700c 32 section high pressure road tyres?

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farfromtheland

Regular AND Goofy
Location
London
Hi - I had some of these by Specialized back in the day and together with tuffy tape they were the best I have ever had for fast smooth riding on typical craggy London roads. Does anyone know if they are still made, or something similar please? Thanks!
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Do you recall the model name? If not here’s the range they sell today:
https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/shop/equipment/bike-components/tires--tubes/c/tirestubes
 
OP
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farfromtheland

Regular AND Goofy
Location
London
Thank you Cycleops - no I don't remember the model. I shredded them to near destruction eventually, but it took a while. I took a quick look through the current range though and the nearest would seem to be these -
https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/pathfinder-pro-2bliss-ready/p/157870?color=237518-157870 - only 38 or wider, which will not fit my rims.
or these - https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/roubaix-pro/p/156469?color=230998-156469 - no wider than 28.
I asked all my local bike shops a few years back and they only stocked a few Specialized through other wholesalers. I eventually got some ok 28 sections but haven't ridden with them nearly as much since, so to see the Specialized range online is helpful, even if only to dash my hopes!
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
I don't think Specialized is a popular brand for tyres in the UK. Schwalbe cover most applications and have a good rep on here. Their Marathon range are good and the Green Guard is popular but the Plus is reckoned to be bullet proof but rather heavy and a bit of a barsteward to put on. There's always a trade off between performance and reliability.
This is an interesting read and might help you choose:
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
 
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farfromtheland

Regular AND Goofy
Location
London
Thanks for these suggestions!
My previous tyres went over 90psi - I am not heavy but I liked them like that, Ming. Got them from Beta Bikes in West Hampstead, who were big Specialized fans, and built my wheels too.

The Schwalbe and the Panaracer gravel tyres are too knobbly for my taste Vickster - I hope to find a smoother rolling surface with just enough groove for rain dispersal, and some sidewall texture but not quite that much. And 35mm would definitely too fat for the rims. I put 700c wheels on a frame built for 26inches, so the clearance is tight too.

The Continental Grand Prix 5000 TL in that review are intriguing Cycleops - but look like they might be a skid nightmare on a wet road. I'll look up the other Schwalbe options though...
 
Just because you can go over a certain pressure doesn't mean you should.

Less is more with wider tyres.
 

JonBuoy

Veteran
...I hope to find a smoother rolling surface with just enough groove for rain dispersal...

The Continental Grand Prix 5000 TL in that review are intriguing Cycleops - but look like they might be a skid nightmare on a wet road. I'll look up the other Schwalbe options though...


A quote from the great Sheldon Brown - https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#tread :

Bicycle tires for on-road use have no need of any sort of tread features; in fact, the best road tires are perfectly smooth, with no tread at all!

Unfortunately, most people assume that a smooth tire will be slippery, so this type of tire is difficult to sell to unsophisticated cyclists. Most tire makers cater to this by putting a very fine pattern on their tires, mainly for cosmetic and marketing reasons.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
^^^That's right, the contact area with the road is so thin that any kind of tread pattern will have almost no influence on grip or water dispersal at all.
Tyres with pattern are there only to reassure the buyer who expects there to be some :smile:
 
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Models keep changing. Schwalbe are probably one of the best brands for hacking around London. They make a bunch of different models. The Marathons are road/trail commuter type. Durano is for road training esp winter training. The One is their highest performance everyday training tyre.
Race tyres are another type and sacrifice durability for performance.
 
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farfromtheland

Regular AND Goofy
Location
London
Good morning and thanks for all the ideas. There's a lot to answer so I'll take it in chunks...

I'll try and look up the Zaffiro pro later, cyberknight, I am trying to avoid the g-corporation and all its works.

Thanks JonBuoy, I rather guessed from the reviews I've started to read that smooth road tyres have become the standard. Maybe it is an aesthetic thing, maybe because I have been known to skid and haul-turn out of trouble, maybe because there will be some towpath riding, I feel I will need some tread. Then again there's these - https://www.merlincycles.com/continental-grand-prix-4-season-folding-road-tyre-700c-45210.html - so I am not alone in this. Out of stock, naturally,

I have a different bike for hacking, MichaelW2 so I am hoping to rediscover the joys of my fast road bike, and know what I want, and, funnily enough, why. My weight will be evenly balanced, I will be using drop bars and if I hit up some pothole or lump I want to roll over it nicely and keep my speed. I also simply like riding with hard tyres. The Marathons are too chunky, but I'll take a look at the Durano, thanks.

Those road tests - https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/specials/grand-prix-5000-comparison - were very useful indeed. Once I got the hang of the site I was intrigued, so big thanks cycleops.
Please forgive me for not clicking 'like' buttons - I have some qualms with social media cultural shortcuts, but that doesn't mean your ideas are not appreciated!
 
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