Race tires?
 

Anybody commute on race tires?

I recently bought a pair of Schwalbe Ultremo R.1's to see what really nice tires feel like. My plan was to keep them for long weekend rides, but I gave them a try on the commute today and I don't know how often I'll be able to keep them in the garage. The difference between these and my Panaracer Ribmos is just crazy.

Sure, they cost twice as much as the Ribmos and I'd probably have to replace them at least twice as often, but can you really put a price on enjoying the ride?

Ahhhh, another junkie. Really great tires are like crack. Don't try them unless you're willing to deal with the addiction.

So which tires do you commute on?

I'm hooked on the same crack that you are.

I tried some Durano S tires in the fall, but came back to the Ultremos. I put the Double Defense version on my commuter bike, and have the R.1s on my nice weather bike. The Double Defense isn't quite as supple and light, but a bit more protection during the cruddy months, when everything sticks to your tires.

I guess the only thing I can do now is try to get a job at Schwalbe to help subsidize the habit. ;)

Careful what you wish for. Before moving to Canada, I worked at Verizon Wireless in the Seattle area. I'll take my salary there, and pay full price for tires any day of the week. There are benefits to working in the cycling industry, pay is not one of them.

The things you do for love.

My compromise when riding a bike that could only fit 23s was to use a race tire on the front and a stouter one on the rear. You get the front end comfort, grip and speed of a race tire with the wear life and durability of a training tire on the back. It's a compromise, but a good one IMO. I still use this setup for most road riding. Lately a Pro3 race int he front and Krylion carbon rear.

Just wait until your bike loaded with commuter gear starts giving your racing tires flats.

You'll go back to touring/commuting tires in a heartbeat.

Guess how I know.

I ride pretty much nothing but Vittoria Open Corsa's or Vredestein Fortezza's. I've never had a problem with them, and I do all my riding in the city. But I'm pretty light at 155 pounds, so flats are rare. Even with an extra 25 pounds of clothes and gear when I'm going to and from work they do fine.

And yeah, they are definitely worth the money.

In the summer, I like to switch the road-commuter bike from T-Servs to Grand Prix 4000 700 x 25s with the reflective sidewall option. Better acceleration, better cornering feel. Puncture resistance and tread life aren't as high, but they're a little more fun.

I will occasionally commute on one of my race bikes. One of them has Continental GP 4000's and the other one has Torelli Torino Classico's.

I only use racing tires on my bike. Especially since I ride in traffic. So, I need to go fast. I wouldn't be able to do that(or at least not very well) with non-racing tires.

I can see that. The roads are wet today, so I'm taking the bike with the fat Marathon Supremes. We'll see how well I can tolerate the transition from yesterday's joyous ride on the Ultremos.

I've commuted on racing tires for the past 3 years and get very few flats, but the roads are pretty decent where I ride. I'm currently running Conti GP 4 Seasons and have previously used Conti GP 4000s, Michelin Pro Race 2s, Michelin Axial Pros. I briefly tried some Panaracer Pasela TGs but took them off my bike after a few weeks because they felt so sluggish compared to racing tires - plus I got a flat!