What Tyres?

Mlimacher said:

HI!! This is my first year racing on the road... so need all the help i can get!!! I don't know what tyres to race on? I am training using conti' GP4000 700x23mm at the mo.. not sure weather to use the 700x20 version for racing with some light weight tubes? Will there be much differance in the two or will the thinner tyre be more prone to puncturing?? or are there any other good race tyres I sould try?? Any advice would be great... Thanks!
🙂

I'd go with a standard 23mm profile tire for better cornering adhesion.

capwater said:

I'd go with a standard 23mm profile tire for better cornering adhesion.

+1 on that. Also for the OP: generally speaking 20s are for TTs.
As for tire makes, there's lots of good ones nowadays; Vittoria, Michelin, Veloflex, Vredestein, just to name a few. Try some and see what you like.
Also to remember about widths: a wider tire will give you less rolling resistance, but more drag at race speeds. The opposite is true for narrower tires. And then, like capwater said, you gotta consider cornering. That's why most road racers go with an all-around 23mm for road races and crits.

Have a close look at some of the 'handmade' tyres, if you use them just for racing then the different feel they give will become associated in your mind with racing....

Veloflex

Tufo

Challenge

I prefer the Challenge, they aren't that well known yet but they come from the same origins as Veloflex (the craftsmen that were without work when a lot of tyre production moved from Italy to Thailand to save cost) and they feel superb on the bike. Their Grifo is, of course, legendary in Cyclo Cross already.

Tufo's are round, big advantage, and they hold air......for a very long time 😄