A good all round fast Road Tyre

[the_mikey]

I like:

Vittoria Rubino Pro III tyres
Michelin Krylion Carbon

Also, during the winter: Continental Gatorskins, I will put these on the bike in October.

I dislike:
Specialized Roubaix II
Continental GP4000 - The tread is the weak point on these tyres, it seems designed to trap glass and debris from the road and cause punctures. I may try the triathlon version without the tread pattern, might be a much better ride.


(I suspect the streets of Bristol aren't the most road bike tyre friendly)

 

[martint235]

I've run 3 different tyres lately:

Schwalbe Ultremo R1: Great when it's dry. Fantastic grip, low rolling resistance. However when it's wet, boy do these things puncture. 2 in about 2 hours on the run to Cambridge. On the way back when it was dry, not a problem.

Conti GP4000: Again in the dry, great tyre. In the wet I found the grip all but disappeared, and don't let them even sniff a man hole cover.

Conti 4 Seasons: still running these. They are not by a long way puncture proof but better than most. You can tell the difference when rolling to the other 2 though and I really struggle to get them above 40mph. R1 record is 45.6.

I've also used the Schwalbe Lugano and you can't really fault a £10 tyre. I got about 1000 miles out of mine.

 

[jay clock]

Conti GP 4000S (Best for Value)*

they are pretty pricey. I would look at Conti Ultra Gatorskins if you want an all rounder

 

[threebikesmcginty]

they are pretty pricey. I would look at Conti Ultra Gatorskins if you want an all rounder

Had any trouble in the wet with Gatorskins? Mine haven't offed me but I can't say they fill me with confidence.

 

[theclaud]

Had any trouble in the wet with Gatorskins? Mine haven't offed me but I can't say they fill me with confidence.

I use them all year round on the commuter, and it's fair to say it rains now and again round here. Just avoid the combination of front brake and manhole cover or other slippery additions. I've never lost control on normal road surfaces, and they don't seem to mind if you lean into the corners.

Not tried hundreds of different tyres, but I've found the Gators almost unpuncturable, and the GP4000s I use on the road bike just as good and loads lighter. I had Luganos for a while and they were fine for the money but punctured a lot more often, and I gave up on both Bontrager Racelites and Vittoria Rubinos for puncturing too much. I shall be sticking with the Contis.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I've never lost control...

chortle, yeah right!

 

[eldudino]

Had any trouble in the wet with Gatorskins? Mine haven't offed me but I can't say they fill me with confidence.

I was going to suggest Gatorskins on account of good grip in the wet. It's often 'moist' up here in Scotland and I've never had any issue with them losing traction, unlike my the tyres on my fast bike: Vittoria Diamante Pro's, they're fast as fook, but lose grip on greasy/wet surfaces quite scarily. Still, in the dry they're absolutely stonking.

 

[2Loose]

Michelin Lithion 2. £15 quid each, folding - so easy to get on/off the rims and P-Protection seems decent. They roll nicely and are a tad bit faster then my previous Gatorskins (which are £10+ more expensive).

+1. Very cheap compared to comparable tyres. I couldn't justify the extra £20 a pair for Krylion Carbons...time will tell if I made the wrong choice. 800 miles fairy free and much lighter than my old stock tyres...also come in bike matching blue

 

[theclaud]

chortle, yeah right!

Behave, 3BM! Anyway, I'll have you know that the Contis have not let down the tired-and-emotional rider yet. I don't think, strictly, they can be held responsible for pedalling into things or tipping off sideways at 5mph...

 

[Wobblers]

Behave, 3BM! Anyway, I'll have you know that the Contis have not let down the tired-and-emotional rider yet. I don't think, strictly, they can be held responsible for pedalling into things or tipping off sideways at 5mph...

*bites tongue*


Is grip affected much by alcohol?

 

[Wobblers]

Another Michelin Krylion Carbon user here. Excellent in the dry, reasonable puncture resistance - but avoid wet drain covers (don't ask me how I found this out!).

I've got conti GP 24's on my Focus Cayo. They're also rather good: no flats so far in 700 miles but very confidence inspiring on cornering and fast descents even in the wet.Edit: they're 24 mm in size, but that's not noticeable in practice. (Anyway, we're told that size doesn't matter.... )

 

[theclaud]

*bites tongue*


Is grip affected much by alcohol?

Hmph. It hasn't escaped my notice that you have a pre-emptive username, implying that the unsteadiness exists prior to the boozing. No one is fooled, you know...

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Hmph. It hasn't escaped my notice that you have a pre-emptive username, implying that the unsteadiness exists prior to the boozing. No one is fooled, you know...

It was either McWobble or McWherethef*ckhaseveryonegone, the easier log-in decided it.

 

[theclaud]

It was either McWobble or McWherethef*ckhaseveryonegone, the easier log-in decided it.

 

[Wobblers]

Hmph. It hasn't escaped my notice that you have a pre-emptive username, implying that the unsteadiness exists prior to the boozing. No one is fooled, you know...

I don't know: it fools me, especially when I'm, ahem, "tired and emotional".