Which road tire set?

[PorkRind]

So i've got conti gp 4k ii's on the bike -wonderful sticky and good in the wet but THE worst sidewalls - pinching occasionally and have had 4 punctures in the last 200 miles compared to 2000 with non on the old cheapy vitorrias - i know chance has a lot to do with this but its getting a bit beyond it being chance now and having friends say the sidewalls on the gp's are useless for people at my weight (15 stone).

What other 23mm 700 c tires are there that grip as well in the wet yet have little roll resistance but high puncture resistance and strong sidewalls?

Cheers

[Rocksteadyeddie]

4 seasons ?

[PorkRind]

Summer and a bit of damp, so 1.5/2...

[Silver940]

Had very few problems with my GP4000s 25mm in the last 5k miles. They still have tread left too!

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Sorry I meantConti 4-seasons if you are having problems with 4000s. Sounds like pinch punctures though which is usually a result of under inflation.

[Magic919]

They are tyres. Continental 4 Seasons.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Magic919 said:

They are tyres. Continental 4 Seasons.

And pizza. But I meant tyres.

[JEA1K]

I was about to give up on Conti GP4000 before I went up to 25mm and dropped the pressures. I'd had numerous punctures (lots of flint on the roads locally) which were bugging the hell out of me and now I can't see me riding anything else as far as clinchers go from now on.

[PorkRind]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

Sorry I meantConti 4-seasons if you are having problems with 4000s. Sounds like pinch punctures though which is usually a result of under inflation.

120 psi underinflation? Can i go much higher?

[PorkRind]

JEA1K said:

I was about to give up on Conti GP4000 before I went up to 25mm and dropped the pressures. I'd had numerous punctures (lots of flint on the roads locally) which were bugging the hell out of me and now I can't see me riding anything else as far as clinchers go from now on.

Yeah, it was flint that caused my flat last night. Maybe ill give 25mm a go. What sort of pressure are you running?

[richardxjr]

Planet X Rage K. A Tenner each. 2000 faultless miles in now, including the Alpes*, fab.
Folding, dual compound, kevlar belted.
23/700c 95:105psi, but I am a bit lighter.

• To be fair though, 26 wheels between our group, running different tyres and not one puncture.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

PorkRind said:

Rocksteadyeddie said:

Sorry I meantConti 4-seasons if you are having problems with 4000s. Sounds like pinch punctures though which is usually a result of under inflation.

120 psi underinflation? Can i go much higher?

Depends on your weight but that sounds like plenty.

[PorkRind]

richardxjr said:

Planet X Rage K. A Tenner each. 2000 faultless miles in now, including the Alpes*, fab.
Folding, dual compound, kevlar belted.
23/700c 95:105psi, but I am a bit lighter.

• To be fair though, 26 wheels between our group, running different tyres and not one puncture.

Any good in the wet, i have to say teh conti's are perfect in teh wet, so grippy !

[Magic919]

I can't imagine the sidewalls do any supporting on bike tyres. That must be entirely down to inflation pressure. I run 120 on most of mine, but I'm not heavy. Does anyone run much over 120?

[richardxjr]

PorkRind said:

richardxjr said:

Planet X Rage K. A Tenner each. 2000 faultless miles in now, including the Alpes*, fab.
Folding, dual compound, kevlar belted.
23/700c 95:105psi, but I am a bit lighter.

• To be fair though, 26 wheels between our group, running different tyres and not one puncture.

Any good in the wet, i have to say teh conti's are perfect in teh wet, so grippy !

Not ridden yet in the wet I must say, but I expect them to be very good.

[PorkRind]

Magic919 said:

I can't imagine the sidewalls do any supporting on bike tyres. That must be entirely down to inflation pressure. I run 120 on most of mine, but I'm not heavy. Does anyone run much over 120?

I think the tire says max 120 on the side. Inflating to 130 + could be asking for a blow out?!

[Magic919]

I don't think an extra 10 would cause that, but that's probably not the point here. I'd say you ought to try to run 25s instead of 23s on the basis it would spread the load a bit more and work with the current pressure. That's my view based on my understanding of the science involved.

Maybe someone that weighs about 100kg could give you their real-life experience of this.

[JEA1K]

PorkRind said:

Yeah, it was flint that caused my flat last night. Maybe ill give 25mm a go. What sort of pressure are you running?

I'm running about 90 psi now, sometimes even down to 85 psi. I used to ride at 120 psi on 23mm .... had almost a puncture on every other ride. Since I lowered the pressures and am on 25mm tyres I have not had ONE puncture so its no coincidence that the pressures have a significant effect.

Also:

The ride is much better in terms of comfort
Bike feels like it has more grip
Less tyre wear

[PorkRind]

But what 25, conti gp4k or a michelin lithion 2 or something that gives equivalent grip/ rolling resistance of the aforementioned with good resistance to puncturing..

[richardxjr]

Not the Lithion2s. They love flatting.