Road tyres for wet conditions

[cyberknight]

It amazes me on a couple of facefluff cycle groups i comment on how many people still recommend gatorskins , they are rubbish in the wet, a harsh ride and not that brilliant with punctures either but loads of people still think they are the best thing since sliced bread.
Currently running wiggle lifeline commuter tyres on yup the commuter and im mightily impressed by them

 

[Ian H]

Most decent tyres have similar grip. More important in the wet is riding technique. Avoid drains and other metalwork, especially on bends. Use the brakes with caution, especially the front brake, and not when cornering. Reduce speed, especially when cornering. Avoid sudden swerves. Don't put the power down when cornering. It helps to develop a reflex action to release the brakes the instant you feel a slide start;
In brief: everything smoothly.

 

[Grant Fondo]

It amazes me on a couple of facefluff cycle groups i comment on how many people still recommend gatorskins , they are rubbish in the wet, a harsh ride and not that brilliant with punctures either but loads of people still think they are the best thing since sliced bread.
Currently running wiggle lifeline commuter tyres on yup the commuter and im mightily impressed by them

The thing about Gatorskins is they start off nice and 'rubbery' but after a few months the sidewalls in particular go really hard and look like 3 year old tyres. Swapping to 32c GP5000s next. Loads of options at 28c, not so many at 32.

 

[nickyboy]

The amount of rain fallen/falling in Lancaster I am thinking of a small inflatable rather than a push iron

Having grown up in Lancaster I can confirm that Glossop is wetter....much wetter

I don't think there is much to choose between most tyres for grip in the wet. For sure, tread makes zero difference. I think it's much more about running them at the correct pressure and taking it easy on bends in the wet

 

[RoubaixCube]

Conti GP 4 Seasons -- Used them for years and not had problems even in torrential rain. I have full confidence in those tyres. My brakes on the other hand are more of a immediate concern when things get torrential (I think they are R451's with Kool Stop dura pads)

I also still run some Vittoria Rubino Pro III's and they are also fine so long as you avoid manhole covers. GP 4 Seasons are definitely more grippy than the Rubinos though im not sure how good the newer Rubino Pro IV's are when it comes to grip.

 

[Dwn]

Hi all any recommendations for road tyres in the wet?
Currently using Continental Gatorskin 28mm. I do a mix of general fitness riding and commuting.
I recently came off bike - taking roundabout in wet conditions. Probably just going too fast but not sure if there are better tyres for wet conditions? I live in Glasgow so it rains often!

Thanks

Fellow Glaswegian cyclist here. I swapped to Conti GP5000 last year. Been happy with both grip and rolling resistance. It’s rare to feel anything less than secure on them, despite our miserable weather

 

[CXRAndy]

Winter/wet weather riding, you require a soft compound tyre, not necessarily with any tread. Bike tyres dont aquaplane. A bigger tyre will help with greater contact patch also running a lower pressure to increase the surface contact. A little precaution in speed and lean into corners works well. I've come down Mt Teide in the pouring rain on Schwalbe One Pro 28mm. The grip was amazing

 

[nickyboy]

Fellow Glaswegian cyclist here. I swapped to Conti GP5000 last year. Been happy with both grip and rolling resistance. It’s rare to feel anything less than secure on them, despite our miserable weather

I use the same tyres and they're pretty good in terms of balance between rolling resistance and puncture resistance. However, they're £35 a tyre so they aren't cheap. I wonder if a £12 tyre would be appreciably less "grippy"?

 

[Tripster]

Winter/wet weather riding, you require a soft compound tyre, not necessarily with any tread. Bike tyres dont aquaplane. A bigger tyre will help with greater contact patch also running a lower pressure to increase the surface contact. A little precaution in speed and lean into corners works well. I've come down Mt Teide in the pouring rain on Schwalbe One Pro 28mm. The grip was amazing

I have Schwalbe pro one 30mm. Good to hear they have good grip. They look like a motorbike slick

 

[HLaB]

Ive only ever done 1000 miles on a gatorskins and didn't find it problematic, but I don't pump my tires up to the max or lean too much. Anyway, I think there are better tyres out there; my current tyres are Continental 5000TL's and they have been excellent for me in all conditions but it might be that being tubeless I can run them at an even lower pressures. Before I ran Tubeless I used Michelin Pro 4's for 10's of thousands of miles and found them grippy too.

 

[boydj]

GP 4 Seasons - great tyre for year-round commuting and for longer rides. The compound is better than most in cold, wet weather.

 

[Cymro74]

Agree that technique is more important than tyres in wet (same as for motorbikes). Diesel spills are a lottery, and can bring down any safe two wheel vehicle.

Personally, I always use Schwalbe Marathons as they are great in all weather conditions and I have never had a puncture with them. They are a little heavier, but I don't care about going fast, which is probably why I have not had any serious issues.

 

[Paulus]

Gatorskins have a reputation for being slippy - 'skaterskins'. I stopped using them after a similar issue.

For commuting there's a lot, including me, who use Vittoria Rubino / Rubino + tyres, and Schwalbe Durano. For general riding I use Continental's GP4000 / GP5000 / GP 4 Seasons.

I have seen many posts over the years about Gatorskins being slippy in the wet, but, I have run them for many years and have had no problem with them. I run 25's on a couple of my bikes.

 

[T4tomo]

It amazes me on a couple of facefluff cycle groups i comment on how many people still recommend gatorskins , they are rubbish in the wet, a harsh ride and not that brilliant with punctures either but loads of people still think they are the best thing since sliced bread.
Currently running wiggle lifeline commuter tyres on yup the commuter and im mightily impressed by them

I ran very similar lifeline prime armour on my commuter and was similarly impressed, I have swapped them onto my winter road bike. I also run Conti GP 4 seasons on my best bike, which I've always found decent wet or dry.

 

[rivers]

For an excellent combo of rolling resistance, puncture protection, and grip, you can't go wrong with pirelli cinturato velos. I've been running them on my winter bike, and I've been very happy with them.