Tyre query

Gunth

Just wondering what kind of tyres people use on their road bikes whilst training. If a person is cycling 600km or more a month is it advisable to use average priced tyres around the €25 mark for durability or should you go for a tyre such as the GP4000S? Will the performance between the two be noticeable such as speed? I know it is down to budget but I don't fancy shelling out for the price of the GP4000S every few months. Should you purchase tyres for training and keep your good tyres for sportives?

papac

Should you purchase tyres for training and keep your good tyres for sportives?

Yes. (IMO:)). Gatorskins for everyday I'd say. I'd love to do all my riding on sexy racing tyres but I would prefer to use my cycling fund more wisely.

Lumen

I don't think there is a right answer to this question.

Obviously if you're not racing you don't need the grip of a race tyre, but race tyres feel nice just pottering along.

So it's a question of whether you want to spend extra money on something which makes your bike feel a bit nicer to ride.

Just make a choice either way based on economy or niceness and be pleased with whatever you choose.

Of all the ways to spunk money over a bike, tyres offer a reasonable return. I'd rather ride a Planet-X on GP4000S than a Cervelo on Armadillos.

Gunth

Cheers Lumen, I think I will go with the GP4000S. Does anyone know the lifespan of these tyres? They will be used on typical Irish roads. I know a lot of it depends on luck and one shard of glass on the first spin could put them into retirement.

niceonetom

Gunth wrote: »

Cheers Lumen, I think I will go with the GP4000S. Does anyone know the lifespan of these tyres? They will be used on typical Irish roads. I know a lot of it depends on luck and one shard of glass on the first spin could put them into retirement.

Look after them and you could get 5000km out of them. I have done, but that's pushing it.

ednwireland

Lumen wrote: »

Of all the ways to spunk money over a bike

:eek: wtf

i bought schwalbe durano's to replace schwalbe lugano's definitley nicer to ride on (baulked at paying for the ultremos)

Chips Lovell

I've used GP4000S a lot over the past few years. They're definitely sturdy enough to train on and would only usually start puncturing near the end of their lifespan. I'd go through about two sets of tyres in a year, albeit on higher mileage than yourself. Gatorskins are tougher alright, but wouldn't feel as nice as the GP4000s

Gunth wrote: »

...one shard of glass on the first spin could put them into retirement.

A shard of glass would put any tyre into retirement. I've seen Gatorskins ripped open by glass as well.

spurscormac

Question on the Gatorskins vs the GP4000s...

For non-race use, is the Gatorskin more puncture resistant?
Will be doing the Gael Force adventure race on my new bike in August, with some rough roads involved, though mostly fine.

Are the GP4000s purely a road racing tyre or would they suit that too ?

blorg

spurscormac wrote: »

Question on the Gatorskins vs the GP4000s...

For non-race use, is the Gatorskin more puncture resistant?
Will be doing the Gael Force adventure race on my new bike in August, with some rough roads involved, though mostly fine.

Are the GP4000s purely a road racing tyre or would they suit that too ?

I have not found a major difference between GP4000s and Gatorskins in terms of puncture resistance, or for that matter Ultremos or the Maxxis Columbiere tyres I have been using all winter and spring. Pumped to the right pressure punctures are not frequent on any of them. The race tyres are much nicer riding and more expensive, that is all.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a decent race tyre with a reputation for being hardwearing* for training all summer. In winter I prefer a 700x25c but would still go for something with a good ride quality- have been using Maxxis Columbiere and Schwalbe Stelvio (now Durano.)

As others say, no point having a nice bike and then sticking nasty tyres on it. It makes a big difference to the feel of the bike for not very much money.

Gatorskins are fine for a commuter bike; I wouldn't let them near my road bike.

*this would include GP4000s, Ultremos, etc. Some race tyres, like Vittoria Open Corsas, have a great reputation for ride quality but NOT for durability/puncture resistance- I wouldn't use something like this routinely.

gaffmaster

I stuck an Armadillo on my front wheel recently. And even in my very limited experience I am noticing a big difference in ride quality. They seem bulletproof but you can feel every nook and cranny of the road.

I had a Vittoria Rubino on beforehand, and still do on the back.

Contemplating a set of GP4000's but I hate fixing punctures by the roadside. How do they perform -vs- the puncture resistant or 'kevlar' tyres?

austinbyrne21

Are these (http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y1014) the GP4000S that are being reccommended? If so, is it just ProBikeKit that sell them? (of the online shops) And lastly, clinchers? What's the difference between clinchers and tubs? I understand I run the risk of looking like a fool with that last question but I've seen it come up so many times that I thought I'd ask.

blorg

They are the tyres. Almost everywhere sells them; you can get them a fair bit cheaper than that from the likes of Shinybikes but there is postage on top. Standard price in LBS here is €41.95 for comparison. If you were getting some I might go for a pair or two also though and split the postage.

Tubular tyres require a special tubular rim and you have to glue them on. Advantages are ride quality/cornering, lowered rim weight, and they are impervious to pinch flats. The glueing is a multi-step process that takes several days. If you puncture you are fecked completely unless you have your mechanic in the team car to give you a new bike or wheel (the ultimate Euro axcessory.) Very much race only, you don't want to go there honestly.

niceonetom

€27 here. €12 postage though, but if you were getting other stuff too it would still be cheaper.

Anyone got a better price?

anoble66

27 stg each here, and 4.95 postage

http://www.highonbikes.com/continental-gp-4000-s-road-bike-tyre.html

ednwireland

€27.90 + €10 shipping here http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=7;navigation=1;menu=1000,4,22,35;mid=4

xz

anoble66 wrote: »

27 stg each here, and 4.95 postage

http://www.highonbikes.com/continental-gp-4000-s-road-bike-tyre.html

highonbikes are also on ebay. Good bargains to be had on auctioned stuff. Although a lot of it is at set prices "buy it now"

papac

I got some gp4000s for 39 euros in Douglas Cycles in Cork a couple of weeks ago.
Reasonable for lbs I think.

kennyb3

Anyone care to suggest a good tube to go inside them? or would this make much of a difference

blorg

kennyb3 wrote: »

Anyone care to suggest a good tube to go inside them? or would this make much of a difference

Makes very little difference I think. I use the Continental Race ones or Vittoria Ultralite which are a bit smaller and lighter.

Lumen

kennyb3 wrote: »

Anyone care to suggest a good tube to go inside them? or would this make much of a difference

I use Conti Race 28 Light. They're the second most weightweenie option (Supersonics are lighter) but I don't get punctures so the extra expense makes no difference.

The only problem is that I think they leak a bit more than heavier tubes, so have to reinflate every couple of days (i.e. before every ride).

Obviously the weight savings make no actual difference to anything.

austinbyrne21

That's great Blorg, cheers. At least now I know I've clinchers as I can't see many bike manufacturers putting tubular tyres on entry level road bikes. I'll do a bit of research into cheapest prices and that kind of stuff. I think they're my new must-haves going by the reccommendations here. And obviously they'd increase my average speeds by about 10km/hr, yea?

blorg wrote: »

They are the tyres. Almost everywhere sells them; you can get them a fair bit cheaper than that from the likes of Shinybikes but there is postage on top. Standard price in LBS here is €41.95 for comparison. If you were getting some I might go for a pair or two also though and split the postage.

Tubular tyres require a special tubular rim and you have to glue them on. Advantages are ride quality/cornering, lowered rim weight, and they are impervious to pinch flats. The glueing is a multi-step process that takes several days. If you puncture you are fecked completely unless you have your mechanic in the team car to give you a new bike or wheel (the ultimate Euro axcessory.) Very much race only, you don't want to go there honestly.

kennyb3

Lumen wrote: »

I use Conti Race 28 Light. They're the second most weightweenie option (Supersonics are lighter)

why am i not surprised lumen:)

100Suns

For training you wont go too far wrong with Schwalbe Stelvio/Durano. Front and rear are different specs for the different fucntions they perform. I've had them six months now and not a single puncture. Gave up on the Conti4000S after a few punctures which were too close together to engender confidence. Great for grip, rolling resistance and comfort though. Dont know how reliable but I heard somewhere Conti and Michelin had moved production from Europe to the Far East and it may be affecting quality??

mc2000

if you're buying 2 you can get them from ribble for EUR58-ish before deliv, EUR66-ish including delivery

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Continental-GP4000S-Folding-Tyre/CONTTYRF321

I think these tyres are excellent - I've ran them the last 2 years, I run them all year round - where I think they really excel is in the wet, esp. compared to the Michelin Pro Race. I ran the Pro Race for about 3 years or so, and found them very hairy in the wet on the corners - with the GP4000S the difference is huge, gives you much more confidence in the wet and really sticks to the road on the corners. The feel is also a lot nicer than the Pro race.

the only think you may have to watch with them is to make sure you always have your tire at the right pressure [as with any tyre] to stop pinch flats [100psi minimum - invest in a track pump, you don't have to spend loads to get one that'll make getting to 100+psi a doddle] or they can pick up flints a bit, just check the tyre after each spin you go on to make sure there's no bits stuck into the tyre here or there. Also, the sidewalls can get lacerated easily enough [e.g. you puncture going down a hill and you "rim" the tyre for a few hundred yards] but such is the nature of race tyres.

I run them with the Michelin Aircomp Ultralite inner tubes - these are a light tube , and a very good price for such a light tube. Oh and make sure to buy a long enough valve stem on your inner tube that'll get thru your rims [esp if they're mid/deep section] - it makes getting the pump heap locking onto the valve a lot easier

ipodrocker

my friend has the same tyres and doesn't complain about them either!

jimm

mc2000 wrote: »

if you're buying 2 you can get them from ribble for EUR58-ish before deliv, EUR66-ish including delivery

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Continental-GP4000S-Folding-Tyre/CONTTYRF321

A pair of these from Ribble is €61.21 inc. del. tonight if you enter code (Trip7)

Beasty

jimm wrote: »

A pair of these from Ribble is €61.21 inc. del. tonight if you enter code (Trip7)

including delivery tonight - now that's service:D

Civilian_Target

el tonto wrote: »

A shard of glass would put any tyre into retirement. I've seen Gatorskins ripped open by glass as well.

Dunno about that, I've got to work and then pulled half-a-bottle out of a set of Marathon Plus, and they've gone on to do 1000s of km afterwards....

blorg

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Dunno about that, I've got to work and then pulled half-a-bottle out of a set of Marathon Plus, and they've gone on to do 1000s of km afterwards....

Marathon Plus are simply not in the same category as the racing tyres being discussed, or even training tyres like Gatorskins. You would not put the things on a road bike, you just wouldn't. Heavy heavy tyre, I use them when touring and there will be an off-road component.

For what it is worth I have also punctured on them touring, from a shard of glass Did not destroy the tyre mind.

spurscormac

So if I'm reading all the responses correctly...

Gatorskin: Training tyre, strong puncture resistance.

GP4000s: Race tyre which also has good puncture resistance.

So my required use would be some commute to work, training spins, triathlons (first 1 or 2 ever, so only looking to finish), and most importantly, Gael Force, which will have some rough road, but most of the 40k on the bike will be reasonable Irish roads.

Based on that, I can take the tyres that come with the bike for the training and see how they go and I assume the Gatorskins would be the best for Gael Force.

Getting impatient waiting on the B2W voucher to arrive so I can pick up the bike.

Civilian_Target

blorg wrote: »

Marathon Plus are simply not in the same category as the racing tyres being discussed, or even training tyres like Gatorskins. You would not put the things on a road bike, you just wouldn't. Heavy heavy tyre, I use them when touring and there will be an off-road component.

No, for sure. I'm impressed by how much more flex there is in the set of Conti Ultra Sport's I'm using at the moment... and how quickly they wear down!

Gunth

Thanks everybody for the advice todate. I have decided to go for the GP4000S tyres as they seem to be one of the best tyres out there.