road.cc People's Choice: Your favourite cycling tyres revealed

[[[[[ 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.

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.

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.

A bizarre result. I found GP4000s to be puncture magnets. Pro4 SC on the other hand, appear to be made out of magic.

I find the result absolutely bizarre. I can't stand GP4000s, they are simply a recipe for punctures in my experience.

..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!

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!

For racing/good weather fast club rides: Veloflex Arenberg 25mm tubulars
For wet weather/training: Conti GP4000sii clinchers

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.

@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?

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.

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.

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.

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).

Mmmm.
Perhaps Jharrison5 could look at page 5 and disabuse him/herself of the idea that tubs are superior to clinchers....

All clinchers. Tut, tut.

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.

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.

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.

road.cc wrote:

People's Choice: your favourite tyres
Your favourite places to park your bum

Eh? Park your bum?