Which commuting tyre please?

[Deleted member 1258]

Snow and ice ehh?

From another thread I got the impression that you ride a fixed wheel bike, which kinda makes sense.

I find the my 28mm Bonti very unnerving in the wet and sub-zero temps.

I've been riding my 26 x 1.5" M+ (got two bikes) the last couple of weeks with absolute confidence. Perhaps the confidence comes from wider tyres rather than the tyre profile.

My Bonti have several large cuts (carcass still perfect) after 3k miles, but I reckon I can easily double the mileage before I need to replace.

You will have to explain the reference to riding a fixed wheel bike to me. Yes my fixed is my commuter, winter bike and general run about, I also have a geared bike, a Verenti Kilmeston which I use as a summer best fair weather bike, club, Coventry Road Club, rides, leisure rides, audax and charity rides. Both bikes on Hardcases, 700x28 on the fixed and 700x25 on the geared bike. The rear on the fixed has done over 3000 miles and has not cut up, the fixed gets used in all weathers, ridden all through last years snow and ice, and has given me no cause for alarm on wet, icy or snowy roads.

http://www.cyclechat.net/useralbums/daves-bikes.11/view

 

[400bhp]

I'll side with Dave r on this.

I have the Bonti's on my racer. They've lasted a long time and have decent grip levels, albeit not that confidence inspiring in the wet. Then again I don't and wouldn't cycle too enthusiastically in thw wet.

The Bontis used to be £10 a tyre, however these days they are nearly £20 a tyre (last time I looked). At £10, tyre choice was a no brainer-not so sure now.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'll side with Dave r on this.

I have the Bonti's on my racer. They've lasted a long time and have decent grip levels, albeit not that confidence inspiring in the wet. Then again I don't and wouldn't cycle too enthusiastically in thw wet.

The Bontis used to be £10 a tyre, however these days they are nearly £20 a tyre (last time I looked). At £10, tyre choice was a no brainer-not so sure now.

Allterraincycles have them at £13 at the moment

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/119612.html

 

[Bigsharn]

I swear by M+s. I can say I've never had a puncture using them, including rolling over a rather precarious bit of metal sticking up from the ground, dropping off a couple of drop kerbs and inadvertedly going through a patch of glass.

I now use Blizzards because Marathons don't come in a 23c... And I lack fundage to change them

 

[MrGrumpy]

maybe the issue in my experience is tyre size? Actually thinking of buying those hardcases in a 25mm size instead of my usual 23mm ( 15stone rider here ) Just to repeat the M+ in a 25mm is not that slow but it is noticeable compared to Pro3s or the Rubino Pro's, the latter cutting up quite bad!

 

[400bhp]

Allterraincycles have them at £13 at the moment

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/119612.html

Good find

 

[Moodyman]

You will have to explain the reference to riding a fixed wheel bike to me. Yes my fixed is my commuter, winter bike and general run about, I also have a geared bike, a Verenti Kilmeston which I use as a summer best fair weather bike, club, Coventry Road Club, rides, leisure rides, audax and charity rides. Both bikes on Hardcases, 700x28 on the fixed and 700x25 on the geared bike. The rear on the fixed has done over 3000 miles and has not cut up, the fixed gets used in all weathers, ridden all through last years snow and ice, and has given me no cause for alarm on wet, icy or snowy roads.

http://www.cyclechat.net/useralbums/daves-bikes.11/view

No personal experience of fixed wheel, but my understanding was that they tend to be more grippy as you can control the torque better via pedalling.

As I said, the Bonti are very good tyres but I find that the hardcase does not deform as easily as softer compund tyres, which makes them slightly less grippy in the wet (this is my experience, but I accept it's not everyone's). I also need to make clear that I run max PSI which does not help the grip.

With regards to the cuts, I've got a few cuts on the outer rubber, but that's superficial and due to fragments of glass that I pulled out. The tyre structure remains perfectly intact.

I'm not knocking the tyres, in fact, they're my commuting tyre of choice year-round. It's just that, being the cautious type, I feel more confident in the M+ I have on the rigid MTB when it's sub-zero.

 

[Bodhbh]

Disclamer: I've never used the M+s. But my feeling is they are overkill unless you have a particular problem with flats on your route or really really hate the occasional flat. I've used few tyres in the marathon range (supreme, regular, XRs) and they all have excellent puncture protection. I must have had like 4-5 puctures in as many years using them - 1 of them was a 4 inch nail and another was the rim eventually wearing a hole in the inner tube (so the M+s probably wouldn't have helped).

That said, they obviously do what they say on the tin.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

No personal experience of fixed wheel, but my understanding was that they tend to be more grippy as you can control the torque better via pedalling.

As I said, the Bonti are very good tyres but I find that the hardcase does not deform as easily as softer compund tyres, which makes them slightly less grippy in the wet (this is my experience, but I accept it's not everyone's). I also need to make clear that I run max PSI which does not help the grip.

With regards to the cuts, I've got a few cuts on the outer rubber, but that's superficial and due to fragments of glass that I pulled out. The tyre structure remains perfectly intact.

I'm not knocking the tyres, in fact, they're my commuting tyre of choice year-round. It's just that, being the cautious type, I feel more confident in the M+ I have on the rigid MTB when it's sub-zero.

You have an advantage on me there, I have no mountain bike experience. In my first post I was curious about the fact that people were finding them iffy in the wet when I had had no experience of that, as you say bike, riding style, could be any one of a number of things, maybe the fact that I'm small and light, 5' 6" and eleven stone, would make a difference. It is true though, they don't like being under inflated, if I neglect to keep them hard they soon let me know.

 

[lejogger]

What size tyres are you running now?
I'd agree with the M+ if you purely want the highest protection from flats, but in the widish sizes 32s/35s you are looking at 1kg per tyre.
I'm with smokey and compromise with the Durano+ in 23/25 much lighter and with decent protection.
Don't think you'll get any more grip with either though, best tyre I've run for that were the grand prix 4 seasons, but they aren't cheap

+1 on the 4 seasons. I have them on my commuter, but I also use that bike for winter club rides so the lesser weight and better rolling is appreciated.
That said I have had 3 punctures since I got them in Octoberish (prob over 1000 miles though). 1 thorn and 2 pothole pinches.

 

[wiggydiggy]

You have an advantage on me there, I have no mountain bike experience. In my first post I was curious about the fact that people were finding them iffy in the wet when I had had no experience of that, as you say bike, riding style, could be any one of a number of things, maybe the fact that I'm small and light, 5' 6" and eleven stone, would make a difference. It is true though, they don't like being under inflated, if I neglect to keep them hard they soon let me know.

What does that mean exactly? I'm also interested as I'd like to know if it means the bikes going to be going out from under me?

I'd be looking at 700*32/*35 BTW.....

 

[Deleted member 1258]

What does that mean exactly? I'm also interested as I'd like to know if it means the bikes going to be going out from under me?

I'd be looking at 700*32/*35 BTW.....

I've been on hard cases for several years, I haven't had any problems with them and they have performed well, so I was interested to find both moodyman and the OP were finding their performance wasn't good in the cold and wet, hence the term iffy in the wet. As I've had no problems I suspect its down to individual riding style, machinery or some other minor difference.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I've been on hard cases for several years, I haven't had any problems with them and they have performed well, so I was interested to find both moodyman and the OP were finding their performance wasn't good in the cold and wet, hence the term iffy in the wet. As I've had no problems I suspect its down to individual riding style, machinery or some other minor difference.

Ah no worries, performance isnt my main aim with tyres so I'm not bothered if they are slower. I was kinda getting the impression they may go out from under me? But I think I got the wrong end of the stick?