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34 comments
i run Schwalbe Marathon tyres in a 25mm and use them for commuting including light offroad, 14,000 miles done now and only 2 punctures (3 sets of tyres)
i run Schwalbe Marathon tyres in a 25mm and use them for commuting including light offroad, 14,000 miles done now and only 2 punctures (3 sets of tyres)
I commute on some WTB "Aramid" belted tyres, can't remember the model. They were going cheap on CRC last year.
Aramid is just another brand-name for Kevlar. Good enough for me!
edit: they're WTB's "Slickasaurus"
+1 for michelin krylion I think everyone else has covered the positives so I'll cover the bad points. They can be a pain to fit and they are the least comfortable tyres i've used although the 25's are better on both fronts. So overall the best tyres i've used
ive used conti gp4000s for last 3 year doing over 12000 miles with only 1 puncture. tweekscycles sell them £27 only,wont use nothing else.
I use Schwalbe Blizzard 25mm, nice and el chepo but seem to suit my country routes, they've got a bit cut up but not punctured yet.....he says....and yes I got them because they're cheap!!!
... and this is what you get for asking for advice on something as individualistic as tyre choice
Go on - ask about saddles - I *DARE* you!
Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase.
They will give most tyres a run for their money for puncture resistance without being too heavy or sluggish. Available in 23 to 32mm.
@Sammy - likewise. I don't see that many people on the 72 in the mornings though the weather's getting better so that might change. Wish the council would sweep it just a bit more often.
All this tyre talk and a beautiful spring ride to work is making think I might swap my winter marathons for the Gatorskins now it's drying up a bit. Some of my commute is on muddy tracks so a little tread does help whereas the gatorksins are more or less slick.
Tyres are a bit like ego's, at some point they will be punctured, regardless!!
+1 - Krylion carbons are amazing tyres. Wouldn't use anything else through winter. Gatorskins are ok but not good once getting worn, only good when new imo.
Michelin Krylion Carbons are amazing tyres, I've ridden 1500km on a pair and they're like new. I also use 25c conti gatorskins which have so far survived two winters, so I'm happy with those too, they look like they'll give me another winters worth of service.
Just looked at continental supersports, I think the clue is in their weight, they're thick, heavy, tough tyres, and they're not light, but perhaps ideal for urban riding?
vectran is the way forward in London, its in some of the contis mentioned above and the 4000s not mentioned that also roll like stink.
London is paved with (broken) glass in the mornings, especially cycle lanes with pubs alongside them...
Hi, in West London haven't had a puncture with Gatorskins in 3 years although mileage not thousands a year and rolls very well. Have also seen a Marathon Plus tyre dissected and, looking at it, think it must be as close to indestructible as you can possibly get!
Dont want to tempt fate.....so no stats !!! Fingers crossed etc.
I use Bontrager Race X Lite All Weather Hardcase 700-23.
Would recomend.
Didn't get on well with Gatorskins on Cambridgeshire lanes. Not glass, but evil flints, like miniature Neolithic arrowheads.
Is London paved with broken glass or something?
I've gotten over 5000 miles out of a pair of Gatorskins with no punctures whatsoever. Riding right through the winter in rural Northumberland where the roads are mainly made from potholes and wishes.
yes but its the sharp stuff that gets you and there's more of that in yer urban environment. Part of my route through newcastle is like a glittery diamond highway if the chavas have been on the Bella Brusco the night before.
No probs with Gatorskins for me though but mixed with marathons - I find that glass can get wedged in the tread grooves and work its way in if not caught early
Where abouts you commute through Newcastle Joe? I commute along the quayside then the 72 cycle path and then into Shields!
Hi Sammy - I come from Earsdon through Shiremoor, Battle Hill and then join the 72 at Wallsend. Usually take the 72 to the Quayside, or mix it up a bit with the Hadrians path and bits of road. There's that one bit of the 72 between Wellbeck Rd and Malaya Drive thats always covered in glass and the remains of bonfires - you know the bit I mean! I sometimes bypass that by taking White St / Wincomblee Rd which runs to the south of it then rejoin at Malaya Drive.
Usually on a red and black Crosslight so give us a nod if you see me
Joe
I come from Tynemouth along the 72 up to newburn.
I'm currently sporting full Garmin team kit and a boardman bike, i'll keep an eye out for you =]
Yes, it really is. I've had to contend with broken glass, flints from constant road works, carpet tacks, drawing pins, screws, you name it. If it's sharp and small it can be found on a London road. I used to spend Sunday evenings picking foreign objects out of my tyres, I moved to the country and rode much further and for longer and didn't get a puncture in over a year.
I'm on the Schwalbe Marathons as well - but in a hybrid size
They do seem to come in widths down to 25 though
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marathon-plus-smartguard-city-tyre/
I've found ordinary Gatorskins to be pretty useless in London on my Hackney - West End commute.
Conti 4 seasons are great and a good balance of very tough and quick.
Armadillos are good too but the 23s can be hell to get off if you ever do get a puncture.
I've got Armadillos on my commuter - not the softest ride, but they've gone 2 months without a puncture so far on a long commute through some of the less desirable parts of london.
scwalbe duranos for me - they roll pretty fast if that matters.
Continental Grand Prix 4 Season Vectran 700 x 28c (which are actually 25 mm wide). More puncture resistant than Gatorskins, which I don't find very puncture resistant, though I've not tried the "hardshell" variety.
Otherwise Michelin Krylion Carbon.
Vittoria Randonneur 28s for me. Cheap (Condor knock them out for around £16 each) and tough, roll quite well, easy to get on and off most rims.
I've never had a puncture on them, despite 1000's of miles on London roads. When they get slashed to buggery by all the broken glass I just get a new pair. I even rode over and broke a wine glass, pulled a massive shard of glass out, but still no deflation.
They are as tough as Jens Voigt.
Gatorskins have been great for me, rear tyre lasted about 6000 miles with 1 puncture. Front tyre is still going strong at about 8000 with 1 puncture.
thats the 25c model.
Are you cleaning the inside of the tire checking for debris?
I rode 8000km last year on Continetal Ultra Sport with not a single puncture: pretty good if ask me.
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