Selecting new tires

[tzvia]

I can agree with Velo on those Tricomps, for the first 1400 miles. Awesome tires, one flat (glass). Very smooth riding tires, supple. However, by that 1400 mile mark, I had already rotated them once, and the back which was the front, was squared off and the texture on the tread was gone. The front tire had some nasty cuts, one was over 1/2" long and down to the cords. So I sighed and bought new tires, something else.

Vittoria Open Corsa CX tires in 23c. Hard tires, not supple like the Tricomps. Expensive, so I suffered through the less than enjoyable ride quality. Two flats, goathead thorns. 1300 miles, the rear had worn squared, and the front tire had a nasty cut down to the cords. Deja vu. I'd been rattled enough with them anyway.

Next. Hutchinson Fusion 2 23c on sale at Performance. The ride quality fell somewhere between the buttery smooth Tricomp and the rock hard Vittoria. 1100 miles. Yep, big cut, this time in back (oh joy something new), the tires looked ok otherwise but that cut was bad.

This is getting expensive.

Now I am on 25c Continental GP4000 chilipepper tires. They give the Tricomps a run for their money in the comfort dept, while providing both stability and light weight while feeling racy. Been riding them for about 6 months, but frankly have been putting most my road miles on the commuter, and the weekends on the MTB so I am guessing maybe 600~700 miles (did I mention my bike computer sucks?). No flats. They look new. At this rate, they should last longer than the previous tires which had all begun to look old at this point.

So, from what I have experienced, I am liking the Continentals, and will buy again when they wear out. 25c for sure. My bike is a 2009 Ruby Expert BTW. And yea our roads out here in Los Angeles are as broke as the city and the state, and have hastened the destruction of my road tires. Those Continentals show promise and feel good. They had better hold up, I am out of money.

One of my commuters has Continental Gatorskin 25c wirebead tires. A little heavy for their size but they have also been holding up nicely, ride really well, and only one flat (goathead thorn) in almost two years commuting, about 2000 miles. So maybe some Gatorskins in a folding bead would do you well if you are in a flat prone area.

[azfiddle]

Continental Gatorskins work for me. I live in Arizona- goat's heads, glass, palo verde thorns- I have gone over 2000 miles without flats on these too.

[velo]

I can agree with Velo on those Tricomps, for the first 1400 miles. Awesome tires, one flat (glass). Very smooth riding tires, supple. However, by that 1400 mile mark, I had already rotated them once, and the back which was the front, was squared off and the texture on the tread was gone. The front tire had some nasty cuts, one was over 1/2" long and down to the cords. So I sighed and bought new tires, something else.

My bike is a 2009 Ruby Expert BTW. And yea our roads out here in Los Angeles are as broke as the city and the state, and have hastened the destruction of my road tires. Those Continentals show promise and feel good. They had better hold up, I am out of money.

I may have a different experience because I ride different road conditions. After catching the MUP a few blocks from my house, I exit the trail onto smooth country roads, most paved, some smoothly chip and sealed and only a couple that are rough chip seal. There's quite a bit of natural debris (twigs and such) on the MUP, but mostly I'm on very good roads. So in the 1700 and some miles I've had these on, I am not even really ready to rotate them, but will before the end of the season. My bike is a very aggressive Klein with sharp (twitchy) handling and cornering, which is why these tires work so well for this bike. But I can certainly understand your evaluation based on your conditions, both road and bike. You bring up a good point that tires will give different results in different conditions and unfortunately, sometimes you just have to try different ones until you find your fit.

[meganm]

I've been happy with Continental GP 4000 tires

[Owlie]

I just picked up a set of Gatorskin Ultras (25, wire bead). We'll see how they perform--they were recommended by one of the mechanics at work as a long-lasting (not necessarily speedy), puncture-resistant tire. The wire bead is a little heavy, but they stay on the rims better. Once these wear out, I'll try the kevlar bead.

[gocard]

I'm searching for more knowledge on new tires and puncture solutions. I know tires will still be susceptible to punctures and flats but just trying to get more knowledge so that I can start hunting around for good tires. Lots of good info in this forum.

I've gone less than 75 miles on my new bike with stock Schwalbe Lugano 700x25 tires and already got acquainted with the goathead thorn. However, I was able to patch up my first tire which was nice! Not unexpectedly however, it's leaking air way faster than the other and today I saw that it was completely flat again even though I pumped it again in the middle of last week. Do you ladies usually keep a patched tube or just swap out for a new one?

I was looking at the Gatorskins - what is the difference between fold and wire bead? I'd primarily be riding on fairly flat, decently paved roads with some hills. Of course, if they can handle occasional rides on gravel that would be awesome. Are there any 700x25 tires that can do that?

[Owlie]

I'm searching for more knowledge on new tires and puncture solutions. I know tires will still be susceptible to punctures and flats but just trying to get more knowledge so that I can start hunting around for good tires. Lots of good info in this forum.

I've gone less than 75 miles on my new bike with stock Schwalbe Lugano 700x25 tires and already got acquainted with the goathead thorn. However, I was able to patch up my first tire which was nice! Not unexpectedly however, it's leaking air way faster than the other and today I saw that it was completely flat again even though I pumped it again in the middle of last week. Do you ladies usually keep a patched tube or just swap out for a new one?

I was looking at the Gatorskins - what is the difference between fold and wire bead? I'd primarily be riding on fairly flat, decently paved roads with some hills. Of course, if they can handle occasional rides on gravel that would be awesome. Are there any 700x25 tires that can do that?

The wire bead is heavier and is harder to mount. However, it is cheaper and if you abuse your tires a bit, they'll stay on the rim better than Kevlar beaded tires. Kevlar is lighter and easier to mount (even though mounting all brand-new tires is a bear). It is, however, more expensive. I didn't want to spring for the Kevlar because I'm poor and my current tires (the front, anyway...) are wire-bead.

[deanywalker21]

Vredestein Fortezza Tricomps are what I have on my Ruby. 1000 plus miles on this set and they are showing no wear and handle very well. My last set were replaced at just shy of 3000 miles. More because it was time than need. Current set have pink sidewalls which were to match my black & pink Ruby...do wish they would wear out faster as the pink has to go.<g>

[OakLeaf]

Do you ladies usually keep a patched tube or just swap out for a new one?

I carry a known good tube and swap on the road, then patch at home. Patching done at home is much less likely to fail, because you can take the time to clean the tube well (whatever cornstarch or talc you lubricate your tube with will interfere with the seal if it's not washed off well, never mind any other microscopic road dust that might have gotten into your tire), and you're not tempted to apply the patch before the glue is completely dry. I carry pressure sensitive patches in my seat pack in case I have more than one flat on a single ride, but I've heard that they aren't as reliable as the old-school rubber cement kind.

Plus it's just easier to find the hole when you can dunk the tube in a pail of water, unless either the hole or whatever penetrated the tire is pretty large. Lining up the valve stem with the tire label when you install the tire will help with that, especially on the road - if you find something in your tire, you can go right to the hole in the tube, and if you find the hole in your tube, you can find whatever's stuck in your tire.

[Melalvai]

I don't patch. I don't know if it's me or what, but I've even had formal training in patching, and my patches still don't hold air. Like you described, they slowly leak. So I just use new tubes. I don't get many flats. Maybe one or two a year. So it's not that expensive to always use a new tube.

[Hi Ho Silver]

I can agree with Velo on those Tricomps, for the first 1400 miles. Awesome tires, one flat (glass). Very smooth riding tires, supple. However, by that 1400 mile mark, I had already rotated them once, and the back which was the front, was squared off and the texture on the tread was gone. The front tire had some nasty cuts, one was over 1/2" long and down to the cords. So I sighed and bought new tires, something else.

...snip, snip

It isn't clear to me from your posting, but it isn't a good idea to rotate both the tires on a bike. Generally, it is okay to put a used front tire on the rear if there is sufficient tread. But one shouldn't rotate a well used rear tire to the front. One should ideally have the best tire on the front ...because a blowout of the front tire can be disastrous, whereas a blowout of a rear tire is somewhat recoverable.

When it is time for me to replace my rear tire, I rotate the front to the back and put a new tire on the front.

[tzvia]

Gocard,
I agree with Silver, not to rotate a worn rear tire up front- I rotate when the rear just begins to show wear, not when worn, to clarify. I would rotate out a worn rear, put the front on the back and get a new front IF I wanted to stick with that brand/model tire. Which I wasn't about to do as I hadn't found the tires I wanted to stay with yet.

As for the wirebead vs kevlar, the wirebead is harder to take off, and will keep its round shape off of the bike. Those are the ones you see on a rack at the LBS, they can't be folded up and put in a box. Kevlar bead tires can be folded easily. They also weigh less.

I've been riding the road bike a lot this last month, and I'm liking those GP4000 25c tires more and more. They still look just about new. No cuts or visible wear. They ride really nice. I made the mistake of riding sew-up tires all through the 80s and 90s, as clincher tires weren't as advanced as they are now (19c tires were all the rage at one point and they rode like they were made of solid rubber). So everything I ride I subconsciously compare to cotton sewups, not a fair comparison. I wonder what the tires that cost me 80 bucks in the early 90s sell for now...