwalbe tyres are good value. Can't remember the names of them but I had a cheap pair that were good performers.

Rich Hcp · June 2009

I use Vittoria Rubino Pros, folding, or non-folding

Not expensive and lots of colours, with some puncture rsistance

daniel_b · June 2009

Thanks for that chaps!

I tried my LBS that I like a huge amount for my Pro race 3's, but at £38 per tyre instead of £25, I really couldn't have justified spending £76 on tyres, and would have had to change models.

Are the Krylions meant to have better puncture resistance than the Pro 3's?

I've just seen these Conti 4000's that look quite nice, £24 per tyre.

Thanks for your reply Rich, I have heard mostly good things about the Rubino Pro tyre.

Any comments on the more cheapy tyres?

Thought this might be quite a useful thread for people to use as reference also if people add their comments.

Dan

redddraggon · June 2009

I got loads of Conti Ultra sports 2 years from Wiggle when they were really cheap, and they've lasted really well, and have been pretty bombproof.

I only use them for commuting though so they don't see a hugh mileage.

maddog 2 · June 2009

Daniel B wrote:

Are the Krylions meant to have better puncture resistance than the Pro 3's?

yep

I've just seen these Conti 4000's that look quite nice, £24 per tyre.

GP4000S are the ones to go for, over the standard 4000, by most accounts

Mettan · June 2009

Rich Hcp wrote:

I use Vittoria Rubino Pros, folding, or non-folding

Not expensive and lots of colours, with some puncture rsistance

Yep - + 1 for the Rubino Pros.

andy_wrx · June 2009

+1 for Rubino Pros

Zaffiros are excellent as a cheepo tyre. I've run them as Winter tyres.
They have decent grip, long life, easy to fit, great p*nct*re resistance
And they come in a range of funky colours, since you said appearance mattered a lot !
The Zaffiro Pro is the same but kevlar folding and saves 100g per tyre - I'd not bother with that for the Langster.

But as your mid-range tyre, I'd not bother with either Zaffiro Pro or rigid Rubino - go for the Rubino Pro.

acorn_user · June 2009

maddog 2 wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

I've just seen these Conti 4000's that look quite nice, £24 per tyre.

GP4000S are the ones to go for, over the standard 4000, by most accounts

GP400s is just a different label on a black GP4000 iirc, and they both have the black chili compound. The coloured GP4000 models don't get the black chili. Maybe they'll do a red or green chili compound some day.

daniel_b · June 2009

Thanks for all the replies gents, hopefully this thread might help some other members also,

I am pondering the choices/suggestions this evening with a nice cider, and will place an order in due course!

Cheers

Dan

Gav2000 · June 2009

Schwalbe Blizzard have been good for me and are about £14 a pair (delivered) off ebay. They also do quite a few colours and seem to be quite puncture resistant as well.

Gav.

Super cheap to mid range priced tyres - recommendations?

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