The best tires?
- Thread starter JSWin
- Start date
While looking for the best tyres I have always considered the rubber compound, weight, width, casing tread, tubeless conversion, etc. I usually buy Maxxis tyres since they have all the qualities of good tyres. They are not very expensive and also they are not the cheapest tyres.
There are a lot of good tires out these days. Personally I don't like Continental road tires, (though their mtb tires seem to be really good) because they're over priced and tend to be fragile compared to other tires. But if you go with Vittoria, Hutchinson, Vredestein, Schwalbe, Specialized, or Michelin then you'll be fine, just look for high reviews on the various models and you won't go wrong. Also those brands of tires I mentioned (except for Specialized) can be found on sale for up to 60% off which means you can save a ton of cash. The Schwalbe One V-Guard, Vittoria Rubino Pro III, are great road tires that can be found on sale at very good prices. On the mountain bike side the Continental Speed King II Racesport and the Race King, Schwalbe Thunder Burt Snakeskin seem to be the best in that department.
Wiggle has the Schwalbe One V-guard on sale for just $33; see: http://www.wiggle.com/schwalbe-one-folding-road-tire/ And Amazon has the Vittoria Rubino Pro III for just $26; see: http://www.amazon.com/Vittoria-Rubi...2638754&sr=8-1&keywords=vittoria+rubino+pro+3
Wiggle has the Schwalbe One V-guard on sale for just $33; see: http://www.wiggle.com/schwalbe-one-folding-road-tire/ And Amazon has the Vittoria Rubino Pro III for just $26; see: http://www.amazon.com/Vittoria-Rubi...2638754&sr=8-1&keywords=vittoria+rubino+pro+3
We all have different experiences and favorites, and there are lots of good tires out there. I've found that the Conti GP 4000s are almost bulletproof for me, with long life and great puncture resistance so I can actually wear them out. I've been buying them for about the last 10 years now. They have a top rep with many of the serious, high-mileage riders and racers here. Last year I was working the Cat I/II/Pro State Road race, and noticed that at least half the field seemed to be on GP4000s. Pricey but worth it IMO. I tend to be a cheapskate, but not when it comes to tires.....of all the things that affect safety, handling and ride comfort on our bikes, I'd say tires are the most important.
I had "bad luck" with Michelin ProRace tires about 10 years ago, but I believe there current range of tires is much improved. Like the other major brands, they offer a range of tires, so pick carefully based on the characteristics you need or prefer. Michelin has charts on their website which show the mix of grip, life, and puncture resistance that their various tires offer.
The Rubino Pros have a number of fans here too. I'd certainly recommend them. The fastest and best-riding race tire I've used is the Vittoria Open Corsa CX, but between punctures, cuts and fast wear, couldn't keep them on the bike for long. Best life I got on the rear was less than 2000 miles. They are super-thin, more like a flat piece of tape when you take them out of the box. The warning on the box says that they are race tires, not made to handle road debris or gravel. A pricey tire that only lasts for 1500 miles, or cuts on the front even sooner makes for a very expensive tire.
Compare the mileage you get from any tire to the cost, and you may find that using a high-quality expensive tire really doesn't cost any more.
I had "bad luck" with Michelin ProRace tires about 10 years ago, but I believe there current range of tires is much improved. Like the other major brands, they offer a range of tires, so pick carefully based on the characteristics you need or prefer. Michelin has charts on their website which show the mix of grip, life, and puncture resistance that their various tires offer.
The Rubino Pros have a number of fans here too. I'd certainly recommend them. The fastest and best-riding race tire I've used is the Vittoria Open Corsa CX, but between punctures, cuts and fast wear, couldn't keep them on the bike for long. Best life I got on the rear was less than 2000 miles. They are super-thin, more like a flat piece of tape when you take them out of the box. The warning on the box says that they are race tires, not made to handle road debris or gravel. A pricey tire that only lasts for 1500 miles, or cuts on the front even sooner makes for a very expensive tire.
Compare the mileage you get from any tire to the cost, and you may find that using a high-quality expensive tire really doesn't cost any more.
[QUOTE="dhk2, post: 3803037, member: 113866"
The Rubino Pros have a number of fans here too. I'd certainly recommend them. The fastest and best-riding race tire I've used is the Vittoria Open Corsa CX, but between punctures, cuts and fast wear, couldn't keep them on the bike for long. Best life I got on the rear was less than 2000 miles. They are super-thin, more like a flat piece of tape when you take them out of the box. The warning on the box says that they are race tires, not made to handle road debris or gravel. A pricey tire that only lasts for 1500 miles, or cuts on the front even sooner makes for a very expensive tire.
Compare the mileage you get from any tire to the cost, and you may find that using a high-quality expensive tire really doesn't cost any more.[/QUOTE]
I never used the Vittoria Open Corsa CX's but from what I read on other forums from other people they were only averaging about 700 miles, so you did quite well getting 1500 out of a set.
I'm pretty much now sold on Vittoria Rubino model line, as well as the Hutchinson Intensive 2 Reinforced, those two tires last a long time and they never flatted as of yet. I did purchase a set of Specialized Roubaix Pro tires when they had the 2 for 1 sale but I haven't installed them yet to comment on them, but if they are anything like the old Specialized tires I doubt I be disappointed.
The Rubino Pros have a number of fans here too. I'd certainly recommend them. The fastest and best-riding race tire I've used is the Vittoria Open Corsa CX, but between punctures, cuts and fast wear, couldn't keep them on the bike for long. Best life I got on the rear was less than 2000 miles. They are super-thin, more like a flat piece of tape when you take them out of the box. The warning on the box says that they are race tires, not made to handle road debris or gravel. A pricey tire that only lasts for 1500 miles, or cuts on the front even sooner makes for a very expensive tire.
Compare the mileage you get from any tire to the cost, and you may find that using a high-quality expensive tire really doesn't cost any more.[/QUOTE]
I never used the Vittoria Open Corsa CX's but from what I read on other forums from other people they were only averaging about 700 miles, so you did quite well getting 1500 out of a set.
I'm pretty much now sold on Vittoria Rubino model line, as well as the Hutchinson Intensive 2 Reinforced, those two tires last a long time and they never flatted as of yet. I did purchase a set of Specialized Roubaix Pro tires when they had the 2 for 1 sale but I haven't installed them yet to comment on them, but if they are anything like the old Specialized tires I doubt I be disappointed.
Sadly, the high-mileage I got from one of my Open Corsa CX tires only proves that I'm old and slow. As you know, on the rear the tires wear faster due to the power being applied, and in my case the drive force between the rubber and the road just isn't that great. If you haven't tried them, I'd recommend you do just to see how much difference a real "race" tire can make to the ride and handling feel of a bike. When I first started using them, I recall they seemed to feel like the air pressure was 10-20 psi lower than my old tires. Really plush, smooth with grippy road feel.
Meanwhile, suppose I need to try the Rubino Pros. My buddy ran them for many years on his old bike with success...in all the miles we've ridden together over the years, believe he may have flatted once... He's got GP4000s on his new bike now....when he was having the wheels built decided to pay a bit more and try them out.
My biggest discovery recently is that I prefer 25mm tires to 23's. I weigh 200 now, so 25's are really the better choice anyway. I'm running the 4000s in 25mm at 95 psi front, 115 rear. I've noticed that the wider tire at lower front pressure adds a good bit to the no-hands stability of the front end. I'd gladly go up to 28's, but my frame won't allow them in the back. Hey, maybe it's time for a new bike....
Back to the OPs question, I'd recommend looking for the proper tire for his application, including tire width. Especially for a touring bike, I'd want to go at least 28s or 32s. A skinny buddy of mine runs 32's on his steel bike at around 75 psi, and loves them. Worse for me, it hasn't slowed him down!
Meanwhile, suppose I need to try the Rubino Pros. My buddy ran them for many years on his old bike with success...in all the miles we've ridden together over the years, believe he may have flatted once... He's got GP4000s on his new bike now....when he was having the wheels built decided to pay a bit more and try them out.
My biggest discovery recently is that I prefer 25mm tires to 23's. I weigh 200 now, so 25's are really the better choice anyway. I'm running the 4000s in 25mm at 95 psi front, 115 rear. I've noticed that the wider tire at lower front pressure adds a good bit to the no-hands stability of the front end. I'd gladly go up to 28's, but my frame won't allow them in the back. Hey, maybe it's time for a new bike....
Back to the OPs question, I'd recommend looking for the proper tire for his application, including tire width. Especially for a touring bike, I'd want to go at least 28s or 32s. A skinny buddy of mine runs 32's on his steel bike at around 75 psi, and loves them. Worse for me, it hasn't slowed him down!
I'm sure from all the reviews I've read that the Conti GP4000s is a great tire, the problem is they aren't twice as good as the other tires I mentioned which is what would have to pay to use the GP4000s...close to twice as much, which is why I personally can't justify using them, in fact they last just as long as those other tires. So what are getting for the extra 50% cost? Better handling? no because I've used those Conti tires and never noticed any difference at all; better mileage? no; better puncture resistance? no, in fact I had more flats with the Conti; better rolling resistance? perhaps but I couldn't tell, and the tires I mentioned are equal to Conti in the area anyways.
OK, valid point about the cost comparison. I just checked Performance online, and they show the Rubino Pros at just $30, vs $56 for the GP4000s. I've never used the Rubino Pros, so can't comment on the relative mileage or ride and handling feel. Maybe I'll order a set of three and give them a try....hard to go wrong at that price I'd think.
My buddy who ran them for years never keeps records, so don't know how long they were lasting for him either. Suspect he's like most cyclists in that regard. To him, it's a waste of time to record the date and odometer reading for every replacement or maintenance action.
My buddy who ran them for years never keeps records, so don't know how long they were lasting for him either. Suspect he's like most cyclists in that regard. To him, it's a waste of time to record the date and odometer reading for every replacement or maintenance action.
Can you give me some more details about Maxxis tyres? Are they reliable? Are they worth the price ?
Apparently from what I read on the computer they seem to be a decent tire, and i recall over the last few years cycling forum responders seemed to like them too. I've never used them before simply because I buy whatever tire that goes on a steep price cut and gets high reviews, and so far Maxxis tires haven't popped up on my price radar. i have, still have Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks, which I don't think they're making the slick version anymore, but they are very durable, in roughly 3,000 miles I only have two cuts which I filled in with Gorilla glue and no flats, but I don't ride on trashy streets either but have rode across several areas that had glass strewn about with no effects except the cuts that never cut the belt.
There are a lot of tires I've used that I've liked, like Kenda Konstrictor which is also no longer made, the Vitts I just mentioned, Panaracer Stradius Sport which was a cheap tire but held up great, Panaracer Pasela TG which is a inexpensive light touring tire that I really like a lot, no flats, no cuts, no visible wear after 1800 miles, Hutchinson Intensive 2 Reinforced which is an all weather tire which also has held up great after about 2500 miles with no flats or cuts, Specialized Roubaix Pro which I haven't used yet but I believe it will be a great tire besides for $20 each that I paid on sale it was a great deal. None of those tires I listed did I pay more than $32 for, in fact the average price I paid was just $24 to $25 each, just watch for sales especially in the late fall when they dump their road bike stuff for the winter, Specialized just finished their annual sale which happens in the month of May, otherwise Specialized won't have another sale till May.
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