Tyres, big difference or am I imagining it?
Discussion
I feel like rotating mass and it's importance doesn't get discussed enough on here, so I'm after some advice.
I recently got a new set of rims for my double budget bike (R501's) with a pair of continental Ultra Race tyres to go on them. Fitted them and all was wonderful with the world, bike felt a lot more responsive, getting up hills seemed less of a drag etc. Then on my way to work on Monday I managed to get about a 4 inch bit of what looked like wiper blade metal frame bit stuck in the rear tyre. After a bit of harrumphing I sorted that out and finished the ride to work with a decent looking cut in the tyre (bit of the old inner tube over the hole) didn't fancy riding home on that so I got a Gatorskin from halfords at lunch.
Now the bike seems sluggish, the hills that were fun before now seem like a drag etc etc.
So, are the tyres really going to make that much of a difference? Do I order a new ultra race, restore the balance and keep the gatorskin as a spare, or do I chuck some more air in and refer to rule #5?
I recently got a new set of rims for my double budget bike (R501's) with a pair of continental Ultra Race tyres to go on them. Fitted them and all was wonderful with the world, bike felt a lot more responsive, getting up hills seemed less of a drag etc. Then on my way to work on Monday I managed to get about a 4 inch bit of what looked like wiper blade metal frame bit stuck in the rear tyre. After a bit of harrumphing I sorted that out and finished the ride to work with a decent looking cut in the tyre (bit of the old inner tube over the hole) didn't fancy riding home on that so I got a Gatorskin from halfords at lunch.
Now the bike seems sluggish, the hills that were fun before now seem like a drag etc etc.
So, are the tyres really going to make that much of a difference? Do I order a new ultra race, restore the balance and keep the gatorskin as a spare, or do I chuck some more air in and refer to rule #5?
Well one tyre is £16 and the other is £30, so there must be some differences there. I moved from Gatorskins to FOur Seasons and I certainly felt differences. I felt I had to run higher PSI in the four seasons to compensate for the squidgy sidewall. If I didn't, then the bike would feel too soft.
I've just moved from Gatorskins to GP4000S and they are a world apart. The Gatorskins do what they are designed to do very well but they are hard. I covered 1000 miles this year without a puncture! They seem to roll ok but they make the bike nervous over the bumps and send more vibration through the bike as they do not flex much. At the same pressure the GP4000S are more comfortable by a big margin. I've just enjoyed breaking them in on a 100mile sportive. I dont seem to be locking the rear brake as much on steep downhills when I'm trying to stop at the bottom so I think I have better grip. I dont think I can tell any real difference in roll resistance but I will see if I can break my average speed record for my commute home over the next week.
I'm so convinced that the Gatorskins are not for me that I will be buying All Seasons for winter. I'd rather a little less puncture resistance for more comfort.
I'm so convinced that the Gatorskins are not for me that I will be buying All Seasons for winter. I'd rather a little less puncture resistance for more comfort.
My first Boardman was fitted with Ultra race tyres, I thought they were ok till I went to GP4000s, which I thought were great till I went to Michelin Pro3 Race... there was a marked difference in the compound between all three but the Ultras were, in hindsight, pretty shocking. Very hard compound and fairly unforgiving on a rough surface.
Rolls said:
Gator's are ste in the wet IME!
Oh yesI wont use them any more. One too many occasions of entering a slide on a roundabout or having the back wheel spinning when out of the saddle on a climb in the damp.
Tyres make a HUGE difference
I've settled on GP4seasons for winter tyres and a permanent fixture on my audax bike. I switched from Gators to those and the difference was amazing. Felt faster, grippier and all round happier.
Just put a set of GP4000IIs on my summer bike for Ridelondon as the previous Force Attack combo were fast, grippy and fantastic in the dry but not ideal in the wet.
I have never got on with any Conti's despite them being a popular brand. I really like Open Corsa's but they are a race tyre and not very resilient (but they ride really well), after trial and error I have settled on Vredestein Fortezza Tricomps for the summer and Quattros for the winter.
In answer to the original question, imho tyre compound, tyre pressure, and carcass weight can make a HUGE difference to the way a bike rides and handles.
In answer to the original question, imho tyre compound, tyre pressure, and carcass weight can make a HUGE difference to the way a bike rides and handles.
I have the same Vdestrians as Mad Dad, they offer a good compromise for me, I forgot how good they are in the wet
I agree tyres make a huge difference
BUT in regards to the OP , if they are two decent brands, the same size and width, then I cant see them making a big difference on hills. gatorskins are "HArd" and thus could make the ride bouncy
Are you using a trackpump to get them up to a decent PSI? (
On large stretches of poor quality tarmac maybe they can affect speed
Sometimes I think its been a st ride. I feel like I'm struggling and riding in treacle etc
I then look at my stats and realise the pace was normal, it just felt "slow"
I agree tyres make a huge difference
BUT in regards to the OP , if they are two decent brands, the same size and width, then I cant see them making a big difference on hills. gatorskins are "HArd" and thus could make the ride bouncy
Are you using a trackpump to get them up to a decent PSI? (
On large stretches of poor quality tarmac maybe they can affect speed
Sometimes I think its been a st ride. I feel like I'm struggling and riding in treacle etc
I then look at my stats and realise the pace was normal, it just felt "slow"
I've threw some more air in it before I headed off to work this am, that seems to have sorted out the problem.
I don't have a track pump, or a pressure gauge at the moment, when I bought all the gear I just got the mini pump that I could take with me, seemed a bit extravagant to buy two pumps in one go, so I've just been putting air in them till they are double hard to the squeeze.
Think a track pump will be the next purchase from wiggle
Thanks all for your input.
I don't have a track pump, or a pressure gauge at the moment, when I bought all the gear I just got the mini pump that I could take with me, seemed a bit extravagant to buy two pumps in one go, so I've just been putting air in them till they are double hard to the squeeze.
Think a track pump will be the next purchase from wiggle
Thanks all for your input.
Tom,p
Get a track oump. It's the most important tool on the box.
I started with a lezyne road drive, a frame mount pump i presumed was good enough to get the thres really up there. In reality, it was 60 psi.
Running at 100 psi is sooooooo different it's unreal. I pump mine before every ride - over 3 bikes some wheels seem to lose about 10 psi between rides, one front drops to about 40 after 2 days!
Get a track oump. It's the most important tool on the box.
I started with a lezyne road drive, a frame mount pump i presumed was good enough to get the thres really up there. In reality, it was 60 psi.
Running at 100 psi is sooooooo different it's unreal. I pump mine before every ride - over 3 bikes some wheels seem to lose about 10 psi between rides, one front drops to about 40 after 2 days!
oOTomOo said:
I've threw some more air in it before I headed off to work this am, that seems to have sorted out the problem.
I don't have a track pump, or a pressure gauge at the moment, when I bought all the gear I just got the mini pump that I could take with me, seemed a bit extravagant to buy two pumps in one go, so I've just been putting air in them till they are double hard to the squeeze.
Think a track pump will be the next purchase from wiggle
Thanks all for your input.
Buy a track pump immediately. Now.I don't have a track pump, or a pressure gauge at the moment, when I bought all the gear I just got the mini pump that I could take with me, seemed a bit extravagant to buy two pumps in one go, so I've just been putting air in them till they are double hard to the squeeze.
Think a track pump will be the next purchase from wiggle
Thanks all for your input.
Go get a Joe Blow II from Halfords at £30. It's good enough and cheap.
You have no idea what pressures you're running and I'll put money that you're running them way out. Having pressures right (or close enough) will make more difference than anything else.
Seriously why are you still reading this and not on your way to get a track pump?
Through a catalogue of "I should know better" errors I'd ended up under inflating my tyres for a couple of weeks (Hadn't fitted valve extenders properly, couldn't get a proper reading on my pump or pressure gauge).
The difference running them at 60-70psi vs 110 was huge. I thought I was dropping off due to overdoing it, lack of rest etc. Put the right pressures in and suddenly I was faster than ever.
The difference running them at 60-70psi vs 110 was huge. I thought I was dropping off due to overdoing it, lack of rest etc. Put the right pressures in and suddenly I was faster than ever.
Pressure makes a big difference, in the dry I tend to run at 120psi, 110psi in the wet.
Also, bear in mind tyres will lose pressure over a couple of days, to keep mine at 120 I have to top them up every couple of days - so don't think that by pumping them to 120 on Monday they will still be at that pressure on Thursday!
Another thing to bear in mind is most rims and tyres have a min/max inflation - too much or too little and you could pop the tyre from the rim or damage the sidewall. Tri-comps are rated to 140psi but my rims are only rated to 125.....
Also, bear in mind tyres will lose pressure over a couple of days, to keep mine at 120 I have to top them up every couple of days - so don't think that by pumping them to 120 on Monday they will still be at that pressure on Thursday!
Another thing to bear in mind is most rims and tyres have a min/max inflation - too much or too little and you could pop the tyre from the rim or damage the sidewall. Tri-comps are rated to 140psi but my rims are only rated to 125.....
I swapped tyres to 25mm earlier in the year and am now also running at about 85 - 90 psi. Much more comfortable ride than 120 psi and (fingers crossed) not one single puncture since I lowered the pressures. Where I live and ride we have a LOT of flints which at one stage was leading to a puncture every other ride.
Swapped out Gatorskins for GP4000 just before the Etape du Tour. previously i had little confidence in the dry with the Gatorskins yet on the 4000 i felt secure even coming down a sodden, cold Tourmalet descent!!
it all reaffirmed just how much i like the GP4000s (had earlier version a few years back)
for me defo a noticeable difference
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