Why fit different tyres for the winter

[Joey Shabadoo]

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

Yes there is. Changing a puncture in the summer heat, getting eaten alive by midges and Mosquitos. I literally had to run around in circles fitting the tyre back on the wheel because every time I stopped the black swarm started devouring me.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Yes there is. Changing a puncture in the summer heat, getting eaten alive by midges and Mosquitos. I literally had to run around in circles fitting the tyre back on the wheel because every time I stopped the black swarm started devouring me.

Ah! The 'Caledonian Luftwaffe!'*


* - With thanks to @vernon for that name in a post quite a while back (The one about the midge burger).

 

[youngoldbloke]

I now use Gatorskins (folding - listed at 220gm, 23mm, compared to 205gm for GP4000s, 23mm) all year round. Mainly because of the shocking state of the roads. I used Michelin P3Rs one summer and they lasted about 2 months before they were cut to ribbons - they don't like 'top dressing'. The Gatorskins cope really well, and don't cut up easily.

 

[fossala]

I now use Gatorskins (folding - listed at 220gm, 23mm, compared to 205gm for GP4000s, 23mm) all year round. Mainly because of the shocking state of the roads. I used Michelin P3Rs one summer and they lasted about 2 months before they were cut to ribbons - they don't like 'top dressing'. The Gatorskins cope really well, and don't cut up easily.

I find gatorskin cut really easy but rarely mean I have to put the tyre in the bin.

 

[harly]

Personally i keep ultremos 23s on all year round and i use my bike throughout winter bar snow and ice , i do have kelvar inserts in the tyres and very rarely have any punctures none in the last 3000 , miles at least , cant say the roads around here are perfect far from it but i do keep to the roads i know that are semi decent riding

 

[Flying Dodo]

On my commuter bike I use 28 mm Marathon Plus tyres year round for simplicity. I think on 2 bikes, in 10 years of commuting 13 miles every day, I've had 3 punctures, 2 of which were big nails.

When it snows, I've got a spare pair of wheels with a set of Marathon Winter studded tyres that I put on.

 

[mcshroom]

The extra skog on the roads in autumn mean I switch from Krylions back to Marathons but in general other than in ice, I don't worry too much about what time of year it is, my tyres are all endurance/touring versions anyway.

Oh and on the weather. I collate data from our work weather station as part of my job, and the wet season here is between mid-July and late November, then it dries up through winter and spring.