You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I've got a Triban 3 and I'm doing a bit of bimbling around. I understand there are pretty good speed gains to be had from upgrading the wheels and tyres. Has anyone got any suggestions for cheap, quick tyres?
I'll leave the wheel upgrade for when I've got some spare moolah / break the ones I've got!
how much is the first question. i would suggest 25ish per tyre as a sensible budget.
Have a look at michelin pro4's, vredestein fortezza's, conti gp4000's
and look at ribble.co.uk or probikekit.com for cheap.
I run Gatorskins. They're supposed to be slow, but I like the added protection.
+1 vredestein fortezza tricomp
I'm a Gatorskin man too. Would rather spend my time riding than fixing punctures. And that's the biggest problem with the cheapest tyres. Can pick them up for just over £20 each.
How much? How little can I get away with? 😀
Also, I know stuff all about road tyres, so let me know who makes them and which model I want to be looking at!
I'm not a speed merchant, so have ridden Gatorskins and before that Bontrager Hardcases. Haven't punctured on the road for over 3 years >> I will puncture tomorrow obviously.
Conti GP 4 Seasons £29.99 @ probikekit and i think theres 10% off CF10UK
Gatorskins are awful tyres. GP4000s are adequately fast enough, and still pretty puncture resistant if you're not riding in the gutter.
Schwalbe Durano's are my go to tyre. Puncture protection on a par with Gatorskins, but they actually grip rather than the super slippy gators!
Hard to argue with the silly price deals on Michelin Pro4's everywhere now though, especially if you can pick up a pair of the 25c Endurance models cheap. Some places selling for up to 60% discount!
Rubino Pros are cheap strong and comfortable. A lot of the hardcase tyres are dreadful to ride on, yes puncture protection is good but wouldn't you rather ride a nice tyre every day and fix the odd puncture.
+1 Rubino Pros ... go for the 150tpi version ... 🙂
I bought some of the discounted pro4s for my ride - they seem nice. Significantly lighter/ gripper than the stock tyre on my Giant Defy and no punctures yet. Gator skins are fine on a commuter but personally I wouldn't use them on a leisure bike. They're heavy, dull-feeling and don't have lots of grip. But they do seen to stop punctures.
I bought a pair of Michelin Lithion 2's in 25 width for around £25 from Ribble.2,000 miles on no punctures and no discernible wear.Can't fault them for the money.
Not sure about Triban 3 but with Triban 2 a deeper profile tyre made it very awkward to get the back wheel out as the tyre came up against the chainstay bridge and prevented you from getting the QR past the derailleur hanger. This would be especially awkward with a "comfort" tyre like a Specialized Roubaix. Worth bearing in mind?
Whatever, I would recommend Michelin Pro 3 or Pro 4 as good all-round tyres, you can find them for £22 each if you search around.
but wouldn't you rather ride a nice tyre every day and fix the odd puncture
In the summer, yeah. Winter, never!
Is the difference that noticeable? People keep saying it, but I have a hard time accepting it.