Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Road Bike Tires for long miles

I am running Shimano WH-R500 rims (20 spoke front and 24 spoke rear) and the tires are the stock Vittoria Zaffiro, which is a road race training tire. I have about 1000 miles on them and the center of the tire is bald, but that might be because of the rollers that I have been using them on.

I plan on putting a LOT of road miles in this year. I don't care about light weight or the best compound for racing, what I want is a tire that will last for a lot of road miles.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am also planning on talking to my LBS about tires and will probably buy from them as long as they are like normal and give me a decent price. I will pay more for them to stay in business.

Michelin 'Krylion Carbon'

Vittoria 'Rubino Pro'

Continental 'Ultra Sport' or 'Sport 1000'

All these are high mileage tires I recommend.

Continental Ultra Gatorskins

Michelin 'Krylion Carbon'

Vittoria 'Rubino Pro'

Continental 'Ultra Sport' or 'Sport 1000'

All these are high mileage tires I recommend.

Ditto.

I'm using Continental now and hae used Michelin in the past.

I really like Rivendell's Ruffy Tuffys in a 28 mm width if they will fit your frame. They seem to be lasting a very long time, no flat problems.

Continental Ultra Gatorskins

+1

I love my Conti UG's. I have them on both my bikes; 23f/25r on the road bike, 28f/r on the commuter.

I had Schwalbe Marathon+ on my old commuter, and I put over 3000 miles on them and they still had plenty of tread left. So I'll put a vote in for Marathon+ also; but they are heavier than the Conti UG's.

Just to verify, the tires I have now are

700 x 23c

And I am looking for somehthing similar.

Michelin 'Krylion Carbon'

Vittoria 'Rubino Pro'

Continental 'Ultra Sport' or 'Sport 1000'

All these are high mileage tires I recommend.

I'd recommend the Continental Sport 1000s or the Krylions. I'm not familiar with any Vittorias.

I liked the Krylions. They lasted a couple thousand miles (maybe 2,500?). I tried some Race2 Pros, which promptly wore out in about 1,000 or less. Same results with Vreddestien Quatro TriComps. Both nice tires but wear quickly.

You'll find the high-end tires will wear out quickly--especially with us Clydes. They're made to be supple and give a comfortable ride at a narrow width. So they skimp a little on the rubber to achieve this.

Currently, I ride a Vreddestein TriComp reflective on back and a Continental Sport 1000 on front for my commuting and other training, while my race wheels (maybe 50 miles a week?) are Michelin Race2 Pros.

Continentals mentioned

Also, the Soma Everwears are a nice tire.

I've been having good luck with panaracer pasellas tg. 1500+ miles (quite a few loaded down for commuting) on one set (700x35) and just starting to show wear in the rear. Looks like I should be able to get another 1000 miles on them easy.

(of course, having said that, I'll have a month of flats to deal with. ;) )

Continental Ultra Gatorskins



Wore out three sets of 'gatorskins' until I got wise and tried the Vittoria 'Rubino Pros'. The gatorskins were great tires mind you, but I could never get more than 1600 miles out of them at my weight, which at the time was around 250. The gatorskins surely cut down on my flats though, and I may even try them again, now that Conti has somewhat redesigned them and made the sidewalls more durable.

The Rubino Pros (so far) were about the best in mileage, getting over 2000 miles out of them before I switched to the Michelins. The Rubino Pros and the Gatorskins both were good on flat protection though, but a little sketchy in the wet from my experience. The Conti Ultra Sport are probably the best bang for the buck IMO. They have the same durability as the others, good in the wet, with only slightly less flat protection, but are quite the high mileage tire at half the price of Gatorskins or Rubino Pros.

The Michelins are still relatively new on one of my bikes, so I cant really say, but so far-so good. :D

Continental Ultra Gatorskins

I concur. Consider the 25c model as well for your needs.

Did not like the Rubino Pro's much when I had them. Not bad, mind you.

++++++1 on the Conti Ultra Gators, mine are 700x25 with almost 2K on them.

I had a set of Michelin Krylions on my Specialized and had nearly 900 miles on them and they looked brand new. I am no light weight and I was getting superb milage out of them.

I know they are pricey, but the Bontrager Race Light Hardcase tires I have on my hybrid have been a fantastic tire for me. I have close to 1500 miles on them and they easily look like they have another 1500 miles on them and have been almost flatproof as I have had only one flat. I currently run the 700*28's, but I know they have them in 23's ad 25's.

Specialized Armadillos
Conti Ultra Sports
Hutchinson something er-others... not the fusions, but they have a mid price one that isn't bad.

I really like the conti ultrasports, they last a good while, not as long as some, but they are very inexpensive for the quality, so I get the same or better mile/dollar performance and I really like the way they ride.

A 700 X 25 tire on the rear wheel will last longer than a 23, and will be a little more comfortable because you can run a little lower pressure in it. I'm in the habit of putting a 23 on the front and a 25 on the back. This, of course, means I don't move the front tire to the back when the back tire wears out.

I've been using the conti ultra gatorskins and like them better than the Michelin carbons. For all practical purposes, though, you will have to try different tires until you find one that suits you. Michelin, Continental, Vredresen, Vittoria...all good brands.

A 700 X 25 tire on the rear wheel will last longer than a 23, and will be a little more comfortable because you can run a little lower pressure in it. I'm in the habit of putting a 23 on the front and a 25 on the back. This, of course, means I don't move the front tire to the back when the back tire wears out.

I've been using the conti ultra gatorskins and like them better than the Michelin carbons. For all practical purposes, though, you will have to try different tires until you find one that suits you. Michelin, Continental, Vredresen, Vittoria...all good brands.

Why nor use the 25s front and back, I doubt you will notice much of a performance difference over 2mm?

You will definitely reduce your tire life from trainer use ( I keep a couple of worn out tires for trainer use). I'm pretty happy when I get 2k out of a rear ... fronts will get 2x-3x more. Best practice is rotate front to rear and put new on front, but I'm often too lazy to do that. I usually buy 3 of whatever quality tire I can find on sale around the low $20 range each. Then when I mount up the 3rd one start watching for sales for the next set.

Vittoria 'Rubino Pro' ... have close to 1k on my first rear. Bought at PBK for $18. wearing good, no flats. Don't seem to roll quite as well or be as supple. A solid value.

Veridstein Fortezza SE ... paid around $21. Usually got a little better than 2k on a rear. Good flat protection. Liked the way they rode a little better than the Rubino Pro's. Among my favorites for performance at a value price.

Michelin Pro Race 2 ... don't really fit in this class, but when I could get them for $25 from PBK I loved them. Usually got 2k or a little less on a rear. Good on flat protection. Loved the way they rolled and rode. Very difficult to mount on Campy rims combined with increasing price is why I moved on.

Conti Ultra Gatorskins - Only tried one set, got a nail through one on first ride, other lasted 2k. rode nice. I never found them cheap enough so moved on.

Specialized Armadillo - (this was a few years ago, they have changed the tire) Excellent flat protection, great for commuting or dealing with lots of road debris. I noticed the weight and they were a stiff tire that did not have good road feel. I think I got 2k or maybe a little better out of them. Being specialized they were never on sale or available at discounters on the net. I would only get them again if I had real flat issues.

Im using Michelin Krylion Carbon 700x23c on my road bike. faster and more supple than what specialized had on it. Dont have many miles on them since i didnt get them on till late in the season and I started doing more biking with my girlfriend on a trailway than on the road (no complaints really :D) Ill get the bike out when it warms up and the roads are cleaned from salt :)

e-bay has great deals ;)

So, there are a lot of options, and it looks like a lot of you buy your tires somewhere besides your LBS? Are the prices that high at the LBS? I haven't asked, but I will the next time I am there.

biketiresdirect.com (http://www.biketiresdirect.com/) can't be beat on regular prices. Occasionally, PBK (http://www.probikekit.com/)has a sale that beats them. But not often, and not on all tires.
(Of course, PBK as so many other good prices... :D)

biketiresdirect.com (http://www.biketiresdirect.com/) can't be beat on regular prices. Occasionally, PBK (http://www.probikekit.com/)has a sale that beats them. But not often, and not on all tires.
(Of course, PBK as so many other good prices... :D)

In Canada a good place to look is Mountain Equipment Co-Op (http://www.mec.ca) their cheapest road tire in a Cheng-Shin 27 x 1 1/4 for $4.50 lots in the $15 - $20 range........

In Canada a good place to look is Mountain Equipment Co-Op (http://www.mec.ca) their cheapest road tire in a Cheng-Shin 27 x 1 1/4 for $4.50 lots in the $15 - $20 range........


I used Cheng-Shin on my daughter's motorcycles (dirt bikes) and they are very hard and not as much traction as the better dirt bike tires, but fit their purpose well. I never thought about them for bicycle tires. I wonder if they make cheap tubes, because at $5.00 a tube from the dealer, it seems like a lot for a bicycle tire tube.

I've been running Krylion Carbons, but I only get about 1500 miles out of them. At 1K, they're noticeably flat in the center, and by 1500 the Kevlar is showing through. I'm 235#, and run them at 140 PSI. Currently trying Conti 4 Seasons as the Carbons were a bit squirrely on wet pavement, hoping I'll get more miles out of them as well.

Vittoria 'Rubino Pro' ... have close to 1k on my first rear. Bought at PBK for $18. wearing good, no flats. Don't seem to roll quite as well or be as supple. A solid value.


I went to these once because they happened to be on sale when my Pro 2's wore out, and was very unhappy with them. Compared to the Michelin's it was like pedaling through sand. I switched back.



Michelin Pro Race 2 ... don't really fit in this class, but when I could get them for $25 from PBK I loved them. Usually got 2k or a little less on a rear. Good on flat protection. Loved the way they rolled and rode. Very difficult to mount on Campy rims combined with increasing price is why I moved on.


Why don't they fit into this class? I put about 3500-4000 miles a year on my bikes, and these tires last just fine and roll/handle/feel like all get out. They may only last 2000-3000 miles, but so what? That's a years worth of riding for most folks anyway, and the ride is great and more than makes up for any longevity shortcomings, IMO.

I do about 8-9 centuries a year, and the Pro 2's are my tire of choice - GP4000's being a close second.

I've been running Krylion Carbons, but I only get about 1500 miles out of them. At 1K, they're noticeably flat in the center, and by 1500 the Kevlar is showing through. I'm 235#, and run them at 140 PSI. Currently trying Conti 4 Seasons as the Carbons were a bit squirrely on wet pavement, hoping I'll get more miles out of them as well.

um, I believe Michelin quotes 125psi MAX...I run them around 110/115 front/rear and they ride good. Im 220#...Might be why you get flat spots in middle? That much over pressure would also cause them to ride "stiff" and be squirrely.

um, I believe Michelin quotes 125psi MAX...I run them around 110/115 front/rear and they ride good. Im 220#...Might be why you get flat spots in middle? That much over pressure would also cause them to ride "stiff" and be squirrely.

Actually, Michelin recommends 115 PSI, but I'm with Sheldon Brown on recommended pressure (The Oracle Speaks) (http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#pressure). I like the feel at 140 PSI, but your point is well taken on reduced mileage. Still, I'm curious to see what happens with the Contis--at 500 miles they appear to be wearing better than the Carbons. When I go through the rest of the Carbons I've got I want to try the Black Chili Conti 4000. Hopefully the price won't have gone through the roof due to the falling dollar by then.

I have pretty much no visible wear at all after about 500 miles on a set of Ultra Gatorskins and no blowouts in NYC of all places... take high pressure, available in skinny through at least 28s, and not super heavy.

I might do 4000S GP Conti's if I get new ones, but for now I'm happy as heck.

Specialized Armadillos
Conti Ultra Sports
Hutchinson something er-others... not the fusions, but they have a mid price one that isn't bad.

I really like the conti ultrasports, they last a good while, not as long as some, but they are very inexpensive for the quality, so I get the same or better mile/dollar performance and I really like the way they ride.
Specialized Armadillos will give you the most miles. I ride a variety of Continental Tires including the Ultragatorskin, 4 seasons, 4K grandprix, depending on the season and road conditions. The SAs are by far the tire with the most wear...a little rough in the ride department.

I third or whatever the Continental Ultra Gatorskins. I have over 4K on mine and had no flats until sometime around mile 3800 and that was a tube that split at the seam. The rear is pretty much ridged out but the front has very little wear. These tires have turned miles in Hawaii, Italy, Montenegro, Maryland, California, and Washington state. I did some screaming descents in Sardinia and felt confident the whole time. I'm buying another set.

BTW, I am 220-230 and use 700X23. It looks and rides more like a 25mm.

I commute on gatorskins and have about 2.5 k on my present set with lots of wear left. At 265# plus baggage, they have held up well. I have had flats: Plastic chard, speedometer cable shred and an early AM run in with an angle iron. I'm running 700x28's.

I run the Armadillos too. I was thinking of these next, Continental Grand Prix 4-Season with Vectran, Any feed back on these tires?

I run the Armadillos too. I was thinking of these next, Continental Grand Prix 4-Season with Vectran, Any feed back on these tires?

I just retired my Continental GP 4-seasons back tire. It had 2300 miles on it (plus maybe 300 from the trainer.) I was happy with the flat protection (2 flats over the life of the tire.) I was happy with the ride, grippy in the corners, excellent wet weather tire, and a comfortable ride (but then again, I ride a steel touring bike and I was running the 28mm tire.) I had to replace it because the kevlar bead was breaking and the tire was pulling away from the rim (this happened on a commute home from work.) I made it to the bike shop without a flat. I replace the tire with a Specialized all condition Armadillo - it was the only28mm tire the bike shop had in stock. The armadillo is a much harsher ride than the conti. My GP 4-season tire was the version prior to "vectran." It was a good tire. no complaints.

I just retired my Continental GP 4-seasons back tire. It had 2300 miles on it (plus maybe 300 from the trainer.) I was happy with the flat protection (2 flats over the life of the tire.) I was happy with the ride, grippy in the corners, excellent wet weather tire, and a comfortable ride (but then again, I ride a steel touring bike and I was running the 28mm tire.) I had to replace it because the kevlar bead was breaking and the tire was pulling away from the rim (this happened on a commute home from work.) I made it to the bike shop without a flat. I replace the tire with a Specialized all condition Armadillo - it was the only28mm tire the bike shop had in stock. The armadillo is a much harsher ride than the conti. My GP 4-season tire was the version prior to "vectran." It was a good tire. no complaints.


Thanks for the feedback. The Armadillo rough ride is why I want to try something else next time. I see Specialized now has the Armadillo technology on other tires in thier line-up now.

Just an update. The rear Armadillo I was riding was starting to lose the sidewall. I went to the closest LBS and they had Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case tires. I bought the 25c, got them home and mounted but they were just too narrow for me. They measured closer to my wife's Specialized 23c. Took them back and exchanged for 28c. These measured closer to the Armadillo 25c's I had on the bike. A quick spin around the neighborhood and I like these, definatly not a harsh ride like the Armadillo's.