I have a 10 year old TREK 1200 road bike and cycling 60 km, as I did today, is starting to become at least a weekly event. And my tyres need replacing.
My current tyres are 700x28c and I have found these quite comfortable. I have done a bit of a review today of several brands of tyre (maybe I have missed some that are important) and not all make a 700x28c (except for Continental, Michelin and Bontrager).
If I move to 700x25c tyres then my options improve, I can add Vittoria and Vredestein and have a wider choice amongst the other 3 brands.
As I only change tyres (so far) every 10 years then price hardly matters. The more technical tyres seem to offer lighter weight, better puncture resistance, and less rolling resistance (I suppose a 25c is better than a 28c in this regard). And sometimes better adhesion and durability.
So I am (so far) faced with:
Vredestein - Fortezza Road, Ricorso, Volante
Continental - Grand Prix 3000, Grand Prix 4 Season[25c & 28c], Ultra Gatoskin[25c & 28c], Grand Prix, Sport 1000/Ultra Sport[25c & 28c]
Vittoria - Rubino
Michelin - Pro Race, Pro Grip, Pro Light, Carbon, Dynamic [28c]
Bontrager - Race X Lite AC, Race X lite, Race Lite[25c & 28c].
My Questions are: How much discomfort (from increased road shock) will I experience if I change to 25c's? Should I just go for Continentals as they provide me with the greatest choice? Are there other things that I need to consider before selecting my tyres? Will a 100g lighter tyre make a noticeable difference to my cycling experience (especially on my rather ordinary, heavy rims)? At my level of cycling experience is all of the above a waste of time and should I just go for the cheapest 700x28c tyre I can find?
All help much appreciated
My current tyres are 700x28c and I have found these quite comfortable. I have done a bit of a review today of several brands of tyre (maybe I have missed some that are important) and not all make a 700x28c (except for Continental, Michelin and Bontrager).
If I move to 700x25c tyres then my options improve, I can add Vittoria and Vredestein and have a wider choice amongst the other 3 brands.
As I only change tyres (so far) every 10 years then price hardly matters. The more technical tyres seem to offer lighter weight, better puncture resistance, and less rolling resistance (I suppose a 25c is better than a 28c in this regard). And sometimes better adhesion and durability.
So I am (so far) faced with:
Vredestein - Fortezza Road, Ricorso, Volante
Continental - Grand Prix 3000, Grand Prix 4 Season[25c & 28c], Ultra Gatoskin[25c & 28c], Grand Prix, Sport 1000/Ultra Sport[25c & 28c]
Vittoria - Rubino
Michelin - Pro Race, Pro Grip, Pro Light, Carbon, Dynamic [28c]
Bontrager - Race X Lite AC, Race X lite, Race Lite[25c & 28c].
My Questions are: How much discomfort (from increased road shock) will I experience if I change to 25c's? Should I just go for Continentals as they provide me with the greatest choice? Are there other things that I need to consider before selecting my tyres? Will a 100g lighter tyre make a noticeable difference to my cycling experience (especially on my rather ordinary, heavy rims)? At my level of cycling experience is all of the above a waste of time and should I just go for the cheapest 700x28c tyre I can find?
All help much appreciated