What tyres are you using to commute to work?

[cyberknight]

zaffiro pro are my goto tyre for winter / commuting duties .
I read this group test of budget tyres and they rate very well for rolling resistance and protection
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/group...on-best-budget-road-bike-tyres-for-the-winter

 

[Arjimlad]

Vittoria Zaffiro Pro IV G+ Graphene 700 x 30mm are doing me very well at the moment. Good protection and grippy.

 

[Alex321]

I use Marathon+. People complain that they are heavy and "dead" feeling, but for commuting you really don't need ultimate performance (TBH most of us don't for most riding), and the fact I have done well over 2K miles since my last puncture is much more important.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I use marathons. Not the best rolling, but worth it to avoid a puncture in the dark and the sleet.

Marathon or M+ here too. I suspect I expend fair bit of energy keeping them rotating but it means I can be sure of arriving on time.

 

[Vantage]

How far is your commute? At most you’ll gain about 1 mph with the very fastest rolling tyres. That’s assuming your commute isn’t stop start, in which case you gain hardly anything at all.

Faster rolling tyres soak up shocks and road buzz better though and as such, take less effort to keep the bike moving.

 

[rivers]

How far is your commute? At most you’ll gain about 1 mph with the very fastest rolling tyres. That’s assuming your commute isn’t stop start, in which case you gain hardly anything at all.

Meh, it's about 3 mph between my cinturato m gravel tyres on my orro and gp5000s on my Sublime. About 1.5 mph difference between my road wheelset on my Orro (panaracer agilist 32mm) vs the gp5000s (25mm) on my sublime. This is for roughly the same effort. I can easily knock 15 minutes off my commute on my Sublime if I put in an all out effort.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Meh, it's about 3 mph between my cinturato m gravel tyres on my orro and gp5000s on my Sublime

Not the Zaffiro road tyres noted by the OP, and not even comparing the same bikes. At most you are going to see about 8-10 watts between the Zaffiros and GP 5000s, and that’s at 19 mph. The slower you go, the less difference you will see.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Faster rolling tyres soak up shocks and road buzz better though and as such, take less effort to keep the bike moving.

That’s more a function of the pressures you run tyres at. Run a wider tyre at lower pressure and you’ll soak up the buzz and shocks far better. but you won’t necessarily roll faster.

 

[Vantage]

That’s more a function of the pressures you run tyres at. Run a wider tyre at lower pressure and you’ll soak up the buzz and shocks far better. but you won’t necessarily roll faster.

Nope. It's due to how heavy and supple they are. If a tyre can run at a high pressure and still flex enough to soak up shocks it'll roll better. Vittorias Voyager Hypers were well known for that.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Nope. It's due to how heavy and supple they are. If a tyre can run at a high pressure and still flex enough to soak up shocks it'll roll better. Vittorias Voyager Hypers were well known for that.

Try riding a mtn bike with 2.1” tyres at 30 psi down a rough road, and try the same on 25mm supple tyres at 90 psi. I know which ones will give the faster comfier ride, do you?

 

[Vantage]

Two different scenarios entirely.
The op mentioned running on road tyres, not MTB tyres.
Get 2 tyres. Both 23mm. Both slicks. Both running at 60psi. Both on the same bike. Both on your typical British level road.
One has thick sidewalls and 'tread'. Typical Schwalbe crap.
The other has thin sidewalls and 'tread'. Like a Vittoria voyager hyper for instance. Sadly no longer made.
We all know which tyre is gonna be comfier, faster and less energy sapping.

 

[simongt]

Like saddles, tyre choice is a personal thing, but for myself and the GLW, it's Marathon Plus.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Marathon Plus, though today it was the studded tyres.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Marathon Plus, though today it was the studded tyres.

Did you have ice today?
I'll use the ice bike tomorrow, supposed to freeze overnight here.

For commuting when not icy, Marathon original greenguard for me, I have been using them for ever with excellent results.
Speed is not an issue for me, arriving at work in time is.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Marathon Plus, though today it was the studded tyres.

Great tyres. They rotate like bricks, but it's so much fun being able to ride over ice and snow like it's dry tarmac.