Road Bike Tyres: For Cold, Wet, Winter Days

I’m a fairly recent convert to road riding, but living in a mega hilly area the wet really freaks me out on descents.

Today I locked up the back wheel on my Conti Ultra Sports crawling down a hill at 10mph. Have done the same many times on the steeper descents, sometimes at speeds as little as 3 or 4mph. I have literally stopped (when the bike let me) and considered walking on occasion.

A small dose of MTFU would probably be helpful. But quite honestly, I don’t fancy slowing down from 40mph when scrubbing speed off from below 10mph is causing the wheels to lock up. Generally I the brakes are applied roughly 60/40 font/rear. Though probably closer to 50/50 on wet descents because I’m conscious that I don’t want t lock up the front, under any circumstances!

Does anyone else have this problem?

It strikes me that slick tyres are a ludicrous idea during the winter months on constantly wet roads. I may, or may not be right in this thinking(?), but is there a more appropriate tyre for the months ahead?

As I’m currently climbing hills faster than I’m going down them, weight and performance are not a big issue to me. And I rate puncture protection highly – even more so in the dark!

Any tips or recommendations appreciated. Sensible ones, anyways.

Conti GP4000 S I use them year round Ace!

(a) You need to apply much more braking force to the front wheel. As you brake, your weight/momentum transfers onto the front so it will take a lot more for it to slip away. At the same time, your weight transfers OFF the rear wheel, hence it is easy for it to lock.

(b) Something like a Conti GP 4Season works well in colder, wetter conditions.

Ultra sports are cheap, average tyres. Try Conti 4 Seasons or Vredestien Quattro Tricomp. Either will be a big improvement.

Conti GP4 Seasons.

I descended Stelvio in rain/low cloud twice (successive days), without a hint of locking up.

It’s not the tyres.

Learn to use and trust your front brake.

Specalized All Condition Armadillo’s for me. Bullet proof and last about 2000 miles on cruddy roads.

No grip problems once the centre flash is worn off (only a problem up hill in the wet anyway).

They have water clearing sipes but really a 23/25c tire is so narrow it cuts through any standing water.

Weigh a bit more than the likes of the Conti GP4’s but in 6000 miles i have had no punctures at all.

Again – Conti 4 Seasons. I’ve got 700×28 ones on my Tripster and surprised myself this morning riding up a granny ring / 1:5 hill that was running in water, out of the saddle. My initial fears were it was going to go pear shaped but they gripped fine. They’re incredibly light for what they offer too – and have so-so puncture protection that gives you a fighting chance at this time of year. Recommended. Along with modulating your braking 😉

If you are locking the wheel up do you not need to practice modulating your braking so you know how much pressure equals locking up/skid?

If you are locking the wheel up do you not need to practice modulating your braking so you know how much pressure equals locking up/skid?

Quite possibly I need to apply more to the front. Like I say, it freaks me out a bit in the wet and so I give a bit more to the back than I would normally. That’s something I can work on. Though I’m not sure how good I will get at it, so anything that helps is a good thing in my book.

As for modulation. Taking today as an example. I was descending a fairly steep hill with a tight bend. Road was soaked, so I scrubbed my speed off to around 9-10mph before I hit that section, as I always do (I seek out the dry patches of road to do most of my braking!). All I was doing was maintaining that speed. I wasn’t even slowing really. So any less pressure I would’ve actually been speeding up. Half way down, I guess I hit a greasier bit, back wheel stopped for a second or two. No biggy, but my heart would be in my mouth if I was going any faster, and it’s not something I wish to experience.

They slip a lot going upwards too, but that I don’t mind so much, it’s just a simple case of judging how much power I can put down at the time. If I can stop, I’m happy.

Anyways. It seems Conti GP4s are the tyre of choice?

Ultra-sports are practically plastic and offer no grip in wet. GP 4 seasons are fantastic, Vittoria Pave are supposed to be good too. Both expensive, bit then you get what you pay for.

I’ve seen people ride ultra sports fine in the wet. If they were this bad they would not sell.

Peteimpreza has it.

At least one of the above posters has commented on how magazines program you to feel inadequate and buy stuff recently…oh teh ironing.

I’ve ridden ultra sports in the wet, they are bloody awful tyres.

Firstly slicks are good, tread is pointless on a road bike, the more rubber in contact with the road the better for grips and you can’t aqua plane.
Secondly ultra sports are pretty woeful, they are a hard compound tyre so they last quite well and don’t cut up too badly but the downside is they don’t grip very well. When looking for winter tyres ignore anything that talks about being very durable IMO, the only way they can be is if they use a hard compound and most people would prefer grip over longevity (or at least they should).
Personally I use Schwalbe Ultremos all year round although occasionally switch to a GP4seasons if it’s time to replace and there’s a deal on, they don’t grip quite as well as the Ultremos but there’s not much in it and they do cut up a bit less.
Lastly – some roads will be greasy and no tyre will grip well (muddy/wet country lanes can get like this), you just have to treat them like ice and slow down, try not to use much if any steering angle but also try not to lean a whole lot either. That said if you know or have good visibility of the road ahead and you know you can get to the end of the slippy section without steering/leaning much then I’d let go of the brakes to avoid the chance of locking up and just let the bike run and stay relaxed.

I have some Schwalbe Durano Plus 25mm, if you are after puncture resistance there great but @ 380g the bike feels sluggish.

Try some Conti Gatorskins, reasonable combo of protection v weight.

I’m fairly happy to use the same tyres all year round, pressures come down from 110 ish to 80-85 though

Conti 4 Seasons. I’ve got 700×28 ones

same here, great tyre

FuzzyWuzzy – Why can’t you aqua plane on a slick tyre?

FuzzyWuzzy – Why can’t you aqua plane on a slick tyre?

You could on a skinny bike tyre but you’d need to be doing silly speeds, like 90mph

Conti 4 Seasons. I’ve got 700×28 ones

same here, great tyre Yep..and me

Conti Ultra Sports

Truly dreadful tyres. Mine punctured almost daily and were treacherous in even the slightest damp conditions.

Buy some nice Schwalbe Durano S or Durano Plus to see you through the winter. Awesome tyres in the wet. Good puncture resistance, not too heavy.

I don’t understand the idea that one should use a different tyre for the winter; I think it’s silly on a mountain bike and even sillier on a road bike.

The only difference is the temperature.

If a good road tyre is important in the summer, it’s even more so in the winter, so use good tyres all year round.

Mmm. Ever driven a car with winter tyres?

I never understand this “cheap tyres for winter” mentality. Just at the time when decent grip is required, people ride shite!

Conti GP4 Seasons or Vittoria Pavé evey time. Latter used to be my go to tyres (including 200 miles a week winter commuting). Am now using the GP4S.

TBH my summer tyres (Michelin Pro Race 3) would be just fine in winter, but are prone to nicking easily in the wet. Well, they are on the “roads” I ride on.

The only difference is the temperature.

And likelihood of wet conditions, flints washed into the road etc…

To be honest, I tend to agree. But my nice road bike, running Ultremo ZX’s won’t see much action over the coming months.

Durano S are on the commuting bike, which also serves for winter road duties.

Mmm. Ever driven a car with winter tyres?

Forgive me, I automatically assumed that the conversation was about bicycles and the tyres one would use on them. 🙄

Wet tyres do seem to puncture more. I wonder if it’s that little sharp bits are more adhesive when wet and don’t just fall off as you run over them.

Wet tyres do seem to puncture more. I wonder if it’s that little sharp bits are more adhesive when wet and don’t just fall off as you run over them.

I think this is true, but as this summer has demonstrated, it rains all year round.

In the summer I use Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX 23’s – they’re not good in cold and wet. I use Continental GP 4 Season all year round for commuting, and Vredestein Fortezza Tri Comp Quattro in the winter for fast riding.
I don’t do fixing punctures in some miserable place, I just do riding more.

Looks like GP4 it is. Are they all the same…there’s a few different names thrown around here? GP4, GP4000, GP4S, etc.

GP 4 Seasons, not the GP4000 or GP4000S.