Tire recommendations needed please!

Randomus said:

I am needing some tire recommendations from some of you guys.

Looking to order from either Performance Bike or Bike Nashbar. I'll probably want to spend a max of $90 on both tires...

What are your thoughts on something like the Vredestein Fortezza?
Continental Ultra Gatorskin?
Michelin Pro2 Race Road tires?

Any other recommendations are obviously welcome!!

I just want something reliable...weight and all of that other stuff isn't as important for me.

I think $90 is a lot to spend on a pair of tires. You can get premium ones with kevlar, slick walls, and light weight for $35 each (I know that Continental Gatorskins cost about that much). Personally, I got cheap Continental Ultra Sports for $13 each at REI (not REI.com but the retail store itself). They're basic 25mm slick-tread tires without kevlar or flat reinforcement. They seem to be fine.

I think tires are much better bought at an LBS or at places like REI or [censored]'s Sporting Goods. Because, even though Nashbar and the rest usually have good prices, the shipping costs on bulky things like tires will kill the deal.

Randomus said:

I am needing some tire recommendations from some of you guys.

Looking to order from either Performance Bike or Bike Nashbar. I'll probably want to spend a max of $90 on both tires...

What are your thoughts on something like the Vredestein Fortezza?
Continental Ultra Gatorskin?
Michelin Pro2 Race Road tires?

Any other recommendations are obviously welcome!!

I just want something reliable...weight and all of that other stuff isn't as important for me.

I think $90 is a lot to spend on a pair of tires. You can get premium ones with kevlar, slick walls, and light weight for $35 each (I know that Continental Gatorskins cost about that much). Personally, I got cheap Continental Ultra Sports for $13 each at REI (not REI.com but the retail store itself). They're basic 25mm slick-tread tires without kevlar or flat reinforcement. They seem to be fine. Personally, flat protection isn't a big deal to me since I seem to get relatively few of them and don't want to put up extra cost just to avoid them - although I enjoy getting a flat no more than the next cyclist, of course. You may however value flat protection; if so Kevlar-lined tires are the way to go.

I think tires are much better bought at an LBS or at places like REI or [censored]'s Sporting Goods. Because, even though Nashbar and the rest usually have good prices, the shipping costs on bulky things like tires will kill the deal.

What are you riding conditions, road quality, glass, etc??
How heavy is the combination, bike, rider, load?
What type of bike, flat, drop, TT?

For most city riding with the usual hazards I suggest Conti Ultra Gator Skins. For ideal conditions, no glass, Conti GP4000, Michie Pro Race. Size, 23 or 25mm depends on weight.

As per GClark8, it depends on the type of riding you are doing. I have been using Vittora Rubeno Pro's for the last 5 years and they have been excellent for what I do. Now my riding habits have changed, so when the current tyres wear out, I'll be changing to Mit. pro race 2, which I got real cheap at probikekit.com. Conti 4000 and Mitchlen pro race 2 have very similar characteristics. The most common tyre of those I ride with are the Conti 4000's, which they got cheap from Canberra? After that its the Mit. pro race 2's, followed by the Vittora Zanatti's. [please excuse my various spelling mistakes]

In the bargin bin at my LBS are some CLEMENT road tyres and I'm really tempted as my surname is Clement. But the logo is a bit small so nobody will probably notice.

Performance has Hutchinson Carbon Comps on sale at $25 per tire.

I ride a Fuji Roubaix Pro on fairly good roads (well paved, lots of cycling paths). Just like most riders, I will sometimes run into the random debris on the road. I usually ride on flats with high wind or some decent climbs with high wind.

I weigh about 155lbs. and carry something like an additional 10lbs. of stuff on my back on a usual ride.

Spending a max of $70 would actually be much better for me. 🙂

For training I would ride with Vittoria Rubinho Pro, or Rubinho Pro slicks. Decent tire, you can get decent mileage with it.

I just got the Maxxis Xienth Hors Categoire tires a couple weeks back. And they are very nice! They are more durable than Michelin carbons, but have much more grip, without being slow. Actually they probably have less resistance than the Michelin carbons. And they have a very positve feel to them.

blueskycycling.comproduct1255 52 Maxxis Xenith Hors Categorie Kevlar Tire.htmOpen ↗

And if you want to save money, and get something that lasts even longer, you can also try these. I didn't try them, but have read that the sidewalls last longer on these, but the ride isn't as smooth.

blueskycycling.comproduct1253 52 Maxxis Detonator Kevlar Tire.htmOpen ↗

How about the following?

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19097&subcategory_ID=5420
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19173&subcategory_ID=5420
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=11461&subcategory_ID=5420

I have narrowed it down to 3 different tires (lmao).

Am I better off with the Vredstein Fortezza?

free_rideman said:

I just got the Maxxis Xienth Hors Categoire tires a couple weeks back. And they are very nice! They are more durable than Michelin carbons, but have much more grip, without being slow. Actually they probably have less resistance than the Michelin carbons. And they have a very positve feel to them.

blueskycycling.comproduct1255 52 Maxxis Xenith Hors Categorie Kevlar Tire.htmOpen ↗

And if you want to save money, and get something that lasts even longer, you can also try these. I didn't try them, but have read that the sidewalls last longer on these, but the ride isn't as smooth.

blueskycycling.comproduct1253 52 Maxxis Detonator Kevlar Tire.htmOpen ↗

I ride the Detonators and they are great. The are pretty smooth, have descent grip and last a looong time. And for what it is worth, I like to buy Maxxis tires because they heavily support domestic racing (TdGeorgia, TdCalifornia, Georgia Cup, etc).

This is probably a thread where you will get a different answer with each reply.

My favorite tyre by far, is the Vittoria Open Pro. The thread count is 290TPI. You say big deal, I have not had a flat in 8 years, with over 30,000km. I tried a set of Michelin's I won in a race, after the second flat in two weeks, I took them off and gave them to a friend.

They have discontinued this tyre, but I have quickly found a new favorite, the Vittoria Open CX. No flats yet. You should be able to get them in your price range.

IcemanYQQ said:

This is probably a thread where you will get a different answer with each reply.

My favorite tyre by far, is the Vittoria Open Pro. The thread count is 290TPI. You say big deal, I have not had a flat in 8 years, with over 30,000km. I tried a set of Michelin's I won in a race, after the second flat in two weeks, I took them off and gave them to a friend.

They have discontinued this tyre, but I have quickly found a new favorite, the Vittoria Open CX. No flats yet. You should be able to get them in your price range.

Well said, tyres like everything else are being sold in a competitive market and you pretty much get what you pay for. Its not really a case of which is the best tyre, its more about what is the most suitable tyre for the type of riding you do.

Iceman, thats a an amazing run with no flats. Is glass banned in your country?

mikesbytes said:

Iceman, thats a an amazing run with no flats. Is glass banned in your country?

No, I give all the credit to the tyres. I know it a nice run, but I seem to have found the perfect combination of pump, tyres, rim strips, and tubes. I use the standard Vittoria Tubes. Long stem.

One friend made fun of me, because I wouldn't even use his pump to pump up my tyres, I actually waited until I could use mine 🙂

IcemanYQQ said:

I use the standard Vittoria Tubes.

I have these sitting around waiting to be used. Sounds like I have the right pick on the tubes.

i have GP4000s on my new bike and after only a few rides i have four holes in them!

i must have run over some kind of upturned twin spiked object because i have two identical holes on both my front and rear tyres.

it didnt puncture the tyre but has left four holes in them.

the question is, does anyone know if there is some kind of solution i can fill the holes with? i dont want to chuck out the tyres because they ride just fine, but i would be happier with the holes filled.

my LBS doesnt have anything up to the job... any ideas?

You can patch the tube if you want to go through that trouble (I do, most cyclists don't), but don't worry about the tire itself. A tire (not tube) can have punctures in it and it doesn't affect anything - as long as the tube is OK. Just make sure that any glass shards or the like are not lodged into the tire itself - really make sure about this. The brown and dark-colored glass shards can be hard to find. I had a bad experience once with a brown shard that was well-hidden that punctured multiple tubes of mine before I finally found it. I hate the stupid boneheads who throw beer bottles out of their cars. [censored]. To be honest, I think they should outlaw glass bottles like a few countries already do (probably Singapore, knowing their record). It'll also be snub to beer drinkers everywhere, which is fine with me. I hate beer.

"I hate the stupid boneheads who throw beer bottles out of their cars. [censored]"

:eek: isnt the fact that they are drinking the beer in their cars in the first place more worrying! 😕 :p

thanks for the advice, illl just leave it then. the holes are definitely not made by glass as they are perfectly round.

cheers.

Randomus said:

I am needing some tire recommendations from some of you guys.

Looking to order from either Performance Bike or Bike Nashbar. I'll probably want to spend a max of $90 on both tires...

What are your thoughts on something like the Vredestein Fortezza?
Continental Ultra Gatorskin?
Michelin Pro2 Race Road tires?

Any other recommendations are obviously welcome!!

I just want something reliable...weight and all of that other stuff isn't as important for me.

I won't buy a tire I can't mount on my Mavic Kysirums, with only my fingers. Using a tire lever increases the chance of a pinch flat and I want to get going as fast as I can when the temp. is well over 100 in Palm Springs, Ca. I am under 140lbs and ride bad roads, but I still get 3k-4k miles out of my Michelin Pro2 race 700x23s. I rarely get a flat, even though I use Continental Race Supersonic 28 tubes that only weigh an honest 50 grams. Why pay a lot for light weight wheels, then use heavy tubes? I am impressed by the reports on the new Continental GP 4000 tires. I like the idea that their smooth tread has very tiny holes in it that show when the tire is worn out. When I replace a Michelin, I cross section the old tire to see how much life it had left. I have always found that there was a lot of life left, so I am wasting money.

whatever is on special at probikekit.

At the moment for some odd reason:
Michelin pro race - front
Specialized armidillo - rear
both 700x23