Summer replacement for GP 4 Season

quozl

I'm building some new wheels and want to get some nice tyres for them. I normally use GP4 Seasons on my road bike as they're grippy and very puncture resistant but I'm thinking of trying something a little nippier for the nicer wheels.

Has to be 28mm - I like comfort.
Has to be grippy - I'd consider the GP4 Seasons to be perfect in terms of grip, so anything that good or better.
Has to be fairly puncture resistant but willing to trade off a bit here. It's for long leisure spins so shouldn't involve too much glass but I don't want to be fixing punctures regularly. I get close to none currently, which is nice.
Being sexy looking would be a plus. The new wheels are H Son+ Archetypes and I I wouldn't mind a bit of color to go with the anodized grey, but this is the lowest priority!

I'm thinking about getting GP 4000 IIs, they come in 28s.

Any other suggestions?

[edit]Also considering Vittoria Rubino Pro but I don't know if this is more or less racy than the GP 4000 IIs[/edit]

jamesd

I run the same tyres for winter, swap to gp 4000 11's for summer

OleRodrigo

Am running Durano Plus ( also on Archetypes ) and they look really nice.

quozl

Thanks OleRodrigo. I think the Durano Plus is a heavier tyre more like the GP 4 Seasons. I was actually considering those as an alternative winter tyre recently.

I'm looking to try out some thing that sacrifices some of the ruggedness of the Durano Plus or 4 Season for lower rolling resistance, nicer feel.

To be honest, I'm really happy with the GP 4 Seasons but I figure that I might as well try something lighter out when I'm buying tyres for these wheels to see if I can notice any difference It's looking like GP 4000 IIs at the moment.

Lumen

Isn't the whole point of the 4 seasons that you use them for all four seasons?

quozl

You can use any tyre for all four seasons

I agree with you that 4 Seasons are the closest tyre I know of to an answer for every occassion but I'm going to buy a new pair of tyres for the new wheels and think GP 4000s might be a nice good weather alternative.

quozl

here's an interesting article from Tour magazine from last year. Comparing 28mm road tyres.
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/road_tyres/GP4000sII/WideRaceTyreTest_TOUR_Magazine_2014.pdf

Puts the 28mm GP4000s IIs as the lowest rolling resistance.

quozl

Tried the new GP 4000 S2s today on a 90k cycle and was surprised at the difference compared to the GP4 Seasons.

Quite a bit softer over bumps, definitely liked them. I guess it's the less rigid sidewalls as my 4Seasons are also 28Mm.

Run both tyre sets at 70Psi front, 80 back. Current plan would be to go back to the 4Seasons for the winter as they never puncture. Will see how the 4000s do in that regard.

Cee-Jay-Cee

quozl wrote: »

Run both tyre sets at 70Psi front, 80 back. Current plan would be to go back to the 4Seasons for the winter as they never puncture. Will see how the 4000s do in that regard.

I'm assuming your quite light if your able to get away with such low pressures? I'm 75kg and keep my tyres at 100/90 R/F

jamesd

I run mine at 120

quozl

Well, you both run them too high, assuming yours are also 28mm :-P

I'm 80 kg currently. Don't ever pinch flat. You can Google charts of load, pressure and tyre width. On a phone or I'd provide a link.

If i ran them at 120 psi they'd be really uncomfortable, less deflection than 23mm tyres would have at 120psi and I'd be losing the point of 28mm tyres IMO.

jamesd

Mine are 23's