• This topic has 58 replies, 32 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by TiRed.
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  • What road bike tyres?
  • ajf
    Free Member

    Sorry another what tyre question but this time more roadie/tarmac based.

    Tyre will be going on the good weekend bike, rarely sees wet roads unless caught out. I currently have Continental 4 seasons but they are pretty much dead now.

    Do I replace like for like, go with 4000’s or is there anything just as good but maybe a bit cheaper out there?

    jobless
    Free Member

    First ride on vittoria G+ corsa this morning. 23mm (nothing bigger will fit) with latex tubes. Lovely smooth and grippy. Can’t attest to their performance in the wet as it wasn’t raining. And likewise this is a bike for dry days or “caught out in a sudden downpour”.

    I am expecting them to be like all Vittoria tyres in the wet though: dreadful.

    But they are very nice in the dry.

    Not cheap though. but I went for them because they have tan sidewalls = more PRO = More faster.

    nathb
    Free Member

    Bookmarked –
    I’m bored of replacing cut up Gp4000s now so looking at something else for the racing bike.
    GP 4 seasons have been going strong on the commuter though, also did some racing on them and they’re fine, but don’t feel as quick as the GP4000s.

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    Perhaps now is the time to go road tubeless?

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Conti GP4000
    Schwalbe Pro One
    Vittoria corsa
    Specialized Turbo cottons

    They’re all good. Like the GP4000S as an all rounder, have it on all year on the training bike. Usual demise is a flint cut but I doubt any soft race rubber would survive that. And they’re relatively cheap at 30 quid. Pro One’s the obvious choice if you want to go tubeless.

    nathb
    Free Member

    wrong thread 😆

    wilburt
    Free Member

    I find GP4000’s fragile even for the nice bike.

    I’m going to suggest some Bontrager R2’s they are 210grams in a 25mm, quite soft grippy rubber and roll fast.

    They come up slightly small(like 4seasons) but theres a 28mm if your looking for large 25mm.

    There also significantly cheaper than the big brands.

    lunge
    Full Member

    In term of pure performance, I like VeloFlex Master’s, had them on my best bike for a while and loved them, fast, light, grip well, look pimp, everything you need. They don’t however play well with carbon rims. So now i’m on Vittoria G+, they seem very good so far too.

    In terms of what I didn’t like, I never got on with Conti GP 4000’s or Michelin Pro 4’s so would suggest you avoid those.

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Is funny how people get on with some tyres and not others. if you’ve been riding 4 seasons and are use to the way they feel I’d say go with GP4000S. Will feel better but likely still familiar.

    I find GP4000’s fragile even for the nice bike.

    Similarly some people find some tyres fragile, others don’t. Maybe it’s a local roads thing, the type of grit and stone you get on the roads might suit some tyres better than others. Maybe you’re a bit heavier or lighter. Or maybe you run a specific pressure. Or maybe the particular tyre just happens to work well with the tube you use. Or it might just be luck.

    Like I said, I’ve had good year round experience with GP4000S. Though I run with vittoria latex tubes and set pressures before each ride.

    Got some Pro One’s to try next as I recently got some tubeless compatible wheels. Not entirely convinced but shall give it a go.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    i dont do cheap tyres and always buy quality as ride quality over longevity for me but i’m quite impressed by the michelin pro4 endurance i’m running on my summer bike, think they were on special somewhere for a pair.
    i usually have schwalbe ones or GP’s but would buy these again.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Corsa G+. Fabulous, grippy and smooth rolling. I raced the in what was basically a jetwash and they never missed a beat. Fit latex tubes to 25c. Avoid the skinwalls, they lure you in with siren calls but are a harsh mistress when it comes to cleanliness!

    jonba
    Free Member

    Heavily reduced Michelins on Merlin. Not sure if that is because they are not very good though. Touted as a performance tyre.

    For the use that you want I’d go GP4000, good balance of performance and longevity for me.

    househusband
    Full Member

    I like VeloFlex Master’s, had them on my best bike for a while and loved them, fast, light, grip well, look pimp, everything you need.

    After thinking that GP4000’s were the world I bought a pair of VeloFlex Open Corsa 25’s after a suggestion on here ages ago. I’m not a big roadie by any means but there is a palpable difference to their suppleness and feel.

    atlaz
    Free Member

    I’ve got or had recently:

    Schwalbe Durano – good, reasonably fast rolling, long lasting
    Michelin krylion carbon – excellent tyres full stop. They stopped making them though
    GP4000S II – default choice, can’t complain, known quantity and all that. I bought a second set recently for my spare wheels
    Clement Strada LGG (120tpi version) – on balance I like these slightly better than the GP4000SII but they’re 28c rather than 25c so that could account for a lot. Great tyres however I have a slight issue with the construction on one side of one tyre

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    Went from Michelin Krylion Carbons (great all round), to Pro 2 (nice ride but puncture prone), to Pro 3 (like Pro 2’s but slightly tougher, and now on Power Endurance (more puncture resistant than Pro’s but a bit wooden and just not as good as the sadly discontinues Krylion Carbons).
    In order of priority I favour ride quality, puncture resistance, tread longevity. Haven’t found a tyre that has ride quality and puncture resistance.

    fifeandy
    Free Member

    For those like me upset about the demise of the krylion carbon, you’ll be glad to know they were re-badged as pro4 endurance.
    The bad news is that pro4 endurance are also technically discontinued and they drift in/out of stock in different sizes/colours.

    epicsteve
    Free Member

    I mostly use GP4000S’s or Specialized S-Works Turbo’s and like both. I haven’t had issues with the GP4000’s being fragile though – if anything they seem better than the Specialized’s in that respect.

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    I just use Grand Prix’s half the price of 4000’s and marginally heavier, not had punctures or cutting problems

    ajf
    Free Member

    Seems quite a few deals around on the Shwalbe ones at the moment. Not the pro ones but might be worth a punt?

    Not too fussed with tubeless as wheels not suitable.

    Not really thought about Vittoria, will have a look at those too.

    Seems I can’t go wrong really with 4000’s or 4 seasons but good to know a few more to look at.

    wildc4rd
    Free Member

    Getting on really well with the Bontrager AW2 Hard Case Lite in a 28mm width. I have them set up tubeless on 2 bikes now with no issues. They give a more plush ride than Gatorskins with a tube, no question, and I’ve not had any issues with grip or perceived (or measured via garmin) speed.

    epicsteve
    Free Member

    I’ve got a couple of sets of roadie wheels that are tubeless compatible and even have some tubeless ready tyres but haven’t got around to trying tubeless yet. Not sure I ever will in fact – I don’t really suffer from any problems that tubless would fix.

    alanf
    Free Member

    Corsa G+ in 28 flavour and non skin wall nonsense.
    Like a magic carpet ride…

    Haze
    Full Member

    Corsa’s will be my next set of when the Pro-one’s wear out, tubeless.

    Have them on my tubs and they’ve been great.

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Corsa’s will be my next set of when the Pro-one’s wear out, tubeless.

    Shame it’s only the Corsa Speed in 23mm that’s available tubeless.

    I’ve got a couple of sets of roadie wheels that are tubeless compatible and even have some tubeless ready tyres but haven’t got around to trying tubeless yet. Not sure I ever will in fact – I don’t really suffer from any problems that tubless would fix.

    Same here for the past few months. Though I have some Orange Seal sealant on the way and will set them up with Pro One’s when they get here. Going to give it a try.

    Haze
    Full Member

    Ah…although I had trouble squeezing the 25mm Pro-Ones into my ‘winter’ bike when I moved the training wheels across.

    Wide rims, tyres were coming up around 28mm so maybe the 23mm Corsa will help.

    Same here for the past few months. Though I have some Orange Seal sealant on the way and will set them up with Pro One’s when they get here. Going to give it a try.

    I rode the LVRC Omloop couple of weeks back, the only time I’ve had any trouble with tubeless in 2 years…3 holes in one hit.

    Two sealed on the spot, the third needed an anchovy. Okay so race was up the road (after 6 minutes) but managed to get back to the HQ on about 40 psi

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Heard that they’re going to do the Rubino in TLR soon though probably not the Corsa, which would be a shame.

    tehtehtehteh
    Free Member

    I had alright experiences with duranos, 1 puncture out on the road in 3 years, tread lasted fine, the sidewalls go before the tread does

    gavtheoldskater
    Free Member

    ive had no issues with gp4000 (folding) at all, the one on my rear is years old, and literally am about to order a fresh pair this afternoon.

    interestingly i recently bought a bike that came with some conti gatorskins (wire) and i could not believe how dead and unlively they were compared to the gp4000, i really was quite amazed at the difference and took them straight off preferring my old well worn tyres.

    lunge
    Full Member

    Gatorskins are horrible, no grip, not overly puncture proof, just a terrible tyre. If you want a good, grippy winter tyre that’s not too heavy or dead have a look at Vredestein Senso Xtreme, lovely tyre for the winter bike.

    atlaz
    Free Member

    I just use Grand Prix’s half the price of 4000’s and marginally heavier, not had punctures or cutting problems

    I’ve got a set of wheels with Grand Prix on it and I wouldn’t touch them whilst I still have some GP4000SII that aren’t dead. Definitely a harder rubber, not as confidence inspiring. Admittedly they’re pretty fast in a straight line though.

    thwapy
    Free Member

    I’ve just started using Pro One’s tubeless in 25mm, superb so far, fast rolling and went (and stayed) up first time. Hopefully they will last!

    thwapy
    Free Member

    I’ve just started using Pro One’s tubeless in 25mm, superb so far, fast rolling and went (and stayed) up first time. Hopefully they will last!

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    I have used Shwalbe durano’s in 28mm and they were good, puncture resistant, lightish and durable. Recently fitted some Vittoria Pave 27mm, they are really grippy but not had them long enough to say much else, they survived the white roads classic sportive with about 30km of chalky tracks fine.

    ElectricWorry
    Free Member

    Just ordered some GP4000s II 28mm from Canyon. Only £27 each (but postage is a little bit steep from Germany).

    Used to use the 23mm on my road bike so looking forward to trying out this larger size now that I have the tyre clearance.

    warton
    Free Member

    vittoria G+ corsa

    I have ran these for about 3 months now. the 25’s.

    incredibly smooth, really soak up the bumps and bad road surfaces, a real joy to ride. without a doubt my new favourite DRY tyre.

    but, had them out in the wet for the first time this weekend, and they were sketchy. slipped more than once on out of seat climbs, almost saw me off both times, others riding around me were fine….

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Though I have some Orange Seal sealant on the way and will set them up with Pro One’s when they get here. Going to give it a try.

    Well as expected it took bloody ages to even get the tyre on the rim (worrying if I ever need to pop a tube in there roadside.) Now can’t get the bloody thing to inflate. My old faithful coke bottle inflator, which has never failed to seat an mtb tyre, is just not doing the job. Being so tight it’s not getting enough air in there to push the bead to the rim. Might pop a tube in to get it to seat. Though tempted to just give up 😕

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Though tempted to just give up

    Well another hour wasted. Not going to seat without a big compressor.

    Tubeless faff is well worth it for mtb. For road, I’m thinking no.

    flange
    Free Member

    I’ve got hunt’s and ordered them with Pro ones set up tubeless. More trouble that it was worth, plus I thought the pro ones in 28mm were terrible in the wet. So off came the tyres and valves and on went a set of 28mm GP4000’s with tubes – night and day, I flippin love GP4000’s….

    I’ve got the skinwall Corse G+’s and they’re ok, and I like the Turbo cottons but they seem to wear out pretty quick and don’t feel that much nicer than the GP4000’s in 25mm that they replaced. Look cool though…

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    tubeless. More trouble that it was worth,

    Had another go today with a proper tubeless inflator and I still couldn’t get it to work. The bead is so damn tight that it won’t pop out onto the rim and no amount of soap or persuasion seems to help. Going to take it down the LBS and give it a go with their big compressor.

    If the only way to get the tyre seated is with a huge compressor then they are going back. Wasted far too much time on these already 😡

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    Tubeless, skin walls etc. All shit compared to GP4000S!!!

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