Tires

[violette]

I'm still wondering if I should change my tires.

In your opinion, which are the best tires out there for racing? I'm talking not more than $100 per tire. I just have a Giant OCR3. I don't want to pay more for the tires than what I paid for the bike.

[rij73]

My husband's Continental Grand Prix 4000 tires are awesome. They are about $50 each.

The amount of difference tires will make is dependent upon the quality of the wheels. When you are planning upgrades to a bicycle, you have to think about where you can get the most bang for the buck. The OCR3 has no-name wheels, so you might want to get better wheels altogether. Of course, then there is the question of whether that's worth it. Tough decision.

A bike dealer once said to me that the only bikes worth upgrading are when you feel you have the absolute best frame for your purposes. If you are REALLY happy with the frame, then by all means upgrade components. If you are not thrilled with the frame and imagine yourself upgrading to a better one eventually, then just leave your bike the way it is until you can upgrade the whole thing. It's more expensive to make upgrades piecemeal and not worth it unless you are keeping the bike forever. When you get a whole new bike, you are actually getting a great deal on components.

[aicabsolut]

Michelin Pro Race2 (or I guess 3's are out now too, but a bit more expensive). About $100/pair. Several color options.

[ehirsch83]

I would not race on conti 4000s, I would train on them though. When I raced on clinchers I used the Michelin Pro2s and I really liked them.
If you don't mind spending a few more dollars I would look at the Vittoria open tubulars.

So if you are looking for a tire to train and race on- look at the 4000s because they hold up through a lot. If you are just looking for a race tire I would look for something lighter, in the area of the Michelin Pros or an open tubular.

[aicabsolut]

My friends and I train on the Michelins and don't really have any problems. The biggest damage I did to one of them was during a very rainy crit, where I got a nice hunk of glass imbedded in the tire. It sliced all the way through the threads, yet luckily I didn't flat during the race. I left the bike sitting in the right spot on that tire when we went out to dinner afterwards, and then I came back to the hotel to a flat tire--the weight caused the tube to puncture. I guess it was good that I found the problem before a longer circuit race the next day.

I've had more bombproof training tires (Specialized all condition Pro that came stock on my bike), but they corner like crap and are not fast. The Michelins just fel so much nicer, and they seem to be holding up better than I expected.

Just don't get the Pro Light, as they're lighter because they lack a layer of flat protection. Get Pro2 or Pro3 Race.

[RoadRaven]

We have alot of Michelin ProRace too.

I currently have Rubino's (Vittoria) on my road race bike...

Good value for money... with the number of tires we go through (lots of bikes) we try to keep costs down.