New Tyres - Decision time

schwalbe ultremos every time! lovely tyres

I fail to see what amc654 doesn't like about others' suggestions. Chill out, chap.

You generally get a trade-off between weight and rolling and/or puncture resistance, though I gather that Conti GP 4 Seasons do a very good job on both fronts.

Durano are widely popular. The Durano S is a touch lighter than the folding Durano while the wire bead is somewhat heavier (if these things bother you). I will be trying these next after the Blizzard tyres.

Rubino Pro are a good middling tyre, mine (25mm) rolled nicely and lasted well, with just 2 punctures in well over 2,000 year-round miles (both when tyres were well worn). Ultremo R1 are supple and light but less robust than heavier tyres so I'd not use them for daily use. I have a pair of folding Blizzard Sports in the garage waiting for my Bontrager Race X Lites to wear out (which is proving to take longer than expected). At less than £10 each and with good reviews online I am hoping they prove to be a real bargain.

Gatorskins (8000 miles) - Fantastic durability, comfortable, roll well, dont get no punctures.

Vittoria Rubino Pro's (1000 miles and counting) - No punctures so far, roll well, handle well in the wet, cut a little easier than gatorskins. Would recommend!

Since most of the comments above are useless ("I've bought them, but I've never used them", "I have another set of tires that you haven't mentioned but that I also like", etc.) ...

I've had a pair of 4000S's on the bike for 6 months or so, w/ roughly 500-600 km per month (that's non-winter months, which were on another bike). They've been great -- really reliable, fast (certainly faster than any other tires I've owned), great traction in various conditions. They do pick up little nicks and cuts pretty easily, but in my 6 mo. I've only had two punctures, and one I'd blame on some really flimsy super-lightweight Specialized tubes and the other was a snakebite puncture when I hit a huge pothole at high speed. The treads are still looking great, as are the sidewalls. There's no evidence of fraying or any structural weakness. As I say, there are quite a few little nicks, and presumably at some point in the not too distant future those will build to some sort of critical mass and I'll need to replace them, but for the money I'm very happy.

It has to be said, your two options are very different, and they're designed for different purposes. It's apples to oranges. The Durano is a totally different kind of tire -- designed for longevity rather than performance. (Maybe better to compare those to the Gatorskins?)

You don't really mention what sort of usage you're looking for ...?

I've just gone for a set of 25mm GP4000S and I'm very pleased with them - fast and comfy and don't look too huge.

£24 at Rosebikes at the moment: http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/continental-grand-prix-4000-s-foldabl...

Ive got both Ultremos and GP4000s on two of my bikes.

Very similar in terms of rolling resistance etc, Ultremos look better, and like someone already said, GP4000s come out FAT.

Ultremo R1s are good as well, less than £20 somewhere but can't remember where.

Recently had to make the choice between the GP4000s and the Schwalbe Ultremo ZX.

Both are roughly the same price (at ribblecycles.co.uk the are £27 & £28 respectively).

In the end I plumped for the Ultremos as they got good reviews on road.cc as well as in CyclingPlus; in the CyclingPlus review they just pipped the GP4000s.

It was a tough decision as I have had Conti Gatorskins for years and they are just great but wanted something a bit more racy.

Still awaiting delivery so cannot says whether I have made the right decision yet!

Recently changed to the GP4000s after my rear Durano developed a split along the sidewall/ tread edge. Only had them on the bike for 2 months too. Very pleased with the 4000s, as above the grip is noticeable.

I was using gp 4000s's but they seemed huge, labeled 700-23 but seemed more like 700-28, so I started using the continental attack and force combo, they are as grippy, as punture resistant, and I found them slightly cheaper. I also quite like the schwalbe duranos as well, but prefer conti's black chilli for grip

Duranos get a good write up so they'll be fine. I'm really impressed with my
Michelin Carbon Krylions - strictly speaking they've been discontinued but can still be bought new from a few eBay sellers.

Have fun choosing. More kit…