You get what you pay for.
 

My wife is getting back into cycling. She bought a top level treck with Dura Ace and carbon fiber wheels. She has 1000 miles on it and she got it in April. Not too shabby.

Saturdays, she does 25 on the trails and I ride with a fast group for 50. On Sundays, we do a more "relaxed" ride together for 50. I like that, we whilst cycling and rode centuries together.

This Saturday she came home with a flat. So I go out and look at the tire and she had worn a hole slap through the thing. She said, "But I only have 1000 miles on it". I said, "Yeah, but it is a high priced tire, which means it does not have any tread to make it light. It won't wear long.".

The bike had a little noise issue that she wanted checked out so we took it to the shop. The mechanic (an estimable young man) said the same thing. People only get 900 miles on the high priced tires. To get better mileage, they have to do what I do and buy cheap $%*# tires.

So as I said, you get what you pay for. Otherwise, her bike is a dream. I like it because we are riding together again. It is worth every penny.

By the way, she is now riding much more moderately priced tires.

You don't always get what you paid for but you always pay for what you get.

I buy the high priced tires because I have a flat about every 1500 miles. Many years ago I used the cheaper tires and had a flat every 1-2 weeks. Yes, you get what you pay for.

Just to online to PBK and buy a twin pack of Continental GP 4000 S tires for around $70 shipped (find an online coupon). The tires are good enough to race on and last 3,000 to 4,000 miles for me and I weigh 188 lbs.

I like the Schwalbe Durano and Ultremo lines with their various price levels and differing compromises on speed and durability.

My bike came with Vittoria Randonneur Cross tires in 35x700 size. I've gotten around 5,000 miles on the rear and 10,000 miles on the front. And in about 15,000 miles, I've had one flat. And that was from a rim issue, nothing went through the tire. These tires cost $35-$50 or so, depending on where I get them.

My Worksman cruiser used cheaper tires, and I had lots more flats on it.

Cheap does not mean long-lasting in tires.

Mine usually dry rot before they go bad...........

Must be some awfully rough roads to only get 900 miles out of a tire.

Same feeling here. Perhaps the tyres were not as good as they were made out to be---BUT first tyres on Boreas only lasted 500 miles on the rear and less than 1,000 on the front. Replaced them with Mich PR2s and at 1200 miles took a large flint on the rear. Replaced it with a PR3 and the front has now done about 3,000 miles. Just about to replace both as although I would not call them worn out- there are multiple cuts that I no longer trust. The first set of tyres were "Old" stock from the shop and matched the colour of the frame. The PRs have better grip- give me more confidence and have lasted well.

Tyres on the training wheels are Mich PR2s. They have done over 3,000 miles and once again need replacing due to the number of cuts on them.

But recently bought a set of Mich Lithions for the new training wheels. Only used them once and I do not know why I bought them. They ought to call them Lethalions as in the wet they are not very good. But I passed on a pair to my son-in-law after I had done 3,000 miles on them. He has put in a further 2,000 and the rear is just showing the flat on the grip area.

So you do get what you pay for.

My Look came with Hutchinson tires, the kevlar belted ones. I've got right at 4000 miles on the bike and them, and no flats (yet). You do realize, of course, that now that I've put that in writing, I'll get a flat tonight?? But, point - they've been great tires!

Hey! Thats my line! ;)

SP
Bend, OR

If at first you don't succeed, spend more money.

1. Replace her worn tires with similar race tires on the carbon fiber wheels. Save them for "good".
2. Acquire an every day wheelset - a little heavier, a little less racy. Put moderately priced tires on that.

Problem solved.

PatW, glad you and your wife are enjoying your time on the bikes together.

I'm with Retro G. with respect to having two sets of wheels. I've taken that path with a rear wheel with heavy duty rubber for riding over clam shells and another rear wheel with a Serfas Seca folder that is fairly light and inexpensive. I'm getting good mileage on all these tires. All my tires are 28mm which I like for the worstening condition of our roads.

You didn't mention the brand name of the tires on your wife's Trek. I don't know if they came with Bontrager tires, but if they did, I can tell you that everyone on my cycling team that rides Trek has not had very good luck with them either. And some of these guys have some very expensive bikes, so I would imagine that the tires that came on their bikes are expensive, as well. Nothing against Trek bikes, but I personally have never had any luck with anything having the Bontrager name on it.

My road bike, that I purchased in November, came with Kenda Kriterium tires and I have over 1,600 miles on the rear tire and around 1,200 to 1,300 on the front. I do a lot of long distance charity rides and before each ride, I take the tubes and tires off the wheels and inspect them for wear, including using a micrometer on the contact surface to measure how much the tires are worn. They are still way within normal limits even with using a trainer, which I am told will wear your tires out faster.

Who is PBK??

Pro Bike Kit, an English mail order company. If you want to order from England, also check out Chain Reaction Cycles. Both give good discounts, ship for free (a minimum order may be required) and don't charge VAT for out-of-country orders. I usually use them for European parts and Adidas clothing.

L.

I find it useful to distinguish between race tires (200 grams or less for folding clinchers) and racing/training tires (about 230 grams). You can use race tires on the back, but they'll only last about 1500 km (900 miles). But on the front, they'll go 3000 km or more. A good 230 gram tire (Vredestein Fortezza TriComp, for example) will last about 3000-4000 km on the rear (this assumes a 175-lb rider). For equivalent wired-on tires, add about 40 grams for the wires.

I personally don't think it's worth it to put a 200-gm tire on the rear; you really don't feel any difference. I've used one on the back for competition, but still didn't feel much difference. If you want to use really light high-performance tires, get a pair of tubular wheels and glue on some light sew-ups. I always rode tubulars in criteriums because they accelerated faster and cornered better than clinchers. However, I think clinchers work better in non-technical time trials.

L.

Machka and I use Conti Ultra Sports and get good mileage at a good price. That includes lots of centuries, touring and randonnees. We aren't speed demons and while I have some expensive tyres in the cupboard, I am not inclined to use them other than for a fun comparison (and maybe a 24H race).

I've used Gatorskins and I rank them the same as the Ultra Sports for on-road performance. I also have used Vittoria Rubinos and they have lasted well but like the Gatorskins, are pricier than the Ultra Sports.

I think tyres are a personal choice that comes from personal experience.

Incidentally, the above tyres don't have a tread. Not having tread is not an indicator to longevity or expence.

I've been very happy with Vittoria Rubino Pro, 23s. About 3500 kms so far, no significant signs of wear that I can detect (but entirely smooth tarmac, warm and dry), only 1 puncture from the wires of a burst truck tyre.

(Uh Oh, that's me annoying the Pxxctxxx Fairy)

And also with Bontrager Hard Case 28s on the tandem, more miles more years more weight and no punctures at all

(Uh Oh, that's twice and deeper!)

Looking at the probable Madones that she purchased with carbon wheels, I suspect the tire (tyre) is Bontrager R4, 700x23c. It is a high performance racing tire. Here are the specs from a UK website.

The R4 tire combines Bontrager's new low rolling resistance 220 tpi casing, proven Plus puncture protection and Bontrager's exclusive aero wing technology for an unparalleled riding experience.
Features

• For higher performance, racing purposes only. Not intended for everyday use or training.
• 220 tpi casing provides unparalleled comfort, light weight and low rolling resistance
• Bontrager-exclusive aero wings for advanced aerodynamics
• Integrated sub-tread puncture protection (Plus)

IMO, there are some very good high performance tires but as the performance goes up and weight goes down, the life reduces substantially.

I use the Conit GP 4000 s and I get good mileage, very few flats and the performance is good. I use them for racing and training. In general, I have race wheels which have tubular tires.

My wife (110 pounds) gets very high mileage on tires and very few flats. Rider weigh is an important consideration when choosing equipment.

It is not so much you get what you pay for but whether you match the equipment to the intended purpose of use. I think the Trek 6.9 bikes are the bomb.

I've just remembered my newest bestest tyre is the Schwalbe Durano. We have a pair fitted to the Santana Arriva tandem as standard equipment, and they are light and so far appear to be extremely well-wearing. They roll and handle very well in the 28mm profile we have.

I'm currently using Michelin Pro Optimums in 700C x 25 (the only available size). One puncture in approx. 1500 miles and very little wear thus far, with good ride and handling. Buy from Western Bike Works and they will match PBK's price and get to your door sooner.

Used lightweight 700 x 28 tires on my Schwinn Mirada utility bike. Great tires. They made a significant difference in speed.
Can't remember the name and I ain't going out into the garage to look.

Except I kept getting flats. Anything remotely pointy punctures these babies. The last straw was cruising down to the local beer emporium to meet a group of friends. I bragged how clever I was to ride instead of drive the 3 miles. When I got to the bike rack, the rear tire had picked up a staple. No flat kit, no-one at home to answer the phone, a 3 mile walk and push for me.

Went to the swapmeet and bought a new 28 front and a 38 rear cyclocross looking tire that's got some rubber on it. $7.00 a piece. End of problems. Little slower, but faster than walking.

Maxxis Dentonators. That's the weasel tires.

I have over 4000 miles on my Vredestein Fortezzas in 25 mm(@ ~145 lbs) with no problems. Showing some wear. I'd like to try the Conti GP 4000S if I can get a good deal on some 25s.