Comments on: Which Bicycle Tires are Best?

By: Clinton Slayton

Clinton Slayton — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:27:46 +0000

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.

By: Mike Di Feo

Mike Di Feo — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:56:41 +0000

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

By: Jez

Jez — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:55:56 +0000

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.

By: Lee Joo Mong

Lee Joo Mong — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:52:29 +0000

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

By: David Rand.

David Rand. — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:49:17 +0000

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.