Best everyday, p******e resistant 700x23c tyre?

[mrmacmusic]

Apologies, as I'm sure this has come up many times before...

I'm excited at the prospect of picking up my new bike tonight, and grateful that the Boss was prepared to splash out on the Trek Madone 3.5C that I saw yesterday

I know it's an expensive bike to use everyday in all weathers, but that's just what I intend to do. That means commuting duties, so I'm thinking that one of the first things I will want to do is change the very basic looking Bontrager tyres (which apparently don't offer any sort of puncture resistance).

I've been running 25c Marathon+ tyres on my current bike and not had a flat for thousands of miles (had one within a week of fitting a year ago, but since then nothing). Obviously the M+ aren't an option on the Madone, and I'm planning to stick with the 23c size anyway, so which tyres – on balance – are going to offer the most reliability (e.g. puncture protection), and are best suited to the back roads, country lanes and less than perfect surfaces I encounter on my commute?

I've been mulling over Durano Plus given that they offer the same sort of puncture resistance protection as the M+ that have served me well, but on reflection there's probably not actually an awful lot of that fancy blue rubber in them given the narrowness at 23c, so I'm wondering if there are other options that might actually offer better protection and resistance to cutting etc..etc..

Also, is one inner tube better than another at resisting flats?

 

[BSRU]

It is a recurring forum topic and will result in different opinions.
My opinion being that the Continental GP Four Seasons and 4000s both handle country lanes with no problems, the Four Seasons has twice the puncture protection of the 4000s.

 

[mrmacmusic]

It is a recurring forum topic and will result in different opinions.
My opinion being that the Continental GP Four Seasons and 4000s both handle country lanes with no problems, the Four Seasons has twice the puncture protection of the 4000s.

Thanks BSRU I figured it was a subject that came up regularly, sorry ... but you never know, current offerings may be better than those from a few months back, so I'm hoping people will chip in with their opinions too. I'm also really curious whether or not changing tubes might improve protection – my current tyres are pretty cut up, so I'm keen to have "reliable" tyres on the new Trek.

 

[Kiwiavenger]

i run gators! only punctures are from dodgy rim tape so far! roll ok too (except over freshly laid tarmac when all tyres feel like cycling through treacle)

i had luganos before but they wore down quite quickly (1500 miles for the rear, front is sat as a spare for the moment) had a lovely ride and the only thing to defeat them was a large screw!!!

 

[smokeysmoo]

+1 for Conti Gatorskins.

I do use Conti 4000s as well, but they wouldn't stand up to winter use in the roads round here.

 

[User6179]

Done about 1000 miles on the gp4000s and they seem great tyres ,no puntures so far .They seem to roll aswell as the ultremos but last a lot longer.I would recomend them for summer use but would opt for something else for winter ,my own preference would be spesh armadillo or schwalbe durano .

 

[ianrauk]

Durano Plus' or Spesh Armadillos.

Have run both through the glass strewn mean streats of SE London with very few punctures.

The Spesh are bombproof but hard to get going, but once do - roll well, I always wore them out rather then getting rid because of punctures. The Durano's are better rolling though.

 

[potsy]

Durano+ for me, though I have recently switched to the 25mm version for the extra comfort
4 seasons were pretty good, cut up quite badly though and are quite expensive, I can't see me getting anything else than the Durano's from now on.

 

[ianrauk]

Durano+ for me, though I have recently switched to the 25mm version for the extra comfort
4 seasons were pretty good, cut up quite badly though and are quite expensive, I can't see me getting anything else than the Durano's from now on.

Thing Is Pots, I got a puncture the first week I put the Durans on, which didn't bode well seeing as I went 3500+ miles with the Armadillos. However 1000 miles down the road and no problems.

 

[mrmacmusic]

+1 for Conti Gatorskins.

I do use Conti 4000s as well, but they wouldn't stand up to winter use in the roads round here.

Thanks - given the temperatures can only go South over the coming months, that's something I should have mentioned above... mind you, it's like Winter 12 months of the Year here in Central Scotland LOL!

Are these the Gatorskins you (and indeed others) mean? It seems there are different Gators, including a 'hardshell'.

 

[mrmacmusic]

Durano Plus' or Spesh Armadillos.

Have run both through the glass strewn mean streats of SE London with very few punctures.

The Spesh are bombproof but hard to get going, but once do - roll well, I always wore them out rather then getting rid because of punctures. The Durano's are better rolling though.

Good to know, as I quite often come up against glass – thanks Ian

 

[potsy]

Thing Is Pots, I got a puncture the first week I put the Durans on, which didn't bode well seeing as I went 3500+ miles with the Armadillos. However 1000 miles down the road and no problems.

Same thing happened to me with the 4 seasons, then went another 1000 or so before another
I think a lot of it is sheer luck tbh, ride an inch either way and you miss the glass/flint/sharp object, an inch the other way and wam

 

[smokeysmoo]

Thanks - given the temperatures can only go South over the coming months, that's something I should have mentioned above... mind you, it's like Winter 12 months of the Year here in Central Scotland LOL!

Are these the Gatorskins you (and indeed others) mean? It seems there are different Gators, including a 'hardshell'.

Yeah there are quite a few different ones these days, inlcuding folding and rigid ones. Those you've linked to will be fine.

I'm currently using the rigid versions on both bikes, but one's got standard Gators and one's got the hardshell ones

[EDIT] I do like the Durano's as well, but although they never let me down, I did find they cut up far more than the Gators.

 

[mrmacmusic]

Thing Is Pots, I got a puncture the first week I put the Durans on, which didn't bode well seeing as I went 3500+ miles with the Armadillos. However 1000 miles down the road and no problems.

Interesting that exactly the same thing happened to me with the M+ when I fitted them (after recommendations here ) – first week disaster, then nothing for a year.... I just know that having brought the subject up I'll get a visit from P.Fairy on my way home this afternoon now!

 

[User6179]

Thanks - given the temperatures can only go South over the coming months, that's something I should have mentioned above... mind you, it's like Winter 12 months of the Year here in Central Scotland LOL!

Are these the Gatorskins you (and indeed others) mean? It seems there are different Gators, including a 'hardshell'.

Just so you know the gatorskins are a lot less punture resistant than the schwalbe duranos and the spesh armadillos but they do seem to last for ages.I,ve had 4 armadillos and never had one punture .Ive had 1 gatorskin and was getting a punture every week , i still own it and use it if Im waiting for tyres to arrive but I dont rate them although for miles cycled they must be one of the most cost effective tyres with punture protection you can buy providing you fix the puntures and your not using a new tube when you punture.