Road Cycling - Who's tires are the best?

I've went through a fair amount of tires over the years. I prefer either Michelin Comp's or Continentals...just wondering what you guys preferred.

personally, im partial to michelin's products, but i havent really used anything other than that save for the specialized tires that came with my first bike. theyre good quality and quite reliable.

Sort of depends on what you want in a tire.

I.e., if you ride where there are a lot of goat heads (puncture vine) or other hazards, the best for me is Specialized Armadillos.

My Conti GP 3000's fell apart after about 600 miles.

My Conti Ultra 2000's were great but they flatted all the time due to goat heads.

I commute/tour on Continentals or Vredistein kevlar & have few flats but in Summertime I'm partial to Gomitalia's calypso & targa tires for my speedier bikes.
Don

i'll be reaching for my panaracers when i'm laying on my death bed.

I second Dnvrfox, if you are worried about flats than try the Specialize Armidillo turbos; their the closest thing you can get to flat proof.

Depends. For general purpose riding, I like(d) Mich Axial Pros. Haven't tried Pro Race, yet, but I'm guessing they're about the same. For "performance" riding and racing, I like Vredestein Fortezza Tri-comps.

Ignore the avatar. ;)

I got tired of ruining good tires on rocks and glass and went into the mode of buying whatever was on sale for a while. I still do that for training tires. I have bought some bad ones and I have bought some good ones. A tire that I am trying right now that seems to be a good all around tire is made by Kenda and its called the Koncept. I picked up a couple at $10 each and thought I'd just try them on my back-up wheels. I wasn't too impressed with the way they looked and I thought they wouldn't be durable. Well, an untimely tire shred on my Conti 3000s had me mount them on my primary wheels as an emergency. I now have @1000 miles on the set and I must say that I am impressed with them. The rubber seems to be of really good quality and they have a good cornering feel. They had a bike expo before the recent El Tour de Tucson and I picked up a couple more from a Supergo booth for $9.99 each. They regularly sell them for around $20. They are a really good value in a training tire and they are light enough to race on if you are so inclined. Otherwise my favorites over the years have been made by Michelin and Continental.

wolfman, i can see by your recent threads that you are upgrading to a newer wheelset as well. tires are just as succeptable to the overall rotational forces that can make a wheelset feel sluggish. after getting a nice hub and new wheel (not necessarily the lightest) the tires can really make a difference in the feel and ride characteristics of your steed.

try what works best, i don't know if there is one right answer.

something to keep in mind is finding a tire that matches you. by that i mean, a 155lb rider might want a tire that allows a 130+ psi inflation. a heavier rider might want or only need a 110 psi inflation rate. i never used to think it mattered, but there is definitely a difference.

i used to ride michelin's, but found that the heavier tire combined with their minimal inflation suggestions didn't lend itself to my style, the roads or my overall weight and needs.

i now go with a hutchinson carbon (currently $24.99 @ performance) with an inflation suggestion of 125 psi. and the overall weight is only 200 grams as opposed to the heavier michelins.

some vred's inflate to 145 psi (i think, don't quote me on that)

BTW my roads are not exactly free of the usual debris, stones, etc one encounters, and my new hutchisons have 1200 miles on them without a flat yet.

some people run into earlier problems with the conti 3000's, but i don't have any personal expeirences with them.

my ultra 2000's ripped to shreds very quick, the same with ultra 3000's. Now i am running on Axial Pro's with no issues so far.

I've used the Conti GP3000 tire, but I've found that the rear tire gets only about 1000 miles; in warm weather that's only 8 to 10 weeks. In late October I put some Michelin Axial Carbons on the bike. They are beefier, heavier, but so far are wearing much better. I'll probably put lighter tires on come spring or summer.

i really like my conti 4 seasons as a training tire. put them on my new bike

they are a softer rubber and you will have to rotate them after 1k miles or so.

no complaints.

Continential Grand Prix 3000 for me (I'm on my second set). Great mileage and ~1500-2000 miles (2400-3200km) between flats, and that's riding on Atlanta's roads that are littered with glass, metal debris, and trash.

To me so far working wonderfully are my Nimbus Armadillo 700x28C tires I got for my commutes, they give me a decent blend of comfort and speed, not as bad as some commented as feeling like riding on "truck" wheels (!) It won't be god for this snow soon to fall but so far so good.
Corsaire

I have ridden Michelin Pro Race for the last 4 sets (8,000+ miles) They have been excellent tires for my type of riding. They are a little difficult to mount on my Bontrager Race Lites, but other than an occasional flat they have performed flawlessly. Tried Specalized and Vittoria Pro Team, both were a dissapointment. I'll stick with Pro Race.

I've had problems with the sidewalls fraying on the two pairs of Conti's I've tried (GP and Ultra?)

I really like Panaracer tires. The Category Elites wear really fast but the Stradius Pros have been lasting much longer.

On my "brevet" bike I have a pair of Serfas Secas. The rubber is really thick for long wear and a cushy ride. They also have a puncture resistant casing. I have ridden them about 3000 miles so far with no punctures and they look like they still have a lot of miles in them.

I've used Conti GP 3000s for the last 3 years. I experimented with everything from $9.95 sale tires to top end tires. Cheapies are usually just that...cheap. They tend to wear out faster. My Panaracers had great feel, but only lasted 800 miles, 600 if there was any rain. Specialized Armadillos are stones. I rip up Vittorias. Kendas seem to feel "wooden". Veloflex tires feel okay, but I couldn't get any more than 900 miles out of them and they flatted frequently. Other riders will swear by some of the tires that I dislike.
So, I've gone with the tires that suit my riding, the GP 3000. They work for me so well that I'm trying the GP 4 Seasons this winter. But...some of my riding buddies wouldn't give up their Michelins or their Vittorias. This is one of those personal preference items, like saddles. What's the best saddle? The one that fits your arse. IMO tires are the same. Use the ones that fit your needs, riding style and (for most of us) budget. That takes experimenting.
Good Luck!

Use the ones that fit your needs, riding style and (for most of us) budget. That takes experimenting.
Good Luck!

This is the best advice anyone can give.

Occasionally I get a chuckle when you post and I see Zippy The Pinhead. Are you also a fan of Reid Flemming-World's Toughest Milkman?

Veloflex Pave. The best quality tire out there, hand made in Italy. You'll love them.

Cheers

i've used a bunch of different tires. my favorite so far has been the conti gator skin (not sure of the model). right now i'm using an old worn out michellin axial on the front of my road bike (never again will i buy a michellin tire), a conti sport 1000 on the rear of the road bike, a hutchinson carbon comp on the rear of one of my track bikes because the michellin wore out too damn fast, a kenda koncept 650c on the front of my pursuit bike and specialized armadillos everywhere else.

i have to say that the conti gator skin tires and the specialized tires last the longest on the rear of a track bike. i got almost a year out of the last gator skin that i had, and about the same for the armadillos.

the hutchinson tire probably won't last very long on my track bike, but as a front tire for my road bike, it was EXCELLENT. and i've had no problems whatsoever with the low cost conti i've got on the rear.

i'm waiting to try out the new conti attack and force tires. i think the attack tire is made specifically for the front and the force, specifically for the rear...i could have that backwards though, i don't have my conti catalog right in front of me. but yeah, they look pretty sweet, and a lot of R&D went into them apparently.

I have the Attack and Force on my race/century wheels and have about 300mi so far. They have proven to be a good tire and roll fast. I'll have to have more miles on them before I give them the two thumbs up - but I'm hopeful.

awesome! i can't wait to get mine!...someday. :(