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Winter Tyres – Vittoria vs Continental

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  • December 17, 2012 at 4:06 pm #17477
    gthornton101

    Hi,

    I’ve been using Conti GP4000s for most of this year for my daily commute of 11miles each way. Recently I’ve been hit with a spate of punctures and I’m thinking I need to get some more hard wearing tyres on as the rain and slush pushes all the grit/stones/twigs/glass/debris out into my riding path.

    After doing some research the Vittoria Open Pave Evo CG seems to be a good choice (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-open-pave-evo-cg-clincher-tyre/) and the reviews in general seem pretty good even with their hefty price tag. Does anyone have any experience with using them?

    Or should I opt for something more typical and just upgrade my Continentals to Gatorskins?

    Any thoughts/opinions gratefully received!

    Thanks.

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  • December 24, 2012 at 8:52 pm #709075
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    gthornton101

    thanks everyone for opinion
    thanks everyone for opinion and links! All input taken on board, going to try and balance recommendations with what will (hopefully) be in boxing day sales!

    December 21, 2012 at 8:40 pm #709073
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    Bedfordshire Clanger

    Almost certainly. I haven’t
    Almost certainly. I haven’t been visited by the fairy in over a year and over 8000 miles, I only use GP4000Ss and GP4Seasons. I don’t rate Gatorskins but lots of people swear by them. As ever on the bike, the only thing that counts is what works for you. I’ve often considered having a go on some Schwalbe rubber but I’ve no reason to change.

    Love that icon btw.

    December 21, 2012 at 4:22 pm #709071
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    mike the bike

    Maybe it’s me but I can’t

    Maybe it’s me but I can’t seem to get on with any Conti tyres. I’ve had, and been disappointed with, four different varieties, ranging from the Gatorskin to GPs.

    My big complaint is the sheer number of flats I’ve suffered, and boy, do I hate the time wasted on punctures. Swapping to other brands, any other brand apparently, resulted in an immediate improvement.

    I don’t treat them any differently, I’m reasonably good at keeping them pumped and free from flints, but they still find a way to develop a hole. I’ve replaced the Gatorskins with Vittoria Randonneurs and the GPs with Ultremos. The Ultra Race I’ve thrown in the bin and the Contact Sports are now on my wife’s bike as she rides about two hundred miles a year. ( And we still had a flat on our last little jaunt! )

    Am I jinxed?

    December 20, 2012 at 1:54 pm #709069
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    Sean L

    ilovemytinbred wrote:
    If you

    ilovemytinbred wrote:

    If you do puncture it does present some problems. Firstly you have to closely examine the tyre to remove all the stuff that may have got through the tyre, from all the self sealed punctures. Then the tyres are often very difficult to put on with a tube present. Using a Var tyre lever can help.

    Yes, it is imprtant to select a rim/tyre combo that goes on easily so you can effect a tube fitting on the road if needed. These Pedros tyre leavers are the best we have used http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/tools/cycling-tools/tyre-levers/product/review-pedros-tyre-levers-10183

    December 20, 2012 at 11:17 am #709067
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    Sean L

    mp31 wrote:I don’t understand

    mp31 wrote:
    I don’t understand how tubeless tyres would be better. If you puncture a tubeless tyre then surely you have to fix the tyre there and then… :?

    Tubeless tyres do not pinch flat, no tube to pinch. For an impact puncture the sealant inside seals up the hole and you can just keep riding. Unlike inner tubes where the sealents seem NOT to work.

    If you DO manage to flat a tubeless tyre (hard to do unless you have a huge sidewall gash), just put in a tube as normal for a repair.

    December 20, 2012 at 6:21 am #709065
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    ilovemytinbred

    I really abused a tubeless
    I really abused a tubeless system and they were amazing. I did a LOT of miles on them on really crappy roads but they refused to puncture. It was their race specific tyre, the narrow atom too. In the end I wore through therubber and it still did not puncture. When I removed the tyre it had obviously self sealed a lot of times.

    If you do puncture it does present some problems. Firstly you have to closely examine the tyre to remove all the stuff that may have got through the tyre, from all the self sealed punctures. Then the tyres are often very difficult to put on with a tube present. Using a Var tyre lever can help.

    On Ultegra rims I never needed a compressor for Hutchinson tyres.

    December 20, 2012 at 5:43 am #709063
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    Forester

    I found Gatorskins cut up a
    I found Gatorskins cut up a lot, although they remained puncture resistant. Using Schwalbe Durano Plus on my Winter bike which seem good though expensive.

    December 19, 2012 at 11:42 pm #709061
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    mp31

    I don’t understand how
    I don’t understand how tubeless tyres would be better. If you puncture a tubeless tyre then surely you have to fix the tyre there and then… 😕

    December 19, 2012 at 5:24 pm #709059
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    ilovemytinbred

    Marathons are a bit further
    Marathons are a bit further down the continuum in the direction of slow and bombproof. Good choice when its really nasty though. Its funny with the gatorskins I have done a similar number of miles without a flat, my routes tend to be mainly filled with glass. I think sometimes it is just bad luck. I had punctures on my summer vittorias and nearly gave up on them, but have since done a lot of happy miles on them.

    December 19, 2012 at 3:34 pm #709057
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    cwardy66

    hi I have just done 10,000kms
    hi I have just done 10,000kms on a set of 25c marathon plus tyres without a single puncture. I live in a flinty area with some nightmare pot holes.
    They do not hit speed or comfort and they are also pretty cheap. I used some Continental gatorskins twice and got 1 puncture

    December 19, 2012 at 12:41 pm #709055
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    Sean L

    There is quite a difference
    There is quite a difference between foul condition race tyres (Vittoria Paves) and true winter tyres such as the Continental Gatorskin. I’ve ridden Pave’s over last winter and this and they are super fast and supple, but do cut up easily and puncture sometimes. GP 4 season and Vredestein quattro tri comp fall into similar categories, low rolling residence and weight, with SOME puncture resistance built in.

    For more protection be prepared to suffer higher weight and rolling resistance. The aforementioned Gatorskins are good, Specialized All Condition Armadillos are probably as tough as it gets. I’ve ridden these all winter with ZERO FLATS.

    The best solution I think is the ROAD TUBELESS system. Either with 2 way fit wheels or Stans rim tape to make an alu clincher tubleless compatible. I am on Hutchinson Intensive tubeless on Campagnolo Zonda wheels. So far I have the low rolling resistance of the ‘race type tyres’ and the ZERO FLATS of the more heavy duty tyres.

    They were hassle to set up, even with a compressor but once they are rolling I can’t see a better option. Mountain bikers among you will need no introduction of course, so what are you waiting for?

    December 19, 2012 at 6:39 am #709053
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    ilovemytinbred

    I have found it is a question
    I have found it is a question of what you want from the tyres the most as you can not have it all! My mate who is able to do most of his riding out of town does not need loads of puncture protection uses GP4000s like you. However the 4 season is a great quality tyre, and i find it a bit less likely to puncture than the 4000s, but is a bit slower and tends to be more expensive on line. Both these tyres grip better in the wet than the gatorskin and ride faster. However if you want longevity and really dont fancy punctures then the gatorskin hardshell is great. I like a tyre that just keeps on going in the winter, my front hard case has done many 000 miles now and just won’t give up, the rear has done a few 000 too. My 4 seasons wore out pretty quickly on the back tbh, but the softer rubber is why they grip.

    Other ‘winter’ tyres I have recently used are the pro4 endurance which seem to hold up well to punctures, it seems the rubber is grippier than the gatorskins but seem to cut up easily so maybe longterm longevity may suffer? You can get them for £20 each though. They feel slower than the durano S that I had on the bike previously which are actually a lovely feeling tyre, definitely will use these again. However I found they punctured easily so not so great for the depths of winter.

    December 18, 2012 at 12:17 pm #709051
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    Simon E

    There’s a reason why the
    There’s a reason why the Rubinos are cheaper than the Evos, but the pair I had did the job for me. Not as puncture resistant as the Bontrager Hardcase but supple, decent all-rounders. Some more ideas:

    http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/68578-buyers-guide-best-tyres-get-you-through-winter
    http://road.cc/content/forum/68293-winter-road-tyres
    http://road.cc/content/forum/47048-road-tyres-winter-and-wet
    http://road.cc/content/forum/70173-continental-gp-4-season-tyres-anyone-running-these
    http://road.cc/content/forum/55182-puncture-resistant-tyres
    http://road.cc/content/review/16282-continental-gator-hardshell-700×25
    http://road.cc/content/review/58178-schwalbe-durano-tyre
    http://road.cc/content/review/8825-bontrager-race-lite-hardcase-700x25c-tyre

    December 18, 2012 at 11:00 am #709049
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    therevokid

    got that one from a buddy of
    got that one from a buddy of mine and was equally
    surprised at the cost (or lack !) 😀

    December 18, 2012 at 10:14 am #709047
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    gthornton101

    @therevokid I hadn’t even
    @therevokid I hadn’t even considered the Rubino Pro – fraction of the cost of the Pave Evos!

    Thanks for the tip!

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