Anti-Puncture Tyres At-a-glance

Bicycle tyres aquaplaning. Even for here this is brilliant.

I don't know of anyone that thinks bicycles tyres aquaplane, do you?

I know someone who thinks that "water dispersal" is a relevant issue for bicycle tyres. Hilarious.

There is no god.

Quoted for truth.

GA2G, you're comparing an extremely wide tyres to a skinny narrow tyres, that's too big a difference to make a comparison.

Accidentally deleted my post, when editing the previous one. Bum.

In my previous (lost) post, I had said specifically, that bicycles did 20mph, and not 200mph, which signified that I understood the difference in expectations, performance, speed and mechanics of bicycle tyres versus F1 tyres.

Anyway, my personal experience says to me, that smooth tyres are best in the dry, and on smooth roads, but dimpled/siped tyres have a more predictable breakaway performance in the wet. Not based on my commuting cycling, but on the years that I was a full-time cycle courier. Of course, other people's experiences may be the exact opposite of mine. That's to be expected.

I've put 700x25 marathon plus at both ends of my commuter, having grown frustrated with the gatorskins unwillingness to live with my weight, in terms of punctures and wear. Not too sure about my choice - I'm almost certain they're a good deal slower, perhaps 2 minutes over my 10 mile commute. Haven't exactly been throwing them about given the weather, but they do behave rather oddly on hitting imperfections in the road.

2 minutes over 10 mile commute or peace of mind..... for me is not a brainer

2 in minutes in a 10 miles commute is nothing, I mean, surely it varies on the traffic, light pattern, weather etc.?

very keen to know how you managed to keep an exact timeline throughout your commute.

2 in minutes in a 10 miles commute is nothing, I mean, surely it varies on the traffic, light pattern, weather etc.?

very keen to know how you managed to keep an exact timeline throughout your commute.

I know it usually takes me 41±2 minutes, unless I really push it or get very held up. The last three days I've managed 43, 44 and 45 minutes despite no more than 90 seconds stopped on any day, which is good. And I know I've been putting in my normal effort level, as I'm still managing a HR average around 145. Perhaps I'm being more cautious or otherwise slower due to the weather - I'll see how my times look next week.

I would invest in a Powertap for your commute - It will give you far more useful numbers.

Ho ho. I don't have many fellow commuters to race on my route, so have to do the commute TT against yesterday's time instead. Sad I know.

Just thought it was worth mentioning for the record (though you read tonnes of similar stories), I just rode a new pair of Schwalbe Lugano tyres for 10 miles into work, having used shitty old Vittorias beforehand, and they cut on the puncture strip on glass and punctured. The shitty Vittorias only punctured once in around 800 miles. I'll see how they get on, but this isn't a good start.

the only good thing about the lugano's is the price.

getting some halo twin rail courier berlin's. you haven't let me down re: fahg, hopefully this recommendation will not increase the tension

:]

although, i have had two punctures in the last year, one from drunkenly riding into a curb on schwalbe blizzard, none from maxxis refuses, one from a piece of flint in the surrey countryside on a rando.

the twin rails aren't that good

shhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! GA2G is going to hear you

Handpump, 2 x spare (previously punctured and then patched) and fingers crossed no punctures :)

Gatorskins have been very kind to me at least when the rubber are still aplenty!

the twin rails aren't that good

shhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! GA2G is going to hear you

The standard Halo Twin Rail tyres are shit.
But the Halo Twin Rail COURIER BERLIN tyres are brilliant allrounder commuter tyres.

Has anyone used the continental grand prix 4 seasons? I need a reliable tyre for the front especially in the wet and greasy conditions. It's either that or a gp4000

also, any verdicts on these? http://www.evanscycles.com/products/continental/supersport-plus-road-tyre-ec026254
maybe not for the wet

Read through this thread a bit and you'll find some opinions on the Conti GP4 Seasons tyres. As for the Conti GP4000 tyres, they're very good. I used them for quite a while, and while there are faster and better tyres, they're a good blend of great handling mixed with unexpectedly good puncture protection. In comparison to the Specialized All Condition Pro, the GP4000 is nowhere near as fast, nor has it got better puncture protection. What it does do best is grip and handle. In those respects, for its specific type, its very hard to beat

Thanks for the help man, I just came off my bike and dented my frame because I had no grip at the front

To be honest, I wouldn't choose the GP4000 for winter. It was designed as a race tyre so though the grip is good, that would be in optimal conditions....meaning dry or moderately wet roads. Also, they're extremely expensive and harder to source. Based on that, I examine your criteria a bit more closely before making a purchase. Hidden flints and things in slush would also illustrate that its good for a race tyre at puncture protection, but not in the same league as other, probably heavier and slower tyres. There's always going to be a trade off. For weight-to-puncture protection, I don't think the Maxxis ReFuse has many challengers. Obviously it can't compete with the Schwalbe Marathon Plus or Halo Courier Berlin tyres, but at only 240 grams for the 700x23 tyre, its one hell of a tough tyre. Slower than race tyres, but much lighter than the heavy bulletproof ones. Thats my 2p.

Tyre dilemma - of a similar nature to Joe's Colnago related dilemma further up the thread (which I have just read in its entirety).

I need some new tyres for my 'nag - it currently has Michelin Pro Race 2's, which are very fast, and meant to have some puncture protection, but pretty worn.

I would just go for Maxxis Refuse - I swear by them on my fixed, they've just never punctured, handle and grip well and are pretty light really. Also having the same tyres on both bikes is obviously an advantage in terms of predictable handling.

But I feel like I should be going for something with lower rolling resistance for the nag, especially as it will only be taken out in good weather generally - it's a summer/dry winter bike.

Sumo reckons I should get Gatorskin Ultra folding, but they seem to divide opinion, I am worried about those weak side walls and punctures, also grip in the wet if I'm honest, as it will get ridden in the wet sometimes inevitably and I don't want to stack and scratch it!

So considering GP4000S instead. Also thinking about Vredestein Fortezza Quattro Tricomp as a wildcard...

Any others I should be thinking about? Any thoughts?

What about these?

I have some in the cupboard, although I have yet to use them. Quite a lot of puncture protection, maybe too much for a summer bike...

They've had decent reviews, and the sidewalls are thicker than the graterskins.

And they smell nice. (They also have the 'Reeeeeen: fixxieskiddah' seal of approval.)

Thanks but too heavy, even the folding version are 355g! The trouble with Contis is I don't trust that gap between the bead and the rubber.

The 'they smell nice' pitch is tempting though!

These aren't going to get skidded, they're going to get looked after too, just don't want punctures, but also want fast tyres. Maybe I'm asking too much?

Maxxis Refuse