CyclingVirgin

Did you chuckle? If not, I failed you all! haha!


Anyways, I am in need of some tires but I will be frank, I am trying to get the BEST bang for the buck here. The bike is STRICTLY for commuting and exercise purpose and will not be raced and cornered at super high speeds. I did some research and found these two tires for a reasonable price...

Vittoria Rubino III Wire (700 x 23) for $18

or

Vittoria Zaffiro II Wire (700 x 23) for $14

or

Kenda Kadenmme Road Tire- Wire Bead (700x23mm) for $19

or

Michelin Lithion 2 Road Tire for $23

or

Schwalbe 700X23 Durano S Stripe Folding Bead Tire for $25

or

******************************



Another question I have is that my bike calls for a 700 x 23c

1st question - what does that c mean?

2nd - I am 6' 2" 215 lbs...should I up the size of the tire to a 700 x 25?


thanks for all your help in advance!

frpax

Gatorskins

GP

This is what I use on my road bike but they're $45/ea for the wire bead. From the list above I'd go for the Rubino 3s or the Lithion 2s. I've used both and they're good for the money.

Go for 25s if you can find the same tires at the same or close price.

fietsbob

Walk into the shop, see what they have, and hold them in your hand, talk to the staff..

$20, usually gets no Puncture resistant band in the casing, paying more may.

got a Trek? try Bontrager hardcase, at the same dealer..

Andy_K 

I don't believe in buying cheap tires. Tires are too important both in terms of safety and pleasure. (This is not just a play on your title joke.) There are reasons other than racing that tires can be expensive.

Since you bought a bike that takes 700x23 tires, you probably want the ride to feel at least a little sporty. That rules out tires that use really heavy rubber for puncture protection. Since you're commuting, you should care about puncture protection. Something with a Kevlar/Aramid belt (not bead, which is something different) is a good start, but Vectran or Panaracer's 'PT' are a bit better. Tires with higher thread count (TPI or EPI) have better grip and roll better but they also wear out faster. All of this is a matter of priorities.

If you're open to spending a lot more money, the Continental Grand Prix 4 Season is a great tire. The Conti Gatorskins are cheaper and still good but give up a little of the 4 Seasons' grip. For a budget tire with decent performance, check out Panaracer T-Servs.

BTW, the 'c' is a historical artifact that distinguishes 700c from 700a and 700b as a wheel size, only 700c survives outside of vintage collections so you can ignore it.

LesterOfPuppets

I'd pick Rubinos from that list. I'm pretty cheap.

Most bikes can take 25s, so I'd get them instead if it looks like your bike has clearance.

Andy_K 

I should also mention that your bike can almost certainly also use 700x25 tires and possibly 700x28 or 700x32. For your purposes I think you'll find that wider tires are better.

frpax

I've had Rubino's before. HATED them. I had a lot of flats. Switched to Conti's and never looked back.

I agree that you shouldn't pinch pennies when it comes to tires. Spending more for good tires greatly increases your riding peasure. If you flat out all the time, then you will not be a happy camper.

caloso

The best all around clinchers I've had in years are Michelin Pro4 Endurance in 25mm. I think they're basically the same as the old Krylion tires, but renamed.

fietsbob

but wider tires and forgoing mudguards? not on the north wet coast.

maybe OK in a city built on a desert, coveting water from other places that have it..

David Bierbaum

Thanks to your thread title, I now have an image of an inner-tube made of strung-together inflated Trojans in my mind. Thank you for that.

Unless you are into racing, the 25mm will be just fine for you, and they'll be more comfortable and require lower pressure than the 23. Also, tire choice is heavily affected by the sort of riding you plan to do. Urban riding, with all it's curbs and potholes and railroad track crossings, touring with a heavily loaded bike, cyclocross on/off road riding, or riding on different surfaces, all affect the choice of tire one wants. What are your riding plans? Only commuting, or also touring, weekend-MUP-master, utility-grocery-load-bearing, or training to be "Speed Racer" on a two-wheeled Mach...3? Will you be on pavement only? If so, what condition is the pavement? If not, what other surfaces will you be facing in front of your handlebars?

LesterOfPuppets

I run mr tuffies in my commuting tires so flats are rare. Actually mr tuffies in all my clinchers.

CyclingVirgin

I was thinking about them. They got a decent review off Amazon and they don't look half bad. Then again I don't care what they look like as long as they perform well!

I think I will run the 25s! I'll look into the 28s but I fear that once I order them, they will not fit and I'll have to wait for some 25s instead. What size are on hybrids?

This is a VERY valid point. Totally turning me off to those tyres now. My very first google search brought up the Contis but my cheap a$$ wasn't ready to drop $40 a tire but your statement makes it seem like it would be worth it in the long run!

I have always been a Michelin man for all my cars but thought maybe it was a different story in the cycling world. I'll look into those!

I'm glad my title could be some sort of entertainment for you, even though it was not a pleasure experience. haha! Anyways, 99% of my rides will be on the city roads. The roads have minimal cracks and potholes but the commute is 15 miles each way so I do want something more on the comfortable side of the spectrum. The bike will not be riddin in the rain but can possibly be taken out in the cold (40-50 F) I will be carrying my backpack (~20lbs). Even on days where I ride for pleasure, I will be riding on the same roads. Last thing I want is a FLAT! Ewww!

frpax

Mr Tuffie's are great, but a pain to install...
Once you got 'em in, tho... you don't have to do it again unless you get a flat.

But they are also an added expense. By the time you buy some less expensive tires, AND Mr Tuffie's, you might as well buy a quality tire to begin with and then not have to worry about installing Tuffies.

LesterOfPuppets

Oh, I rarely pay more than $20 apiece for clinchers, one Mr tuffy is good for about ten new tires for me, they get too wavy to use eventually, it seems.

CyclingVirgin

So here are my options then...

https://www.amazon.com/Continental-Ga...5779773&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Lithi...5779773&sr=1-3

https://www.amazon.com/Continental-Gr...5779773&sr=1-4

https://www.amazon.com/Continental-4-...5779773&sr=1-5


Should I go for the last one being that I will be a commuter?

frpax

The GP4000 is a great tire, but you WILL flat more than with Gatorskins.
The Conti 4 Season is a tougher version of the GP4000, but not quite the flat protection that the Gatorskin has.

The Lithion is a good tire, and about like the GP4000 as far as flat resistance.

This is all my humble opinion, of course!

CyclingVirgin

Seems like everyone loves those Gatorskins...

The amazon reviews seem very high as well. I guess that will be my tire of choice.

Thank you for all your input everyone. I can tell already that I will like this forum very much so as everyone is so helpful!

shabbis

I've been commuting 20 miles round trip everyday on a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Supreme HDV Tire 700 x 28c Kevlar Bead tires for over a year now and they've been flawless and show very little wear.

I had Bontrager Race-Lite Hardcase 700x25 on my old bike. They were ok, more prone to flats than the Schwalbe and didn't last as long. Also a real pain to swap out tubes on (being a hardcase).

Andy_K 

I agree on the first point, but not on the second. I had a pair of GP 4 Seasons go about 2150 miles without a flat, though at that mileage the casing of the rear tire split. I replaced it with a used GP 4 Seasons and went another 700 miles before it hit something that took a chunk out of the rear tire, leading only to a slow leak that went flat that night, and (on another ride) got punctured by a wood screw. The front tire split down to the casing at about 3000 miles. I had a pair of Gatorskins that went around 1700 miles without a flat, but then got about four more flats in the next 400 miles before I gave up on it. Also, I used the Gatorskins mostly in nice weather and the 4 Seasons mostly in rainy weather. Of course, this is just anecdotal evidence, but I have been much more impressed with the GP 4 Seasons.

I've also got a pair of Grand Prix 4000S's which I love, but use only in nice weather. I've got around 600 miles on them without a single flat.

More than anything, my opinion is based on my interpretation of Continental's technical information about these tires. The Gatorskins have a PolyX breaker, DuraSkin sidewalls and 3-ply 180 TPI rubber. The GP 4 Seasons have a double Vectran breaker, DuraSkin sidewalls and 3-ply 330 TPI rubber. The GP 4000S's have a single Vectran breaker and 3-ply 330 TPI balck chili rubber. From this, it's clear that the 4000S offers less protection than the 4 Season. I haven't found anywhere that Conti states this directly, but I'm fairly sure from reading their marketing that Vectran is stronger than PolyX. That leaves the rubber. The 330 TPI rubber of the GP 4 Season has better grip than the Gatorskins, but it also wears faster and probably cuts easier. So, it isn't a slam dunk case either way, but I think that with the double Vectran breaker the 4 Season overcomes the softer rubber of its tread.

Here We Go

Whatever you pick, +1 opinion from the peanut gallery saying to go wider on the tires. Many commuters prefer 28-32c, but there are plenty who swear by fat 2" (~50c) mountain bike tires for urban commuting too.

23c is going to be an extremely harsh ride on any but the nicest roads. At leeeast promise you'll move up to 25c, because even on ideal roads, they are only imperceptibly slower, and they're way more rugged for commuting. And strongly consider 28+ too.

If you need to know how to measure to make sure your rims/frame will take larger tires, just ask.

amauri

I'm thinking of getting Panaracer Pasela Tourgards 700 x 35, looking for some feedback from those who commute on them. Thanks

CyclingVirgin

So I pumped up the 700 x 20 tires that were on the bike and for some miracle reason they hold air. I am going to take the bike on a small ride tomorrow to see how fast I can break my tailbone from the harsh ride. haha! But serious, I want the most comfortable ride without compromising the performance too much.

Here is the bike:

https://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/B...e#.UNAm74poqeA

How can I make sure that the 28s fit? Or would you rather me take some measurements? How large should/can I go?

on a side note: YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! Threw some bike lube in the shifters and they are perfectly working. I went to a shop and before I can finish what was wrong with the shifters, the guy was selling me on a new 105 set up costing $800! Ewww. Last time I go there!

I <3 this forum!

scroca

Now that it seems you've settled on the tire, let me make one point. Use Trojans to protect your bike... from the rain, I mean.

CyclingVirgin

Ha! Guess I'll have to grab the magnum XLs as the bike is a 62cm! haha!

By the way, I was talking to my friends dad and he was saying that he LOOOOVVVEEEESSSSS Bontrager products. Never heard of these guys. Any input?