Road Cycling - The more I read about tires...

...the farther I am from making a decision. I'm trying to find a tire that is durable, but has a good ride. I don't race, don't make a habit of riding in the rain, and the roads are decent for the most part. I'm 6 feet and weigh 210. I've been looking at Armadillos and Axial Carbons, but have read the ride is 'dead'. I was set to buy a pair of Conti GP 3000s, but just read on Roadbikereview that the sidewalls tend to blow out! Don't need that! Now I'm thinking of the Conti GP 4 Season.

Anyone care to help me out (or confuse me more)?

I was looking for the same thing as you and got these:

Michelin Axial Carbon 23c

VERY happy so far!

How many miles on those Michelins, Mike?

Hey Syd,

They are pretty new and only have a few hundred so far, but as you can imagine, I have been riding in some rough conditions, over some rough nasty roads and so far they handle nice and have I have had no problems.

Originally posted by Syd's bike
[BI was set to buy a pair of Conti GP 3000s, but just read on Roadbikereview that the sidewalls tend to blow out![/B]
Ignore the avatar and any prejudice it might imply... I just liked the picture. :p
In my experience, the only Conti's that are problematic are the ones with the brown (natural rubber?) sidewalls. If I'm not mistaken, the GP 3Ks have black sidewalls. I suspect the folks in RBR didn't do their homework, and were actually griping about the standard GP (non-3K). Nobody in this forum has expressed any problems with the GP 3000 sidewalls (that I can recall).

I think they are a very good compromise. Decent ride quality and durability.

I still like my Michelins better. ;)

GP3K tires are excellent. As roadbuzz said, with all the grand prix series tires out there, it's entirely possible that the people on RBR.com mixed 'em up. We've got dozens of people out of our shop riding GP3K's with no reports of sidewall issues. The Axial Pro and newer Pro Race are slightly more durable, however. Can't say I've had any experience with the carbon yet.

specialised turbo s -works are whats on my steed ,4000ks & still plenty left, only 2 puntures, easy to take on & off too !

Forgot to mention that Michelins can be difficult to remove and replace, depending on the rim. The Specialized tires seem to be catching on lately, as greywolf found.

I am a clydesdale (240+) and ride conti GP or ULTRA's I boot with MR. TUFFY's.

I get 3000 to 5000 miles out of a set and ride in temperatures over 100F.

Our tandem has GP3000 700x26 and holds big old me and my lady with never a problem.

Thanks for the feedback everyone, and keep it coming! I wanted to get the GP 3000s, as they are available in celeste to match my bike. Also, I can get a pair for $60+shipping. Although Waldo says the axial pros are more durable, and they come in bianchi green...guess I'm still undecided!

Looking at back issues of cycling + magazines the survey of road bike tyres July last year, rated the Veloflex Pave 22mm as the best buy out of a dozen tested including most of those mentioned on this thread.
Italian hand made they sound good, don`t know of anyone who has used them yet for their feedback, though.

Be carfull of surveys,that one could be more for racing then general riding and more concern for flat proof.

Originally posted by Syd's bike
Waldo says the axial pros are more durable
He's probably the only one that says that. In my experience, APs are not a high mileage tire, and are not particularly durable. And they don't get good traction on wet pavement. I seem to get 2000-2500 miles from an AP. But the ride is sweet. ;)

I don't have experience with the new tire that has replaced the AP. Maybe it's better in some regards.

Also, a follow-up comment on GP 3000 sidewalls. IMO, they have a narrower profile, i.e. not as round a cross-section, as many tires. That tends to leave the sidewalls more exposed to debris like gravel, etc. Maybe that's what the complaints were about. So, you may want to go with a x35, if you were thinking about an x32.

You might also want to check out the Conti Gatorskins. I have not personally tried them but they could be what you are looking for

There have been a few threads about tyres but my reccommendation durability wise is Specialized Turbo (I think they have now been discontinued now though - replaced by Armadillos). I have these as OEM on my bike and have done about 2000km and have yet to puncture one! I don't know about a "dead" ride as this is my first road bike and the only tyres I have used so I have nothing to compare. I would rather have a "dead" ride than no ride because I was too busy repairing punctures.

Originally posted by roadbuzz
He's probably the only one that says that.
Not quite. We have numerous customers at our shop that average about 1000 miles more life from the Axial Pros than what we've been seeing with those on GP3Ks (obviously this can be affected by many things but has also been backed up by my personal experience and that of our shop manager). I wouldn't toss my personal opinion out there and try to pass it off as a fact without considerable information to back it up. The mileage roadbuzz reports is pretty atypical compared to what we see.
Aside from that, Bicycling magazine says that road tires "don't get any better" than the new Pro Race and have "durable and flat-resistant." Maybe you can take their word for that, at least.

I may be somewhat a 'gringo' but I've found the Vittoria Techno Pro's to be a pretty decent tire in 700X23 so far. They're light enough, roll good, feel good in uncertain road conditions... and cheap taboot, got a pair for $46 and shipping. Jury is still out on wear and puncture resistance as compared to the Conti's or Axials... but the price is attractive.

Well I have 3`700+ miles on my Axial pros without swithching over, front looks hardly used , rear is flattening off but still looks good for quite a few more miles when the season starts again.

I`m just sorry they are not being produced by Michelin any longer.

Maybe they were wearing to well. Not good for buisness hey!

I have had Vredestein Fortezza for about 2 years, and had real good luck. Rolling resistance seems to diminish alot when you put the recommended pressure of 130-140lbs in it

I'll second the Fortezza choice. I love the way they ride on my bike and man do they hold the road. They may wear a little faster than other tires but I just love them.