Road Tyre and pedals Recomendation

[Allyc85]

Riding to work in the dark last week and I managed to hit a pothole which instantly caused a flat. Checked the tyre and there didn't seem to be any damage, but after the ride home I found a split on the edge of the tread, with the tube poking through

So I'm looking to put a set of new tyres on it, ideally with puncture protection, though of course this wouldn't prevent what happened above. The size is 700x23c

Also I want to replace the horrible plastic pedals with some metal ones, though I don't want clip in ones.

Recommendations for both of the above, but nothing too pricey please!

[Nighthawk]

I'm guessing that it's a road bike rather than a hybrid type with the tyres being 700/23, you've experienced a pinch flat which can still happen to any tubed tyre if you hit an edge hard enough.

For comfort and better rolling resistance consider going up to 25mm wide tyres if the frame will allow too.

I'm currently using continental grand prix 4000 tyres on my road bike which have been OK for the last 1000 miles or so. For more puncture protection Conti do a gatorskin tyre which has an extra layer of protection at the expense of weight and a little bit of feel.

Re the pedals, go for an spd / spd sl set up with specific shoes. As you'll be fixed to the pedal you'll benefit from a more efficient pedal stroke

[GarryDK]

Pinch punchers usually happen if you haven't got enough pressure in them so I would check that first. 25s will defiantly improve puncture resistance. I solely depends on your type of riding for commuting I would highly recommend Schwalbe Marathon Plus, I haven't had a puncture in them in over 1000 miles, but they are on the heavier side and wouldn't really want them on my weekend fun bike.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marathon-plus-sma...

[Allyc85]

I think the puncture would have happened with full pressure or not, it was a bloody hard hit, and I was lucky to stay on really!

I should have said that it's a Viking Jetstream road bike. It's a heavy old beast, feels more than my MTB, but I only bought it for £30 and so don't want to spend too much on any upgrades. The Continentals look good, though I'm really not keen on clip in pedals. I know I will fall off with them, and I'm willing to sacrifice the extra speed/efficiency!

[yellowjack]

Nighthawk said:

I'm guessing that it's a road bike rather than a hybrid type with the tyres being 700/23, you've experienced a pinch flat which can still happen to any tubed tyre if you hit an edge hard enough.

For comfort and better rolling resistance consider going up to 25mm wide tyres if the frame will allow too.

I'm currently using continental grand prix 4000 tyres on my road bike which have been OK for the last 1000 miles or so. For more puncture protection Conti do a gatorskin tyre which has an extra layer of protection at the expense of weight and a little bit of feel.

Re the pedals, go for an spd / spd sl set up with specific shoes. As you'll be fixed to the pedal you'll benefit from a more efficient pedal stroke

Bear in mind that the extra layer of protection doesn't always do the trick...








A big "shark's tooth" flint, picked up outside a building site in Fleet. I'd moved left at a traffic light junction, to allow cars to cross ahead of me, and strayed into that "debris field" where cars almost never put their wheels. Last time I make that mistake. The buggers will have to wait now, no matter how much space there appears to be, as I'm not risking this sort of thing happening again.

Not a dig at the Gatorskins, really. I don't think there's many tyres that'd have had a chance of repelling that sort of attack. I've currently got an old set of 23c Ultra Gatorskins on my 'nice' carbon road bike. I really rate the Continental GP 4 Seasons, though. They're so much more 'grippy' and comfortable to ride on than the Gators, and in my experience they give very little away in terms of p**cture protection. I've just slung the 25c set from my 'winter' bike in the bin after thousands of miles, swapping several times between three bikes. To be fair, though, I'd had my money's worth out of them...



...by the time the 'tread' area wore down so thin it started to peel off.


The first picture was recreated at home. The damned flint was pushed a lot further into the tyre when I p**ctured. So much so that I rolled about 50 yards, and then walked the bike another 40 yards to a bench to do the repair, and the wretched thing was still in there, mocking me. But at least it made the hole in the tube so much easier to find, and therefore quicker to repair. Every cloud, etc, etc...