teachme

I'm going to buy a new set of tires for my road bike. I am interested in a training tire that is puncture resistant, but dosen't sacrifice too much on the performance side. I don't race, or haven't yet. I ride for fitness and fun. I value the opinions of many on the BF so please make recommendations. I've been looking at the gatorskin brand; am I on the right track?

Allegheny Jet

I've used Gatorskins with success. The last 2 years I have been using Conti GP4000-S with very good results. Last year I got over 4,000 miles on a set and never rotated the rear. I have one on my Power Tap wheel and frequently race on it. At PBK they are available in twin packs for < $70 at times.

ahsposo 

I've had excellent performance from the Conti GP 4000 tires.

But having said that I think flats can be mostly a function of where you ride and proper tire pressure.

I ride a road bike and ride it where cars ride. The auto's will "sweep" the road surface for me. I've had really bad experiences with flats on closed roads and MUPs. I know from some of the posts from riders out in the Western US local vegetation can play havoc with a tire.

Tire pressure helps reduce pinch flats. At low pressure even a smallish pothole can cause a pinch flat.

Pay attention to the road surface - avoid the obvious hazards.

NOS88

I've used Gatorskins too. They are my winter tire of choice these days, that is, when I don't need to run the studded tires. However, I've come to like the Michelin Krylion Carbon tire as my everyday tire. I've used the Conti GP4000 and like it too, but the Michelin tire give me better mileage. My experience has been that the Michelin Krylion and Conti 4000 both hold the road better than the Gatorskins. I also like the way the Michelin Krylion work on wet roads. I think they have a very slight advantage over the Conti 4000, probably not worth talking about unless you really push turns in the wet.

BTW, be prepared for as many recommendations as there are folks who post. Tires are a half step away from seat choice when it comes to feverish loyalty.

Shifty

I've had excellent results using Specialized Armadillo and Bontragger Hardcase tires. Both are very puncture resistant and seem to last, I usually get 6000 miles on the Armadillo tires, I have 4000 on the Bontraggers and they look really good. I'm happy with road performance with both, but I don't race or expect too much from a tire, just long life and minimal flats.

bigbadwullf

Been using the Michelin Pro Race 3. The "tread" seems to cut awfully easily but no problems yet in about 500 miles. Not recommending them for your use, just posting comments on them in case you get a recommendation for it. They are grippy though.

freedomrider1

I like the Bontrager flat resistance tire,about 50 dollars, and you can put alot of miles on them.

teachme

Thanks for the advice. What about the sizes? 700 x 23? 700 x 28? I really don't know what I'm looking for?

NOS88

Why not compromise and go with a 700x25? The conventional wisdom is that with wider tires you don't have to inflate to the maximum pressure to avoid getting pinch flats, and you get a softer ride. There seems to be some small advantage with 700x23 if you are really seeking performance. I can't remember who it was, but recently someone posted some interesting data about the wattage savings with 23s.

KillerBeagle

I'm happy with the 700x25c Gatorskins riding on hot Texas roads, except for one thing - I have a heck of a time getting them on the rims and dread doing so during a ride. It took me almost an hour to get one on at home, even with the right tools. They give me a much smoother ride than the stock Bontragers that I replaced. I was able to put a Bontrager tire on my niece's 650c rims with no tools at all, so I don't think it's all operator incompetence.

teachme

I'm learning... What unit of measure are we taliking about when we say 700 x 25 . Is the circumference of the tire 700 cm? and the width of the tire 25 mm?

Allegheny Jet

The 700 is the rim size and the 25 mm is the width of the inflated tire. You may need to reset your computer once you get new tires. 23, 25 and 28 mm tires all will have different circumferences.

teachme

Oh, I see; thanks to all for the valuable input.

bigbadwullf

To get your circumference. Just roll the bike in a straight line(preferably with you on it but not really necessary) for 2 revolutions. Take the average of those two into one revolution and do the math. Then change your computer. Will make a little difference. There are charts you can use for the "average" distance a tire rolls too but it's best to measure YOUR bike with you on it. Kind of a pain but...

Dan Burkhart 

Depending on the bike, brake clearance can be an issue with anything above 23mm, particularly on the front.

jackb

I've used dozens of different tires over my 30 + years of cycling but nothing has been better than Specialized Armadillos. I use 700x23 on my road bikes. Haven't had a flat in years with these tires.

NOS88

[QUOTE=jackb;13258579]I've used dozens of different tires over my 30 + years of cycling but nothing has been better than Specialized Armadillos. I use 700x23 on my road bikes. Haven't had a flat in years with these tires.[/QUOTE]

Uh oh.... you may have drawn the attention of the flat gods with that comment.

One of my neighbors said something similar a few weeks back. His wife retorted, "Yeah, Dan, but you haven't ridden that bike in years either."

Looigi

Nice riding, compliant, and grippy. Got ~3000 miles on the rear before the casing started showing. It had had a few flats, and some minor cuts, but nothing out of the ordinary. Michelin is updating them to Pro 4 which are supposed to have similar performance and be a bit more robust.

ericm979

Some bike frames will not clear a 25mm tire.

I hate gatorskins. They have poor wet weather traction. lots of rolling resistance and they are no more flat resistant than any other good tire. My current favorite training tire is the Panaracer Extreme Evo 3. They stick well in the wet and seem to be pretty durable for a performance/race tire. And they are cheaper than Pro Race 3s or Gatorskins. I think they corner better than Pro3s but the rolling resistance is not quite as low as PR3s so I use those for races. And PR3s don't have as much traction in the wet. (I do a lot of twisty descents on wet pavement for half the year so wet weather traction is important to me)

DnvrFox

700 x 25 GP 4000's

I will likely replace with GP 4000S's but this thread is of interest to me, because I am approaching replacement time. Tx for posting/

VaultGuru

Little late to the discussion, but I would suggest considering the Michelin Krylion tire. We use it on our tandem and get 1000+ miles out of the back tire. Front is good for 3-4k. I have used Krylions for years on my single bike. Typically get about 2-2.5k out of the back. Very puncture resistant and rolls really well. Obviously, the Pro 3 rolls better, but doesn't have the longevity of the Krylion.
FWIW, we ride a lot of hills (and they are not smooth), which chews up tires a lot faster than flats. Typical ride is 1000-1500' of climbing/10 miles.
Krylions work for me. Should be able to get them for $34-39 if you are not particular on color

kr32

conti 4000s here using 700x23 but I have been toying with the idea to try the 25's

I have used the gatorskins but have reverted to the 4000s all the time.

BluesDawg

You should probably replace them before they look like this.


I got over 2500 miles on the rear Specialized Roubaix Pro II tire that came OEM on my Roubaix Expert. Not sure what I'll replace it with.

teachme

Daaaaaang! You really got your moneys worth out of that one!

alanknm

I call that tempting fate.

I get the impression that stock OEM tires seem to last about 2000 miles or so. I've got close to 1500 miles on mine and there's still plenty of rubber on them but the folks at my LBS suggested that I replace the tires on my Roubaix Comp with Conti GP 4000's in the spring.

I really like 23's so I'll probably put 23's on although I've heard that Specialized sort of cheated a bit with the tires on the Roubaix line. The 23's apparently measure closer to 25's. I haven't got a set of calipers so I can't verify that.