Why fit different tyres for the winter

[Stonechat]

Hi
YEars ago when I was cycling I never used any special tyres, always used the same ones from LBS

I read people are changing tyres for the winter
What is the thinking?
I have a hybrid with 'City' tyres on,
I cycle on towpath and road but mostly road. If the towpath gets too muddy I will avoid it , don't want it to ditate my tyres.
As my tyres are 700 x 38C, I was thinking of thinner tyres to make road work easier.
Is this a mistake?
I am not doing huge distances

 

[smokeysmoo]

Summer tyres wouild generally be more of a race tyre like Schwalbe Ultremo ZX. These offer fantastic levels of grip but they are a soft compound and as such they cut up badly and don't wear well IME.

Winter tyres like Continental Gatorskins still offer low rolling resistance, but as they are a harder compound they resist cutting far better and have great puncture protection built in as well.

There's nothing worse than changing a puncture at the side of road in minus temperatures when it's raining!

 

[Chris Norton]

I have a 25 skinny set for summer riding and my 35's hardwalls have just gone back on. I hit a pothole last wednesday on a club night at about 22mph. Boom, front and rear punctures. The 35's would have ridden right over it. My night was completly ruined. SWMBO was not happy with the telephone call for a pickup.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I also run lightweight skinny tyres in the summer and wider more p*ncture proof ones in the winter.

My main reasoning is that it's wetter in the winter and a bit of extra rubber contacting the road is no bad thing. Also, wetter weather often washes more crud into the road making for more P*nctures and as smokeysmoo mentions, changing tubes is no fun in the winter.
Also, much more of my cycling is done in the dark and potholes and crud are less visible, so a fatter tyre is less likely to be damaged.
And finally, fatter tyres are generally heavier and although roll well offer greater wind resistance, so better training during the winter!

 

[Dayvo]

There's nothing worse than changing a puncture at the side of road in minus temperatures when it's raining!

That would be snow, then!

 

[smokeysmoo]

That would be snow, then!

Alright smart @rse, we don't see as much of it as you do

 

[Stonechat]

Summer tyres wouild generally be more of a race tyre like Schwalbe Ultremo ZX. These offer fantastic levels of grip but they are a soft compound and as such they cut up badly and don't wear well IME.

Winter tyres like Continental Gatorskins still offer low rolling resistance, but as they are a harder compound they resist cutting far better and have great puncture protection built in as well.

There's nothing worse than changing a puncture at the side of road in minus temperatures when it's raining!

The Gatorskins don't seem to have much tread?

 

[smokeysmoo]

The Gatorskins don't seem to have much tread?

Tread doesn't equate to grip with bicycle tyres

 

[cyberknight]

Summer tyres wouild generally be more of a race tyre like Schwalbe Ultremo ZX. These offer fantastic levels of grip but they are a soft compound and as such they cut up badly and don't wear well IME.

Winter tyres like Continental Gatorskins still offer low rolling resistance, but as they are a harder compound they resist cutting far better and have great puncture protection built in as well.

There's nothing worse than changing a puncture at the side of road by bike light on an unlit lane in minus temperatures when it's snowing !

 

[Davidc]

With roads the quality of Somerset's, and Devon's and Dorset's are no better, there's little option but to use tough tyres all year round. I use 700c32 marathons all the time on the tourer and know others who use gatorskins, marathon plus and similar all year round in various widths.

Whether or not you need to change tyres for winter depends what riding you do.

 

[sreten]

Hi,
If you have very nice tyres for your summer exploits I guess
you switch to to tougher training tyres for the winter. If
nothing else it saves money on nice tyres in the long run.
rgds, sreten.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi,
If you have very nice tyres for your summer exploits I guess
you switch to to tougher training tyres for the winter. If
nothing else it saves money on nice tyres in the long run.
rgds, sreten.

Good point as the likes of PR 3s wear pretty quickly as it is without wasting all that lovely performance during the winter and they're a pretty penny.

 

[T4tomo]

I use conti 4 seasons all year round, as the name suggests

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I don't think that it really rains much more in UK winters. But I'm certain it dries out slower in the winter. For the same amount of riding you'll be in the wet for longer. And wetter often means more punctures. Tyres to suit.....

 

[PK99]

I use conti 4 seasons all year round, as the name suggests

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