Want now road tires, but big, thoughts/recommendations?

masraum · 09:51 AM

My bike currently has 700x38 gravel tires with a fair amount of gravel friendly tread.

I'm looking for something with a more street oriented tread, but wanting a better tire and something close in size (assuming I'll have to go a little smaller [32 or 35] to find a decent street tire).

Many/most of the main road tires seem to max out the width at 28mm. I've found what seems like a decent tire that's 35mm and a few in the 32mm size. The main reason why the list below is all Continental is because I've heard so much about the GP4000, GP5000 and GP AS, and their website is the easiest to research on.

I just happened across the 35mm at REI. It's a "Continental Grand Prix Urban 35"
which seems to only be available at REI or in Europe. It seems like it may have developed with/for Schindelhauer. Since it's only as far as I can tell, available at REI, it's kind of pricey at $55/tire. I've seen it on sale in Europe, but I'm not seeing anything cheaper in the US.
700x35, Black Chili compound, 3 ply 180tpi, PolyX Breaker puncture resistance, folding, reflective strip

Then based on the Continental website, these are available in 700x32.

Grand Prix 5000, black chili, 3 ply 330tpi, Vectran puncture resistance (their best puncture resistance)
Grand Prix 4 Season, 3 ply 330 tpi, Vectran puncture resistance
Gatorskin, 3 ply 180tpi, PolyX Breaker (2nd best pucture resistance)
Grand Sport Extra, "PureGrip" compound, 3 ply 180tpi, "NYTech Breaker" way down the list on puncture resistance
Ultra Sport II, "PureGrip" compound, 3 ply 180tpi, no puncture resistance

I guess I would lean towards the tires with the either the Vectran or PolyX puncture resistance. I'd rather have more puncture resistance.

I'm also open to other brands of tires. I've seen a few recommendations here and there. It just seems like the bicycle tire market is even harder to negotiate than the car tire market.

My only thing is that I do want to stick with larger tires. If I could find 38 or 35, great, but smaller tires like 32 give me more options.

LWJ · 02-17-2019, 09:56 AM

I have some version of continental Gatorskins on my tandem. Just amazing. I am traveling so I can’t respond with much intelligence. Look them up. Mine are slick but there are other tread patterns.

stevej37 · 02-17-2019, 10:09 AM

I use the Conti GP 4000's...excellent tires.
Bought them from Amazon...good price.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 02-17-2019, 10:16 AM

as with your car, always get the best tire you can. They are the only things connecting your car and bike to the road.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

I've settled on the Conti GP4000S for 2 of my bikes 23mm on one and 25mm on the other. Great tires, they grip well, ride well and last. Pretty puncture proof until they are very well worn.

I have Gatorskin 32mm on a third bike, these ride like they are made of steel and grip is so so. They wear well and I have never had a puncture w/ them. But this bike isn't my first choice for long rides and is also the least performance oriented in the stable.

For long road trips you want light wheels and tires w/ very little tread.

double check the wheel width the 32s replaced some wider tires and were the narrowest that would fit on those wheels

kanadary · 02-17-2019, 11:01 AM

Specialized armadillo..... never had a flat buy not light

jwasbury · 02-17-2019, 03:24 PM

Check out the Panaracer Gravel King. Not the “SK” version which has knobs, the smooth version. Also look into Compass tires. They are made by Panaracer.

masraum · 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwasbury

Check out the Panaracer Gravel King. Not the “SK” version which has knobs, the smooth version. Also look into Compass tires. They are made by Panaracer.

That's another one that was previously recommended to me, I think by my LBS or maybe by someone here on the board or maybe both.

And the Gravelking is made in 700x38 in the non-SK version.

mepstein · 04:23 PM

For training I always purchased a lower or medium range tire with good puncture resistance. Training was about putting on the miles. Racing always got high end tires, mostly sew-ups, $75-100 retail. The problem with general riding on high end tires, even puncture resistant ones, is to play the low weight game, the tires don't have a lot of rubber on them. So it might have great puncture resistance and a great formula rubber compound but so little of it, you are down to the casing pretty quick. I did recently get some Conti GP 4000 tires. They were on sale very cheap on amazon. $40/pr. I've never ridden 26mm tires before on a road bike. 23 was always the norm but wider tires are becoming popular. They are very smooth riding.
Also, the rims on your bike are probably pretty sturdy but none too light. A nice tire will help but probably won't be earth shattering.
And again, I would focus your effort on your wife's bike first. The weight of her bike is proportionally heavier than yours. Do whatever you can to make it lighter and more efficient.

masraum · 02-17-2019, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mepstein

For training I always purchased a lower or medium range tire with good puncture resistance. Training was about putting on the miles. Racing always got high end tires, mostly sew-ups, $75-100 retail. The problem with general riding on high end tires, even puncture resistant ones, is to play the low weight game, the tires don't have a lot of rubber on them. So it might have great puncture resistance and a great formula rubber compound but so little of it, you are down to the casing pretty quick. I did recently get some Conti GP 4000 tires. They were on sale very cheap on amazon. $40/pr. I've never ridden 26mm tires before on a road bike. 23 was always the norm but wider tires are becoming popular. They are very smooth riding.
Also, the rims on your bike are probably pretty sturdy but none too light. A nice tire will help but probably won't be earth shattering.
And again, I would focus your effort on your wife's bike first. The weight of her bike is proportionally heavier than yours. Do whatever you can to make it lighter and more efficient.

Thanks. Both of our bikes are chrome moly, so I'm not sure that shaving a few grams here and there is going to help a ton. Also, she doesn't want to be the guinea pig for anything.

I'm not going to be getting any tires that are all that racey, since we won't be racing. I think our tires are going to be more like a very high quality touring tire with lots of puncture/flat resistance.

vash · vash's Garage

I’m a gatorskin guy.

masraum · 02-17-2019, 08:40 PM

I waffle back and forth. I'd like something that's practically puncture impervious, but I also want the most comfort and the best grip. I'm less worried about weight and speed. I think that puncture resistance and comfort are usually somewhat mutually exclusive. It seems that to get REALLY puncture resistant, you have to add some big, heavy, stiff stuff in the tread of the tire which usually makes them ride worse, and to increase comfort you usually go with a thinner more supple tread which makes them less puncture resistant (even with protective layers).

It looks like the Panaracer Gravelkings come in 700x38 with the file tread pattern, they have 126tpi (I'm assuming it's a 3ply 42tpi setup) casing and 3mm tread. 330g for the 700x38. It looks like these have a rubber compound that's longer lasting. $31 (on eBay!

)

Then there's the Continental stuff that are either 330 or 180 tpi (3x60 or 3x110 casing).

There's a 180 tpi option in 700x35 (GP Urban) with their second best puncture protection 350g (second heaviest of the bunch). $55

Gatorskins are 180tpi, 700x32, second best puncture resistant layer, plus "duraskin" which helps the sidewalls and in foldable form they weigh 375g $43

Then there's the GP 4 Season in 700x32 with double layers of their best puncture protection and 330tpi at 320g. $40

Then there's the GP5000 at 330 tpi in 700x32 and 295g with their best puncture protection. This one has a rubber compound that doesn't last quite as long, but has more grip and speed. almost $100

I assume any/all of these are going to have more grip and be more comfortable than the tires that we're running now. Darn it, decisions, decisions.

When I take price into consideration, trying to balance everything, it's between the Gravelkings (from ebay) and the Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons for $40 from Amazon. The biggest difference being 700x32 for the GP4S at $40 vs 700x38 for the PR GK at $31.

masraum · 02-17-2019, 08:55 PM

Maybe if I want more comfort and more puncture protection...

look 171 · 02-18-2019, 12:46 AM

I have one Conti GP left on one of my bike. I am a huge fan of Vittoria CX, but I am not sure what their new replacement is anymore. They are a little forgiven over rough roads compared to Conti. I am only talking racing / very fast tires here. The other is Schwarbe 1. They are grippy (I know no such ward) and the ride is very nice and soft. With that comes a price, they wear faster then other tires of similar price. Since I am not racing, I like riding on nice tires, the feel is great. The higher the TPI, the better riding the tire. If you can find a 28mm tire, do it. Why go to 32, so big and heavy. That bike you have there is set up to be a comfortable bike that you can ride all day on. The wheel base is longer and the angle's are less steep compared to a traditional road bike. YOu will be fine. Too bad you weren't closer, I loan you my different wheel sets with different tires on em' so you can be the judge. I know that will make you want to spend more money.

MFAFF · 02-18-2019, 01:20 AM

Tyres... what a topic!

Running Schwalbe Ones 28mm on the road bike, replacing the Schwalbe Ones 25mm after circa 10K kms last year.. in all weathers. The punctures I had were due to wear... feel a tad silly when you puncture and realise you can see the threads just below the surface of the rubber.

For my training and use these are just right... good performance and decent cost.

Comfort of the 28mm is much better than the 25mm, a few psi less and a little more volume makes every ride more comfortable and hence more enjoyable and faster.....

I have the Gravel King SKs in 35mm on the gravel bike. Allied to the slightly more relaxed geometry it like riding in a decent sedan. Seriously its far more comfortable and yes there is a slight speed penalty (circa 1km/h average) due to the tyres, however it is worth it for the improvement in comfort over the length of the ride.

I have had poor experiences with Conti, perhaps due to the fact I had the lower end of the performance range on the road bike initially. Lots of Gp4s and new 5000s on high end road bikes around here, as well as Schwalbe Pro Ones and other top of the range tyres.

Had Specialised Armadillos on a flat bar road bike as a commuter, few punctures, however the down side was a harsh ride and a bit of a struggle when I did need to repair in inner tube. Would re-think that choice now, preferring a wider tyre.

Might I suggest that the ultimate performance of the tyres is perhaps of little benefit to your planned ride? Comfort and peace of mind might be more immediately beneficial and so I’d focus on that. It seems if you can obtain Gravel Kings at the price you state you cannot go wrong. Try them and see how they feel. If they do not work they may do so fro your wife, whose bike and size is different. Also play with the pressures to find a setting that works for you. Lots of good guides for that as well!

Welcome to the rabbit hole!

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej37

I use the Conti GP 4000's...excellent tires.
Bought them from Amazon...good price.

^^^This

I use Gatorskins for training and GP4000 for the main rides. The new tire is the GP5000

vmb · 05:40 AM

forgive me for going a little tangential on this topic, but it got me thinking back to the late 80's when I ran some 18 or 19mm tires with "wings" or "shoulders" built up from the bead that made the rim-sidewall transition more aerodynamic, or so they claimed. Funny to look back on what we thought was fast back then. IIRC, it was the Michelin Hi-Lite supercomp? But I was not able to find anything on the web confirming that. I remember some other clincher tire manufacturers from that era were Specialized, Avocet and Conti.

Now, I'm 99% mountain biking on 27.5x2.8in wide Maxxis Rekon/Ikons at 15/17psi on a 160/150mm full suspension bike. Talk about comfy and grip! But, the other 1% I am on the road bike with 25mm Conti GP4000 and am quite happy with the dry and deluge storm performance on steep road climbs and winding decents. I do wonder how much comfort is going to be dictated by the tire and tire size on a steel frame though. With a super stiff carbon frame, I imagine tire and pressure choice will be significant, but on a steel frame maybe not as much? Also consider double wrapping your handlebars, getting a Ti-railed saddle and if it hasn't been said yet, make sure your bikes are sized properly. Lots of sizing advice on the web.

Great to see how excited and involved you're getting in this sport!

masraum · 02-18-2019, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

I have one Conti GP left on one of my bike. I am a huge fan of Vittoria CX, but I am not sure what their new replacement is anymore. They are a little forgiven over rough roads compared to Conti. I am only talking racing / very fast tires here. The other is Schwarbe 1. They are grippy (I know no such ward) and the ride is very nice and soft. With that comes a price, they wear faster then other tires of similar price. Since I am not racing, I like riding on nice tires, the feel is great. The higher the TPI, the better riding the tire. If you can find a 28mm tire, do it. Why go to 32, so big and heavy. That bike you have there is set up to be a comfortable bike that you can ride all day on.

You had mentioned the Vittoria tires before. I think I had a hard time finding the tires that you'd specifically mentioned.

Our current tires are 38, so going down to 32 is two sizes down from what we are on.

masraum · 02-18-2019, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFAFF

Tyres... what a topic!

Running Schwalbe Ones 28mm on the road bike, replacing the Schwalbe Ones 25mm after circa 10K kms last year.. in all weathers. The punctures I had were due to wear... feel a tad silly when you puncture and realise you can see the threads just below the surface of the rubber.

For my training and use these are just right... good performance and decent cost.

Comfort of the 28mm is much better than the 25mm, a few psi less and a little more volume makes every ride more comfortable and hence more enjoyable and faster.....

Hence my desire to stay with a bigger tire. Besides, at least to a point, wider tires actually have less rolling resistance than more narrow tires, and are faster, at least on rough road, than more narrow tires. Of course, you do have to watch for the weight penalty, but with our relatively heavy steel bikes, I'm not sure that a few grams is going to make a huge difference. Our bikes are supposed to fit up to a 40mm wide tire or I think wider if it's a 650 vs 700.

Quote:

I have the Gravel King SKs in 35mm on the gravel bike. Allied to the slightly more relaxed geometry it like riding in a decent sedan. Seriously its far more comfortable and yes there is a slight speed penalty (circa 1km/h average) due to the tyres, however it is worth it for the improvement in comfort over the length of the ride.

I'm thinking really hard about the wide GravelKings with the nearly slick tread.

Quote:

I have had poor experiences with Conti, perhaps due to the fact I had the lower end of the performance range on the road bike initially. Lots of Gp4s and new 5000s on high end road bikes around here, as well as Schwalbe Pro Ones and other top of the range tyres.

Had Specialised Armadillos on a flat bar road bike as a commuter, few punctures, however the down side was a harsh ride and a bit of a struggle when I did need to repair in inner tube. Would re-think that choice now, preferring a wider tyre.

And we aren't wanting to kill comfort to go for ultimate puncture protection.

Quote:

Might I suggest that the ultimate performance of the tyres is perhaps of little benefit to your planned ride? Comfort and peace of mind might be more immediately beneficial and so I’d focus on that. It seems if you can obtain Gravel Kings at the price you state you cannot go wrong. Try them and see how they feel. If they do not work they may do so fro your wife, whose bike and size is different. Also play with the pressures to find a setting that works for you. Lots of good guides for that as well!

Welcome to the rabbit hole!

Other than size, the missus and I have the exact same bike, mine in 58 and her's is a 51. Still, I do think that our upgrades/changes will mostly mirror each other's. I'll be the guinea pig, and then if an upgrade seems good, then I'll duplicate it on her bike. I don't think we want or need ultimate performance. I'm looking for durability and comfort tied for first place with performance coming in just behind the other two.

David · David's Garage

I run Schwalbe One 28mm tubeless tires on my Madone. They just barely fit and one even expanded after a few weeks and started rubbing the forks. Weird. I tried running the 25mm Ones but I had 2 catastrophic blowouts, went back to Padrones, and then back the Ones but 28mm and haven't had any blowouts. I was running 95 psi on the 25s which might have been the problem. I'm running 75 psi on the 28s.

At around $50 per tire, my tire budget is a few hundred dollars a year since I replace them after a puncture. Except for the blowouts, I have been able to keep riding after a puncture. The key is to keep moving so the sealant does it's job. You may only have 40 psi when it seals but it still rides OK.