# Replacement for Ground Control Tyres



## Darkhorse (7 Jul 2011)

Not too sure if anyone remembers the old Specialized Ground Control Tyre. But seeing as my ones are about ten years old and seen better days I thought I'd better replace them. The reason I liked them so much is that the really were as good on the road (not too much rolling resistance) as they were on gravel. It was just a great all round tyre, so what would be the equivalent to this today?

And before someone kindly starts talking about kevlar tyres, foldable tyres, expensive tyres, bare in mind I think I only paid about £10 for old GC so I'm still looking for cheap and cheerful. I'd also like to stick to a 2.1 wide tyre if possible. All replies appreciated.


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## mickle (7 Jul 2011)

Ground Controls are more like twenty years old. My Funk was wearing them in 1991.


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## Angelfishsolo (7 Jul 2011)

Darkhorse said:


> Not too sure if anyone remembers the old Specialized Ground Control Tyre. But seeing as my ones are about ten years old and seen better days I thought I'd better replace them. The reason I liked them so much is that the really were as good on the road (not too much rolling resistance) as they were on gravel. It was just a great all round tyre, so what would be the equivalent to this today?
> 
> And before someone kindly starts talking about kevlar tyres, foldable tyres, expensive tyres, bare in mind I think I only paid about £10 for old GC so I'm still looking for cheap and cheerful. I'd also like to stick to a 2.1 wide tyre if possible. All replies appreciated.



Take a look at the Panaracer Cinder Tyre. In cheapest form it it £14.99 and is a 2.1


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## Cubist (7 Jul 2011)

What are you using the tyre for? If it's only for riding on road and the occasional bit of gravel you need to get to Halfords and buy some of their ATB tread tyres. They have a slick centre line for good rolling, and knobbed edges for the slippy stuff like canal towpath puddles. 12.99 each.


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## Angelfishsolo (7 Jul 2011)

Cubist said:


> What are you using the tyre for? If it's only for riding on road and the occasional bit of gravel you need to get to Halfords and buy some of their ATB tread tyres. They have a slick centre line for good rolling, and knobbed edges for the slippy stuff like canal towpath puddles. 12.99 each.


Good question. I simply looked for tyres with a very similar tread pattern and price


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## Darkhorse (7 Jul 2011)

Cubist said:


> What are you using the tyre for? If it's only for riding on road and the occasional bit of gravel you need to get to Halfords and buy some of their ATB tread tyres. They have a slick centre line for good rolling, and knobbed edges for the slippy stuff like canal towpath puddles. 12.99 each.



It's not heavy duty stuff, but I do want them to be able to handle anything. I have to ride on the road to get to the 'off road' parts so I need a good balance. As of writing it's mainly hard pack, and I have a pair of slicks that I could use. However there's a couple of dangerous downhill sections where there are deep (unavoidable) shail patches, and using the slicks at the speed I usually go would be pretty hairy.

While I'm here, I'm using a bike from 1991, so if possible would like to find a tyre which has some colour to the side walls (rather than total black), in keeping with it's 'vintage' status. I don't expect to acheive that, but as I have all these experts here I might as well push my luck!!! As far a the width is concerned I'm not too fussed, the ones I'm using at the moment are 1.95's I think. Many thanks for all the advice so far.

PS; It's also going to have to have good grip on shail, as I do a bit of extreme climbing occasionally.


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## Angelfishsolo (7 Jul 2011)

Darkhorse said:


> It's not heavy duty stuff, but I do want them to be able to handle anything. I have to ride on the road to get to the 'off road' parts so I need a good balance. As of writing it's mainly hard pack, and I have a pair of slicks that I could use. However there's a couple of dangerous downhill sections where there are deep (unavoidable) shail patches, and using the slicks at the speed I usually go would be pretty hairy.
> 
> While I'm here, I'm using a bike from 1991, so if possible would like to find a tyre which has some colour to the side walls (rather than total black), in keeping with it's 'vintage' status. I don't expect to acheive that, but as I have all these experts here I might as well push my luck!!! As far a the width is concerned I'm not too fussed, the ones I'm using at the moment are 1.95's I think. Many thanks for all the advice so far.



Maybe wrong but don't think you'll get a 2.1 tyre with the low rolling resistance you want and coloured walls for less than £20+


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## Darkhorse (7 Jul 2011)

Angelfishsolo said:


> Maybe wrong but don't think you'll get a 2.1 tyre with the low rolling resistance you want and coloured walls for less than £20+



From looking around the net, I have kind of reached the same conclusion. My guess is I'll end up in the shop with one of those decicions I usually see women making over colour... If that doesn't get me banned on sexist grounds...?


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## Angelfishsolo (7 Jul 2011)

Darkhorse said:


> From looking around the net, I have kind of reached the same conclusion. My guess is I'll end up in the shop with one of those decicions I usually see women making over colour... If that doesn't get me banned on sexist grounds...?



Not at all. I try to get some white on my tyre walls (even if it is just writing) as my bike is White and Red


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## mickle (7 Jul 2011)

S'funny coz 1991 was the year Spez launched their all black Ground Control and we all abandoned amber-wall tyres in droves.


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## Angelfishsolo (7 Jul 2011)

mickle said:


> S'funny coz 1991 was the year Spez launched their all black Ground Control and we all abandoned amber-wall tyres in droves.


Don't bike years start somewhere in the middle of a normal year? If so the OP will have bought his bike in 1991 but it would be a 1990 model (does that make sense???)


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## mickle (7 Jul 2011)

Bike years, such as they are, start six or more months early. If he bought it in 1991 it could well have been a '1992 model'.


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## Angelfishsolo (7 Jul 2011)

mickle said:


> Bike years, such as they are, start six or more months early. If he bought it in 1991 it could well have been a '1992 model'.


Of course. I couldn't remember which way around it worked.


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## Darkhorse (7 Jul 2011)

No, I got the Ground Controls much later than 1991, and they are amber walls!

My GT came with Ritchey megabytes in 91, and I know I got about 1800 miles out of those. Then I'm pretty sure I replaced those with another pair of Megs. And after that I went to Ground Controls. So not too sure when it was, pretty sure I bought them from what was Geoffrey Butler in Croydon. So how much are they going to sting me for if we complete all my criteria I wonder?


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## Angelfishsolo (7 Jul 2011)

Darkhorse said:


> No, I got the Ground Controls much later than 1991, and they are amber walls!
> 
> My GT came with Ritchey megabytes in 91, and I know I got about 1800 miles out of those. Then I'm pretty sure I replaced those with another pair of Megs. And after that I went to Ground Controls. So not too sure when it was, pretty sure I bought them from what was Geoffrey Butler in Croydon. So how much are they going to sting me for if we complete all my criteria I wonder?



Ah thought the reference to 1991 was regarding the tyres as well as the bike


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## billflat12 (7 Jul 2011)

Ground Control were manufactured by WTB for specialized may be worth checking out their tread patterns , a popular all mountain tyre today of course would be the panaracer fire xc,s £15 in black , about £12 more for yellow blue or red sidewalls as coloureds are all foldable.

crc link
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=54053


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## Darkhorse (7 Jul 2011)

billflat12 said:


> Ground Control were manufactured by WTB for specialized may be worth checking out their tread patterns , a popular all mountain tyre today of course would be the panaracer fire xc,s £15 in black , about £12 more for yellow blue or red sidewalls as coloureds are all foldable.
> 
> crc link
> http://www.chainreac...x?ModelID=54053



Thanks for that Billflat, the edges of the tread to do look similar to the old Ground Control. I'll have to settle for the wire version, as the coloured versions look like Daylight Rubbery!!! But I'll shop around. Many thanks.


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