Tyre advice

jempi
jempi Posts: 58
edited December 2017 in Commuting general
Hello fellow commuters!
I need some tyre advice for my new bike, a Stevens Vapor with Fulcrum Racing 600 CX wheels.
My commute is 17km/11mi long (single).
7km/4,5mi is on gravel/old/bad/country roads. The other10km/7mi are straight ahaed tarmac next to a ringway.
As I live in Flanders, it better be a tyre that can handle wet, dry and cold bad weather.

I 'm thinking about:
Conti 4 season 28mm (clincher)
Clement Strada USH 32mm (clincher or tubeless)
Vittoria pave cg 27mm (clincher)

What do you guys use?
Should i go tubeless?

Greets Jempi.

Comments

  • greenamex2
    greenamex2 Posts: 272
    I have an almost identical sounding commute (Trek Crockett 9, DT Swiss ER 1400 wheels).

    I am trying Schwalbe X-One Allrounds (33mm) tubeless at the moment.

    They seem to be working really well as a compromise between road, tow path, green lane and mud. Rolling resistance is improved over my old Schwalbe Mondials...about an extra 0.5MPH on best top speed and about a 4-5BPM reduction in heart rate for the same average speed.

    Being 33mm and tubeless I am now running 40psi at the front and 50psi at the rear, which helps with comfort, grip on mud and speed over bumpy bits.

    Plus the sealant may save me a trip from the puncture fairy...hopefully.
  • jempi
    jempi Posts: 58
    Funny thing is, the vapor is standard delivrerd with x-one allround, but unfortunately it's from the lower quality Performance line, not the Microskin line.
    I have my doubts about tubeless for commuting in the winter also. I rather use a come home kit, that is applied in 5 minutes and then replace the tyre at work or at home than installing a tube in the cold, wet, snow, freezing, ...
    So I asked the bikeshop for advice, and they adviced the conti 4 seasons in 32mm. I followed them.

    For the moment I do my commute on a 8 year old hybrid with conti cyclocross speed 35mm. Those tires are insane! So bloody fast when they have something to bite in like tarmac or gravel. But on all the rest and when things get a litle bit wet or slippy they are tricky as hell. And for the past 4 weeks I did not see any dry roads. So I hope frost is comming back soon, damned global warming :p
    Or even better, that the vapor gets deliverd, it goes in production tomorrow...
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Jempi wrote:
    I have my doubts about tubeless for commuting in the winter also. I rather use a come home kit, that is applied in 5 minutes and then replace the tyre at work or at home than installing a tube in the cold, wet, snow, freezing, ...

    Tubeless tyre repair is straightforward and quicker than changing a tube and you only need to do it on big holes that wont seal. I've done it when it's been freezing.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • jempi
    jempi Posts: 58
    In the bikeshop they told me if i have a flat tubeless the easiest is to just put in a inner tube to get home.
    But fixing the damaged tubeless on the road is easier in your opinion?

    For now is started with a pair of conti 4 seasons 32mm and i like them. Very good allround. Only when it gets muddy it gets tricky, but thats the comprimise i knew i had to make. A fast tyre that has good grip on all surfaces in all weather conditions is an illusion im affraid.

    In the summer i will go tubeless. If i like it maybe next winter to...
    Thanks for making me reconsider :)

    Jempi.

Categories