Tyres

simonl83
simonl83 Posts: 26
edited July 2014 in Road beginners
Hi,

I'm looking for some more advice I'm afraid.

I've had my Giant Defy 1 for about 4 months / 700 miles now and after a couple of punctures I am looking to upgrade the tyres from the standard 25mm Giant PR3s.

I am thinking of Schwalbe Durano Plus as I am on my second set of Marathon Plus on my Hybrid (first pair changed after 3000 miles) and I have never had a puncture.

Would the Durano plus be slower rolling than the standard tyres and if so would it be worth going for 23mm? Also are there any better tyres out there that offer puncture protection?

I'm a big lad at over 15 1/2 stone / 99 kilo, would this affect my choice in tyre width?
2014 Giant Defy 1
2011 Dawes Discovery 501 Deore Hybrid
2019 Claud Butler Alpina 29 MTB

Comments

  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    The durano pluses are a great tyre...they will be heavier I think but they offer great protection.

    If you want something lighter and faster rolling but with decent protection than have a look at continental gp 4 seasons. I run these with some panaracer tyre liners in and they are currently serving me well. Also do a search on the forum for puncture resistant tyres and you'll get plenty of options
  • Pepperoni Man
    Pepperoni Man Posts: 41
    I'm on Durano Plus - a year on and no punctures so far
  • nmcgann
    nmcgann Posts: 1,780
    Durano plusses are great - I use them through winter.

    I've been using standard Duranos on my summer bike and they have been good too (I used Michelin Krylion before).
    --
    "Because the cycling is pain. The cycling is soul crushing pain."
  • simonl83
    simonl83 Posts: 26
    Thanks for the advice so far.

    Done some more research and its looking like either the Durano Plus or Conti GP4000S.

    Does anybody have an opinion on going from 25mm to 23mm?
    2014 Giant Defy 1
    2011 Dawes Discovery 501 Deore Hybrid
    2019 Claud Butler Alpina 29 MTB
  • Crashs2k
    Crashs2k Posts: 78
    Personally I would stick with 25mm. The performance gain by going to a 23mm tyre is debatable and there is a lot on the internet arguing that the wider tyre is actually faster. You would lose in comfort which I assume is a priority given the weapon of choice being a Defy.

    I am a similar weight and won't go back lower than a 25mm particularly as I'm riding wide (23 - 25mm) rims at lower pressures (95psi rear / 90psi front)

    I rate Michelin Pro 4 Service Course and Vittoria Open Pave's (both 25mm) highly with the latter being my favourite tyre on a wider rim (23mm+)
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Get the standard Durano. They'll be much nicer than the Plus. I have had little bother with the light weight S version as a winter tyre but I think the standard Durano will last longer without much more likelihood of punctures than the plus.

    The heavier you are, the wider the better!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • shaun668
    shaun668 Posts: 52
    I've recently switched to the Schwalbe Lugano Rigid Road Tyre from 25mm to 23mm. These are a fast tyre as i've seen my pb's improve since i've had these. I chose these as I wanted a tyre to match the colour of my bike and also wanted something with a good level of punture protection that was value for money
    I haven't noticed a change in the ride quality i'm 14 stone and run at 90 psi front and rear
  • simonl83
    simonl83 Posts: 26
    So is it better to run at a lower tyre pressure for a heavier chap?

    I thought it would be the other way around, I've been running at 105 psi front and rear at the advice of my LBS.
    2014 Giant Defy 1
    2011 Dawes Discovery 501 Deore Hybrid
    2019 Claud Butler Alpina 29 MTB
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    simonl83 wrote:
    So is it better to run at a lower tyre pressure for a heavier chap?

    I thought it would be the other way around, I've been running at 105 psi front and rear at the advice of my LBS.
    Pressure, tyre size and weight are all related. The contact patch area is dictated by the load on each wheel and the pressure of the tyre. The heavier you are, the bigger the contact area for a given pressure. However the tyre will deform more in order to produce that area. Excessive deformation can cause pinch punctures when you hit potholes or drains so if you're heavy you need either a higher pressure or a bigger tyre. A bigger tyre can accomodate a larger contact area with less deformation so you can use lower pressures without risking pinch punctures. This makes for a much more comfortable ride and more grip too. It makes no sense for heavier riders to use 23mm tyres. See what your frame can take. Most have no problem with 25mm tyres. Some will mamage 27 or 28mm tyres. Bigger with lower pressure is better for comfort and is just as fast or faster under most circumstances with no real downside.
    I weigh 86kg and use 25mm tyres with around 75psi front and 90psi back. Excellent comfort and grip with no speed cost. On smooth roads I sometimes add a few more psi for a firmer ride which I prefer for sprinting.
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    The only thing about 25mm tyres is that if you wanted to put Crud MkII mudguards on, you may not have the clearance.

    I was thinking about putting 25mms on my standard Giant wheels (I have a carbon Defy 3), but I happened to be in the Giant shop the other day, and they had a wheel with a 25mm tyre on it, so I asked them if I could try it on, as it were, with my Cruds which are always on the bike.

    The wheel went on, but it didn't go round.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • markiegrim
    markiegrim Posts: 136
    I switched the Bontrager tyres on my Trek within 3 weeks of buying the bike 8 months ago as was having two punctures per week (lots of flint/gravel on the roads round my way)

    I changed to Conti GP 4 seasons. Not a single puncture since
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    ChrisAOnABike wrote:
    The only thing about 25mm tyres is that if you wanted to put Crud MkII mudguards on, you may not have the clearance.

    I was thinking about putting 25mms on my standard Giant wheels (I have a carbon Defy 3), but I happened to be in the Giant shop the other day, and they had a wheel with a 25mm tyre on it, so I asked them if I could try it on, as it were, with my Cruds which are always on the bike.

    The wheel went on, but it didn't go round.
    I don't know how much clearance there is on the Defy frame and maybe this would be an issue with all "25mm" tyres but perhaps not. Some brands or just specific models and sizes of tyres vary considerably from the nominal width. For example Michelin Pro 4 SC tyres in "23mm" size reportedly come closer to 22mm on most rims while the same tyre in "25mm" is much larger at between 27 and 28mm. Also different brands may also be different shapes with some being much higher than others. This would probably matter most for mudguard clearance.

    So if you want a bigger tyre and it looks like there's some space around your "23mm" then don't assume you're out of luck just because one "25mm" tyre doesn't fit. There may be bigger "23" or smaller "25" tyres that will. Of course it's tricky to work out which is which when the manufacturers don't tell you.
  • Chuddee
    Chuddee Posts: 3
    ChrisAOnABike wrote:
    The only thing about 25mm tyres is that if you wanted to put Crud MkII mudguards on, you may not have the clearance.

    I was thinking about putting 25mms on my standard Giant wheels (I have a carbon Defy 3), but I happened to be in the Giant shop the other day, and they had a wheel with a 25mm tyre on it, so I asked them if I could try it on, as it were, with my Cruds which are always on the bike.

    The wheel went on, but it didn't go round.

    My defy 1 currently sports 25mm conti gp4000s tyres and they fit no problem with the giant mudguards for the defy range
  • rob39
    rob39 Posts: 479
    Durano Plus or Conti GP4000S are excellent choices, I've been using conti gator skins 25mm for the past 4 years, 1 puncture and 1000's miles, heavy gritty roads around Ayrshire (the girvan roads). Keep them pumped to 100psi and away you go. Can be a b@tch to get on certain rims though
  • roux_guy
    roux_guy Posts: 88
    I'm running Conti Grandprix GT tyres, only available in 25mm. You get a reasonably good level of puncture protection with the black chili rubber which is fantastic.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    simonl83 wrote:
    Does anybody have an opinion on going from 25mm to 23mm?

    Colour choice is the only reason I run 23mm tyres rather than 28mm or even 30mm
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Bucksspeedyboy
    Bucksspeedyboy Posts: 59
    I currently have 23mm Michelin Pro4's, previously I had Continental GP4000S's which were 25mm. I honestly don't know if I'll get 23mm or 25mm next time as I don't really notice much of a difference and like a previous post it will probably come down to tyre colour available at the best price at the time!
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Bucksspeedyboy wrote:
    I currently have 23mm Michelin Pro4's, previously I had Continental GP4000S's which were 25mm. I honestly don't know if I'll get 23mm or 25mm next time as I don't really notice much of a difference and like a previous post it will probably come down to tyre colour available at the best price at the time!
    Did you run the 25mm tyres at similar pressures to the 23mm tyres?
    To get the advantage from 25mm tyres you have to run them at lower pressures. Otherwise there's not much point choosing a larger tyre. The size of the contact patch is entirely due to the pressure, not the tyre size. Also comfort is primarily a function of tyre pressure. This is much more important than frame material or anything else in terms of providing some shock absorption. Unlike claims of frame compliance or aerodynamic gains, changes of tyre size accompanied by appropriate pressure adjustments do provide a very tangible change in the handling and feel of the bike.

Categories