VR4

I'm curious what tires you roadbike commuters are running on your bikes.

I recently started commuting on an older roadbike and the tires that are on there are pretty terrible. I currently have 700c 23s but I think I could safely step up to 25s. I'm just looking for a good tire that's durable without breaking the bank or getting too heavy. I don't do high mileage rides but I like going fast.

I'd love to hear what you guys on rolling on and your experiences with different tires. Thanks!

CCrew

Ritchey Speedmax Pro's on my Cross bike in 700x32 and Continental Ultra Race on my Fuji Team Pro in 700x23

Unless I'm feeling particularly froggy and ride the BMC with 700x22 Continental Tubulars

The Ultra Race's are glass magnets though.

squirtdad

panracer t-serv messenger 700x28

Andy_K 

I've got 700x25 Schwalbe Ultremo R.1's on my Kona Jake right now. They meet almost none of your criteria -- they're expensive and not especially durable -- but they're great fun to ride on.

On my Surly Cross Check, I've got 700x25 Maxxis Re-Fuses. They don't have the great feel of the Ultremos but they're not bad. While reasonably flat resistant, they're already showing wear at just over 1000 miles, so I don't think I'd call them durable. They are cheap though.

Cheap, fast and durable don't go together very well, I think.

Kojak

For now, we make a tire named Schwalbe Blizzard. Not sure where its name derives from, it's not a winter tire. Silica rubber compound, kevlar puncture protection belt. Folding or Wire bead ($36 / $29 respectively). Really nice tire for the money.

Kojak

We also make the Ultremo in a "Double Defense" (DD) version. More durable, still not cheap. But yes, oh so fun to ride.

chevy42083

Continental Ultra Sports seemed to collect every tiny peice of glass and every small rock. I regularly spent time picking the peices of rock/gravel/backtop out so they wouldn't worked their way deeper. I really didn't get too many flats though.

Now running Continental Gatorskins. I went up in size to a 25, and it's a little squishier, feels like it walks side to side a little. Only had 2 flats... one was the entire corner of a razor blade, the other was a long peice of metal wire. Basically, that would've flatted ANY tire with air. I think I've got about 1k miles on them now.

BarracksSi

Vittoria Randonneurs on mine. They came on the bike and I haven't taken them off. They're holding up fine so far (approaching two years this fall).

tjspiel

Until very recently I was using Vredstein Fortezza SEs

I'm sure I butchered the spelling of at least one of those words. I rode them for most of 3 years from April through November. In that time I had one flat and one slow leak. The cuts were starting to accumulate but what really made me decide to toss them was a comment from another rider right before what is often a 40+ mph descent. "There's just a thin layer of rubber between you and the road. It's probably not the place you want to be cheap".

I figured I'd gotten my money's worth out of them and it was time to put on another set. I'd actually got a new pair of Michelin Lithions last year but didn't really like them. The Lithion 2's are supposed to be better.

MudvilleStomper

Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 700x32. i might have gotten 28s if they made them, but they don't and i'm very happy with the 32s. fast, durable, confidence inspiring grip... a little pricey, but i get the feeling they're gonna last a long time.

rando

Avenir Discovery 700c Road Tires (Black, 700 x 23c) work fine for me. I've often thought about getting fatter tires just to see what it is like.

jsmonet

conti gp4000s's in 23. had armadillos in that funky dual casing 23/25 sizing, but meh.. i mean, they worked. I'll have to report back on the contis, as I just got them.

Kojak

The 28s are on their way. We expected them by now actually, but it's probably going to be in the 2011 line, which will likely be available some time this fall. I have one right in front of me, so I know they'll exist.

noglider 

Panaracer Pasela. Front is 27x1-1/8 (28mm) and rear is 27x1/14 (32mm). Lovely!

tsl

Based on the good experience I've had with Gatorskins and reports from others, this year I'm trying Continental Grand Prix 4-Season on two of my bikes. I have them in 28 on one and 25 on the other, both folding bead. They seem to ride a smidge better than the Gators, and the wet grip is astounding. No flats yet. Thus far, I like them a lot.

And the Gatorskins keep right on rolling on the third bike too.

noglider 

How do you determine this? Do you ride small-radius corners at high speed over a slick surface to see if the tires slip?

Wake

Stock Vittoria Zaffiros. I've got about 2900 miles on them so far.

Absenth

I've put 50 miles on my Trucker in two days. It's rolling the factory Continental Contact tires in 700x35c
My Trek 510 has about 100 miles on it since June 1. It's rolling on a Continental Ultrasport (27" x 1 1/8") up front, and a Continental Gatorskin (27" x 1 1/4") in the rear.

tsl

Sort of. It's like, "How much do I have to brake for this corner?"

noglider 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless you fall sometimes, you can't compare different tires for their traction limits. Do you take these turns to the point of falling?

MudvilleStomper

that's good news, although i am more than happy with the 32s. now, what about Duremes in 32?

Glynis27

One of my bikes has Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech 700x28 and the other has Schwalbe Marathon Racer 26x1.5 tires. They are both new this season, but I have been very happy with them so far. I never really got flats, so I went with lighter tires this time. I've never used Gatorskins, but they are very popular around here.

HardyWeinberg

Same.

daven1986

700x23 armadillos. Great ride, good grip, excellent puncture protection. Run them at 125psi (high for what I weigh but they feel nice).

atoms

I am pretty much loving the Conti Gatorskins I'm running on my touring bike (which is my commuter while I'm building my next commuter). In the four months or so I've been riding on them I've had two flats, both were from large metal road debris. That is as good a record as I've experienced on my Chicago commute. I'd say it is a toss-up vs the Specialized Armadillos I used to use. I only switched because my new favorite LBS is not a Specialized dealer and as such can't carry the tires.

My only complaint about the Gatorskins is that they are a LOT more squirrelly on the metal bridges when wet. They look great on my Voyaguer (not that care about such stuff here in Commuting).

I'll probably go back to the Armadillos for my commuter build because the frame is red and the Armadillos are more red.