anyone using 28mm road tyres for winter ? i cant get used to them.

Just had a new whyte Suffolk for winter commuting. It came with Maxxis Detonator 28mm tyres which I’m sure there for cx riding. There comfy but seem slower and I can’t get used to them.
I was thinking of buying a new pair of vitoria pro 25mm for it.

Even the pros are going 28mm plus these days.

Perhaps it’s me then. The maxxis detonators seem very sqiggy to me. You can almost right your name in the soft grey centre rubber.

I like the Bontragers (28) over the winter.
Good all rounder and not too slow if you keep them pumped up.

I got some Giant P-SL 28mm kevlar beaded ones cheap and didn’t like those either. The bike they went on was heavier anyway, but they just seemed sluggish.

I’m wearing one out on the turbo at the moment.

By comparison, the 23mm Giant P-SL tyres are pretty good.

The Detonator’s are pretty heavy and slow as far as road tyres go. They’re pretty grippy though to be fair.

Can highly recommend the Schwalbe Durano as a faster, lighter, and more puncture resistant alternative.

Just in the process of building up a tubeless wheelset for my new Whyte Dorset. Got hold of some BOR XMD388 rims (19mm internal width) which work perfectly with a 28mm tyre. Have gone for some Hutchinson Sector tubeless 28’s which were designed specifically for the Paris Roubaix cobble stages no less!

Where did you get the sectors from?

Sector 28 tubeless here too. Been on for 3 weeks or so on my ss commuter and I’m very happy with them. Allows me to commute on gravel/muddy paths and also just down a 100k ride on a mix of roads, canal paths and tracks. Seem quick enough on the road.

Got mine from xxcycles in France I think. Not cheap but the only other option I could find was The One which will cut up too easily off-road I reckon

mboy – Member

The Detonator’s are pretty heavy and slow as far as road tyres go. They’re pretty grippy though to be fair.
Yep got some 32mm ones on my pub/shopping bike and you can almost get your knee down with them 😀

27mm Vittoria CX Pave with latex tubes. Feel like tubs, roll beautifully, about as wide as Schwalbe 25c. I raced them last week and they felt fast enough on damp uneven Surrey roads

Look if you’re racing, like actual racing, then find the fastest yet gripiest rubber. For the rest of the time, just ride your bike!

Where did you get the sectors from?

Any shop with an Extra UK account will be able to help you out.

Email is in my profile if you can’t find any and still want a pair as I have some spares.

Even the pros are going 28mm plus these days.

Not really, 25s are becoming commonplace, but not wider for normal races.

I would be hard pressed to describe a tyre as ‘squidgy’, and when I tried the Suffolk I didn’t find the tyres offensive at all. That said, first thing I got the shop to do before I took delivery of it was swap them for a set of Conti GP 4 Seasons in 28mm.

+1 the conti gp 4 seasons in 28mm … love them 🙂

jacob46 – Member
Rollingdoghnut seems very helpful. What a prick

Bit harsh. Well you have had the bike for all of 5 mins after swithering on for ever… Hora is not necessarily someone to emulate you know… 🙂

BTW, try folding Duranos if you really must change. 290g for the 28c, should put the zip back.

There comfy but seem slower

perceived speed on a bike has a lot to do with vibration. get a wider tyre (or drop a bit of pressure) and suddenly it seems slower.

Go off numbers – not perception.

That said, first thing I got the shop to do before I took delivery of it was swap them for a set of Conti GP 4 Seasons in 28mm.

I have those tyres in 25mm, and they’re about the same size as Michelin Pro3s in 23mm.

Judging by my segment times on a Suffolk (I’ve not changed the tyres) vs my times on a Domane with 25mm GP 4 seasons I don’t believe they’re noticeably slower. If you were racing you’d probably want a change but if you are racing you’ve bought the wrong bike. At this time of year I’m prioritizing grip and durability over outright speed.

I run 28m Conti GP 4 Seasons year round. Wouldn’t want anything less on some of the roads round here.
Michelin have just brought a 28mm version of the Pro4 Endurance tyre too, which is next on the shopping list.

I run 28m Conti GP 4 Seasons year round. Wouldn’t want anything less on some of the roads round here.

Ditto – on the same roads (IIRC?).

FAO mboy and others (secteur 28s)
someone else (onzadog ?) is cross with hutchy for ignoring requests for advice re tyre “faults”
Not sure I’d buy their stuff again

Conti GP 4 Season user here in 28mm flavour on my winter commuter, great tyres. I wouldn’t use the original tyres on the suffolk for a road commute.

Slight highjack but what do you think of the suffolk? I’m after a new commuter and thats on the list for consideration. What do you think of the brakes?

That said, first thing I got the shop to do before I took delivery of it was swap them for a set of Conti GP 4 Seasons in 28mm

Did the shop charge for that or was it a direct swap?

Did the shop charge for that or was it a direct swap?

The shop (Kinetic Cycles in Welwyn Garden City) did a direct swap for me.

The brakes are also pretty awesome, I’m used to fully hydraulic discs on the mtb (obviously), and while the HyRds aren’t *quite* as good, they are certainly great.

Can highly recommend the Schwalbe Durano as a faster, lighter, and more puncture resistant alternative

Spot on tyres, used the same pair all season for road training, very durable only punctured them twice, once was a pothole, but tyre still intact, and the other was a piece of glass, which also punctured me 🙁

Hutch Sectors 28mm tubeless here. Wet weather grip is poor but the puncture proofing is handy – five thorns went through the other day, all sealed with sealant. Before that GP4Seasons which were very good and better grip.

If Conti pulled their finger out and made a tubeless GP4Seasons they’d clean up in the commuter market.

If Conti pulled their finger out and made a tubeless GP4Seasons they’d clean up in the commuter market.

Really? I don’t know anyone that’s commuting on tubeless tyres on their road bike.

I’ve always ridden Gatorskin 28s.
Nothing about them annoys me so I never changed them. Can’t remember the last time I had a puncture either.

I’d definitely buy tubeless 28c conti 4 seasons.. Have non tubeless versions and the sectors seems like the closest tubeless version to them..

Really? I don’t know anyone that’s commuting on tubeless tyres on their road bike.

Chicken and egg.

There aren’t any tubeless commuting tyres… (apart from the Sector).

Once there are, then why wouldn’t you want to run tubeless? Same benefits as running tubeless elsewhere. As I said, I’d have had 5 punctures the other day if I ran tubes (all other things being equal).

I use 30mm Challenge Strada Biancas. So smooth and I can’t say I feel any difference in drag etc to my 25mm Michelin SC’s

What’s the matter with good old 23c’s? They are plentiful and cheap and work really well.

Congi gator hardshell 28mm for my commute bike.
Bit more expensive than standard gatorskins, but they’re worth it IMO.

Conti 28mm 4 seasons here. keep them on year round to be honest and am very happy with them.