Time for some new tyres

[earth]

I am on GP4000S at the moment. They have done about 3K miles and still have plenty of rubber left on them but I get too many punctures in them.

The other night I went out and came back with a slow puncture in both tyres!

These are the first race tyres I have tried and I like the ride and grip. Can't say I have noticed if they have low rolling resistance. If it were not for all the punctures I have had with them I would say they were great. Even so I would like to try something else.

Apart from these I have used Bontrager Hardcases, Specialized Armadillo's, Continental 4 seasons. I don't want any of those - especially 4 seasons - awful.

On my list of contenders I have:

Michellin ProRace3
Schwaleb Ultremo R
Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX

I would like to try all of them actually.

ProRace have been updated, claim to be puncture proof, fast, improved grip.

Schwaleb are the lightest and use warwick mills punture belt. I found WM through a product they do called SpinSkinz. It's a kevlar tyre liner that I would have bought to improve the GP4000S but the are not sold over here. The ultremos incorperate a vectran belt by these guys so I am intrigued as to how well it works.

Vittoria are the heaviest but am an intrigued as to how a 320TPI carcase feels to ride. I don't know much about them other than that. I would also consider the other versions they do such as KX.



Can anyone give an experienced insight into these?

 

[John the Monkey]

I ride ProRace2 at the moment, and I love them to bits - really nice tyre. I can only imagine that the PR3 is better.

Never ridden Ultremos (too pricey) but do know a lot of people who have and rate them highly.

Never ridden the Vittoria, sorry.

 

[DaveP]

Earth...

For general rolling around on I use Continental Grand Prix’s, during winter or when it is raining, these get changed for Vittoria Open Pave Evo CG’s which roll very well, are grippy and seem very good at eliminating road buzz.

As for the Open Corsa Evo CX’s, I am about to embark on a London to Genève charity ride for the paediatric renal unit at Guy’s hospital and the CX’s are going with me (cannot wait to get them on the continental tarmac).

I have seen various comments such as they wear out quick and seem to lose their puncture protection half way through their life, and are not so good in the rain, well that is all about to be tested.

I get back on the 14th of June so can update you on how they fared!

Please follow the Just Giving link if you fancy sponsoring me……..

 

[earth]

Ok!! I'm interested.

 

[Ademort]

Nothing wrong with your current tyres Conti GP4000S are as good a tyre as there is on the market. Prorace3 are good but when i used them towards the backend of last summer they cut up very quickly once the winter months came.Ultremo,s are ok as are Open corsa evo but you have the best tyres now, why change.Do you use rimtape do you run the tyres at the correct pressure, they could be reasons for your unusual amount of punctures. Also how heavy are you.
Ademort

 

[Tynan]

I tried a GP4000 on the rear, expensive and it cut up badly with some punctures

Lets face it, if the rear never flats you don;t notice it cutting up

I took it off in the end, it's under the stairs

Luganos and lately a blizzard do for me, very cheap, quick and relatively robust

 

[Ademort]

I tried a GP4000 on the rear, expensive and it cut up badly with some punctures

Lets face it, if the rear never flats you don;t notice it cutting up

I took it off in the end, it's under the stairs

Luganos and lately a blizzard do for me, very cheap, quick and relatively robust

The GP4000S is an improvement on the 4000 and better than your Luganos or Blizzards. Ok they are more expensive but in general you get what you pay for.
Ademort

 

[Steve Austin]

I like the gp4000s tbh.

Asking question about tyres is a little bit strange really, as everyone suggests what they like (or don't like) based on there personal likes/dislikes. You don't where they ride, pressures they use, terrain they ride on, their weight, etc etc etc
So whatever anyone suggests could very little meaning to you

 

[montage]

gatorskins

 

[skwerl]

Ultremo aren't that puncture-proof. Nice tyres but I'm trying Michelin PR3 next

 

[MajorMantra]

Are you running your GP4000S tyres at sufficient pressure? I ask because they're generally considered to be very good so unless you're just very unlucky I'd think about what might be causing all your punctures.

Matthew

 

[HeartAttack]

Open Corsa CX are for me the best tyres I have put on my bike, no matter if its wet or dry, just riding, training or racing I know that they will do all I can ask of them and more. So far no cuts or issues or even flats in over 2500 miles, which is 1000-2000 more than I got out of Pro Race 3's, Ultremo, Ultremo R, Attack/Force and GP4000s.

I also use the Corsa CX tubs on my zipps and they are giving me the same results. Yes I'll probably try some other tyres but if I could only buy one set of tyres then they would have to be CX's

 

[DaveP]

Well after running them under all types of conditions (with 120 at the front and 140 on the back), I had a front flat 35 miles from the end of a 600 mile journey. A tiny sliver of stone worked it's way through the sidewall on the road through to Gex...

They coped with rain (lots) and some rather dodgy French D roads, but they rolled along killing road buzz with aplomb...

Great tyre...

 

[earth]

Wow. I no one answered for a while and now its a hive of activity.

I'm the kind of person who likes to try different things even if I like my current situation aka GP4000S. I liked this tyre, they seem to be grippy and I found them comfortable. When it comes to rolling resistance I could not really judge them. However they did puncture frequently - I had GP4000 before them and found the same there. They also squared off after about 1500 miles and I ran them for another 1000. There was plenty of wear left in them because the little bubble indicators in them were still very present but they are now cut up and squared off.

FYI I weight about 65kgs and I pumped them up to 110PSI and used velox rim tape. the roads I ride are not so good, especially in the town, lots of potholes, glass + debris on the roads. However they punctured after the first 20 miles. As I said I had GP4000 before them and found they punctured after 20 miles as well and that was on good roads. The first puncture was quite a large chunk of glass, not a sliver that could go though between threads of a breaker but a rough blunt chunk.


Well yesterday I bought some ProRace3s. I would still like to try the others but one alternative had to be first so PR3 it was. I was keen on puncture protection and they claim to be puncture proof. We will see...

Anyway I fitted them last night, not easy, perhaps because they were new. I went out for a roll around on them for 5 minutes and the first thing I noticed was a crunching sound from them. Like every bit of grit was crunching under them, very strange. Then I noticed that they feel a bit firmer, not as comfortable. That fits with the sound, as if the rubber is really hard, unlike the soft GP4000S.

Went out on them this evening. Wow. Again as I rolled out onto the main road I could feel bits of grit and gravel hitting my ankles as it was thrown up by them. I've never had that before from any tyre. Then I got out proper. It might have been new kit adrenalin but they really felt alot faster.

I did a 20 mile blast, 10 miles out, turn around, 10 miles back. I very nearly beat my personal best that I did a few years ago. Just .2 mph slower over 20 miles and I know I was fitter then. So I think on Wednesday I will try and beat it.

But they were not only faster, they seemed to be grippier.

To be fair the GP4000S were squared off so not at their best but I really like these PR3S. No punctures after 20 miles either. The only thing is I still was to try the Vittoria's and the Ultermo's.

 

[Fab Foodie]

FWIW, I think PR3's are god's own tyres, fast, grippy and pretty comfortable. It's the overall feeling of confidence they give, the way they handle in the wet and dry that I like so much.