Which Winter Road Bike Tyres?

Which Winter Road Bike Tyres?

Author
Discussion

GBDG

Original Poster:

896 posts

153 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
I need some new tyres, and with winter around the corner, it makes sense to buy some with a bit more grip so I can keep going in all conditions.

I've seen that conti gatorskins come highly recommended, but they're fairly expensive.

The other question I have is probably a bit of a stupid one - when you buy tyres, do they come in pairs or as a single tyre? So would I need to order 2x or 1x! It doesn't seem to say anywhere - but I might be being thick.

S10GTA

12,645 posts

166 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
Conti 4 seasons are very good

Armadillos are not

GBDG

Original Poster:

896 posts

153 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
S10GTA said:
Conti 4 seasons are very good

Armadillos are not
Is it worth getting 700x25? Or does it make a difference over 700x23?

S10GTA

12,645 posts

166 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
GBDG said:
Is it worth getting 700x25? Or does it make a difference over 700x23?
IMHO, no.

daz3210

5,000 posts

239 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
You buy them singly so for a pair you buy x2

TKF

6,232 posts

234 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
S10GTA said:
Conti 4 seasons are very good

Armadillos are not
How so?

I have plenty of puncture free miles under my Armadillos.

Jimbo.

3,941 posts

188 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
GBDG said:
Is it worth getting 700x25? Or does it make a difference over 700x23?
It makes a lot of difference IME: the 25s roll faster and ride smoother. re, specific tyres, Open Paves! Pro as f...biggrin

S10GTA

12,645 posts

166 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
TKF said:
How so?

I have plenty of puncture free miles under my Armadillos.
In my opinion the Armadillos are slow. I didn't like them at all. They last a bloodly long time too frown

okgo

37,855 posts

197 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
Rubino Pro's are decent and are quite cheap too. I've got the wire versions on my work bike and they're solid, but heavy, the folding ones are quite a lot lighter but imagine still offer pretty robust protection.

GBDG

Original Poster:

896 posts

153 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
Got some Conti 4 seasons for about £22.50 a tyre from Ribble, seemed a decent enough price. Please don't post these are awful or anything, as i've already bought them wink

okgo

37,855 posts

197 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
Good price I think.

No, they're good tyres.

GBDG

Original Poster:

896 posts

153 months

Friday 31st August 2012
quotequote all
okgo said:
Rubino Pro's are decent and are quite cheap too. I've got the wire versions on my work bike and they're solid, but heavy, the folding ones are quite a lot lighter but imagine still offer pretty robust protection.
Probably would have got these instead if i'd read this first. Could get them for just under £30 for a pair at Ribble ATM. (you'd need to spend over £35, which I was as got some overshoes as well)

yellowjack

17,065 posts

165 months

Sunday 2nd September 2012
quotequote all
Nah! Don't look back, you bought right in the first place. I REALLY didn't get on with Rubino tyres AT ALL, in fact I mostly came off when they were on my bike. The Continental Grand Prix 4Seasons that you've bought are great. They ride better than Gatorskins, and I put 1,715 miles under my set of GP 4Seasons between Autumn '11 and Summer '12, puncture free, no grip issues, and there's life in them yet, so they'll go back on soon, given the weather we've been having. In my experience, the Rubinos lacked grip, and the Gators where heavier, with a harsher ride, and less grip than the GP 4's. No regrets, you've bought well.

GBDG

Original Poster:

896 posts

153 months

Sunday 9th September 2012
quotequote all
Tyres have arrived and been fitted to the bike. I've done about 100 miles on them and what a difference it makes! The rolling resistance of the bike feels as though it's reduced significantly.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 9th September 2012
quotequote all
Four seasons have fragile sidewalls, so do Ultremo DD's but they ride as well as most summer tyres. Tempted to run GP4000s all through the winter right now.

Renn Sport

2,761 posts

208 months

Tuesday 13th December 2016
quotequote all
Hi chaps,

Is this thread still relevant or has the game moved on?

I am still running slicks (yes I am newbie) and have had the most entertaining two wheel slides on the road and some of the cycle lanes across Vauxhall (oh how I laughed and oh how my sphincter tightened!)

Are the Continental 4 seasons still the tyre of choice? Need to get some real winter tyres.

Gren

1,947 posts

251 months

Tuesday 13th December 2016
quotequote all
I ran 4 seasons all last winter and never had a puncture on either bike. Couldn't really tell the difference between them and GP4000s so left them on all summer as well

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Tuesday 13th December 2016
quotequote all
yep still running 4 seasons, no loss of grip and no real penalty

Bit pricey but great value


fromage

537 posts

202 months

Tuesday 13th December 2016
quotequote all
I just use GP4000s all year round and my commuter gets my race bike hand me downs. Prob only puncture 3-4 times a year which is 10000ish miles

I remember trying Gatorskins when I first start cycling and they were terrible, truly awful grip when wet!

AndStilliRise

2,295 posts

115 months

Tuesday 13th December 2016
quotequote all
I bought some Gators after suffering about 10 punctures on my GP4000s. Then managed to have 2 last weekend on the same wheel. The joy was immense.

The GP4000s had no grip in the wet and commuting on them was just plain dangerous. The gators are a much slower tyre, i have lost minutes on my commute but at least i know i can stop when i need too. The plan* is to use these over the winter and then switch back to summer tires which should give me more speed in the spring/summer.

700*25s

  • Not sure how this is a plan TBH, to ride fast i need to ride fast so could be a flawed plan.