Stupid frikin' new tyres suck

[Rooster1]

Important note: For about 50% of the 15 mile ride where I got the punctures, there has been (on Monday this week) extensive hedge trimming by a tractor. This results in lots and lots of splinters all over the road. I can see the debris. This explains alot BUT I would expect the tyre in question to cope with this.

In better news, I just did the same ride and made it back puncture free, on the Schwalbes. I can still see the hedge debris!

@Fnaar hedge trimming

 

[Dec66]

My Cube Peloton came shod with Conti Ultra Sport II's.

I had six p*nct*res on the first three rides (30-40 miles each), including three on the third ride (I was rescued on that occasion by a kind fellow giving me his spare tube, as I'd used my two spares).

They were binned off and replaced by Vittoria Rubino Pros.

I kept the Conti tyres for the turbo trainer, when I get one. They have all the p*nct*re resistance of wet tissues.

Gatorskins are far better, as I believe are the GP4000's. The Ultra Sport II's, however, are cack.

 

[cyberknight]

I cant see the issue , listed on the conti website as a racing tyre, not a tyre for commuting/general riding so comparing them to marathons etc is chalk and cheese.
Summer tyres for summer rides, not mid winter .

 

[the_mikey]

Continental ultra sport 2's look good, but they're not the lightest and have no puncture protection whatsoever. Michelin Dynamic sport also have similar good looks but zero puncture protection, and are equally as cheap.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Continental ultra sport 2's look good, but they're not the lightest and have no puncture protection whatsoever. Michelin Dynamic sport also have similar good looks but zero puncture protection, and are equally as cheap.

Here's a comparison between Michelin-Pro-4-service-course-vs-Continental-Ultrasport-ii-vs-Michelin-Dynamic-sport-2015
I have just replaced a Michelin-Pro-4-service-course 25-622 which had done 5187km on the rear (I think this shows good endurance). Had a puncture on Friday (101km) and after a clean and careful inspection a small 'farthing' sized patch of threads was visible. New tyre time (Continental GP4000S II).
Grip, Durability, Robustness/puncture'protection', rolling resistance, weight, cost.

 

[Alan O]

What I find interesting about this discussion is that it reminds me just how much tyre technology has improved in the past couple of decades.

When I rebuilt my old bike in 2016, my 27" wheels limited my tyre choice, but I managed to find a pair of Ultra Sport II for a very good price. And I thought they were great - the profile with a thicker tread part was impressive, the rubber compound seemed nicer than I was used to, the near-slick tread was really good with excellent grip, and rolling seemed very smooth with little resistance. In short, they were much nicer than the tyres I'd used in the past - and I'd never heard of puncture protection.

I've actually only ridden a couple of hundred miles on them (without a puncture), because I found some 27" Gatorskins to use instead, and the second bike I built got a pair of 27" Marathons (original Greenguard). The Ultra Sport tyres are now on a fixed-gear bike I'm building - but as I say, this old fogey thinks they're pretty good for the money.

 

[boydj]

I find Conti GP 4 Seasons a very robust tyre, as well as being lightweight and grippy. I can't remember the last time I punctured one.

 

[cyberknight]

Here's a comparison between Michelin-Pro-4-service-course-vs-Continental-Ultrasport-ii-vs-Michelin-Dynamic-sport-2015
I have just replaced a Michelin-Pro-4-service-course 25-622 which had done 5187km on the rear (I think this shows good endurance). Had a puncture on Friday (101km) and after a clean and careful inspection a small 'farthing' sized patch of threads was visible. New tyre time (Continental GP4000S II).
Grip, Durability, Robustness/puncture'protection', rolling resistance, weight, cost.

linky no worky

 

[Sharky]

For real zero protection Conti tyres you need these,

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/continental-gp-supersonic-folding-tyre/

I think the innertube weighs more.

Great tyres - have had 20mm supersonics on my TT bikes for a few seasons. Not a great mileage and always good tarmac, but no visits from the .........

 

[youngoldbloke]

Op you should have got something like a Continental Gatorskin Hardshell. Buy cheap, buy twice.

Here this is what you need http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental...ource=google&utm_term&utm_campaign=UK_PLA_Com

Buy cheap, buy twice. I don't get this - so often quoted. What if these tyres had been bought at list price (24.95 at Wiggle). Would they somehow be better? Same as 'you get what you pay for' it just doesn't make sense nowadays when everything is discounted sooner or later. I NEVER buy at RRP, you can always find a discount somewhere. BTW I've used Ultra Sport IIs, and found them no more or less prone to punctures than any other tyre, likewise Lithion 2s - bought at discount of course.

 

[raleighnut]

Great tyres - have had 20mm supersonics on my TT bikes for a few seasons. Not a great mileage and always good tarmac, but no visits from the .........

Wait til you do get one, they don't half go down quickly being such a small volume tyre. Generally wrecks the tube too, multiple pinch flats by the time you managed to 'twig' that something is amiss and stopped. Never 'wrecked' the tyre though but the tube has been 'toast'.

 

[youngoldbloke]

They werent bought at list price though, most things are discounted all the time. Its what the public expects.
Even though everything is still discounted theres still a continuum between the cheapest and the most expensive.
If OP had come on here and asked for a decent tyre with puncture protection he wouldnt have been recommended those ones.

- this is true, but it is not necessarily true that the more you actually pay the better/more puncture resistant the tyre will be, so 'buy cheap buy twice' is not really appropriate - as I said, would the tyres have performed any better at list price - of course not. If you are saying it's likely a more expensive (on list) tyre specified as puncture resistant would actually perform better, that might be true of course (but it may not be).

 

[Alan O]

... as I said, would the tyres have performed any better at list price - of course not.

Yeah, but it's blindingly obvious that that's not what "Buy cheap, buy twice" means - nobody is suggesting that paying a higher price for exactly the same thing will make it better!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The tyres with the best puncture protection tend to be the more expensive ones.

Not sure that's necessarily true. CRC are supplying Schwalbe LC @ £9.99 and LC+ @ £13.49, and from what I'm able to glean from postings neither of those has a bad reputation for getting p*nctures. On the LC+, Schwalbe rate it as level 5 out of 6 protection, only 1 below the flagship M+ tyre.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Yeah, but it's blindingly obvious that that's not what "Buy cheap, buy twice" means - nobody is suggesting that paying a higher price for exactly the same thing will make it better!

My point is that they are not 'cheap' tyres - mid range might be a better description. If they had been purchased at full list price would "Buy cheap, buy twice" still be the comment? IME there actually are people who believe the more you pay for a product (the same product) the better it somehow becomes.