Tyres recommendations

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I have just purchased a new specialized Sirrus Sport 2018 hybrid bike and the standard tyres fitted are Specialized Nimbus Reflect 700x32mm, 26 TPI, wire bead, w/ Flak Jacket protection, has anybody got any thoughts on these tyres as regards reliability & puncture protection ? I’ll mainly be using on roaD but might do few easy trails or tow paths too now and again.
 

Spiderweb

Not So Special One
Location
North Yorkshire
The tyres you mentioned are not lightweight but they are imo excellent, they will last you several thousand miles and have great puncture protection.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Specialized tyres are decent.
You'll be fine most of the time but no tyres are completely puncture proof so make sure you always carry a couple of spare tubes, tyre levers, pump (and CO2 if it floats your boat). And know how to use all of this stuff
 

Thorn Sherpa

Über Member
Location
Doncaster
Usually tyres supplied by makers for bikes at this price are budget affairs with poor puncture protection but I stand to be corrected by Spiderwebs post.
Any of the Marathon range are a good place to start when looking for a replacement.
Can vouch for the Marathons I use them on my bike, very hard wearing and touch wood no punctures so far! Used on other bikes and never had a problem with punctures either
 

Edgy Dee

Cranky Old Guy
Location
Scotland
I can't disagree with anything that's been said, but as I've ridden all the tyres mentioned I thought I'd give my tuppence worth.

Any tyre choice is a compromise between performance, convenience, and cost. Where you want to be on that curve is down to personal choice and what kind of cycling you do.

Performance includes weight, rolling resistance, and grip. The last two tend to trade off against each other. Convenience includes durability (how long they last), reliability (i.e. puncture proofness), and maintenance (e.g. how easy to get on and off). Wire bead is heavier, but easier to mount. Folding tyres have a kevlar bead which is lighter, but doesn't stretch over the rim so easily.

My view on cost is, pay for the right tyres to do the job you need them to do. How much would you pay not to be repairing a puncture by the roadside on a cold, wet, ride home at night? Add a few of those up and you quickly justify the investment.

Flak Jacket isn't Specialized's top puncture proofing. That would be Armadillo (bead to bead Kevlar), also available on the Nimbus. But the tyres you have are probably a good compromise spec for the type of bike you have. For the record, I once rode a Nimbus Armadillo to death without a single puncture for several thousand miles until it ran out of tread. I've seen a thorn embedded up to its armpits without puncturing the inner tube. On the down side, they are a bit weighty; and once I had an issue with a tread delaminating. Also, because Specialized are imported there is a price penalty; and they can be slightly harder to source.

Schwalbe, who make Marathons are a German company (thanks for correction @andrew_s). I run Marathon Plus on a couple of bikes - heavy touring/winter commuting types. Never had any issues with them. Reliable, and good grip. They are the gold standard commuter tyre for anyone not concerned with 'performance', as attested by the many posters in this thread.

If you want something a bit lighter and with less rolling resistance, that's where Continental (German) score. Their GP4000 SII are considered by many to be the benchmark road tyre, with low rolling resistance AND good grip - but probably a bit vulnerable for regular commuting or any off-road. Their most reliable offering are Gatorskins, which are great for summer commuting, but the slik tread is a bit iffy for wet roads or muddy tracks. They're also a bit weighty and ride like rocks. The compromise is the GP Four Season mentioned by @Fonze, which hits the sweet spot of low rolling resistance and weight, good puncture resistance, and good grip in most conditions.

Ok that was a tanner's worth after all.
 
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andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
Schwalbe, who make Marathons are a British company.
Schwalbe are a German company, based in Reichshof-Wehnrath, about 50 km east of Cologne.
Schwalbe is German for swallow (as in the bird).
 

froze

Über Member
There are a lot of good tires on the market that are at least equal or better then expensive Conti 4 seasons plus their cheaper!, plus if you get them on closeout sales like those that are going on right now you can get them really cheap. This tire for example is a killer deal and it has high reviews: http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product2_10053_10052_554636_-1 Here's another: http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product2_10053_10052_543824_-1 Or this one: http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product2_10053_10052_544033_-1 There are 3 great tires, pick your poison, you won't go wrong with any of them.

The Victoria Rubino has more TPI then the others and will give you a slightly better ride. I've had a set of these tires and they are indeed very good tires, I got about 4500 miles on them but a persons weight and road conditions will make your mileage vary from mine, and I only got one flat the whole time. If you have really bad road conditions the Michelin may be your best bet.
 
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Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
a new specialized Sirrus Sport 2018 hybrid bike and the standard tyres fitted are Specialized Nimbus Reflect 700x32mm
This tire for example is a killer deal and it has high reviews: [Hutchison Equinox] Here's another: [Vittoria Rubino] Or this one: [think it's a Michelin Pro4 Service Course] There are 3 great tires, pick your poison, you won't go wrong with any of them.
Seeing the OP wants (I assume) two 32-622 tyres, how many of your suggestion come that wide. I have to say the reviews I have scanned of the Hutchisons suggest they're pretty poor. I too think the Pro4s are good (and have put thousands of km on them) but they don't come in wider sizes afaik. Currently have a GP4S (28-622) on the front and expect to get 8000+km - well I did with the last 2 (on the front; 5000km on the rear).
 
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