Commuting - Tire Advise

I posted this in the 50+ forum and was advised that I would get a better response over here. I have searched this also and found nothing on this specific issue.


OK here's the deal. I just got the Trek 1100 a few weeks ago. It has Michelin Dynamics on it in a 700Cx25.
The other day I went out for a ride, I came around a corner and hit some water... whoops, the bike goes out from under me. I'm not hurt but was somewhat embarrassed. It scratched up the left brake lever a little.

I go the the LBS and ask if they have some tires that would help in that situation, the guy I talked to says that I should just avoid the water. I could not avoid that water, there are lots of places in this area where there is water running through the gutter, even in my neighborhood. I did ask him what size of tires I would be able to put on the bike and he said pretty much any 700C tire would fit (don't know if I believe him or not).

The question is: What tire could I use that would provide more traction in this sort of situation? Is there any help in this situation, or is the LBS right? At least I'm pretty sure he wasn't trying to sell me tires since he didn't.

These would be the priorities I am interested in.
1. traction
2. flat protection
3. speed (weight, rolling resitence, etc.)
4. cost (don't care to much)
I am considering the Schwalbe Marathons.
Any suggestions will be considered and appreciated!

A wider tire will give you a more stable ride and better traction. My wife had the same problem as you until she switched from 700x23 to 700x35. Now she feels her ride is much improved, she is quite conifident now. BTW, we live in a very wet area.

Both my wife and I have Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires and we are both very satisfied. Some will grumble about the weight, but we use them to COMMUTE not to RACE, and thus reliability is the main factor. These are a wonderful commuting/touring tire.

BTW Schwalbe makes the Marathon Plus in 700x28 and they also make a new racing marathon if you are really concerened about speed, but if I were you I'd go with something a little wider like 700x32 if you have the room.

http://schwalbetires.com/node/154/ok

Also, keep in mind that some surfaces are simply very slippery when wet. Heavily-painted crosswalk stripes and metal manhole covers are a couple examples. Reduce speed and try to do most of your cornering before or after the slippery stuff, if you find yourself heading for some.

i ride michelin krylion carbon. They are Michelin's most durable and flat resistance tire and are advertised to last for 7000km. I have 700x23 and ride 20km everyday, usually in the rain and they are very solid even at high speeds.

i ride michelin krylion carbon. They are Michelin's most durable and flat resistance tire and are advertised to last for 7000km. I have 700x23 and ride 20km everyday, usually in the rain and they are very solid even at high speeds.

I think the Michelin's on my bike (Dynamic) are the bottom of the line. How much do those puppies (krylion carbon) run each?

Michelin Dynamic are definitely bottom barrel tires. Schwalbe marathon/slick x28 or x30 works well for me. But CO doesn't have have oceans of water. However that said, I don't think wider tires will help that much. If it's the first rain in awhile there will be an oily coat on most road surfaces and you have to ride slower and with less abrupt directional changes until it washes off.

I lived in SoCal cities long enough to know a lot of those wet spots you mention stay wet long enough to grow films of slippery algae. Nothing but nothing short of metal studded tires will surely prevent slipping when braking or cornering under those conditions. I got off and walked across one wet patch of concrete and still sent down. Now if I must cross a wet patch, slimey or not, I adjust my line in advance and try to coast straight across the shortest part of the wet area I can.

How many miles are on the tires that caused you to slip ?
If you've only had the bike a couple weeks, and only done a few short rides, chances are the tires were just slippery from still having the release compounds near the surface from manufacturing.

You can get some tires that have better wet traction, at a sacrifice of tire wear. Basicaly its made from a softer compound that sticks to pavement better but wears away a lot faster.
The actual difference between a great wet tire and a crappy wet tire isnt a huge difference.

Usually if you wipe out in wet, its from going too fast for the conditions, tires not yet having the release compounds wore away, going over painted surfaces, going over metal surfaces, going over leaves.

Id try to look back at if any of the above may have been the cause, before spending more money. If so, then i'd ride those tires till their ready to fall apart, then upgrade :)

I'd agree with Jersey here. The tires may still have mold release on them. Furthermore, if it rains infrequently there, oil buildup on the roads can leat to a very slick surface when it does run. In my experience, all brands of bike tire do equally well in the rain. I'd suggest slowing down more before wet areas.

Paul

I live in the Seattle area and frequently ride in wet weather. I am currently running Continental Gatorskins and they seem to have reasonable traction. But as was pointed out above, slowing down when necessary and trying to avoid sharp turns on wet surfaces seem to be key. I sometimes think that with some of the weather up here, no tire is of much help on a steep slick surface that also incorporates a turn. I have learned to go very slowly, usually under 10 MPH, but even then, I still feel the tires slip from time to time.

I had something similar happen and I used 700x38's. I think it's the quality of the tire, not the size that matters as much. Then again, some places are just slippery. It's difficult to overcome those physics.