Tire upgrade question

pjhiggins said:

I have recently just about burned through the tires that came with my Trek 1500 (Bontrager Selects, I believe), and am looking to upgrade slightly. I ride 75-100mpw once the weather breaks with an occasional race thrown in. I would like to keep the price point within reason (below $30 per).

Any suggestions? Thanks for the feedback.

No.. just get rubber ones.

Hi

You should have a look at the Continental Grand Prix 4000,
I've used then for a while, the extra vectran strip allows me to get away
with lightweight tubes (55g), touch wood, no cuts or punctures and only some wear for 1800kms. Purely subjective but I feel they have a lower rolling resistance and more supple ride compared to the GP 3000's. Not sure about the US price but have seen them on ebay for

cgi.ebay.com.au2006 Continental Grand Prix 4000 700x23c SILVER NEW W0QQitemZ7226866347QQcategoryZ42334QQrdZ1QQcmdZVOpen ↗

Regards
Ken

pjhiggins said:

I have recently just about burned through the tires that came with my Trek 1500 (Bontrager Selects, I believe), and am looking to upgrade slightly. I ride 75-100mpw once the weather breaks with an occasional race thrown in. I would like to keep the price point within reason (below $30 per).

Any suggestions? Thanks for the feedback.

Schwalbe Blizzards or Kenda Concepts... both reasonably priced folding tires.

kleng said:

Hi

You should have a look at the Continental Grand Prix 4000,
I've used then for a while, the extra vectran strip allows me to get away
with lightweight tubes (55g), touch wood, no cuts or punctures and only some wear for 1800kms. Purely subjective but I feel they have a lower rolling resistance and more supple ride compared to the GP 3000's. Not sure about the US price but have seen them on ebay for

cgi.ebay.com.au2006 Continental Grand Prix 4000 700x23c SILVER NEW W0QQitemZ7226866347QQcategoryZ42334QQrdZ1QQcmdZVOpen ↗

Regards
Ken

Haven't tried them yet (I ride GP3K) but, I have seen outrageous reviews for both industructability and wearability. Sounds like they are worth the price. They are way above the $30 pricetag. Some bike shops are selling the GP3K for $34 which is an excellent price. Performance Bikes is selling a Kevelar belted road tire, one of their best within your budget. I have a friend who swears by them. Good luck

Both my bikes are on Conti GP 4000s. 😎

I am building up a pair of deep-V training wheels with the new Conti Ultra Gator Skin on the back and the old on the front. (My 650c race wheels are a low spoke count.)

gclark8 said:

Both my bikes are on Conti GP 4000s. 😎

I am building up a pair of deep-V training wheels with the new Conti Ultra Gator Skin on the back and the old on the front. (My 650c race wheels are a low spoke count.)

He is asking for tire recommendations in the $30 range.

Performance Bike has Hutchinson Carbon Comps on sale, half price, at $22/tire.

hd reynolds said:

He is asking for tire recommendations in the $30 range.

OK, I missed that. I will report on the new Conti Ultra Gator Skin when I have it fitted, later in the week. It should meet the price range.

Out of the tires I sell I have found the following:

Mich's have great traction, but wear out quickly.
Verdstein last long but have harsh ride quality at 145-175 psi. (GREAT for wet conditions) I got almost 2000 miles out of a set of theese!
Conti's seem to last the longest. Great ride quality, use the GP-4000 myself.

A note on the GP-4000:
Has anyone had dry-rotting issues with the sidewalls? My front tire has started to wear at the sidewall at less than 400 miles of use.

[Has anyone had dry-rotting issues with the sidewalls? My front tire has started to wear at the sidewall at less than 400 miles of use.[/QUOTE]
I've used my GP4000's for over 1500km with no problems with the side wall, riding in all conditions including heavy rain, however I always wipe down and clean the tires after a dirty ride, also remove tires and drain the rims and tubes as there is always significant water build up. No dry rotting issues but maybe because I always use the finishline detailer to clean and protect the sidewalls.

Used Michelin slicks for years, but GP 3000s are the best I've found so far. You can get them on closeout now...believe Nashbar has them around $30. When they're gone, I'll move to the 4000s.

IMO, tires are not the place to save money. Regardless of what your bike cost, a good tire will make a big difference in ride and handling, and last a long time. Running 100-105 psi, I've never had a puncture or cut through with the Conti's, and get 3000 miles on the rears. (The fronts don't wear much, but get replaced every 6000).