Road tyre recommendations

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DoogleDave
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby DoogleDave » Mon Aug 06, 2012 8:35 pm

Has anyone had any experience with the Michelin Pro Race 3's and if so, how do they compare the the likes of the GP4000's, Durano's and Rubino's?

I am soon to buy a new set of 700c x 23's and originally thought the GP4000S's were the one's to get but now I'm not sure if I should stick with these or go for something like the Pro race 3's, Rubino's or Durano's....

Dave
2012 Felt F75 | 105 | ProLite Braccianos | GP4000S
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yarravalleyplodder
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby yarravalleyplodder » Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:40 pm

DoogleDave wrote:Has anyone had any experience with the Michelin Pro Race 3's and if so, how do they compare the the likes of the GP4000's, Durano's and Rubino's?

I am soon to buy a new set of 700c x 23's and originally thought the GP4000S's were the one's to get but now I'm not sure if I should stick with these or go for something like the Pro race 3's, Rubino's or Durano's....

Dave
Are you a bit like me and not all that attached to the white tyre?

If I get the rubino I might go red
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2012 Fuji Nevada 2.0

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DoogleDave
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby DoogleDave » Tue Aug 07, 2012 7:19 am

I don't hate the white tyre but I was thinking of going either all-black or with a red stripe (depending on the tyre I choose) this time around.
I just wish I could choose a tyre.

My list for consideration at the moment is (in no particular order):
Conti P4000S
Schwalbe Durano
Michelin Pro3 Race (currently leaning towards these)
Vittoria Rubino
Maxxis ReFuse

The Conti's do seem to be the most popular and well respected but I also hear good things about the Michelin's and Rubino's.

I guess what I am after is a decent all-round tyre for training (I'm not into racing at the moment) that will get reasonable mileage, have good rolling resistance and have decent puncture protection (and I appreciate this doesn't mean puncture-proof, more puncture resistant).

Too many damn choices.... :lol:

Dave
2012 Felt F75 | 105 | ProLite Braccianos | GP4000S
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yarravalleyplodder
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby yarravalleyplodder » Tue Aug 07, 2012 10:08 am

Funny how we are after the same thing for the same bike :D

I will be interested in your final decision and at the moment I an slightly leaning towards the Conti's

Are you keeping the wheels? I am seriously thinking of getting some TWE built for me. I wonder about some of the wheels on offer as I am around the 110kg so it rules me out of some the real light weight stuff
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Abby
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Abby » Tue Aug 07, 2012 11:16 am

For an all-rounder, my absolute favourite are the Vittoria Rubino Pro's.

I use them all the time, and they are my 'default' choice. I just took a rear Rubino off my bike after seeing it had worn down to the thread casing in a couple of spots! Still hadn't punctured though. I always get excellent, long-wear and terrific puncture resistance. That said, every 2-3 weeks I go over my tyres visually and pick out the odd bit of glass, so that probably helps too... ;)

For 'racing', I'm a huge fan of the Michelin Prorace 3's. They feel great to ride, and are super-quick. Only problem I've found with them is I used to get lots of sidewall cuts/breaks on the rear tyres. Not sure if that's just me, or some other reason - just my experience.

So for the last 12 months, I have been running a Rubino Pro rear tyre, and a Michelin ProRace 3 front tyre. I know that breaks the "Euro Style Rules", but has been an effective combo for me. As I said earlier, I replaced the rear Rubino last weekend - with a Vittoria Diamante Pro (I bought a few after seeing an exceptionally good deal online). So far so good - they roll very nicely. Will see how they wear though, obviously don't expect it to last as long as the Rubino...

Hope that helps!

Cheers,
Abby
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yarravalleyplodder
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby yarravalleyplodder » Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:39 pm

Thanks Abby,

not sure if it helps me decide or helps the confusion :lol:

Guy at work swears by the Conti's but I am happy with my zaffiro pro's so I am happy with the Vittoria brand

oh the choices one faces in life :wink:
2011 Felt F75
2012 Fuji Nevada 2.0

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DoogleDave
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby DoogleDave » Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:33 pm

yarravalleyplodder wrote: I will be interested in your final decision and at the moment I an slightly leaning towards the Conti's
I have made my choice - I'm going with the GP4000S's

The Michelin Pro3 Race look great as well, but with so many people out there raving about the Conti's I have to give them a try.
If I'm not happy with them I can always go with something else next time around (as there WILL be a next time - tyres don't last forever).

I would like to upgrade my wheelset but $$'s are the problem at the moment.
Perhaps for a future birthday or Xmas present in the year 2020...LOL - who knows.

Dave
2012 Felt F75 | 105 | ProLite Braccianos | GP4000S
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Abby
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Abby » Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:34 pm

Might just add also - its pretty easy to 'overthink' the tyre decision... ;)

Most of the brands/types mentioned are good, and there are enough good experiences alround to suggest you won't regret whichever decision you go with... :D

While I have my favourites (mentioned in my last post) - I'm a sucker for a great deal. I would buy whichever ones you can find the best price for... As an example - I only bought the Michelin PR3's because I found them on sale for $25 each (inc postage) - so I bought 4 of them at once! Same reason I bought the Diamante Pro's...

At the end of the day, it all becomes a bit of "Ford v Holden" or "Shimano v Campagnolo" - so don't stress too much!! 8)

Cheers,
Abby
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby BRLVR.v2 » Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:26 pm

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/ ... ter_209888

factor this into your width choices too^

Brettlikes2ride
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Brettlikes2ride » Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:32 am

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all this info, really didn't expect so much.
Still unsure how i'll go, running the old gp4k's at moment, still don't feel confident on them but think it's from the accident i had on them.
talking to my bike shop guy on shop ride sat and he suggested the rubino's, at this stage i'm thinking of sticking with the 23's but will see.

I see a lot of you have yuor bikes listed on the bottom, will look into this later but mine is a Pinarello FPquattro 2011.

Cheers
2011 Pinarello FPquattro
2009 Giant Defy1 (spare bike now)

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DoogleDave
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby DoogleDave » Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:46 am

For anyone interested in the GP4000S's, BikeBug in Sydney currently have them on sale for $39 ea.
http://www.bikebug.com/tyres-continenta ... -6095.html
Orders under $100 incur a $10 shipping fee....which still make the tyres cheap!

I just purchased two GP4000S's along with a couple of tubes and 5 more CO2 cannisters to get me over the $100 mark for free delivery ($100.50 :D )
I thought it was worth spending the extra $10 to get $20 worth of extra product (and I know I will end up using the tubes and CO2 cannisters).

Dave
2012 Felt F75 | 105 | ProLite Braccianos | GP4000S
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Brettlikes2ride
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Brettlikes2ride » Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:03 am

Thanks Dave,

Just on the tubes thing, is it worth getting a better tube or are the cheapie ones ok, i had my first 2 punctures on new bike 2 wks ago (within 4k's!) and it had a michelin pro race or something tube in it, i fitted a cheapy one from china or wherever that i had on me and it's a much narrower tube than the original one.
Cheers,
2011 Pinarello FPquattro
2009 Giant Defy1 (spare bike now)

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DoogleDave
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby DoogleDave » Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:40 am

Not entirely sure myself, sorry - though I imagine you get what you pay for and I've been using the Continental Race 28's (700c 20-25) which are about $5-$6 ea and seem to be OK - but like any tube they're going to get punctures if the tyre lets something through. A simple puncture repair kit will get these tubes running again.
I tend to carry two spare tubes (new) with me and if I puncture when riding I will replace with new tube and take the old one home and repair it, then put it back in the bike and keep the new one as a backup again.

As for your punctures within 4km's....were they punctures or pinch flats (where the tube was caught between the sidewall of the tyre and the rim)? The punctures would look like a snake bite with two little holes.
If they were punctures you must have just been VERY unlucky or you may have already had something in your tyre that punctured the tube within that short distance or riding.

As long as the tube is designed for the size of tyre/rim you're running then you should be fine.

Hope this helps....
Dave
2012 Felt F75 | 105 | ProLite Braccianos | GP4000S
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Nobody » Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:03 am

BRLVR.v2 wrote:http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/ ... ter_209888

factor this into your width choices too^
Thanks for posting. Interesting.

I disagree with one aspect of Zinn's answer to Robert's question:
Dear Lennard,
In your recent discussion about rolling resistance and tire width you repeatedly stated that rolling resistance for a wider tire is lower at the same tire pressure. But in the real world we don’t run two tire sizes at the same pressure. When I swapped my 700x23s for 25s they beat the snot out of me so I dropped the pressure until the ride was equal to the 700x23s (from 105psi for 700x23s to 85 psi for 700x25s). In this real world application, is the rolling resistance higher, equal or lower for the wider tires?
— Robert

Dear Robert,
The reduced tire pressure drops the rolling resistance even more. You’re getting a rolling resistance reduction for the larger tire, and additional rolling resistance reduction for the lower tire pressure.
― Lennard
This is true as road conditions get rougher, due to less energy loss due to bounce. But most people know the opposite is true on very smooth roads. Probably just an oversight on Zinn's part.

See bottom part of article below for more.
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/What_s_i ... _1034.html

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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Brettlikes2ride » Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:11 am

I do the same thing dave with carrying 2 spares.
They were both punctures, but i guess i knew it was coming, i had been running these old gatorskins as far as i could, but i should have replaced them earlier $$ so when i had 1st puncture i could see all these holes in the tyre, just ran them too thin, plus it was a rainy day and more crap on the road so i was just asking for trouble i guess.

I had read somewhere that a better tube can effect the rolling efficiency of the tyre, but really not sure, but i don't like the look of the really skinny cheapo tubes so will put the patched up race one back in i think
2011 Pinarello FPquattro
2009 Giant Defy1 (spare bike now)

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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Nobody » Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:33 am

Brettlikes2ride wrote:I had read somewhere that a better tube can effect the rolling efficiency of the tyre, but really not sure, but i don't like the look of the really skinny cheapo tubes so will put the patched up race one back in i think
Inner tubes matter: Think there's no point in that expensive lightweight tube? Think again if you're trying to go faster. According to Wheel Energy's data, latex tubes roll 10 percent faster than common 0.6mm-thick butyl tubes, though today's ultra-thin butyl models come admirably close.
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/b ... ths-29245/

Magnum9
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Magnum9 » Wed Aug 08, 2012 6:34 pm

I once sliced a Rubino from bead to bead running over something sharp. That wouldn't have happened to a tyre with some kevlar in it. I think anyone claiming puncture resistance with the Rubino is more down to luck and good habits than the tyre itself. However, for value for money its hard to beat.

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DoogleDave
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby DoogleDave » Wed Aug 08, 2012 6:47 pm

I wouldn't be surprised that a better tube could possibly improve rolling resistance however for the average Joe out there riding I see things like technique, strength/fitness, body weight etc. being a much larger influence on improvement gains than running "slightly" better rolling tubes.

Of course a rider who has already maximised improvement on all these things could find better tubes an enhancement, but I don't think the ave. person needs to be so concerned about it (unless it makes them feel better to do so).

Just my view...
Dave
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Mulger bill » Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:31 pm

Magnum9 wrote:I once sliced a Rubino from bead to bead running over something sharp. That wouldn't have happened to a tyre with some kevlar in it. I think anyone claiming puncture resistance with the Rubino is more down to luck and good habits than the tyre itself. However, for value for money its hard to beat.
There's some things that no amount of kevlar will beat and that sounds like one of them. My Gators laugh at glass and wire but the stump of a sign no more than 40mm high tore the front sidewall a fresh one :(
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
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bosvit
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby bosvit » Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:55 pm

Brettlikes2ride wrote:Hi Guys,

Thanks for all this info, really didn't expect so much.
Still unsure how i'll go, running the old gp4k's at moment, still don't feel confident on them but think it's from the accident i had on them.
talking to my bike shop guy on shop ride sat and he suggested the rubino's, at this stage i'm thinking of sticking with the 23's but will see.

I see a lot of you have yuor bikes listed on the bottom, will look into this later but mine is a Pinarello FPquattro 2011.

Cheers
Hey Brett

Having run both the Conti's and the Rubino's and the Rubino Pros the GP4000s have more grip than the Rubino Pro's and alot more grip than the Rubino's, especially in the wet. So if grip is what you look for most and you are not happy with GP4000's (fastest of the training tyres along with Vittoria Diamante Pro) you will need to buy race tyres eg Conti Supersonics, Vittoria Open Corsa(I love these,probably the nicest tyres I have ever ridden but cut and puncture too easily), Schwalbe Ultremo (my current fav) Michelin Pro race 3 or 4 etc

The problem with race tyres is that you will on average get about half the km's of a fast training tyre eg GP4000s, Rubino Pro, Vittoria Diamante/Diamante Pro etc and about a third of the true training tyres like Conti Ultra's or gatorskins, Vittoria Rubino, Vredestein Fiamme or Volante (great puncture resistance in the wet, last forever $18 + postage from Ribble, not heaps of grip though but not dangerous)......

BUT race tyres will have heaps more grip and will give you alot more confidence to ride on.

IMO the best post on here was (sorry forgot who) how all these tyres are good, it's easy to over think it and I just buy the best value training tyre available at the time for my training bike/commuter and just buy Ultremos for my race bike coz I love them (I'd buy Vittoria Open Corsa but we only have chip seal roads over here and they get killed buy them)

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bosvit
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby bosvit » Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:01 pm

bosvit wrote:
Brettlikes2ride wrote:Hi Guys,

Thanks for all this info, really didn't expect so much.
Still unsure how i'll go, running the old gp4k's at moment, still don't feel confident on them but think it's from the accident i had on them.
talking to my bike shop guy on shop ride sat and he suggested the rubino's, at this stage i'm thinking of sticking with the 23's but will see.

I see a lot of you have yuor bikes listed on the bottom, will look into this later but mine is a Pinarello FPquattro 2011.

Cheers
Hey Brett

Having run both the Conti's and the Rubino's and the Rubino Pros the GP4000s have more grip than the Rubino Pro's and alot more grip than the Rubino's, especially in the wet. So if grip is what you look for most and you are not happy with GP4000's (fastest of the training tyres along with Vittoria Diamante Pro) you will need to buy race tyres eg Conti Supersonics, Vittoria Open Corsa(I love these,probably the nicest tyres I have ever ridden but cut and puncture too easily), Schwalbe Ultremo (my current fav) Michelin Pro race 3 or 4 etc

The problem with race tyres is that you will on average get about half the km's of a fast training tyre eg GP4000s, Rubino Pro, Vittoria Diamante/Diamante Pro etc and about a third of the true training tyres like Conti Ultra's or gatorskins, Vittoria Rubino, Vredestein Fiamme or Volante (great puncture resistance in the wet, last forever $18 + postage from Ribble, not heaps of grip though but not dangerous)......

BUT race tyres will have heaps more grip and will give you alot more confidence to ride on.

IMO the best post on here was (sorry forgot who) how all these tyres are good, it's easy to over think it and I just buy the best value training tyre available at the time for my training bike/commuter and just buy Ultremos for my race bike coz I love them (I'd buy Vittoria Open Corsa but we only have chip seal roads over here and they get killed buy them)
Edit: I forgot Schwalbe Durano S, I've had these good tyres, killed them riding on gravel. I'd put them in the fast trainer slow racer tyre cat with GP4000's (which I really like but can get training tyres cheaper and racing tyres for the same price) and Vittoria Diamante Pros (which I have not tried but friends have)

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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Brettlikes2ride » Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:34 am

Thanks Bos,
I have the gp4000's on now and i just don't like them, especially in the wet, don't know if it's the crash i had on them or what but i'll give em a go for a bit as $ is a bit tight.
Your right that it's easy to overthink things and i've had so much advice here that in some ways it's popped up more questions than answers but i think the more you know the better "guess" you can make
2011 Pinarello FPquattro
2009 Giant Defy1 (spare bike now)

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DoogleDave
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby DoogleDave » Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:18 pm

DoogleDave wrote:For anyone interested in the GP4000S's, BikeBug in Sydney currently have them on sale for $39 ea.
http://www.bikebug.com/tyres-continenta ... -6095.html
Orders under $100 incur a $10 shipping fee....which still make the tyres cheap!

I just purchased two GP4000S's along with a couple of tubes and 5 more CO2 cannisters to get me over the $100 mark for free delivery ($100.50 :D )
I thought it was worth spending the extra $10 to get $20 worth of extra product (and I know I will end up using the tubes and CO2 cannisters).

Dave
Just an update.
I purchased these online yesterday morning from BikeBug (in Sydney) and received them this morning (here in Melb CBD).
Great service and even better pricing!

I guess I know what I'm doing this evening.... :D

Dave
2012 Felt F75 | 105 | ProLite Braccianos | GP4000S
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Magnum9
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby Magnum9 » Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:22 pm

Along a similar line, has anyone tried those Foss tubes?

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DavidTomic
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Re: Road tyre recommendations

Postby DavidTomic » Sat Aug 11, 2012 10:17 am

DoogleDave wrote:For anyone interested in the GP4000S's, BikeBug in Sydney currently have them on sale for $39 ea.
Thanks for the heads up ... it's hard to pass up on prices like that! Conti race tubes are going cheap too, so I bought up big on those as well!

http://www.bikebug.com/tubes-continenta ... -8447.html

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