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Hello,
My current tyres (on a canondale 105) need replacing. Any opinions or good deals spotted on mid-price range tyres? Usually out for 30 - 60 miles. Rarey used in the wet (if I can help it)!
Thanks.
You're about to get glowing recommendations for every tyre ever made but IMO,
Vittoria Corsa CX is the best no compromise tyre, best feel but not long lasting nor puncture resistant. Not sure what you mean by mid price but they are often on sale.
Michelin pro 4 is more of a compromise but nice rubber all the same.
For occasional 60 milers on sunny days and no commuting or bad weather training, I'd go for the CXs . Life's too short...
GP4000S's
Conti GP4000's get my vote, last an age, seem to have been pretty puncture proof for me and grip really well in the wet or dry.
Michelin Pro4 are fantastically comfortable and pretty puncture resistant and you can often find them for £22.00. Alternatively there are still stocks of Pro3s at very low prices, that is also an excellent tyre.
When you say your bike is a cannondale 105, is it one of the caad models? If so,and if it comes with the maddux 3.0 wheels then be warned that the conti GP4000s are an absolute swine to get on (and off). Speaking from experience here with two very sore thumbs after an 80 mile, two puncture ride last summer.
Just trying out PX's own RageK's as I'm sold on their own mtb tyres. Quite tough to mount on my Racing 5s, but they look good, folding, dual compound, kevlar belt, £9.99!
Can't be doing with punctures, same weight as folding gators (+/- 240g) but I'm hoping for more grip and better ride, will find out in the next couple days.
My faves are Conti 4000s or Schwalbe Ultremo ZX.
Michelin Krylions are great but not made any more so I'll say the Michelin Pro 4 Endurance. Pretty light, fast rolling and puncture resistant
I've run Schwalbe Ultremo ZX for the last two years.
Would I recommend them? No.
They feel great, roll superbly, really grippy but last about 5 minutes before they either cut up, fall to pieces or blow off the rim.
I'll be going for Conti GP4000's next time.
GP4000S's
this 😉
As others have recommended, I really like Conti 4000s. I currently use 23mm, but my mate has moved to 25mm and he seems to think they roll batter, and his cornering has certainly improved since he swapped.
You can't really go wrong with GP4000s
Roll ok, last well, reasonably puncture resistant
Contis are great. Just moved to 25mm and comfier on our terrible roads.
Very lightly worn 23mm GP4000s might be spare if you are interested? Email in profile.
Contis are great. Just moved to 25mm and comfier on our terrible roads.
28mm Conti 4 Season here for even more comfort 😀
Vittoria Corsa Evo CX here too. 320tpi gives an amazing ride feel. You do sacrifice puncture protection and durability, but it's worth it!
28mm Conti 4 Season here for even more comfort
This
Vittoria Corsa Evo CX here too. 320tpi gives an amazing ride feel
[url= http://www.conti-online.com/www/bicycle_de_en/themes/race/gp4season_en.html ]Conti 4 season are 330tpi[/url] 🙂
I've had nothing but bad luck with GP4000s's. And I'm sure it is just bad luck too - pinch puncture wrecked a sidewall, another wrecked sidewall for no apparent reason.... and, ahem, another wrecked sidewall when the ironing board fell on it.
So currently on rubino pro slick 23s. All fine and no sidewall/ironing related incidents so far 😉
25c Schwalbe Ones for feel, weight and rolling resistance
25c Schwalbe Durano S for cost and durability
To be honest, any decent tyre will be a significant upgrade on the wire on Luganos your bike came with.
I've been running Ultremo's for the past few years. Getting ~3000 miles from the rears. I don't seem to be getting any of the issues mentioned above and they are soooo light.
OK, l have no idea what the best road tyres are. But I have a canondale that came stock with luganos, which felt OK to me until I got hold of a pair of conti 4 seasons, which made a truly significant difference in ride feel. So as Tired above says, any decent tyre is likely to feel significantly better than the luganos.
Ultremo's aren't as good as they used to be, michelin have struggled with road tyres for years, vredestein tri comp are pretty good and you can pick them up pretty cheap but I'd go conti gp4000s
If you hate punctures then there's only one choice
Conti gatorskins
+1 FOR Michelin Pro4 endurance as my choice of all round tyre, would have been michelin krylion carbon too but they don't make them anymore 🙁 🙁
I also had nothing but punctures with Conti tyres.
I've been running Ultremo's for the past few years. Getting ~3000 miles from the rears. I don't seem to be getting any of the issues mentioned above and they are soooo light.
Me too, at least 3000 mile on this pair and only one p.......
Have to agree with above, Vittoria's are bloody lovely. Veloflex black are up there too.
I've some Michelin Pro4's to try though, probikekit and planet x have had them at crazy prices <£20.
Wow, that's great. Thank you.
pave 😉
Michelin Pro Race 4. Best all rounder IMHO!
I've been using Vittoria Open Corsa cx for a few years on my 'best bike' and they really are a great tyre - lovely supple feel, fast, but they do cut up easily. The hot tyre at the moment is the Schwalbe One, I haven't tried them though. I also use Continental GP 4Season on my commuter and they're fantastic - very puncture proof but not the same feel as the Vittorias.
'Best' tyre depends on the application though, - racing, commuting, pootling will all have a different 'best' and if you're also adding a 'best value' parameter then it gets tricky to recommend.
Michelin Pro 4 here. On offer at Merlin
The hot tyre at the moment is the Schwalbe One, I haven't tried them though
I have them on the race bike in 25c with latex tubes. They are magnificent. I managed to write the front one off in a crash on their first outing and the rear with a screw on the second!
Profile is very much like a tubular, and the latex tubes reduce rolling resistance.
I still like Durano S though, previously these were Stelvio race tyres.
Between the two, I see Ultremos being squeezed out of the equation.
For cheaper, I also like Mavic tyres, thy are untrendy, but I think they roll.
What are the mavic tyres that come on the aksium wts wheels like?
gatorskins are very puncture proof, last well and a sensible price - but the rubber is a quite hard compound which makes them not brilliant in the wet, especially the 23s
I use them on the back of my fixed commuter bike (25mm, 7bar) and they are fine but I would recommend a pro4 or GP4seasons for the front
[i]I have them on the race bike in 25c with latex tubes[/i]
Yeh I use latex tubes with the vitorias and its a great combination. Will probably try the Schwalbe one this summer.
From experience the GP4 Season is more puncture proof than the gatorskins, so I'd put them on front and back. I don't do not matching tyres anyway 🙂
What are the mavic tyres that come on the aksium wts wheels like?
The Aksium tyres are Yksion Comp, I think#. I ride the more expensive Yksion Pros in 23 and 25c. I like the Pros, supple, smooth and grippy. Made by Vittoria or Michelin. Unlike Schwalbe, they come up pretty narrow, with a definite "U" profile - the Ones have much more of a tubular "O" profile. I have not found the Mavics prone to punctures and I have raced them. Just testing some 25c's for longer distance rides on CXP33s. Unlike others, I rather like them in the rain. They are £10/end cheaper than the Ones, but don't feel it.
Other tyres in the TiRed stable are Ultremo ZXs, lovely but Ones are nicer, Lugano (off the CAAD8), Durano Plus and Marathon Plus
#I do have a Comp 23c as a spare bought cheap. It has no sipes, and is not as supple, being a harder material.
+1 for Pro 4 Endurance - best all rounder i've tried (25c)
Used Conti GP 4 Seasons in 28mm on my winter bike and they are comfy, grippy and tough as a tough thing, and they still seem to be fairly fast.