How much do tyres improve speed?
- Thread starter rm90
- Start date
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MavBikeTours
New Member
Personally I would go with continental GP4000s all day long. If you look on ebay you can pick them up for £25 - 29 they're light, grippy and pretty much puncture proof. I have ridden everyday since March (pretty much) and i've had 1 puncture.
Get them pumped up to 110-120 PSI and you'll be flying.
Get them pumped up to 110-120 PSI and you'll be flying.
Mo1959
Legendary Member
- Location
- Perthshire,Scotland
I did find them faster than my Durano Plus but not very puncture resistant having two in five weeks. Not great in the summer months so not sure I could be bothered with them in the winter.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Tyres make a huuuge difference to the feel and to the speed of a bike. Partb of that is rolling resistance and a major part is rotating weight.
At one end of the scale you have Marathon plus, heavy, lowish rolling resistance probably, dead feeling but also the most P resistant tyre available. At the other say a GP 4000, light, supple, fast, low roll resistance and for a race style tyre actually quite good P resistance and durability (better than a Michelin PR4 say), but not in the same league as the M+.
In between you have a lot of shades of grey ... A Durano plus is faster and livelier than an M+, but feels dead compared to a GP 4000.
So it's all a compromise, you pays your money and takes yer choice!
Me? I prefer light, supple and fast tyres, 23c PR4's on the summer bike and 27c Vittoria Open Paves for the new winter bike. I know I don't have ultimate P protection but I'm happy to sacrifice a better ride experience for the odd P*ncture.
At one end of the scale you have Marathon plus, heavy, lowish rolling resistance probably, dead feeling but also the most P resistant tyre available. At the other say a GP 4000, light, supple, fast, low roll resistance and for a race style tyre actually quite good P resistance and durability (better than a Michelin PR4 say), but not in the same league as the M+.
In between you have a lot of shades of grey ... A Durano plus is faster and livelier than an M+, but feels dead compared to a GP 4000.
So it's all a compromise, you pays your money and takes yer choice!
Me? I prefer light, supple and fast tyres, 23c PR4's on the summer bike and 27c Vittoria Open Paves for the new winter bike. I know I don't have ultimate P protection but I'm happy to sacrifice a better ride experience for the odd P*ncture.
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
That's a fair point but it will also depend on the type of riding, if it's for an all weather commute, especially in the hours of darkness, then maximum puncture protection would beat speed and suppleness for me all day long.
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
I run GP4000S tyres on the best bike.
On the commuter it's Schwalbe Lugano's as the commute's over pretty bad roads. I get about 1000 miles per tyre whatever I use so a basic-but-OK tyre is fine at £10 a wheel.
On the commuter it's Schwalbe Lugano's as the commute's over pretty bad roads. I get about 1000 miles per tyre whatever I use so a basic-but-OK tyre is fine at £10 a wheel.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Oh absolutely, I don't commute by bike unfortunately! If I did I'd make a choice based on my route choices.
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
I had M+ on one of my rides, and it was like rolling through an inch of cold thick treacle all of the time. I changed for a faster lighter, and so less resistant tyre because all of the joy of riding had gone when I fitted M+.
marcusjb
Senior Member
- Location
- Twickenham
Tyres make more difference than any other component to the feel of a bike in my experiences.
There is always going to be trade off between speed, durability and resistance to sharp things.
Marathons are definitely at one end of the spectrum and are just fine for applications where you are not in a hurry and/or a deflation would be a major inconvenience; so they are popular for touring and commuting. They are slow and heavy though. But they do starship mileage before wearing out.
At the other end of the scale, you have race tyres that are super fast, wear out in a few weeks and are very fragile. But, if every second counts, that is the risk you have to take.
Most of us sit somewhere in the middle of risk/reward and find a tyre that gives reasonable speed, decent mileage and decent p***ture resistance.
I have found Continental 4 Seasons to be about the best all rounder for me and run them on my audax, commuting and bicycle made for two.
Depending on your mileage/speed, the odd inconvenience of a flat may still be quicker than riding something bombproof like a Marathon.
There is always going to be trade off between speed, durability and resistance to sharp things.
Marathons are definitely at one end of the spectrum and are just fine for applications where you are not in a hurry and/or a deflation would be a major inconvenience; so they are popular for touring and commuting. They are slow and heavy though. But they do starship mileage before wearing out.
At the other end of the scale, you have race tyres that are super fast, wear out in a few weeks and are very fragile. But, if every second counts, that is the risk you have to take.
Most of us sit somewhere in the middle of risk/reward and find a tyre that gives reasonable speed, decent mileage and decent p***ture resistance.
I have found Continental 4 Seasons to be about the best all rounder for me and run them on my audax, commuting and bicycle made for two.
Depending on your mileage/speed, the odd inconvenience of a flat may still be quicker than riding something bombproof like a Marathon.
