Which Bicycle Tires are Best?

Mark Heneson is asking which tires he should be using; this is not an easy question to answer. There are many tires to choose from, but you need to match the tires to your local road conditions, here we discuss the problem.

Question:
I do not understand what makes a quality tire for road bikes. I am trying to understand what to look for when buying new tires and tubes. I like to do centuries.

Hi Mark,

Yes you are correct there; it’s hard to pick which is the best tire to use. Quite often you need to take into consideration the road conditions in your area, as in one area I lived in Michelin smooth tires were the best for the roads there, they rolled well and lasted a long time. When I moved to an area with different road conditions the tread ripped up and didn’t last very long. I now use Hutchinson tires and they suit my local conditions, I have also found that Continental tires are hard wearing and depending on which ones you buy; they roll well.

So, what is the answer? I suggest that you need to talk to your ride mates or ask at the local bike shop to get a few different views on your local conditions and which would be best for where you ride. The main, good quality, tires are Michelin, Hutchinson and Continental, also Vittoria and Specialized, you cant really go wrong with any of these, you just have to try them until you find one that fits all your needs. I hope this helps?

5 Responses to “Which Bicycle Tires are Best?”

David Rand. August 17, 2009

Two years ago I used Hutchinson tyres and whilst they were fast and responsive, they fell apart on the wheels.Large cracks appeared and eventually covered the tyres. I tried to get recompense from my supplier but he said this often happened with Hutchinsons!I now use only Specialised and Continental tyres and none have developed cracks – not as fast but utterly reliable.

Lee Joo Mong August 17, 2009

In Singapore all my Vittoria tire repeatedly punctured untilI changed to some made-in-China ones. Cheap and happily cycling everafter

Jez August 17, 2009

I sometimes race on clincher (wired-on)tyres and sometimes on tubs. I always train on clinchers. For racing I use Vittoria Rubino slicks. These are hardy and fairly puncture resistant and I can get easily 5 – 7000km out of a set. They have very low rolling resistance BUT they are a slick and can be “lively” on wet roads. For sportive events and training, I use Michelin Lithion, (a good, durable mid priced tyre) and Hutchinson Fusion (never experienced the cracking problem) both of which are quite fast and can be run OK at pressures of 8 bar or slightly more.

Mike Di Feo August 17, 2009

I’ve tried a few brands Contis. Michelins, Vittoria and Hutch. I found that for rod riding, when the roads are in good shape, Contis roll the best. However, Michelins are beter for less flats (but they are heavier). I noticed that Contis work real well at 110 Lbs of air. They roll well and flats are less often. I had more flats when I increased the air pressure to 120. Unfortunately, the answer is that you have to try them to get a feeling for them. If you frequent a local bike store, a lot of times they will have returned almost tires that they will let you try and return. That’s how I did my research. Good LuckMike Di Feo

Clinton Slayton August 17, 2009

Quality Control seems the major issue with tires these days, just read any pages that show customer reviews and you will see little unanimity among reviewers. I used to swear by Vittoria and then had problems, never had a Specialized tire that lasted long (Cheng Sin in my opinion, is the real maker). The best lasting tires I had for roadwork were Tom Ritchey Slick (big comfy tires for touring) and Michelin Lithions. Anything over 1000 miles impresses me, with the kind of roads around Birmingham AL, and Lithions have gone over 1500 for me. The sipes on the Lithions are good for determining wear: since the center is smooth, the sipes beginning to fade means cornering may start to be compromised. They are also relatively inexpensive, I have never paid more than $70 for a pair and they are sometimes marketed in a two-pack with Airstop tubes. I would also note that the lightest and most expensive tires and tubes (Velomax and Ultremo R) will generally be poorly spent money, since racing tires are not meant to last longer than the race. Continental training tires lasted a good while, but looked horrible and did not go out gently, causing a gash I could not repair on the road, the sidewalls are just weird. These are my experiences and many bugs were harmed in the testing process.