Road tyres....are you led astray?

[nonky]

Specialized roubaix pro is by far the best clincher tyre I have ever ridden and at R 550 , I can't find anything better . The 24/26cc at 7 bar is unbeatable for comfort and handling and gives me 5-7000 km before they need replacement. Personally I can't see the value in Gatorskins .

 

My last specialized tyre also gave me 5km's.....on the Spruit of all places.

[Jewbacca]

you also brake your own rules ? you non conformist, you

I cheered myself up with a chicken mayo panini, coffee and closed a really cool business deal... Lifted my self imposed ban and decided it was ok to follow the masses for a while..

 

It is also nearly 12 and I wanted to be around for when I win the Scott Spark.....

[Jewbacca]

My Mistake... I see that Xand Venturas has already won it... #wildlings

[Prince]

So while we on tyres whats a reasonable distance to get on a road tyre?

[koukie]

Tar is not tar.....just saying....

 

Take a GP4000S II up to 8bar and ride a 1km stretch in the street up front from your yard.

Do exactly the same with a Vittoria Open Corsa.  All other variable equal.

 

Then comment.

 

Just out of interest which one feels better or rather which one do you prefer? I use GP4000's but never tried the Vittoria's.

[Slowbee]

I cheered myself up with a chicken mayo panini, coffee and closed a really cool business deal... Lifted my self imposed ban and decided it was ok to follow the masses for a while..

 

It is also nearly 12 and I wanted to be around for when I win the Scott Spark.....

ahhh no wonder I am grumpy .... no panini and no cool business deals.

[Malpiet]

You guys are overlooking a cheap tire that i feel is best bang for buck "Conti Ultra Sport" not the lightest but the comfort, speed and cornering is way better than most top brand at half the price.

 

on 25c tire you dont need to run 9bars, 6.5 is good enough 

 

Evo Corsa very soft but wears off quickly

Ultremo ZX very good but also very soft compound (my race tire of choice)

GP4000s overrated IMHO

PRO4 super soft and with no puncture protection

[Honkdonk]

I had a set of Conti 4 seasons. The side wall started to come apart with little threads bit by bit leaving a strange type of lip just above the rim that would rub on the brake pads.

They were pretty solid but l replaced them with a set of 25c Vredestein Fiammante DuoComp. Inflated to 6,5 bar

 

Felt pretty good on Sunday

[carbon29er]

You must be an engineer?

 

Things like "road feedback" and "feelings" you'll never understand.

 

Same goes for the argument of Tubbies vs Clinchers.

 

Go ride them. 

If you can't feel a difference then call the doc.....you have "something" wrong with you.

 

   

Or move with the times, unlike the OP, and use a carbon fork, carbon stem and carbon bars and get a whole different sensation with "feedback" and "feelings".

 

There is a reason companies innovate and improve products.

[eddy]

 

 

Do exactly the same with a Vittoria Open Corsa with Latex tubes    All other variable equal.

 

Then comment.

 

 

 

Fixed even better

[NordicElf]

You guys are overlooking a cheap tire that i feel is best bang for buck "Conti Ultra Sport" not the lightest but the comfort, speed and cornering is way better than most top brand at half the price.

 

on 25c tire you dont need to run 9bars, 6.5 is good enough 

 

Evo Corsa very soft but wears off quickly

Ultremo ZX very good but also very soft compound (my race tire of choice)

GP4000s overrated IMHO

PRO4 super soft and with no puncture protection

 

 

I love my Conti Ultra sports, did about 7000km's on them. Put Gatorskins on after that, the rear tyre bubbled after about 1000km, put the old ultra sport on the back. After 3 punctures on the front Gatorskins, I gave up and bought another set of Ultra sports. I don't have good luck with Gatorskins and they are so hard to change. I can see that they are heavier and stronger. ButI also love the grippiness of the Ultra sports. Maybe it's in my imagination...

[Spoke101]

Lots of opinions here. Any facts? Or new information? Other than your opinion I mean. Like why you think what you do.

 

Still struggling to see the point of this string. It's been done to death.

 

There is so much information about this topic that seems to contradict the OP.

 

But as we have found out facts don't matter anymore.

 

I once rode with a guy who swore by 21mm tyres pumped to 11bars....

 

Hey that's my racing setup right there, except you forgot the C50 wheels. At 60kg it's not the most comfortable ride but it has some major positives.  

[Paul Ruinaard]

Go read up on the subject.

Quite interesting if you dig deep and make your own mind up.

 

Actually better....go ride a few different tyres and you might learn something....

Hmm,

 

Road feedback is totally subjective. Feeling dead and or wooden has so many variables in it that you need to be specific. What wooden to you may be great to me and to a beginner may be revolutionary compared to what he previously had.

 

I am sure there are lots of great tyres out there - I have ridden plenty and can probably comment on some - but its all opinions mate.

 

Some guys will like some setups. Hence the comment about 11 bars on 21 mm. He believed that felt best and was the best setup. So there was no arguing as he believed that it was best, ipso facto, it was.

 

its what you believe and feel. 

 

Its like the new bike story. Or the clean bike story. Or the new tyres story. Or the placebo effect.

 

If you feel that it's better, it probably is. And you will do better because of it

 

Science doesn't have a check box for feelings and struggles to explain this but we all know its true.

 

So ride what you feel is the best and you will ride happy and probably well.

[Brent]

700x20c continental.....when I can get them 

['Dale]

You can. The theory is, however, that your training wheels are heavier and more durable, while your racing wheels are built for speed, at the possible expense of durability/longevity.

 

I use Schwalbe One for both training and racing

And I'm happy

 

But ensure that your hoops are lekka light though.

Sub 1500 puppies for the win. 

[Li Mu Bai]

​If you ever read overseas cycle magazines, you surely would have noticed that the tester referes to the make and quality of the tyres on the tested bike.  Quite often they change the tyres to decent ones which they prefer and then test the bike.

 

I good old SA nobody calls a spade a spade, and the norm is that cyclists follow their friends like sheep.    

 

Personally I am a non-conformer and only ride tyres that can handle 9 bars and give good road feedback.

Cant find a shop in my town that sells the brand I prefer, so generally buy them online.

 

I guess this is maybe a long way of saying if I ever hear the words "we have Gatorskin" again....I will puke on their shop floor.

 

​I hope some of you aren't feeling a little sheepish.........  

 

 

PS: (before I am chastised....I don't mind some other products from that brand)

well, first off buying that can handle 9 bar is all good and well. what most people forget is that what is actually important is what the rim that this tyre is fitted to is designed and made to handle. most rims are rated to 8 bar only.

pumping your tyre to 9 and beyond just causes damage as this pressure is not compatible.

been there paid the fees.

 

Another critical factor is the tyres TPI - thread per inch.

low = cheap and puncture prone - 60tpi

high = better puncture resistance (150-220 tpi) but costs more.

 

our roads are so full of glass that is is quite possible to cut a brand new tire up on your first ride.

My favs for training and racing (aiming for 150tpi and above):

Vredestein Fortezza Tricomp (if you can still get them)

Vredestein Senzo

Vittoria Rubino Pro3

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