Better tyres than GP 4 Seasons in 700x28?

[leemo]

My bike (sirrus elite) is used for commuting in London and came with specialized all condition sport tyres. When they wore out I upgraded to the Continental GP 4 Seasons and they were much better. Zero punctures in first 1500 miles instead of 5 or six. Much better grip in wet, much lighter and possibly lower rolling resistance. Really I should have binned those all condition sports earlier.

But you can't have everything and I think the rear tyre is at the end of its life after only 1600 miles, because although no puntures in 1500 miles, I've had two in the last 100 miles. Its that soft grippy compound which is now worn and cut up. (and my lardy ass weighing down on that back wheel) So time to order another tyre me thinks and if I see another puncuture in the next 100 miles or so time to swap.

To be honest I can live with the durability issue, and will probably order the same tyre but what I'd really like is the same tyre but with thicker rubber. Looking into the Marathon Supreme as it seems to be and great all rounder tyre and might be more durable.

I guess I'd really like to hear from people who have owned GP 4 Seasons but have found something better.

 

[defy-one]

How you finding the sirrus elite? Is it okay on tow paths as it is on London roads?
I like the look of them


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[HLaB]

If you can afford the 4 seasons I stick with them, when I've had them I don't think I could fault them for grip/rolling/ relative p'ture resistance, although I got quite a bit longer wear wise.

 

[leemo]

How you finding the sirrus elite? Is it okay on tow paths as it is on London roads?
I like the look of them


Sent by iPhone using Tapatalk

I have the 2009 sirrus elite. Previously I've only every owned bikes costing around £200, and so I dont have much to compare it to. That said I am have been chuffed to bits with the bike. Really stiff frame but also very comfortable. A lot less buzzy that the cheaper alu bikes I've had which might be something to do with the carbon fork. Dont about 5k miles on the bike and no problems just the usual maintenance items, the most expensive being the chain rings, but that is normal and partly my fault for not getting the chain replaced soon enough. Occasionally I wonder if drop bar would be better but I think for my <1hr commute flat bar is probably better. Havent been off road but sure it would handle a tow path. I have 28mm tyres and full mudguards you could go to 32, and probably up to 37mm without full guards if you want beefier tyres for off road. Overall very pleased with the bike and would recommend, but there are similar bikes around now from other manufacturers which you might want to look at.

 

[anyuser]

I have Marathon Supreme on one bike and 4 seasons on the other. I would not say that either the Supremes or 4 seasons are better for puncture protection. I have had to retire my rear 4 seasons tyre recently after 1000 miles or so due to a big cut. Bad luck. I did only have 1 puncture in that time though. My last set of Supremes lasted 4000 miles and again only had to be replaced due to excessive cuts.

 

[leemo]

I have Marathon Supreme on one bike and 4 seasons on the other. I would not say that either the Supremes or 4 seasons are better for puncture protection. I have had to retire my rear 4 seasons tyre recently after 1000 miles or so due to a big cut. Bad luck. I did only have 1 puncture in that time though. My last set of Supremes lasted 4000 miles and again only had to be replaced due to excessive cuts.

And how do you find the two compare in terms of grip and rolling resistance?

 

[anyuser]

Sorry for the delay, on hols. I think the Supremes have more grip and the 4seasons less rolling resistance. But as the 4 seasons are a thinner width that may be due to that rather than the tyres themselves.

 

[User269]

Never liked the GP4; not a nice 'feel' when riding, and not at all durable. I'm very impressed with the Specialized Armadillo All Condition tyres I run on my winter bike, albeit in 700x25.

 

[leemo]

Just updating this old thread in case anyone comes across it in future:

I've now reached 2000 miles on my GP4 Seasons tyres and had 3 punctures in total: none in the first 1500 miles, two between 1500 and 1600 and one between 1700 and 1800. Therefore the my suspicion that the tyres were worn out at 1600 was a bit premature. The longevity of the tyre is acceptable and I'll continue using them in future.