What are your favourite tyres? In our last People's Choice survey we asked what people rely on to make that vital connection between bike and Tarmac. The results are in, so without further ado, the envelope please.
5 Continental Grand Prix 4 Season — 7%
A vote for reliability and all-weather performance here with a tyre that has a great reputation for fighting punctures.
5 Schwalbe Durano Plus — 7%
Another popular flat-fighter whose fans say it's the most puncture-resistant lightweight tyre.
5 Schwalbe One — 7%
Swift slicks from Schwalbe, claimed by the maker to be the fastest and at the same time most reliable competition tyre the company has ever made.
5 Vittoria Rubino Pro — 7%
Reliable all-rounders at a sensible price. Probably the best tyres you can get for under £20 each.
4 Schwalbe Marathon — 8%
The choice of riders who simply can't be doing with punctures, the Marathons are a bit slow and heavy but tough as old boots against urban debris. Available in a vast range of sizes, you can even get them in old-style 27-inch.
3 Continental GatorSkin — 9%
The Gatorskins' combination of speed and reliability makes them popular winter tyres, and many riders chose to use them year-round. They're not as flat-resistant as Marathons, but they're plenty good enough for many riders.
2 Michelin Pro 4 Service Course — 10%
Fast, fun summer tyres with Michelin's sticky rubber compound.
1 Continental Grand Prix 4000S II — 23%
Light, grippy and puncture-resistant, the Continental Grand Prix 4000S II is the latest version of this ever-popular German tyre. Its fans like its low rolling resistance as well as its other qualities.
27 thoughts on “road.cc People’s Choice: Your favourite cycling tyres revealed”
road.cc wrote: People’s
Eh? Park your bum?
farrell wrote:road.cc wrote:
Copied and pasted from the saddle vote!lol
Would love to see something
Would love to see something that could reliably determine which are best in the wet, guess the data is pretty hard to generate and probably only the tyre companies themselves have the means to do so, so therefore will probably never happen.
You shouldn’t really be
You shouldn’t really be testing the limits of any tyre in the wet, but if you had to, the ones to go for are the very expensive, not very durable racing tyres.
What? No mention of (insert
What? No mention of (insert tyre name here)? I’ve ridden over 40,000 miles this year on roads made of flint and broken glass without a single puncture.
All clinchers. Tut, tut.
All clinchers. Tut, tut.
Jharrison5 wrote:All
erm .. its a readers choice list, and so I guess it’s fair to say that few if any ride anything other than clinchers … not really a surprise.
(No subject)
(|:
Mmmm.
Perhaps Jharrison5
Mmmm.
Perhaps Jharrison5 could look at page 5 and disabuse him/herself of the idea that tubs are superior to clinchers….
Conti GP4000 II are great
Conti GP4000 II are great tires unless you have to regularly ride in a city
I use my road bike for commuting as well as road riding, and got less than 2 months out of my GP4000 II 28mm before they were completely cut to pieces, front torn out (peppered) from heavy braking (disc brake bike) and rear top flattened by fast miles and emergency braking.
Rear had a particularly nasty cut that blew 3 tubes, even with a boot, before I called it a day.
Great tires, but £100 RRP is a lot to swallow for 2 months (admittedly about £70 off Wiggle)
Previously had 4-seasons, will probably go back to them, slight reduction in rolling speed and outright grip compared to GP4000 but bomber solid and super durable, easily lasting a good winter through spring
Currently trying out Vittoria Pave CG Open Clincher tires in 27mm, a much smaller tire than the GP4000 II 28mm, but seems quick and grippy, great on the wet cobbles and in the recent rain, too early to report on cut durability or long term durability.
Interesting sizing – the Vittoria in 27mm measured at 27.1mm width using digital calipers, and GP4000 II 28mm measured at 31.2mm on same wheelset (disc specific rim on 2015 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1).
Since most people vote for
Since most people vote for what they use (to avoid cognitive dissonance), and most people will use what they’re told is good by people who have no objective means to test the tyres, and the products are all pretty good,isn’t this vote really a measure of the tyre companies’ marketing budgets and ability to push their tyres through the sales channel?
That Tour test was really useful in its time, but it’s now 8 years old and many of the tyres have changed since then.
PS I use GP4000S II and it’s the bestest in the whole wide weld.
You won’t suffer cognitive
You won’t suffer cognitive dissonance if you fit Marathon Pluses …. and you might find these are a real ice breaker at parties – there’s nothing like tyre chat to improve your chances of scoring …
Yeah that’s the issue with
Yeah that’s the issue with this test, it is basically a popularity contest for the most widely available tyre that is decent enough.
McDonalds (or similar I have no clue) may be the worlds most eaten food, but that definitely does not mean that it is the best food-that is likely to be some artisan place in the middle of nowhere with only a small amount of people that know of its existence and even less that have been there.
Basically continental are won because you can buy them anywhere and everywhere.
Kinda makes it pointless.
@2 Wheeled Idiot
you make a
@2 Wheeled Idiot
you make a good point – Conti seem to have the market “mindset”
we sell Conti, Vittoria and Schwalbe in our store
We constantly sell through Conti tires, but hardly anyone buys / looks at Vittoria and Schwalbe?
hampstead_bandit wrote:@2
People have heard of Continental, because they’ve got Conti tyres on their cars…
Those comments are all very
Those comments are all very well and good if people submit to marketing, buy one pair of tyres and use them for the rest of their lives.
In the real world, tyres wear out and people try new things. Admittedly yes, my purchasing choices are based on marketing and reviews, but I’ve tested 5 different makes/models of tyres in the last two years (i.e. vaguely current models) and many more before that.
I’d like to think most people on here will have tried many different tyres and will vote based on that experience.
For racing/good weather fast
For racing/good weather fast club rides: Veloflex Arenberg 25mm tubulars
For wet weather/training: Conti GP4000sii clinchers
Results are in and I can’t
Results are in and I can’t say I’m surprised but the vote did not last for long. It had been closed by the time I noticed it and I barely miss a day when I don’t read some of Road.cc
Vox pops.
Agreed, people will generally
Agreed, people will generally vote for what they use so this is not necessarily objective – that said, the link in the comments above backs up what the readers here said about Continental GP4000s, so perhaps there’s something in it..
On the tubs vs clinchers point, I noticed the linked article was very anti tubs, but it considering the rubber in isolation. It isn’t just about the tyre, but the system: if you’re after safe(ish system with decent braking deep, light carbon wheels, then tubular is the best choice, IMO.
Not many use tubulars as everyday tyres – I’m in a minority, but they still have a strong following for TT’s, road racing, and even for enthusiasts who enjoy the process of aging, gluing etc!
700c wrote:Not many use
On the road bike I use them for training, racing, everything. I don’t use them on the commuter. I’ve never had a flat on the road in 3000 miles with the same tubular tyres. I have had punctures that deflated after I got home and that something that I have never experienced with a clincher. Clinchers have always flatted immediately. I’ve seen a few test results that show clinchers are faster than tubulars. The theory is that the glue on the tubular lets the tyre slip a little around the rim. I can attest that when the tyre is initially glued on it can slip because the valve stem ends up at an angle
..that said I’ve just this
..that said I’ve just this punctured a pretty new veloflex after having posted something along the lines of ‘I very rarely puncture my tubs’ on this forum! 🙁
.. cue a sewing lesson from the Mrs!
Head over to weightweenies
Head over to weightweenies forum – there’s a load of good info about repairing tubs, stitching patterns etc, what to use to do it.
Failing that, you can get them repaired for £12 from Garry Brown
I find the result absolutely
I find the result absolutely bizarre. I can’t stand GP4000s, they are simply a recipe for punctures in my experience.
A bizarre result. I found
A bizarre result. I found GP4000s to be puncture magnets. Pro4 SC on the other hand, appear to be made out of magic.
Bike messenger here
I’ve
Bike messenger here 😀
I’ve been riding the Michelin Pro4 Service Course for over 3 month 2-3 times per week. Each working day is something between 60 and 100 km. Before I rode them for sports something like 1-2 per week for a year..
It’s still the same pair of tires and therefore my next purchase will be also Michelins Pro4 Service Course.
gators for general summer and
gators for general summer and 4 seasons for winter on steel bikes is my pref…very few punctures despite a rubbish littered road…ive tried quite a few others incl schwalbe but they arent as good and I get a lot more punctures both are pretty grippy in the wet too.
[[[[[ If you promise not to
[[[[[ If you promise not to larf, I’ll tell you which tyres I’ve ridden around SW London, on both me bikes, for 3 years at least…they’re Bontrager Racelite 23mms, and I’ve had exactly one puncture (back-wheel, of course), and I like to think they’ve been discontinued simply because at £18 they were too good…the “upgraded” version is now twice the price, apparently.
Make of that what ye will.
P.R.