Best tyres for commuting?

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elStado
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby elStado » Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:44 am

I got a Vittoria Randoneur Hyper City tire in 700x35 the other week, it's an awesome tire. Looks great, reflective side wall is effective, very smooth ride and have gone through some glass patches and no punctures yet!
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Zynster
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Zynster » Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:03 pm

elStado wrote:I got a Vittoria Randoneur Hyper City tire in 700x35 the other week, it's an awesome tire. Looks great, reflective side wall is effective, very smooth ride and have gone through some glass patches and no punctures yet!
+1 I've had mine for 6 months commuting daily. No punctures and not even any sign of wear.
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TheShadow
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What width 700c rims are you using?

Postby TheShadow » Mon Dec 27, 2010 2:20 pm

Are all you guys running 28,32,35mm tyres running "29er" rims or similar? A Mavic O-Pro is about 20mm? I see Velocity make a 23mm specifically for people wanted to experiment with wider tyres. And there's a 28mm wide rim ("Blunt") which is for disk 29ers. >> I have trashed my 32 hole rear Mavic O-Pro and the front rim has reached wear limit, so I'm looking at these rim possibilities. I don't race or train in fast groups.

So, I am thinking of trying out a bigger tyre like a 28mm Schwalbe Durano Performance Folding Road City Tyre (which is lighter than my cheapo 23mm :shock: ), or the Vittoria Randonneur, but I don't know if they will even FIT - regardless of rim issues - on my roadracer which is running Ultegra 9spd brakes (will tyres clear brake calipers and the carbon fork?)

I have actually done a bit of riding/training many years ago on some 28mm Michelins, which I think could only be inflated to 80psi or so. They were not nice tyres - "Gumwalls". They *really* bulged out on the std road rims, I think the tread even split due to excessive pressure and perhaps being fitted to too narrow a rim...don't know that I can see myself repeating that experience. They were a little too slow also, although I could keep up on a long training ride...just not a fast training ride with riders of same fitness. I actually suspect the even older 'high pressure' tyres (85-100psi?) I previously put on my 27" 10spd Malvern Star worked better (yes, I'm that old :shock:) You can laugh, but you could crank them along at speed if you put your mind to it.

So, do these allegedly new generation tyres deliver better ride, handling and durability? Seems to be some mixed reviews here. Are they as much advanced as, say, car and motorbike tyres have advanced in the last 10 years? I'm looking for slightly less harsh ride and longer life with better puncture resistance - but I don't want to feel like I'm towing a bus behind me - ...something you could be matching inner city traffic speed with AND ride through all road debri and those cursed sunken steel water-tap covers you can't see whilst doing that, with a little more impunity than a 23mm tyre.

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Comedian
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Comedian » Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:00 pm

Well in the last few weeks I've been riding my randonneurs through mud, glass and pretty much !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! everywhere without any sign of a puncture. I think I've done about 800k so far and no punctures yet!

When I had my contis I would have had like 15 by now. :mrgreen:

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby TheShadow » Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:35 pm

Oxford wrote:... One just inflating a tyre and the rim split/cracked open, then the next pulled nearly every spoke through the rim and Velocity wouldn't warranty it (and yes it was built right by an experienced wheel builder to factory tension). I am now running Velocity Twin Hollows on the commuter with 32mm Randonneurs no problem at all. But I will not recommend Velocity wheels anymore.. Go for Mavics, they are indestructible IMO.

O_M_G. That is *still* going on with Velocity rims? I had that happen to a rear Aerohead once, long ago - no accident fortunately. I went right off them :roll: , yet I still have a 36 hole front aerohead that won't die. They're a paradox: incredibly strong and mostly pretty durable...but with that apparently weak bead-hook/braking surface that seems unpredictable. I don't know what to think anymore. But your Blunt > that doesn't even get worn away by brake pads, being a disk wheel. It's got no excuse. And here I was trying to work out how to convert to a front disk setup so I don't have to deal with this infuriating, recurrng situation of a wheel that is junk due to normal break wear! :?

I do have an old 36 hole Mavic on the rear and it is *INDESTRUCTIBLE*. I don't know what it is - the stickers are long gone - but I would buy another in a heartbeat. It's not light, but I don't care. MA-2 ? MA-4 ? It must be a pinned type - pre-welding. Would be 15Yrs old, at least...circa when 8 speed was the newest thing. :P I LOVE it >> I NEVER touch the spokes. :mrgreen: Best cycling component I ever have had. Negligible braking surface wear - which I don't understand.

I have seen some 'dissing' of Mavic rims online, yet don't really know how accurate this is. The Open Pro still seems like the goto rim for club racing and training. It's the only one with the fancy ceramic treatment on the braking surface...maybe I could stick with that for the front which endures heavy braking...and experiment with one of their heavier/wider rims for the back which cops the worst impacts...and keep my bigger tyre for the rear only. Hmmm. :idea:

>> A719 Min tyres size: 28mm (Mavic icon says it's made from stronger Maxtal alloy but spec sheet beneath lists only 6106 alloy :?: )......Mavic call this "BombProof" >> Anyone care to dispute or validate this? I'm 80-85kg + 12kgs luggage soon to be over the rear axle on panniers

>> A119 Min tyre size: 28mm (made from weaker 6106 alloy, and lighter than A719..so I'm thinking this must be significantly weaker.)

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GWH74
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby GWH74 » Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:06 am

Hi

What some opinions on 26" tires for commuting / weekend cycling.
I have a a MTB that I only use on the road and bike paths around western Adelaide and both are fairly smooth.
Currently running Tioga City Slickers in 1.5". Not too bad of tire except I have had a few punches from small thorns / glass and the rear started to flatten out after 2000Ks, swapped with the front at the moment, still have plenty of life left in them both.
They also have a max pressure of 60 PSI (I run them about 50)
Was think of changing to Continentals. Maybe the Sports Contact (1.3"), Ultra Gatorskins (1 1/8") or even GPs (1 1/8"). Leaning towards the Sports Contact due to the puncher protection.
But am a bit worried as these are all a near full slick and aren't the best in any sort of wet condition (not that I ride in the rain)
Other option was to change wheel sets to a 29er / 700c so I have a much larger selection of tires in 28, 32 widths. Then would go for something like a Vittoria Randoneur.
Wheel set I was looking at was something like http://www.this link is broken/Shimano-WH- ... e-WheelSet. Need to do a few measurements to check that they will fit my 26" frame / forks.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Fred Nurk » Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:42 pm

GWH74 wrote:Hi

What some opinions on 26" tires for commuting / weekend cycling.
I have a a MTB that I only use on the road and bike paths around western Adelaide and both are fairly smooth.
Currently running Tioga City Slickers in 1.5". Not too bad of tire except I have had a few punches from small thorns / glass and the rear started to flatten out after 2000Ks, swapped with the front at the moment, still have plenty of life left in them both.
They also have a max pressure of 60 PSI (I run them about 50)
Was think of changing to Continentals. Maybe the Sports Contact (1.3"), Ultra Gatorskins (1 1/8") or even GPs (1 1/8"). Leaning towards the Sports Contact due to the puncher protection.
But am a bit worried as these are all a near full slick and aren't the best in any sort of wet condition (not that I ride in the rain)
Other option was to change wheel sets to a 29er / 700c so I have a much larger selection of tires in 28, 32 widths. Then would go for something like a Vittoria Randoneur.
Wheel set I was looking at was something like http://www.this link is broken/Shimano-WH- ... e-WheelSet. Need to do a few measurements to check that they will fit my 26" frame / forks.

Any thoughts?


Thanks
I've run Gatorskins on my 26" GT Avalanche for a while now, including in tropical rain. I've not had any cause for concern with grip, rather the only problem I have had with them is big pieces of glass tend to split them open. I've switched to a Panaracer RiBMo on the rear recently, and it appears to be performing well puncture wise. I've not put a RiBMo on the front to see how it corners, but the Gatorskins have been quite acceptable given the weather.

I've got just over 4000kms on a Gatorskin on the front, and 1200kms on the RiBMo mounted on the rear, with one decent puncture on the RiBMo so far.

A 29er wheelset will obviously give you more road tyre options.

I've also run a Maxxis Xenith, doesn't wear as well, and more likely to puncture, though it doesn't seem to split open like the Gatorskins do. It is cheaper though.

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby hiflange » Sun Jan 23, 2011 12:09 am

GWH74 wrote:What some opinions on 26" tires for commuting / weekend cycling.
Having added a 26'er to the shed last year I find myself in the same boat. I've had gatorskin 23's or 28's on it (not sure which can't be bothered going down to check). They were a bit, well a lot, bumpy. So I swapped the 1.75 Schwalbe marathons from our tandem onto it. Nice ride! quite a bit harder to push but! I've just ordered some Panaracer 1.25's from the Wig, should be here in a few days - will update then.

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Cruiserman » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:04 pm

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mekore
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby mekore » Thu Apr 21, 2011 3:40 am

Owwwww guys dont be afraid to use wide tires(28++)!!!

I never used anything more than 25c, untill i tried my friends super-massive schwalbe balloon 50 mm while my wheels was being trued. Upon installation, i realize that the bearings of the hubs is due service, too much drag and not even smooth. So with the big tires and bad bearings, i was ready for superbly bad performance from my bike. and? WOW! i was surprised that i do not feel any slower than before, i can pedal at the same cadence on the same gear as with 25c tires, and it is a lot lot lot more comfy.

well, my friend's wheel are 26', and that would partially explain the gear/cadence, but point is i can ride with the same speed comfortably.

About rim size:
my beloved wheels used dtswiss tk540 rims, 23,6mm outer width. As advertised by HED, when matched with 23 tyres it offers tubular tires ride quality, and you can safely attach huge tyres to it!! 700x35 marathon supremes are my favourite.. :wink:

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby martinjs » Sat May 21, 2011 10:32 pm

Hi Peoples, just thought I'd drop in an update on tire wear.
I'm currently running 700 x 28C Schwalbe Marathon Plus on both front and back having previously ran 700 x 28C Vittoria Randonneur tires.
Having ran both back to back I must say for a person who's average weight is 95 kilos and rides on rough roads I have found both pretty good, but so far the Schwalbe's have been by far the best in wear. I have just passed 6,000k's on them and I still have tread on the back and plenty on the front.

The Randonneur's all 3 set's I used where all going through on the back before 6,000k's. Also to date I have had no punctures at all with the Schwalbe's and have found the side of the tires resist puncturing better.

They are a bit more expensive but the extra wear and with less punctures they pay for them selves.

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MattyK
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby MattyK » Sun May 22, 2011 11:24 am

My Schwalbe Marathons (regular, not the Plus, 700x28c) have had no punctures in the last ~2 years (maybe 6000km?). Had one puncture soon after install from a metal staple, but that's it. The rear is maybe at 1/2 to 2/3 tread depth, the front still has traces of the moulding groove around the middle...

Admittedly my route is pretty clean, I have never had to pick glass out of them like I did when living in Auckland (weekly).

So I'm stuck with the dilemma: can I go for a lighter, faster tyre at the possible increased risk of punctures, or do I just enjoy the fact that I don't get any now?

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby westab » Sun May 22, 2011 6:52 pm

Matty if it is a commuter I would stick with the no punctures - I use Maxxis Re-fuse. My rear is in need of replacement as it is just showing signs of canvas in spots. It has done approx 6000kms (on both front and rear) I only had one puncture in all that time. :D

I have ordered more - they are not fast but they do the job I need. :D
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MattyK
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby MattyK » Mon May 23, 2011 12:51 pm

Yeah but there's the catch. For all I know I could have had the same number of punctures (zero, barring one exceptional encounter) with race tyres. My route is very glass free, I've never found stuff embedded in the rubber.

The only time you can tell that you need different tyres is if you are having frequent punctures and therefore need a tougher tyre.

But given the Marathons are 560g each, a bit of weight loss could be easily achieved. I'm unlikely to go for a full on race tyre, but a Gatorskin, GP 4 Season, Marathon Supreme, Randonneur Hyper, Ribmo, etc would surely do well.

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Fletcher » Tue May 24, 2011 10:19 am

I've been running a 23mm Gator Hardshell on the back of my Ribble for 5 months, through all weather over glass infested surfaces, with very few flats. It handles and sticks well. It's way superior to the Michelin Lithion on the front which is now 7000km old. The Michy is a bit slippery in the wet, more than I'd like, and puncture resistance is so-so. It's due for replacement, and I wouldn't buy another. A standard Gator will probably take it's place.

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Comedian
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Comedian » Tue May 24, 2011 6:11 pm

Ok... a little update on my Vittoria Randonneurs after about 1700k. No punctures yet. The rear seems to be wearing far faster than I was expecting. I'm not so heavy these days at around the 80kg mark, but I do often carry 10+kg in my panniers plus the bike. Anyway, the rear is quite heavily flatted off to the point where the tread is nearly gone in the middle. I mean it's got a little more to go... but not much. I'd be very surprised if the rear is still serviceable past 4000k which is probably less than I would have hoped for. The front looks brand new.

Now to another factor... they don't grip too well. I went down from a 42 to a 28 admittedly, but I was astonished at how little grip I had. I thought it would get better once it had scrubbed in - but not really. I don't want to give the impression that these tyres are super bad or anything, but they aren't very grippy IMHO. One of the guys at work fitted some and mentioned the same thing so I guess it's not just me.

Would I fit them again??? Well they have met my expectations in regards to not having flats ... excellent. There is just a cloud over them on grip and wear. I have a set of Marathons there (not the plus so that's equivalent) and I'll put them on next. I should be able to offer a comparison then too.

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DavidS
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby DavidS » Tue May 24, 2011 9:16 pm

Comedian, that would be an interesting comparison. I have pretty much lost the tread in the middle on my Randonneur on the back after about 2.5K. Maybe I'll try a marathon next time and see what the difference is. I have had a few punctures but each time it has been something small and very sharp so not really blaming the tyre for them. We'll see how long before the Randonneur on the back is really gone.

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Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Espresso_ » Tue May 24, 2011 10:10 pm

Gator Hardshells for me (28c in my case). Daily riding in inner urban areas and all sorts of muck and glass - first puncture this week after over a year on the tyres. Great feel too - none of that disconnected feeling you can get with heavily reinforced tyres; great grip in the wet or dry.

Plenty of wear left - zero hesitation in ordering another one. Cannot speak highly enough of them.

E

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby martinjs » Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:56 pm

Latest update on my 700 x 28C Schwalbe Marathon Plus both front and rear have just passed 7,001 km
Still no punctures, the front still looks as good as new and even the back still has tread pattern on it.
Remembering I'm no light weight and I'm usually riding with about 10kilo's of extra junk for work and cycling repair kit, not to mention the rough roads I ride on out here in the sticks. Best tires I've used to date. :D

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Comedian
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Comedian » Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:09 pm

Latest update is I took the Randonneurs off and put the leftover Michelin Pro Optimums on from my Defy. Lok they probably aren't puncture proof but my average speed for my commute went up 2kph :o

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DavidS
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby DavidS » Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:49 pm

After about 3,200KM the Randonneur on the back of my bike is gone. There is a lump as the sidewall is splitting. Now, I weigh over 100KG and carry quite a lot of crap but this doesn't seem to be a great result. I just got a Schwable Marathon so we'll see how I go with that. I should be able to pump the Marathon to 90psi too which is a little higher than the Randonneur.

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby rkelsen » Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:34 am

Kenda Kwest 700c x 32mm: The threads near the bead on the rear one seem to be tearing/splitting after approx 3,700km/6 months, causing the tyre to run out-of-round. It's very annoying, and has had a pretty severe effect on the handling of the bike, especially on the wet roads we've had in Melbourne this week.

Though significant, this is my only complaint about them. They've been excellent otherwise, in all conditions. There is still plenty of tread left on them. I've only had 2 punctures with them. The grip never let me down. It's disappointing that this fault has developed.

Anyhow, I'll be ordering some Schwalbe Marathons from this link is broken today to replace them (for about 1/3rd [one third] of the price that the LBS charges!). ;)

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby JBark » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:54 am

martinjs wrote:Latest update on my 700 x 28C Schwalbe Marathon Plus both front and rear have just passed 7,001 km
Still no punctures, the front still looks as good as new and even the back still has tread pattern on it.
Remembering I'm no light weight and I'm usually riding with about 10kilo's of extra junk for work and cycling repair kit, not to mention the rough roads I ride on out here in the sticks. Best tires I've used to date. :D
I've only done a couple weeks on my 26"x1.5" Marathon Plus tyres, but it's obvious they're pretty much the best MTB commuter tyre out there. They may be a bit heavy, but they hold their shape so well that rolling resistance is way down compared to regular MTB road tyres. And that anti-puncture tech works wonder for soaking up the bumps. It's like I'm riding a whole different bike. The fact they're puncture resistant is just an added bonus compared to the ride quality, and I've sure ran over enough glass to give that a good test as well.

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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby DavidS » Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:10 pm

Just put the Marathon on my bike. The Randonneur was really knackered. Could see through the tread at a couple of points and the sidewall was splitting. This after about 3,200KM on the back wheel (front tyre has lasted 7,000KM and is still fine - it's a Schwable Dura Ace). We'll see how the marathon goes. I do weigh over 100KG and put a bag on the back of the bike with shoes, shirt, crap etc in it but bike tyres aren't real cheap and I expceted a bit more than 3K.

DS
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Re: Best tyres for commuting?

Postby Mugglechops » Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:22 pm

I am just about to fit a Marathon Cross to the rear of my CX bike. Have had a good run from my original Maxxis Raze cx tyres. About 1600km between front and rear with only 1 puncture. At 119kg I am pretty happy with that.

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