Winter tyre recommendations

[Mark]

Hi

I'm in the market for some winter commuting/training tyres. I currently
have a pair of Continental Gatorskin tyres which are without doubt the
worst tyres I've had: an utter pig to remove, slow rolling and, despite
the name, far more puncture-prone than I feel is reasonable. I rode a
pair of Michelin Pro Race 2's from July until well into a mucky autumn
without a single puncture but have had 5 or 6 since switching to the
Gatorskins. I rode the same hack bike through a whole winter on old Open
Corsa CXs or Conti Ultra 3000s with fewer punctures than I've had in two
months.

So, who can recommend a training tyre which is reasonably puncture
resistant, easy to fit, fast-rolling and not a Conti Gatorskin?

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Simon Bennett]

Mark wrote:
> Hi
>
> I'm in the market for some winter commuting/training tyres. I
> currently have a pair of Continental Gatorskin tyres which are
> without doubt the worst tyres I've had: an utter pig to remove, slow
> rolling and, despite the name, far more puncture-prone than I feel is
> reasonable. I rode a pair of Michelin Pro Race 2's from July until
> well into a mucky autumn without a single puncture but have had 5 or
> 6 since switching to the Gatorskins. I rode the same hack bike
> through a whole winter on old Open Corsa CXs or Conti Ultra 3000s
> with fewer punctures than I've had in two months.

Open Pave CX -- an excellent tyre, IME.

 

[Ivar Hesselager]

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 18:31:11 -0000, Mark <[email protected]>
skrev:

>
> So, who can recommend a training tyre which is reasonably puncture
> resistant, easy to fit, fast-rolling and not a Conti Gatorskin?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mark
>

IMHO you'r demanding too much from one tyre. If you can get high puncture
resistance, will you not be willing to accept more rolling resistance?
Commuting every day during the winter - rain or snow - I will not take any
punctures, so I have found a completely resistant tyre from Holland:
Dutch Perfect. It's heavy, it is not easy to mount, it's not cheap
either. But it will not puncture and it will give me good training while
commuting - and it will prepare me for a bigger thrill when I change to
the racer in spring.

Ivar, Denmark

 

[Dave Kahn]

Mark wrote:

> So, who can recommend a training tyre which is reasonably puncture
> resistant, easy to fit, fast-rolling and not a Conti Gatorskin?

I'll be interested in the answers too. I agree with you about the
Gatorskins except that I have not found them either hard to fit or
particularly slow. The puncture rate is ridiculous.

--
Dave...

 

[Clive George]

"Dave Kahn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mark wrote:
>
>> So, who can recommend a training tyre which is reasonably puncture
>> resistant, easy to fit, fast-rolling and not a Conti Gatorskin?
>
> I'll be interested in the answers too. I agree with you about the
> Gatorskins except that I have not found them either hard to fit or
> particularly slow. The puncture rate is ridiculous.

Tee hee - I'm quite happy with mine (700x28 - does that make a difference?)

cheers,
clive

 

[Pete Biggs]

Mark wrote:
> Hi
>
> I'm in the market for some winter commuting/training tyres. I
> currently have a pair of Continental Gatorskin tyres which are
> without doubt the worst tyres I've had: an utter pig to remove, slow
> rolling

Don't know if you mean *Ultra* Gatorskin but the UltraGatorskin isn't all
that slow. So if you want faster than that but with more puncture
resistance then maybe Ivar is right: too much to ask.

> and, despite the name, far more puncture-prone than I feel is
> reasonable. I rode a pair of Michelin Pro Race 2's from July until
> well into a mucky autumn without a single puncture but have had 5 or
> 6 since switching to the Gatorskins. I rode the same hack bike
> through a whole winter on old Open Corsa CXs or Conti Ultra 3000s
> with fewer punctures than I've had in two months.
>
> So, who can recommend a training tyre which is reasonably puncture
> resistant, easy to fit, fast-rolling and not a Conti Gatorskin?

Panaracer Pasela is more puncture resistant than Ultra Gatorskin, not
terrible to fit, fast-rolling and lightweight for its type. There's a
folding version as well to knock a few more grams off (Spa; SJS).
Actual width of the latest versions (as sold by Wiggle for example)
match the stated sizes, but older ones are a half to one size smaller.

~PB

 

[Steve W]

I have a pair of these on my touring bike and Ivar is right, but they are
hard to find in the UK so an extremely viable alternative is the schwalbe
Marathon plus which is just as bomb proof and although heavy rolls well.

SW


" I have found a completely resistant tyre from Holland:
> Dutch Perfect. It's heavy, it is not easy to mount, it's not cheap
> either. But it will not puncture and it will give me good training while
> commuting - and it will prepare me for a bigger thrill when I change to
> the racer in spring.
>
> Ivar, Denmark
>

 

[Mark]

On 2006-01-03, Ivar Hesselager <[email protected]> wrote:
> Tue, 03 Jan 2006 18:31:11 -0000, Mark
> <[email protected]> skrev:
>
>> So, who can recommend a training tyre which is reasonably puncture
>> resistant, easy to fit, fast-rolling and not a Conti Gatorskin?
>
> IMHO you'r demanding too much from one tyre. If you can get high
> puncture resistance, will you not be willing to accept more rolling
> resistance? Commuting every day during the winter - rain or snow - I
> will not take any punctures, so I have found a completely resistant
> tyre from Holland: Dutch Perfect. It's heavy, it is not easy to
> mount, it's not cheap either. But it will not puncture and it will
> give me good training while commuting - and it will prepare me for a
> bigger thrill when I change to the racer in spring.

Yes, I'd take more rolling resistance if it meant fewer punctures. I was
just hoping that somebody would know of a miracle tyre that could do it
all :~)

I'll have a look at the Dutch Perfect and some of the others
recommended.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[Mark]

On 2006-01-03, Clive George <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Dave Kahn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Mark wrote:
>>
>>> So, who can recommend a training tyre which is reasonably puncture
>>> resistant, easy to fit, fast-rolling and not a Conti Gatorskin?
>>
>> I'll be interested in the answers too. I agree with you about the
>> Gatorskins except that I have not found them either hard to fit or
>> particularly slow. The puncture rate is ridiculous.
>
> Tee hee - I'm quite happy with mine (700x28 - does that make a
> difference?)

Mine at 700x23. I spoke to someone else the other day who had been using
a pair of 700x25s with very little trouble - perhaps only the 23s are so
puncture prone? As I already have little room between tyre and mudguards
I can't fit a 25 to find out.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Mark]

On 2006-01-04, Pete Biggs
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Mark wrote:
>> I'm in the market for some winter commuting/training tyres. I
>> currently have a pair of Continental Gatorskin tyres which are
>> without doubt the worst tyres I've had: an utter pig to remove, slow
>> rolling
>
> Don't know if you mean *Ultra* Gatorskin but the UltraGatorskin isn't
> all that slow. So if you want faster than that but with more puncture
> resistance then maybe Ivar is right: too much to ask.

Hm, perhaps I was more spoiled over the summer than I realised by riding
on the Pro Race 2s! Now that I'm nore used to them the Gatorskins don't
seem quite so bad, but my initial inpressions were they were hard work
and hello? is that tyre flat already?

I also wonder if the rims (2005 Shimano Tiagra factory wheels) I have
are particularly large, though I haven't had much trouble fitting other
tyres to them.

>> and, despite the name, far more puncture-prone than I feel is
>> reasonable. I rode a pair of Michelin Pro Race 2's from July until
>> well into a mucky autumn without a single puncture but have had 5 or
>> 6 since switching to the Gatorskins. I rode the same hack bike
>> through a whole winter on old Open Corsa CXs or Conti Ultra 3000s
>> with fewer punctures than I've had in two months.
>>
>> So, who can recommend a training tyre which is reasonably puncture
>> resistant, easy to fit, fast-rolling and not a Conti Gatorskin?
>
> Panaracer Pasela is more puncture resistant than Ultra Gatorskin, not
> terrible to fit, fast-rolling and lightweight for its type. There's a
> folding version as well to knock a few more grams off (Spa; SJS).
> Actual width of the latest versions (as sold by Wiggle for example)
> match the stated sizes, but older ones are a half to one size smaller.

They sound promising. Thanks.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Mark Tranchant]

Clive George wrote:
> "Dave Kahn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...

>> I'll be interested in the answers too. I agree with you about the
>> Gatorskins except that I have not found them either hard to fit or
>> particularly slow. The puncture rate is ridiculous.
>
> Tee hee - I'm quite happy with mine (700x28 - does that make a difference?)

My 28s are fine too - several thousand commuting miles with just the one
puncture.

--
Mark.
http://tranchant.plus.com/

 

[Arthur Clune]

Mark wrote:

>
> Yes, I'd take more rolling resistance if it meant fewer punctures. I was
> just hoping that somebody would know of a miracle tyre that could do it
> all :~)

I'm still on Schawble Stelvios on the training bike. 23mm race tyres

They are pretty puncture resistant, but require care in the muck.

For commuting, some big fat, heavy and puncture proof Michellen touring
tyres. Roll like a slug compared to the Stelvios though.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

 

[Arthur Clune]

Mark wrote:
>
> Hm, perhaps I was more spoiled over the summer than I realised by riding
> on the Pro Race 2s!

Why did you take them off? The original ProRace tyres can be had cheap
mail order now.

--
Arthur Clune

 

[POHB]

I'll vote for the Schwalbe Marathon Pluses

Utterly bomb proof IME, quite heavy but they seem to be made of some hard
compound that rolls very easily, although by the same token is more slippy
on some wet surfaces.

"Steve W" <[email protected]> wrote
>I have a pair of these on my touring bike and Ivar is right, but they are
>hard to find in the UK so an extremely viable alternative is the schwalbe
>Marathon plus which is just as bomb proof and although heavy rolls well.
>

 

[Mark]

On 2006-01-04, Arthur Clune <[email protected]> wrote:
> Mark wrote:
>>
>> Hm, perhaps I was more spoiled over the summer than I realised by
>> riding on the Pro Race 2s!
>
> Why did you take them off? The original ProRace tyres can be had cheap
> mail order now.

I took them off because I thought I'd be pushing my luck riding such
thin tyres in the winter! If only I'd known..

Mark

 

[Dave Larrington]

In article <[email protected]>, Pete Biggs
([email protected]) wrote:

> Panaracer Pasela is more puncture resistant than Ultra Gatorskin, not
> terrible to fit, fast-rolling and lightweight for its type. There's a
> folding version as well to knock a few more grams off (Spa; SJS).
> Actual width of the latest versions (as sold by Wiggle for example)
> match the stated sizes, but older ones are a half to one size smaller.

I'll second that. I'm running them on the fixer and the rear of the
Speedmachine and have no complaints. Pity they don't do a 406
version...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Never trust a man with more than one moustache.

 

[Arthur Clune]

Mark wrote:
>
> I took them off because I thought I'd be pushing my luck riding such
> thin tyres in the winter! If only I'd known..

Just buy another pair. You know it makes sense.

--
Arthur Clune

 

[dkahn400]

Mark wrote:

> Mine at 700x23. I spoke to someone else the other day who had been using
> a pair of 700x25s with very little trouble - perhaps only the 23s are so
> puncture prone? As I already have little room between tyre and mudguards
> I can't fit a 25 to find out.

No. 700Cx25 in my case. I get an average of around 220 km between
punctures. It's quite baffling. Occasionally I'll go several hundred km
without a problem and then I'll get three separate ones in the space of
an hour. I've also ridden through horrible wet flinty stuff with no
problems when people have been puncturing all round me. Then I'll
collect one on a clean dry smooth road.

Some people swear by them, which is why I've stuck with them for so
long, wondering if I've just been unlucky.

--
Dave...

 

[Arthur Clune]

dkahn400 wrote:

> Some people swear by them, which is why I've stuck with them for so
> long, wondering if I've just been unlucky.

If you are only getting 200km odd between punctures, I'd say that those
tyres are awful. Either in general, or for you.

I expect to go a few thousand miles between punctures on road.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

 

[David Martin]

Arthur Clune wrote:
> dkahn400 wrote:
>
> > Some people swear by them, which is why I've stuck with them for so
> > long, wondering if I've just been unlucky.
>
> If you are only getting 200km odd between punctures, I'd say that those
> tyres are awful. Either in general, or for you.
>
> I expect to go a few thousand miles between punctures on road.

Only a *few* thousand?

Oops!

...d