Originally Posted by
Longfemur
I used to waste money on expensive tires. Now I just get tires with a nice round profile and very little in the way of thread, and I buy cheap ones (although I do stick to some brand names I like). You know what? I find it makes little difference in performance or feel. A cheap Michelin Dynamic performs just as well as a more expensive one. The only difference is it's a bit heavier than the expensive tire, but then, I compensate by peeing before I leave home, or just bringing my driver's licence along instead of my whole wallet :-)
Umm, no. For one thing, the more expensive tires consist of composites that have better grip and rolling resistance characteristics, which give you better cornering and road feel.
As for weight, well, weight in the tire is perhaps the most important of any weight on the bike, as it's carried at the outermost edge of the wheels, and carries a high rotational inertia effect. As such, the difference between a cheap 300g tire and an expensive 200g tire is more than simply taking a 100g dump before your ride.