Which tyres for winter

[Pjays666]

Can anyone recommend a good set of tyres for dealing with the winter months. The reason for the question is yesterday I was out going down a hill. I was braking all the way down (10%) to stop it getting away from me. About half way down there is a 90 degree bend to the left, every time I tried to brake harder the back end skidded. I could not risk the bend so ended up in a wall. I was on my giant defy with stock wheels and tyres. In case @ColinJ Is reading it was the road down to heptonstall from long causeway.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

I got the same bike and pretty much the same question. See http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/winter-tyres-sick-of-getting-punctures.167329/

 

[ColinJ]

Can anyone recommend a good set of tyres for dealing with the winter months. The reason for the question is yesterday I was out going down a hill. I was braking all the way down (10%) to stop it getting away from me. About half way down there is a 90 degree bend to the left, every time I tried to brake harder the back end skidded. I could not risk the bend so ended up in a wall. I was on my giant defy with stock wheels and tyres. In case @ColinJ Is reading it was the road down to heptonstall from long causeway.

I was trying to think where you meant and I reckon it might have been this bend near the New Delight on the way down from Blackshaw Head.

If so, then yes - that is a tight bend and you do need to treat it with respect. I rode down there a few days ago and went a bit too quickly into that bend and had to do extra braking at the last moment.

Was the road wet at the time? Obviously if it was, then the surface was going to be more slippery. If the road was dry then you should easily be able to slow down for that bend without losing traction on almost any tyre.

Some tyres are not so good in the wet. What type do you have on your bike?

 

[Pjays666]

I was trying to think where you meant and I reckon it might have been this bend near the New Delight on the way down from Blackshaw Head.

If so, then yes - that is a tight bend and you do need to treat it with respect. I rode down there a few days ago and went a bit too quickly into that bend and had to do extra braking at the last moment.

Was the road wet at the time? Obviously if it was, then the surface was going to be more slippery. If the road was dry then you should easily be able to slow down for that bend without losing traction on almost any tyre.

Some tyres are not so good in the wet. What type do you have on your bike?

Well spotted it was that bend I ended up slowing down quite a bit but on the wet road couldn't get round and ended up next to the sign under the trees used my hand to stop the bike hitting the wall. Few grazes on knuckles but I will live. I have giant sr2 tyres on the bike which are what my defy 1 came with. It wasn't raining at the time but wet from earlier and that road is really smooth so no real traction. A few mates were on touring bikes with grip on tyres and had no problems

 

[ColinJ]

Tread doesn't make a lot of difference on road bicycle tyres. (It does on MTB tyres on mud.) Some tyre compounds are definitely more grippy in the wet though. I get on ok with Michelin Lithion 2 tyres, which you can pick up for under £12 if you shop around, e.g. at Planet X.

A lot of people suggest not having tyre pressures too high in the wet. I run lower pressures than many riders even in the dry so I leave them at my normal pressures - for 23C tyres about 85-95 psi front and 95-105 psi rear.

I wonder if some of the problem was you getting into a bit of a panic? It sounds as though you were very nervous all the way down the hill. I remember feeling like that when I got my bike in 1989 and had the same problem as you did when I was descending to the traffic lights at the bottom of Heptonstall Road in damp conditions. I overbraked when the lights changed against me and my bike was fishtailing around alarmingly! These days I seem to have got the hang of braking in the wet, as well as anticipating problems before they happen.

I'm glad that you were not badly hurt. Lucky there was not a car coming the other way!

 

[Pjays666]

Probably right about nerves. I have not been out on road bike in wet before so I'm used to having marathon pluses on my hybrid that can stop on a sixpence under me. I usually run my tyres at 100 psi

 

[SteCenturion]

I have Schwalbe Durano's (not used them yet) they were a gizzit (freebie) when I took out a subscription to Cyclist magazine.

Just about to set up one set of wheels with my old Specialized All Condition Pro II's which have been good so far.

I run all my tyres at 100psi to avoid (if possible) pinch flats, but as an experienced car/HGV/PCV driver I have transfered my knowledge & experience of looking ahead & reaading the road/conditions & other road users to help me have more control & confidence on the bike.

That's not to say I have never crashed a bike though, I have & probably will do again, hopefully not any time soon.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I use Schwable Durano pluses for winter. their grip is excellent - I have a fast downhill before a sharp 90 degree blind turn into a single track lane. I get one of 3 things - leaves, water or leaf mulch to stop on... luckily I do have a bale out option which is to carry on passed by turn and come back, but I haven't yet had to with grippier tyres and the Durano pluses have a really good grip... but they do knock about 1mph off my speed in winter when they are on the bike...

 

[Pjays666]

Off to look for Durano pluses trust me the speed difference isn't an issue for me lol

 

[Backonmybike]

I changed to durano plus a few weeks ago. They seem to have a good grip in the wet but slowed me down by 1 or 2 kph which I am happy to live with if they are as tough as their reputation and I avoid punctures. On the downside they are very difficult to put on, I was struggling to get them on until i used cable ties as an extra pair of hands.

 

[andyoxon]

After a couple of p*nctures on one ride recently, I have some Pasela TG 23C (with Kevlar belt) tyres coming to try. Hope they fit under the crudRRII mudguards.

 

[Pjays666]

The problem I have with the pr3s which came with the bike is the back wheel skids out during braking and I don't know whether there is something I am doing wrong or whether it is the tyres. I tend to be on the hoods most of the time and brake from there

 

[Kevoffthetee]

Brake bias? Not definately the issue as Wet roads will always be slippy, especially downhill

Try adjusting the rear brake a smidge

 

[Turbo Rider]

Umm...I kinda fudged up & went with Schwalbe Marathon plus (700x25), having had a plethora of punctures in the space of not very long at all. Don't get me wrong, excellent tyre and my ride hasn't been affected like 'they' say it would be, but the tread is so thick that I've had to take my front mud guard off completely and adapt my rear. That's on a Defy, by the way, and has happened because of the lack of clearance between the caliper and the tyre.

 

[Crankarm]

The problem I have with the pr3s which came with the bike is the back wheel skids out during braking and I don't know whether there is something I am doing wrong or whether it is the tyres. I tend to be on the hoods most of the time and brake from there

I think this is more an issue of bike control than tyres. Although choice of bike tyre will help, reading the road, better anticipation of hazards, such as wet greasy road conditions on hills and effective brake modulation is ultimately your solution.