# Which tires work best in Wet weather?



## mnmasotto (Jul 8, 2010)

I need a recommendation for a good wet weather tire.
Thanks Mark


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

Is there such a thing? I'd be surprised if grooves/siping in a thumb-sized contact patch can make a difference.


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

OldZaskar said:


> Is there such a thing? I'd be surprised if grooves/siping in a thumb-sized contact patch can make a difference.


It's not the grooves, or lack of, but some rubber grips better than others.
That being said I've never found any tire really slippery in the rain (except for the first 10 min when the roads are only lightly coated) and have been fine just backing off a little in corners.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

Some like the Vittoria Open Pave clincher , might be worth checking into.


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## Ghost234 (Jun 1, 2010)

Contri Gatorskins or 4 seasons hands down. A little slow rolling, but if you are doing high speed turns in wet or gravel these are the tires you will love.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Needs*



mnmasotto said:


> I need a recommendation for a good wet weather tire.


As others have noted, to improve grip (all else equal) a softer tread material is about all you can do, and that means faster tire wear. A better approach is wider tires/lower pressure. If you can lower the pressure in your current tires without getting pinch flats, that will have more impact than changing tires.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

Ghost234 said:


> Contri Gatorskins or 4 seasons hands down. A little slow rolling, but if you are doing high speed turns in wet or gravel these are the tires you will love.


I've found them to be great tires for durability, but not the greatest when it gets wet. The compound is on the harder side, and the layering of the plys means they aren't the best conforming tire.

Durable as hell, good performing in most conditions, but not in the same league as softer tires when it comes to wet weather performance.

In the Continental line, I would rather ride a GP4000s or GP Supersonic on wet roads. As it turns out, I usually ride a Gatorskin or GP 4 Season for the flat protection. I just ride with lower pressure and take turns easier when it gets wet. If I'm not racing or doing serious training, there's no need to risk taking a slide on the pavement.


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*My experience*

I spent six years riding in the London area and tried a number of tires to deal with the greasy/wet conditions. My conclusion is that some compounds are better than others and I look for some degree of control in my tires. The one's that break loose without warning are not my favorites. Same thing applied for four years in Shanghai which was further compounded by all the construction dust which essentially turned into a lubricant when damp/wet. I ended up riding a lot on Schwable Neo Pro's 23c unfortunatley no longer made. More recently, my everyday tire is a Conti GP 4 Season in a 25c. I hated the tire in the 23c and it would just break loose without warning but the difference riding a 25c is remarkable. Also, take down the tire pressure a bit, 5-10psi or .5 bar and this will help.




mnmasotto said:


> I need a recommendation for a good wet weather tire.
> Thanks Mark


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Michelin Pro Race 3's are the best I've found for wet riding. They wear fast, though.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

In my experience, the Continental GP4000 (black;25c) felt better than other tires on the wet than other tires, but strangely worse than others on the dry (in corners). Was running 70psi @ 140lbs.

Worst felt experience was on a rear Vittoria Rubino TT. Loss/return of grip is incredibly sudden as opposed to "progressive". A semi-wet patch nearly threw me off the bike.


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## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

Vittoria Open Pave EVO GC


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

bwhite_4 said:


> Vittoria Open Pave EVO GC


Sorry to revive this thread... but I'm in a quandry;
I've been riding most of the year on my Open Pave Evos... but now that I'm coming into an Oregon winter (wet, wet, cold and did I mention wet?) I was reconsidering my tire options for the winter.
I bought a pair of Continental Gatorskins. ("handmade in Germany"! Heh)

Should I use these instead of my Pave's?
Or return them and stick w/ what I already have mounted?

I'm looking for something that's really resistant to flats, but still performs reasonably well.
Thanks for any insight/opinions/etc..


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## tempeteOntheRoad (Dec 21, 2001)

nightfend said:


> Michelin Pro Race 3's are the best I've found for wet riding. They wear fast, though.


I'll second that. On warm weather at least, my summer rain experiences on Michelin top clinchers have been nothing short of excellent. Weird and unexpected from a perfectly slick tire as it can be.

In colder weather, Vittoria mid-price selection and Schwalbe Blizzard have been very good so far.


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## Roar (Sep 12, 2009)

I just asked the same question on this forum a while ago:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=227881&highlight=grippy+tires+in+the+rain


I think it depends on what sort of cycling you are doing... 

I have Michelin Pro Race 3s on the road bike and I love them. They grip pretty well. However, my experience with them is that they pick up glass and road debris like you would not believe. Not great for the commuter. I needed something sturdier.

After extensive asking around / research, I got some Conti 4 Seasons 28s for the commuter. So far, so good. They have not slipped in the rains / snow / sleet and I haven't flatted them (yet). I really like them.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Slick traction*



tempeteOntheRoad said:


> my summer rain experiences on Michelin top clinchers have been nothing short of excellent. Weird and unexpected from a perfectly slick tire as it can be.


Are you thinking somehow that tread is an aid to traction in the rain? Nothing could be further from the truth for a bicycle tire.


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

NONE!
Go slo and be careful.

john


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## Travis (Oct 14, 2005)

I am swapping my conti gp 4000 for the Continental Gatorskins tonight. Lets hope for no flats this winter. The Gators spin up like you are riding in mud but once they get going who cares. I'll assume they are bombproof for flat avoidance. They are kind of pricey and don't ride in any way that you describe as supple. Here's to June getting here quickly


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Wet weather traction and durability are rarely compatible.

For a tire to be "sticky" it has to use the softer rubbers, which unfortunately do attract debri and cuts. The two tires I find the best for rainy weather are the Vittoria Corsa CX's and the Michelin Pro 3's. Both wear fairly quickly, but that's the price you pay for a high performance tire. Just stick to using these high-end tires for your most important rides, whether that be races or centuries, etc.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

One other thing...if you want a tire to work well in wet conditions, then make sure and run lower tire pressures as well.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

RRRoubaix said:


> Sorry to revive this thread... but I'm in a quandry;
> I've been riding most of the year on my Open Pave Evos... but now that I'm coming into an Oregon winter (wet, wet, cold and did I mention wet?) I was reconsidering my tire options for the winter.
> I bought a pair of Continental Gatorskins. ("handmade in Germany"! Heh)
> 
> ...



Yeah, take back the Gatorskins and use the Open Pave. I certainly felt a difference on my local downhill when it was unexpectedly wet. I got confidence back with Pave. The gatorskin caused me to lose confidence the day before.


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## zoikz (Sep 5, 2003)

Schwalbe makes a rain specific race tire. The Ultremo Aqua. I've never used them. As a previous poster mentioned traction and durability are different stories. In wet conditions you tend to pick up more debris and get more flats. If you're using these through the wet winter and not just for racing in the rain, I'd go for durability. There is no more durable tire in a 23 or 25c than the Schwalbe Durano Plus. I've put thousands and thousands of miles on them without a flat. They are way heavy, but unrivaled in durability.


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