indyfabz

You should read this:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice

ramzilla

I live in an area with steep savage rolling hills that vary from 1/8 to 1 mile long. Up and down. Up and down. No flat spots ever. I can hit speeds of 35mph or even 40mph going downhill. My biggest fear is a tire blowout at max downhill speed. I'm so old it would probably put me in the hospital. So, the only thing I want is a very dependable wire rim tire that won't come off the rim if it blows at high speed. Lately I've been using Michelin tires. 25mm wide.

dim

Specialized Turbo Cotton: (my favourite tyres .... grip like glue in the dry and wet, very very fast and good puncture resistance .... downside is they are good for 2000 Km, then start wearing thin .... but life is too short to f*ck around with crap tyres) ....

ridingfool

Merlin cycles or wiggle both out of England takes about 10 days to get order though but wit Merlin u can get 2 gp4000 with Conti tubes for about 70 bucks

jlaw

Panaracer Gravel Kings - tubed or tubeless - and there is an 'SK' version which has added flat protection. I just received a pair in the 38mm size. I haven't ridden them yet, but they seem like a good compromise - pavment/gravel - light herringbone tread.

https://www.panaracer.com/lineup/gravel.html

Happy Feet

FWIW, I like Gatorskins. I do long distances alone and want a compromise between speed and reliability and they seem to fit the bill. I think some people who don't like them may be used to road racing type conditions for which there are better choices I suppose, but fixing flats on multi day highway shoulder trips is not my thing.

But, as someone said, everybody has a different take on things. Just pick a pair based on best guess and try them out.

Teamprovicycle

I use gp 4000s they are the best bang for buck for a clincher , BUT , then you have tubless and maybe tubular , for clinchers i have used gator skin and hard shell on a cross bike on my bike its gp4000 all year . i get flats when i don't pick out the glass , gp4000s from merlin cycle seem to be the cheapest i bought 3 sets they all seem fine to me . if your not effeciency minded run ultra sport 2s they are 15 bucks most times . but is say just start with gp4000s and then try a different set at above and below price point about 80 bucks for the set . ronald kuba on YouTube has a few good videosbon tire choice clincher vs tubless...

desconhecido 

or, this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing

Don't be like Bernie Sanders, spending a lifetime in the store fretting over the fact that there are too many deodorant choices. Pick one that works and move on.

a1penguin

Conti GP4000SII tires. They were better than the Gatorskins which didn't do so well at avoiding flats. I had Schwalbe Durano which came on the Synapse and those were decent too. I prefer folding tires. I'm going resurrect the old aluminum bike to use for running errands and will probably replace the ancient Gatorskins (if they have dry rot cracking) with whatever cheap tires I can find as the mileage will be low compared to road bike.

I live in an area where roads are well maintained. YMMV.

Zappie

Just get them all.

Nicholas L

Figured I'd post a little update for you guys. Just ordered a set of 28mm GatorSkins from Amazon. Halle-friggin-lujah!

italktocats

conti do fine
never tried gators because im pro animals

Ritalalala

Then I will choose a good quality in the economic range, in order to save the money to replace the tire.

After all, riding does not feel the same.

WNCGoater

I think we make the mistake of looking for the perfect or almost perfect tire that is great in all conditions and performs well on all surfaces, fast, tough, durable, grippy, puncture resistent, smooth....

I'm just not sure such a tire exists. If it did, we'd all be riding it and wouldn't be having these continual conversations. My advice is, decide what is most important to YOU for YOUR riding style and surface, and find a tire for that. I agree, too many choices but MOST of the tires available are pretty good these days, just picking the right one with the characteristics most useful to you is the trick.

Tires aren't terribly expensive and are one of the "consumables" we use. So if you end up with tires that aren't the tire of your dreams, you'll be ready for something else before too long. It isn't a lifelong commitment once you pull the trigger.

SquidPuppet

Unfortunately for me, I've found a truly fantastic tire for my needs, that is terribly expensive.

rydabent

Just buy a well known brand, and try not to over think the subject.

Aubergine 

Gatorskins are good tires if you ride where there are goathead thorns. I put them on a couple of my bikes for just that reason. But for “normal” riding I prefer Compass tires, although Panaracer Paselas are a less-expensive option.

Milton Keynes

I can't say what will work for you, but personally I replaced the 700x25's that came with my hybrid with 28's and I like them much better. I do mainly ride pavement with this bike, but I wanted a tire that was a little bigger and would be a bit easier to ride on gravel. The 28's work well, plus they're a little more comfortable to ride on. The 25's were hard to change out, I even broke a tire lever on one, but the 28's are easier to remove and put on. Plus, since I'm a Clyde, I think having the slightly bigger tire is better than the small, skinny 25's. I don't feel the need to go up to something like 32's since the 28's seem to be perfect. And even though I have another bike with 2" wide tires for gravel, I'll keep using 28's on my hybrid.

dennis336

Another Gatorskin fan ... I've been using Gatorskins for quite a few years now on my road bike ... I've gotten around 4,500 miles on them the last couple of sets. Could have gotten more, but I've got this thing about not wanting to get a flat - I know no one WANTS to get a flat - but I'm probably on the fringe of that line of thinking. So I change them out pretty proactively and keep the old ones as emergency back-ups ... I've got around 4 sets of back-ups now as I've never needed to do an emergency replacement :-). I think my last two flats over a 3-4 year period (touch wood) have been because the stem broke loose from the tube rather than a puncture on the road. I'm not a fast rider and not very discerning on subtle differences in performance so, if they are 'slower', it's lost on me.

So ... in the spirit of over-thinking, I'm kind of in that boat now, too. I've gotten into gravel grinder rides and have been using my Surly Disc Trucker touring bike with the stock tires (Continental Comfort Contact). I'm approaching the time where I'll need to replace them and am thinking of getting tires that are better suited for gravel (the rides I do are primarily hard-to-somewhat-loose gravel roads with fairly short sections of single or double track). My Surly has 26 inch wheels and I've been getting a brain freeze over the best tire to get that's optimal for pavement and gravel rides with flat avoidance being a really high priority for me. Don't mean to hijack the thread ... the over-thinking thing resonated with me ....

canklecat

There seem to be two types of road cyclists...

Cyclists who ride Gatorskins.

And people who enjoy cycling.

FWIW, on my road bike I've been satisfied with Schwalbe One V-Guards and Continental Ultra Sport 2. The former has a minimal puncture shield. I think I got one puncture flat from glass in 1,500 miles. And I replaced one tire after it was slashed in three places by razor sharp broken slate and was starting to avulse through one slash. And it was worn down by hard emergency braking to avoid a dog, so it was ready to be tossed. But its mate on the front wheel is still fine.

The Conti Ultra Sport 2 reportedly have no puncture shield, but have been fine after 1,000 miles. No punctures. They seem to wear well. Ride is very comparable to the more expensive Schwalbe One V-Guards, dry and wet conditions, rough and smooth pavement.

I might consider Gatorskins on a commuting or touring bike. But not on a bike I ride for pleasure, including fast rides. If I'm going to put up with a lead filled garden hose I'd rather be beaten with it than ride on it.

Viich

Try em out. I like Vittoria Rubino - Pro better than normal (Pro means folding in Vittoria-speak). I tried the Clement LGG - liked it pretty well out of the box, but their ride got worse as they wore, and I found they are much more flat-prone than the Rubino. I also run some Scwhalbe tires - studded and cross, and a set for my little guy in 24". I like the Kojak I got for him, but I'm probably going back to Vittoria.
I wear out a set a season anyway, so it's not like it's a long-term commitment.

rumrunn6

to quote Christopher Walken in the movie Wedding Crashers, flower shop scene: "Look... we have no way of knowing what lays ahead for us in the future. All we can do is... use the information at hand to make the best decision possible. It's gonna be fine."

SquidPuppet

Hiro11

Michelin Pro 4 Service Course. Just as supple and fast as GP4000iis but less susceptible to sidewall cuts.

SkyDog75

The Rubino and Rubino Pro are different in more ways than a folding bead. Different compounds, layered construction, and 60 TPI nylon versus 290 TPI cotton/polyester in the current Pro. (The previous Rubino Pro III was 150 TPI.)

(I'm with you in liking the Rubino Pro, too.)