I want to be a little faster...and front light ??'s

[Hicky]

Ok, assuming I'm getting the best out of my legs(dont laugh)......I want a little more speed for commuting.
I've got 32 armadillos on my sirrius(alex s500 rims), now I'm looking to spend as little money as possible as I'm VERY tight fisted.

What thinner tyre could I fit with good puncture resistance that wont break the bank???

Oh, I've pretty much decided on the blackburn 4 for a rear light (I'll need lights soon!) however what for the front???????
All of my route is on well lit roads and I'm already Mr Hi Vis man not that it is making much of a differance.

Thanks

 

[jackthelad]

I have got a sirrus and put on bontrager 25c race hard case tyres, and the tyres really roll with good puncture protection

you can get then from allterraincycles for about £14.59

jackthelad
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/119612.html

 

[HLaB]

My old sirrus had DA16's and according to Sheldon (the table at the bottom is simplest and its based on Rim width) it could safely take between a 23 and 25mm tyres. I used to have 25mm tyres fitted. As you've probably gathered the narrower you go the better rolling a tyre is but the harsher the ride. As to the brand I've heard good thing about the Bonti Hardcases and Conti Gatorskins and my own experience of conti (4 seasons, Grand Prix, Grand Prix 4000s and contact) has been good. For P'ture resistance my old Nimbus Armadillo's were great too but I found them a little sketchy in the wet.

Front lights are all about being seen or seeing with. I only really need to be seen and Ive got a Smart BSpoke 1/2 watt backed up occaisionally with a EL410 or EL510 or a Tesco Cree (unfortunately no longer available) in the pitch black. My lights are a few year old now, you'll most certainly get better now, there's some good threads on it if you search the forum.

 

[008]

Like jackthelad, I've just put a pair of those Bontrager tyres on my Sirrus, but in 23c. I've only noticed a slight improvement in speed but then again I had 23c Stelvio Plus tyres previously which were also pretty quick. I think you will notice a bigger difference if you're currently running 32c tyres. The original tyres on my Sirrus were 28c Armadillos and the 23c tyres are noticeably quicker.

 

[Moodyman]

Another vote for the Bonty Racelite hardcase.

Very good price too - All Terrain Cycles are your best best

 

[Hicky]

Ok, I'll give the hardcases a go....I noticed the blackburn 4 on that site cheap too.
I'm assuming I'll need 23 innertubes also.......I'm new dont laugh.

 

[jackthelad]

Ok, I'll give the hardcases a go....I noticed the blackburn 4 on that site cheap too.
I'm assuming I'll need 23 innertubes also.......I'm new dont laugh.

I am hanging back a couple of weeks for lights for the wife,looking at the exposure flash £75 front and back
but if they are anywhere near the exposure joystick rear piggy back light for brightness then they will be a good buy.
They are rechargable so take the cost of batteries out of the equation and the build quality will be first class,
only thing is I cant see them locally for a few weeks as they are just out.

jackthelad

 

[jimboalee]

Ok, assuming I'm getting the best out of my legs(dont laugh)......I want a little more speed for commuting.
I've got 32 armadillos on my sirrius(alex s500 rims), now I'm looking to spend as little money as possible as I'm VERY tight fisted.

What thinner tyre could I fit with good puncture resistance that wont break the bank???

Oh, I've pretty much decided on the blackburn 4 for a rear light (I'll need lights soon!) however what for the front???????
All of my route is on well lit roads and I'm already Mr Hi Vis man not that it is making much of a differance.

Thanks

1. You're probably NOT.

2. VERY tight fisted cyclists stop paying out for unnecessary food.

3. LAZY cyclists look to change their bike and not themselves.

 

[PpPete]

1. You're probably NOT.

2. VERY tight fisted cyclists stop paying out for unnecessary food.

3. LAZY cyclists look to change their bike and not themselves.

True enough Jimbo - but not very welcoming to newbies.

Tyres - yes the Bontis are good. Moving up the price scale you could look at Michelin Krylion (if you can find them in 25 mm), or Schwalbe Durano Plus.
Light - many recomend the Hope Vision 1

 

[Hicky]

Jimbo....I didnt say "I'm assuming I'm getting the best out of the legs" I simply said assuming.... as I know I'm not however I'm am trying.
I'm wanting to get a little more speed to cut my commuting time otherwise I'd be making use of the wife's dust gathering bike.

As for the food I could go on "mens health" type diet but I dont want to suck the fun out of life.

 

[HJ]

OK, lets deal with reality here. The width of tyre you can use is determined by the internal width of the rim, I can't find that for the Alex S500, but the consensus suggests that you can go down to a 23c. This will save a fair bit of weight, and the one place you will really notice a change in weight on a bike is the wheelset. The cheapest bit of the wheelset to change is the tyres and tubes. Bontrager Race Lite HardCase (suggested above) are 330g each, or a better choice would be Conti GatorSkins which are only 280g (or 220g if you go for the folding ones). Then get some Schwalbe SV20 innertubes (65g) to go inside them.

 

[snomaes]

<<< a better choice would be Conti GatorSkins which are only 280g (or 220g if you go for the folding ones). Then get some Schwalbe SV20 innertubes (65g) to go inside them.>>>

Conti Gator Skins are great tyres; I have had them fitted for two years and only had one puncture, while those around me have had many!

 

[HLaB]

Bontrager Race Lite HardCase (suggested above) are 330g each, or a better choice would be Conti GatorSkins which are only 280g (or 220g if you go for the folding ones). Then get some Schwalbe SV20 innertubes (65g) to go inside them.

I never had you down as a weight weenie

 

[eldudino]

I never had you down as a weight weenie

Bike-builds will do that to a man, have you not been following the blog? Everything's been weighed, unlike my recent build - nothing was weighed hence it ended up at over 10kgs!

 

[HLaB]

Bike-builds will do that to a man, have you not been following the blog? Everything's been weighed, unlike my recent build - nothing was weighed hence it ended up at over 10kgs!

Anyhow, you've lost more than 10kg where it really mattered