Road bike tire recommendations

[Mama Coosa]

I wonder if its due to the slightly stiffer sidewalls? Generally Conti are popular here in rain.
Lots of folks run way too much air pressure too...that will make a tire mis-behave in all kinds of ways....in addition to being slow and uncomfortable.

I'm always baffled at the high pressures some people run thinking it's making them faster. Just because the tire says it can handle 120psi doesn't mean you should run 120psi.

[Dogmama]

Love Conti 4-seasons. I also use Michelin Butyl tubes. They aren't sexy race tubes but they seem to resist punctures better. Had been getting slime tires for years but lately (last few years) the valves are garbage & the tube fails.

[Desert Tortoise]

Is there a difference between the Continental GP4000 S foldable tire and the Continental GP4000 S clincher?

Thanks!
dt

[OakLeaf]

I think all tubulars are foldable?? Anyway I'm pretty sure we're all talking about clinchers. I don't think the 4000 comes in a wire bead version (I just this minute found out it does come in a tubie!), but I could be wrong about that.

FTR, what I run is the 4000, not the 4000S. I'm not really sure of the differences, but I think the "S" is racier, it's 10 g lighter (ooooh! ).

[Desert Tortoise]

Ok, dumb question: tubular means it takes a tube?

I thought I saw on Continental's website that 'S' stands for black in German. Of course now that I went back to the website to confirm that, I can't find it.

So what exactly does "clincher" mean?

Thanks,
dt

[OakLeaf]

Clinchers are tires that are open on the side facing the rim. They use a separate tube to hold air, and they have a bead that holds the tire under a "lip" on the rim.

Tubular tires are round and closed all the way around the integrated tube. They are made of textile with tread material on the outward-facing side. On the inside, they are sewn closed (which is why tubulars are sometimes called "sew-ups") and glued to the rim, which has a closed concave outer surface.

Because the glue takes some time to cure, if you have a flat, you pretty much need to have a spare wheel ready, which is why hardly anyone uses tubies outside of racing. The advantage is that they're as close to perfectly round as possible - which gives them great handling characteristics - and they can take a much higher pressure than clinchers.

[Desert Tortoise]

Thanks for your help, Oak! I didn't know that about tubular tires. So that's why when people talk about tubular tires they either make a scrunchy face or get dreamy eyed.

Cyborg, ok the chili stuff.


Thanks!

dt

[CyborgQueen]

Ok, dumb question: tubular means it takes a tube?

I thought I saw on Continental's website that 'S' stands for black in German. Of course now that I went back to the website to confirm that, I can't find it.

So what exactly does "clincher" mean?

Thanks,
dt

The S is the Black Chili compound. I think for really nitpick cyclists these matters.


I've had some of my friends ride on really cheap $19 tires, and it lasted over 5k miles for them, while for others it lasts 1k. OTOH - I've had cyclist friends that have $60 tires (per tire...that's $120 total), and they get flat after flat after flat...

Tubes are expensive....and if you have a gash. you have to buy a brand new tubes tires. They have no inner tubes, clinchers do. Don't even bother with them unless if you're a serious cyclist/racer.