tires...help!
 

i know this topic has probably been beaten to death.... sorry!

so my rear tire's tread has worn all the way down, and it's only been about 2 months since they were brand new. they were just the cheap stock kenda's that came with my kilo. reading online has just confused me even more :(

so for now i'm riding brakeless so i have been skidding/skipping a lot, though i try to minimize it. my friend told me to get the randonneurs (?) but i read on a thread recently that they wear out very quickly. i've considered gatorskins but i've read that they aren't very comfortable. i've also seen recommendations for vittoria rubinos.

also the second number (like 23C) i understand is the width of the tire walls (correct me i'm wrong) is this a preference thing or do the rims require a certain size. i assume if its a preference thing, the wider will equate to longer life but slower tire? i like going fast, but i skid so i assume ii'd want something in the middle.

thanks ahead of time for shedding me some light :)

The second number is the width of the tire. Wider tire means slower tire but softer ride; not sure about the lifespan however...
25C is a good size; not to marrow or wide.
In my opinion I would go with gatorskins; their puncture resistance is superior to any other tire, industry proven; in addition you have less down time repairing tubes.

i ride randonneurs and find that they work just fine. it all depends on your terrain, really. rough roads with lots of puncturing debris is what led me to randonneurs... and i haven't looked back, even from gatorskins (which i don't really have a whole lot bad to say about, i lost track of the miles i put on them due to an injury) but randonneurs are a few bucks cheaper and do the job for me.

Dont worry about wide tires slowing you down. They'll be more comfortable and you probably wont notice a speed difference unless you get something really wide. I have friends that do just fine on the 20+mph rides with cyclocross bikes.

I have 35mm tires on one of my bikes and they're not slow at all.
it's all in the quality of the tire.

I've found better puncture resistant tires that ride way better than 'skins. They're Schwalbe Ultremo DD with the ceramic guard thing. I've put over 1000 miles on them with not a single flat, and I live in goathead country. The ride is comparable to the Conti 4000. They're not cheap though. I ride brakeless, but hardly ever do sick skiddddzzzzzz so they'll probably last me for a long time.

Schwalbe is the premier bicycle tire manufacturer on the planet in my opinion. Buy anything Schwalbe and you are buying quality. I've also heard good things about the Vittoria Open Pavé Evo.

Believe it or not, changing gear ratios can make your tires last much longer. Certain gear ratios cause you to skid in the exact same spot on your tire every time. Others spread skidding patches around the circumference of the tire.

I have the Maxxis Re-Fuse on my bike. has not been that long, but I have heard they are pretty durable.

so can using brakes. *huge* difference...

Brakes will stop you faster AND save you money on tires. And if there's a time when you need to prove your street cred, you can always skid. That is the reason you're riding brakeless, right?

Wider tires don't always necessarily mean slower. They will, however, mean greater comfort when going over bumpy/uneven/cracked streets. And fewer burst tubes. That's why all the FGFS kids try to get the fattest tires possible on their bikes, even if it means crimping their chainstays. The wider your tires, the more it'll be like riding a super comfy mountain bike! :)

25/28c is usually a decent size for comfort. i'm sure the kilo can fit 28c tires with no issue.

you mean that its time for me to ditch the 23c tires. I'm no longer cool?

So... I've had gatorskins on two bikes, and I've had quite a bit of flats. I have been thinking of getting new tires. Anyone know how good the Schwalbe Citizens are? they are pretty inexpensive as far as schwalbe tires go.

that's just not true... the cheaper stuff really is cheap, just like any other maker.
shimano 2200 and sora are really junk, just like campagnolo mirage and xenon.

you have gatorskins and you're still getting flats? If they're not pinch flats, then the only tire that's better would be schwalbe marathon plus, but they run a bit wide, even in 25mm width and have a terrible ride quality for widths under 35mm.

I've never had a pinch flat. But I used to commute to work and I would get flats all the f'n time. It was really frustrating. I would find little pieces of jagged rock or glass or something that would cause it. A staple happened a few times.

The only thing I can possibly think of why it wouldn't be the tires fault is this:

I have a Road Morph frame pump. It has a little pressure Gauge. So When I pumped up my tires I would pump it up the the 120 psi the tires were rated for. My pump at home didn't seem to like presta valves (though it said it would work), so I used this a lot at home too.

If the Pressure guage was inaccurate at higher pressures (which seems very plausible, given how roughly it moves as you approach high pressure), than I could have been over inflating the tires.

That would increase flat vulnerability if I understand it correctly.

I run the 25mm Gatorskins on both my road bike and fixed gear. I have a new shop pump that works well for Presta's so I suppose I'll see.

I just know I've had days where I've gotten flats, repaired the flat on the road, only to get another flat later on in the ride (different location on the tire so it wasn't just me missing the object that punctured.

My next set of tires will probably be Schwalbe Duranos.

I'd prefer Ultremos, but they're a bit too much for my budget right now.

you could also try some tire liners, which is basically what the "plus" in schwalbe marathon tires are.
also, there is an 'ideal' pressure for different tire widths and rider weights. usually the tire manufacturer has those somewhere on their site.

Oh really? Gotta try those out then :thumb:

Checked Conti's site.
Sure enough their ideal pressure for 25mm GatorSkins is 95.

Thanks.

On that note any of you guys run tire liners? I've always thought about it....

I scored a pair, brand new, on ebay for $70!

AS A GENERAL STATEMENT, 25 mm tires provide the fastest on-real-streets riding.

A very light rider might go faster with 23's, and a very heavy rider might go faster with 28's.

That said, either gear down or put on a front brake, and stop skidding.

campy? junk? shut your mouth, girlfriend!

Interesting. What's the logic behind this? 23's flex more easily under weight resulting in larger contact area?