"Matt O'Toole" <
[email protected]> wrote in message news:<
[email protected]>...
> cheg wrote:
>
> > I have been running Conti Ultra Gatorskins on my road bike and lost
> > the front one to a sidewall blowout last week. I noticed that he rear
> > tire is worn through most of the tread pattern after about 1400 miles
> > so I replaced them both. Is that a reasonable life span for quality
> > tires? I'm curious how often people normally replace tires.
>
> A normal life span is at least 2000, and probably closer to 3000 miles, for
> modern, road-race-oriented tires. Durability-oriented tires last longer than
> that, but may not be as fast or smooth.
>
> Some tires have very thin tread, in the interests of low weight and rolling
> resistance. But this kind of gram-shaving is silly -- some of the fastest tires
> are also the most durable. Note the RR and durablity results cited for Avocets,
> for example.
>
> With all the touble people seem to have with Continentals, I don't understand
> why they continue to buy them. I see Contis with frayed sidewalls all the time,
> held together with Shoe Goo. Thse people ride the same roads as I do, and I
> never have tire trouble.
>
> I've been very happy with the Vittoria Open Corsa CX. They came with my bike,
> and I thought they were fragile race tires that I'd wear out or destroy soon.
> This has proven not to be the case. I have about 2000 miles on them now, with
> just one puncture, no cuts, and the rear is just starting to square off. They
> look like they'll go another 500-1000 miles. They're some of the best riding,
> fastest tires I've ever used. No problems in the wet either. It's very hilly
> around here, with lots of rough pavement, which can be hard on tires. I'd
> definately buy the Vittorias again, but only on sale (they're expensive).
>
> My friend uses Hutchinson Carbon Comps, and gets maybe 2000 miles out of them.
> But he buys them on sale for under $20 each. Nashbar has had some pretty good
> tires on sale lately for as little as $10-15 -- Panaracer, etc. If your tires
> will be destroyed by cuts anyway, it probably makes no sense to pay for extra
> tread life.
>
> Michelin Carbon are advertised as durable and cut resistant, as well as fast and
> comfortable. 3500-4000 miles for $30-35, and widely available. Anyone using
> these?
>
> Matt O.
Your mileage estimates might be reasonable where you live,but they're
way too high for my part of the country. I live in the mountains of
Northern California, where if you're not climbing it's because you're
descending in a hurry. Add to that the "cheese-grater" chip-and-seal
roads around here and my Open Corsa CX on the back lasted about 1000
miles before the casing started peeking through. Glass and other urban
debris aren't typically a problem out here, but "modern, race-oriented
tires" tend to go no more than 1000-1500 miles assuming nothing
untoward happens to them. I killed a pair of IRC Paperlites in less
than a thousand miles.
My point is that tire wear varies greatly by use, and if you spend
better than 50% of your ride time climbing (not at all unusual out
here) on rough chip-and-seal, then mileage plummets. I'm testing a
pair of 25c Michelin Carbons on my old 84 Paramount, but haven't
ridden that bike enough lately to guess the mileage. At 700 miles, the
back is already starting to square some.
It's too bad as the Open Corsas have typically been the nicest
handling tires I've used, but they go away so quickly and they're so
expensive that I'm looking for something else.
TC