Best puncture resistant road bike tyres...

[mjr]

Gatorskins to avoid punctures - but the grip ain't great in the wet.

Used to be good resistence on the tread but weak sidewalls. Don't think I've seen many people using them recently.

 

[Chief Broom]

I try to put 'luck' my way ie replace a tyre early. I read somewhere that 90% of punctures occur in the last 10% of a tyres life [cars/motorcycles] so isnt worth trying to achieve max mileage. I really dont fancy getting a puncture when riding over high ground in the highlands when its ******freezing! Yesterday i put on a new rear and will put the 3/4 worn one back on in the spring....of course with sods/murphys law theres probably a lurking fence post nail with my name on it!

 

[the_mikey]

The last audax I rode was done using 700x28 gatorskins, which offered a little bit more traction compared with their 700x23 variant, I really have had loads of bad luck with tyres that aren't Conti's so I struggle to recommend anything other, unless you're going tubeless.

 

[Alex321]

The trouble with "puncture resistance" on an anecdotal basis is assessing the tyre vs risk. I've done 35k miles on Marathon Plus and have had a few punctures but that becomes meaningless in that I have no idea if eg every ride I'm cycling over thorns/flint chips that would puncture a lesser tyre (so >1 puncture per ride) or if my roads are not big risks and I've only ever encounted a few thorns/flint chips and they've all gone through nd caused a flat.

Difficult to meaningfully assess how many punctures they've prevented without knowing "exposure to risk".

And then add that every tyre has a degree of "resistance" some minumal resistance, some more and some designed for max. resistance. So how "resistant" a tyre is anecdotally is dependent on what it's being compared with.

Ian

Well I switched to marathon+ because I was averaging less than 200 miles between punctures. Done well over 2000 since without a single puncture.

 

[Mr Celine]

Gatorskins. Inflate the front to exactly half the manufacturers recommended pressure and the rear 15psi more than the front. At these pressures they are grippy, very comfortable and IME no more prone to p*nctures.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Gatorskins. Inflate the front to exactly half the manufacturers recommended pressure and the rear 15psi more than the front.

What pressure do you use in Gatorskins of what width, bearing a system (bike/rider/baggage) weight of what?

 

[matticus]

Gatorskins. Inflate the front to exactly half the manufacturers recommended pressure and the rear 15psi more than the front.

Hmm ...
This sounds more like one of those formula for choosing a wife.

 

[Mr Celine]

Hmm ...
This sounds more like one of those formula for choosing a wife.

Doesn't sound remotely like 'dumb blonde nymphomaniac whose father owns a brewery'.

 

[Mr Celine]

What pressure do you use in Gatorskins of what width, bearing a system (bike/rider/baggage) weight of what?

Inflate to 50 psi front 65 rear. 700 x 28. This is my winter road bike and all year round commuter. System weight varies from a min of about 90 kg in winter bike mode to over 100 when commuting.

Having just checked their website I see that Continental currently recommend 95 psi so my formula may not be exact.
However, they don't differentiate by front / rear or by system weight.

 

[Ajax Bay]

System weight and tyre width for me is the same (but with Conti GP4000S2 28-622 - I have a few left).
50psi on the front is rather low and you risk snake bites, imho: the tubes are not made of 'gatorskin'.
YMMV
The graph below is from the BQ article by the famous Jan Heine (2006) (attached).
Having had a significant off (ICU etc) fast downhill bitd I add 5psi to the values shown. This also means if I haven't recently (ie this week) checked pressures I can be confident that there'll still be sufficient pressure in the front tyre to be safe.

 

[simongt]

We run Marathons on most of our bikes with very few issues, so that's our two penn'orth - !

 

[lazybloke]

That was a great bit of marketing from someone. Design a new tyre lever, tell everyone how brilliant it is, flog for a fiver or whatever...........and disappear.

Mine is still waiting to be used in anger.

Same here, it the least used tool i own, but i still carry it somewhere in the bottom of thr saddlebag. Just in case.

Although one of my biggest achievements of 2024 was finally confirming it is possible to change tyres without any tyre levers at all. That's it, I've peaked.

 

[simongt]

it is possible to change tyres without any tyre levers at all.

Indeed. though does depend on the tyre / rim combination - and having strong thumbs - !

 

[Jenkins]

I was looking for 700x25mm

I ran Michelin Pro 4 Endurance in this size on my all weather commuter for a couple of years (4,000 - 4,500 miles) and then replaced them with the same again such was their efficiency. Probably just a couple of flats in each pair over the years and fairly easy to get on & off the wheels they were fitted to.
May be a bit expensive at £25 per tyre compared to the £10 Rubinios* you've been using.

* - Edit or am I thinking of the Zaffiros that were on offer a while ago?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Michelin Pro 4 Endurance
May be a bit expensive at £25 per tyre compared to t. . .

Please link to these tyres at £25. Rolled some a few years ago (in 25) and was impressed. And think they do 28s now.