I was thinking more about if it would help the sidewall.
Putting it in the center would be worse than the detailer putting something on the rubber floor mats in my Jeep when I first bought it. I almost slid out of the thing.

Does anyone have any thoughts about the Specialized Roubaix Pro tire? Is it just a gimmick to attract Roubaix owners?
It came up in a search. Is there a good reliable site comparing tires? The reviews are all over the place and everyone recommends their favorite.

riding tires as cracked as your pic shows aren't worth the risk. If the casing fails, an ensuing crash may not be a great outcome, or worth the pain and equipment bashing which might result...
You've gotten some good suggestions on replacement. I would agree with PeteHski about getting an all-season tire like the Pirelli, Conti also makes a 4 season version of the GP series...
Not having ridden the Spec Roubaix tire, can't say specifically... but I have and do use the Specialized upper end tires, and like them as well as the Conti GPs I tried.
The Spec Roubaix are also not quite as pricey as the GP5000s...
I also have been using the Conti Ultra III on my older daily ride bike for most of last year... Certainly not the level of the GP5000, but still quite nice ride and quite durable and long enough lasting for me.
Consideration is I'm am not all that heavy, at 146 lbs... and ride them, Conti Ultra III, at lower pressures - which I wouldn't recommend to everyone...
... gonna give the Spec Roubaix a go, next time I buy tires... $37 ea., right now for the 23-25 width, direct from Specialized... and most Spec Dealers will match that price... $49 for the 28... still an OK price...
Ride On
Yuri

Maybe .... :foo:....Deflated and hot cycled for a period of time is the likely problem, as you mentioned only in one spot for a few inches.


I never recommend specific tires to people 1) I don't know or ride with, or 2) want to be/stay friends with.
Tires can be almost as personal as saddles. Certainly a wide range of options given all the variables.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f8eda6f8b.jpeg

This is the best resource for comparing tires:-

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...tires#allround

Thank you.
That is where I first read about the Cont GP 5000. It seems to be the best but at the stage I am at I probably don’t need the best-yet.

146 pounds? I have a hundred more.
I am starting to think almost any mid level tire will do and be much better than these entry level Saffiros.

As I said earlier, it’s not necessarily the “best” tire if you value puncture resistance more than outright speed. But the details are all on that website including a tire comparison tool, showing relative strengths and weaknesses for each parameter. For example, wet grip may or may not be important to you depending on where and when you ride.

The GP5000 is a great tire, but pretty average for puncture protection if that matters to you.

I am not looking especially for puncture resistance, and the only wet I ride through is if there is water draining across a trail. I’m not looking for pure speed but I’m not against it either.
I do realize there is no one perfect tire. I will go over the specs and reviews and make a decision. I expect there will bec several tires that would be good. In that case money talks.

Is there any real downside to a foldable tire?

no downside that I’m aware of

foldable tire is recommended - weigh less than the steel bead tires and most high end tires are available in folding bead only

been a while since I put significant miles on a Specialized tire - but they have a decent rep

the Roubaix Pro should be a decent rolling tire with above average puncture protection

No, except for higher cost.

Yes - the 5000 AS TR would be a good tire for your bike / paved MUP

don’t roll as well as GP5K - but still roll well and tad more grip on wet surfaces and more puncture resistant and should be slightly more durable

have a similar tire on one of my bikes that is used primarily on paved MUPs / light road use - 32mm GP4S (older similar version of the 5000 AS TR) :
.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7a50a20cfe.png



friend’s bike with 28mm GP4S :
.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7e25b1511.jpeg

I have too many bikes and 303 has definitely helped.

is it roof rack, or a rear one where your bike (tires) are sitting near the car's exhaust?

The rack is mounted to the spare tire on the back of my jeep.
It is a very short drive to my local trail.

I don't have any direct experience with Vittoria tires. However, my brother has been a bike mechanic for a long time now and I trust his opinions and experience. When I was recently thinking about getting a Vittoria tire, I brought it up and he said he's not a fan because the vast majority of Vittoria tires he sees that have come through the shop are cracking even if they're fairly new.

I'm sure I'll get a pile of flak for this given the popularity of the GP5000 but neither my brother or I have ever been particularly impressed with Continental tires. My brother says they're not terrible but aren't top of his list. Most of my experience, admittedly, is with their automotive and motorcycle tires and have left much to be desired. I've had a few bicycles with Continental tires and have never found a sense of overwhelming joy that they're there.

My brother and I gravitate to Schwalbe, Panaracer and Michelin. We've both found them all to be well made and long lasting with Schwalbe in particular having a wide variety of tire options and sizes. Michelin tires, regardless of application (car, motorcycle, bike), I have always found to have a quality unmatched by any other manufacturer but it does come at a price, their tires are never cheap.
There are other good brands but those are just top of the list.

For budget tires, I've had good success with Kenda.

A note on riding cracked tires. Last year, I helped a friend got their first road bike. Tires had been on there for a while and had some minor cracking but I didn't think it was all that bad, figured it was fine to go on a couple of rides while we waited for new tires to arrive. 7 miles in to a 10 mile though and the rear tire ripped and blew out. It was quite spectacular, a good inch long tear in the casing. It was a light and easy ride too, not even getting heat into it. For what it's worth, the tire was a 700x25 and either a Specialized or Continental, can't remember which, with the age of the tire being a complete mystery but it looked like the bike hadn't been ridden in several years.
Moral of the story, it may not look bad but as others have brought up, it ain't a safe bet.

I have been researching a lot of tires. These Vittoria Saffiro tires I have now have been ok for me. I think they may be cracking partly due to age and partly because they are the lowest model they sell.
For the price I think I may go with Rubino Pros. They will probably be more tire than I need right now but I don’t want cheap again.

I'm not sure the price of a tire has any bearing on whether it will crack/rot. I used Rubino Pros for years and it seems like when they added the word "Graphene" to the tires is when I started to see severe rot. I did move around that time and started keeping my bike in the garage instead of the house,

I tried some Vittoria Corsa tires and I had chunks of the surface just come off. A bike shop warranted one for me but the next one had a chunk over an inch long by a half inch wide just peel off. These were not inexpensive tires.

I've been using GP5K for a while on both road bikes. The fronts rot before they wear out and the rears usually get cut up or wear before they rot. These are not cheap, either.

It’s going to have to be sooner rather than later.
I looked again this evening with my reading glasses on and the cracking is worse than I thought.

my schwalbe pro one are all clacked up 2 bike worth of cracks , I sent photos to schwalbe an was told ozone caused it , I said ok but they sent me an article about it
confused !!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...86d7cf5f46.png
2 bikes 4 tyres all the same About 1 year old

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...13df161e3.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5ee19a7f8.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5bc507080.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...38522209f.jpeg

Had Vittoria Tecno Twin Tread Kevlar back when I was racing , some of the worst tires I have ever had due to too many punctures and cracks . Switched to Michelin Performer and later to Continental Grand Prix 3000, Continental were the best tires I had back then. Now using Continental Grand Prix All Seasons exclusively

I have had two tiers from the same manufacturer and also the same manufacturing dates and numbers on them. Hanging in storage with minimal use, one tire cracked after three years and the other did not. And has still not after another 5 years. Go Figure?

I am not sure that this is non-reputable manufacturer problem. Bad tires do get through every now and then. Unfortunately the cracking comes so much latter after purchase there is little you can do about it.

I do note that I have had better use of lower priced tires when using Continental...