Tyres

[urbanfatboy]

This GNBR (55 miles - mass participation) ride is coming up. Last year i did it with Conti - ultra gatorskins on my cross bike, but it was warm sunny and dry. This year, chances are it's going to be wet or very wet. The course is mainly road with some cinderpath. What are gatorskins like in the wet? Would i be better off leaving my cross tyres on? (Specialized Houffalize or Conti Twisters, about to replace).

any ideas?

 

[Joe24]

I have been told that Gatorskins were made for the wet. Personally i found them pretty skiddy. They were really really skiddy when i was in Belgium, i had wheel spin, the back brakes locking up under slightly braking and the back wheel skidding around all over.
In the wet over here though i have never really had a big poblem with them, had wheelspin a few times in the wet, but they arent really that bad i dont think.

 

[mikeitup]

This GNBR (55 miles - mass participation) ride is coming up. Last year i did it with Conti - ultra gatorskins on my cross bike, but it was warm sunny and dry. This year, chances are it's going to be wet or very wet. The course is mainly road with some cinderpath. What are gatorskins like in the wet? Would i be better off leaving my cross tyres on? (Specialized Houffalize or Conti Twisters, about to replace).

any ideas?

Schwalbe!

 

[urbanfatboy]

Schwalbe!

Schwalbe what?

Given that i now have the gatorskins but need to replace my cross tyres...

 

[John the Monkey]

I don't like Gators in the wet either - (at least not the wire bead ones I have on my bike atm). I used Schwalbe Stelvio (wire bead 25C) recently, and liked those a lot - quite a nice compromise between puncture protection and grip for my riding - they felt a lot more secure than the gators do.

 

[urbanfatboy]

thanks for the advice, but it doesn't help me decide which tyres to use.

 

[John the Monkey]

If it's mainly road, my personal choice would be to stick with road tyres then ('gators) - just have a couple of test runs in the wet to make sure you're happy with the handling, (and take it easy 'til you get the measure of them).

 

[urbanfatboy]

cheers

 

[mikeitup]

re

Schwalbe Marathons or Marathon Plus if you can afford them.
Great tyres.

 

[aserota]

Went out for my first proper ride in the wet on my nnew gator skins.

I was shocked at the severe lack of grip that they gave and breaking was completely appauling all together.

I was running tubs previously conti comp, which were not slicks and they were extremely competant in the wet

 

[John the Monkey]

As said earlier, I don't like Gators much in the wet, although mine seem to be getting better as they wear.

Whether a tyre is slick or not doesn't have much bearing on wet grip, unless the surface is loose (in which a tread pattern is better).

 

[GaryA]

Why not do what most of the roadies did last year?- 'cheat' by avoiding the off-road bits by riding the road sections ( past warkworth and Blyth)
No doubt it will happen again this year....

 

[Joe24]

I didnt like my gators' in the wet either. Over here i dont mind them, i've been able to courner hard in the wet and not had much of a problem. But as i found out in Belgium, they just dont grip the roads enough. The fact i was getting wheelspin when moving off, and while trying to put the power on slowly was what annoyed me slightly.
Not sure what causes it, i found them super grippy in the dry.

 

[John the Monkey]

Lol at the wheelspin Joe - I've had the same thing, and it surprised me so much I nearly stopped to check something hadn't gone horribly wrong

Krylions will be the next winter tyre I try, I think.