Winter Tyres

Fuzzytrooper

Can anyone recommend a decent winter road tyre? I run continental gatorskins and they are normally fine for me throughout the winter but this year I'm feeling a bit more unstable. Might be down to a couple of falls I've had recently on wet leaves so it may all just be in my head...

Alek

Get the tyre that is the grippiest on wet surface. In my experience GP4000S II, preferrably in 28mm, as you may be hitting potholes more often in darkness

Gatorskins are bambi on ice from what I've heard.

Fuzzytrooper

Alek wrote: »

Get the tyre that is the grippiest on wet surface. In my experience GP4000S II, preferrably in 28mm, as you may be hitting potholes more often in darkness

Gatorskins are bambi on ice from what I've heard.

This lad here?
http://www.wiggle.com/continental-grand-prix-4000s-ii-folding-road-tyre/

Alek

Yup! You can find it cheaper though

Fuzzytrooper

Alek wrote: »

Yup! You can find it cheaper though

Hmm the cheapest I can find is around €34 here:

https://www.cycletyres.com/continental-grand-prix-4000-s-ii-tyre-black-chili-vectran-breaker-2204.html#lineatt4901

Do you have some super secret source of tyres perchance?

irishrover99

Get these. Great in the wet and really good deal at the moment. I just bought these myself after using them last winter. Great grip in the wet and no punctures until i had about 4000+km on them. Free delivery from CRC. This price is for 2 tyres and tubes.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/michelin-lithion-2-tyres-grey-25c-free-tubes/rp-prod122101

jamesd

I find the 4000s good for the summer and their 4 season tyre has better grip for the winter
http://www.wiggle.com/continental-grand-prix-4-season-folding-road-tire/

Fuzzytrooper

irishrover99 wrote: »

Get these. Great in the wet and really good deal at the moment. I just bought these myself after using them last winter. Great grip in the wet and no punctures until i had about 4000+km on them. Free delivery from CRC. This price is for 2 tyres and tubes.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/michelin-lithion-2-tyres-grey-25c-free-tubes/rp-prod122101

That price seems suspiciously low. ARe they really any good in bad conditions?

butterworth

Fuzzytrooper wrote: »

That price seems suspiciously low. ARe they really any good in bad conditions?

I've had no problems with these in the wet. They're great value and do the job fine. Just be sure to check them for glass at regular intervals, like you would be doing with any other tyre.

irishrover99

Fuzzytrooper wrote: »

That price seems suspiciously low. ARe they really any good in bad conditions?

Yes. They are a folding tyre so easy to fit also. Their main attribute is wet weather performance. Check out the reviews before buy if you like.

http://media.chainreactioncycles.com/is/content/ChainReactionCycles/Catalogue/magazine_reviews/michelin/Michelin%20Lithion%202%20Road%20Bike%20Tyre.pdf

Alek

Do you have some super secret source of tyres perchance?

Checked my sources and it seems that 34 would be the cheapest around at the moment... sorry , haven't been checking this for a while!

4 season tyre has better grip for the winter

Its better puncture-protected, but I honestly doubt its grippier.

equivariant

irishrover99 wrote: »

Yes. They are a folding tyre so easy to fit also ...

An excellent point and sometimes overlooked. Getting tyres back on in cold conditions can be an extremely painful experience sometimes. If I know that a tyre is easy to fit then punctures become relatively minor inconveniences as opposed to a major PITA - psychologically easier to deal with, which is important in the winter.

Fuzzytrooper

equivariant wrote: »

An excellent point and sometimes overlooked. Getting tyres back on in cold conditions can be an extremely painful experience sometimes. If I know that a tyre is easy to fit then punctures become relatively minor inconveniences as opposed to a major PITA - psychologically easier to deal with, which is important in the winter.

YEah I had to learn "the technique" when fitting my continentals. I stripped a load of skin off my thumbs the first time I changed a tyre on my current bike.

benneca1

I have always found gatorskins a pain to get back on but four seasons not bad. Best for me is run my favourite slightly softer and wider if your bike will take it. Another thing i do is put heavier tubes in as lighter ones succumb easier to punctures from embedded glass etc. And as earlier posters said check before you go for glass etc.

25sean

looked into this a while back because I was heading abroad on bad roads... went for the Schwalbe durano double defence(DD).. got them in 28s... very bad roads, not 1 puncure. felt great and a little more grippy than the over-rated gatorskins (sidewalls go to sh1t) in wet or dry... the only tyre!! get them!!

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/schwalbe-durano-double-defence-folding-road-tyre/rp-prod154342

billyhead

I fitted panaracer Rabinos 2 weeks ago in 25c and they look the bees knees in terms of grip and puncture protection but dirt slow

bikedude

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ie/en/vittoria-rubino-pro-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod31765

Have been using those commuting, previously was using the Gp4 seasons, good grip on wet, and at 19 eur each amthey are a good deal.

benneca1

billyhead wrote: »

I fitted panaracer Rabinos 2 weeks ago in 25c and they look the bees knees in terms of grip and puncture protection but dirt slow

It's winter you are supposed to be going slow

benneca1

25sean wrote: »

looked into this a while back because I was heading abroad on bad roads... went for the Schwalbe durano double defence(DD).. got them in 28s... very bad roads, not 1 puncure. felt great and a little more grippy than the over-rated gatorskins (sidewalls go to sh1t) in wet or dry... the only tyre!! get them!!

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/schwalbe-durano-double-defence-folding-road-tyre/rp-prod154342

This might sound silly but they have a weight rating of 70 Kg tis a while since I was sub 70.

Mycroft H

Surely that's 70kg per tyre?

rodneyTrotter.

I've a pair of these 28mm Duranos

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ie/en/schwalbe-durano-plus-road-tyre-smartguard/rp-prod154344

Based in Dublin
Price 45 pair

Fuzzytrooper

Anyone have any opinion of these? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-contact-ii-city-road-tyre/
I had been planning on ordering earlier but was distracted by arrival of another mini trooper...and hence the attempt at more budget tyres. I had hoped to go for the 4 seasons but this month had been a bit mad on the wallet.