I want some cheap(ish), very fast, very light road tyres. Thinking 23mm. Don't care if they only last 2 weeks, or if they puncture from leaves.

I think the michelin pro 3s are the best compromise of all the above, although cheap light and fast don't normally gp together I don't think…

I've got some black chilli gp4000s and they feel amazing, even to a sluggish amateur like myself, but £30 each minimum

although cheap light and fast don't normally gp together I don't think…

That's what I was thinking, but I thought I might get away with it if I go for something with no puncture protection and no longevity. Got a weird look in the bike shop when I went in asking for a road tyre "with no puncture protection".

i'd say pro3's too or maybe schwable stelvio's?

Pro race 3's are great. £47 for a pair from merlin

Kenda Kaliente L3R they weight only 190g and are pretty cheap as well. Also cheapes on eBay compared to other places.

mieszko, exactly what I was looking for, cheers.

Schwalbe Ultremo R's would get my vote, with Pro 3's a close second. Vittoria Open Corsa CX's usually get recommended to but not used them myself and they're a bit heavier than the others I mention (probably roll at least as well though due to the casing).

I probably should have been more specific, when I said cheap, I meant like ~£15 a tyre.

Anyone tried tubeless road tyres yet? I was looking at the Hutchinson Intensive. Just wondering How the 25mm will compare to the 32mm Specialized Borough I commute on at the moment.

Might be worth checking Diamant Pro tyres.

Edit; £22 will get you Prorace 3 or Diamante Pro light, the Diamante is only 25g lighter.

Czar from cyclelife.com Are availble in red or blue stripe with a puncture proof layer or their Compressor in black plus are available with a kevlar folding bead too. Also Raleigh do Puncture Resistant Tubes too!

Vredestein Fortrezza…I've seen some with a wire bead for £7 and I've known blokes do road races on them…

I've got some black chilli gp4000s and they feel amazing, even to a sluggish amateur like myself, but £30 each minimum

I think it is worth the extra £10 per tyre for Continental GP4000 S. The good news is that you can almost always get them for about £20 – £25 per tyre – my last ones were £25 each from here:

http://www.cyclepremier.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=gp4000+s&search_in_description=1&x=0&y=0

They are very puncture resistant (I think I've had one puncture on them), last for bloody ages (front tyre has had well over 4000 miles now), and are lovely and light and fast rolling. They are also not suicidal in the wet, which is a massive improvement over my old Bontrager tyres. Unless you are going to ride the bike for a week and then chuck it, I reckon you'll get better value out of buying these more pricey but longer lasting tyres.

Joe

Those Kendas are a steal. I've just ordered two so someone should get in there for the remaining two left.

Why would anyone want cheap tyres?

They're the only thing between me and the ground. I want it to stay that way.

What differences do tyres make on a road bike (apart from speed / acceleration)?

Might sound a numpty question, but I've recently started riding my road bike again, after a 15 year break.

Obviously the bike has a very different feel and handling characteristics to even the lightest, raciest mtb that I have owned – and I was wondering how much of this "feel" is down to the geometry / frame / bike setup and how much is down to the tyres. Coming from a (recent) mtb background I accept that changing tyres can make a huge difference to the feel of the bike and wondered if it was as big a factor on a road bike.

Very skinny 15+ year old Conti GPs terrified me when I first got on the bike, but I am getting used to them now (I think :o)) Given the age of the tyres, I was thinking about changing them for something a little more up to date

"Pro race 3's are great. £47 for a pair from merlin"

really? pro race are great!!! i'm thinking to chance the mines.

These are slightly over budget, but 155g and stupidly fast.

I bought a pair for my road bike, and they were down to the carcass after 6 weeks, but if you want speed they can't be beaten! They have changed the compound since, so you may now get 8 weeks.

Tyres do make differance In the eighties used standard nylon crossplies and was coming fith amongst the girls in local time trials. When I fitted Michelin Hi-Lites [similar to Conti's Supersonic] came third and that was me on on a Raleigh road bike & diabetic!