# what are the best tires



## gubber12345

just got a new bike and its got lugano schwalbe tires on it.

not sure of the TPI but i've been getting a few punctures with them lately.ok i know punctures are part and parcel of it all but what are the best tires to get and would a tire with a high TPI be slightly more puncture proof with high pressure in them.

any thoughts on this and what tires are you guys using?


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## nacnac3

There is no 'best' tire. Its all a balancing act.

I've been on Conti 4000s for about 2500 miles now. They get a lot of favorable reviews. So far I like them, they arent as grippy as the Rubino Pro's I came off of but they seem to be wearing longer.


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## Jay Strongbow

"would a tire with a high TPI be slightly more puncture proof with high pressure in them."

No. The purpose of high TPI is for a supple road feel not flat protection.


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## NJBiker72

As nacnac said, it is a balancing act. Different tires do different things well.

If it is flat protection, look at:
- Maxxis Refuse
- Continental Gatorskins
- Specialized Armadillo

I am personally running a Refuse on the rear and a Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick on the front (IMO, better handling).


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## tlg

gubber12345 said:


> ok i know punctures are part and parcel of it all


 No, a few shouldn't be. Are you sure they're actually punctures?



> but what are the best tires to get


Well since there's only one type of tire made, you should buy that one. 
Errr... ummm... wait. There are dozens of tires. You'd think if there was a "best" there wouldn't be so many.


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## 0.2HP

Schwalbe web site says Lugano HS 384 has 50 TPI.

Things that make tires more puncture resistant: low TPI, thick rubber, hard rubber, low pressure (unless you go too low and start getting pinch flats.) The tire manufactures put belts made of Kevlar and other materials in tires, saying they increase puncture resistant. You can choose to believe them or not. 

Using thick rubber inner tubes that are at the maximum size for the tire may reduce flats.

If you are getting a lot of flats check the inside of your tires and make sure you do not have a small piece of glass or something else stick in the tire that is repeatedly puncturing the tube. If you always line the tube valve up with the label on the tire, it will help find an object in the tire. Add air to the punctured tube and find the hole. Look at the distance from the valve to the hole, and look at the inside of the tire the same distance from the label. 

If you are getting 2 holes on either side of the tube it is a pinch flat caused by not enough air in the tire. You hit a hole or a bump hard and the tire squashes against the rim, pinching the tube and putting 2 holes in it.


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## NJBiker72

0.2HP said:


> Schwalbe web site says Lugano HS 384 has 50 TPI.
> 
> Things that make tires more puncture resistant: low TPI, thick rubber, hard rubber, low pressure (unless you go too low and start getting pinch flats.) The tire manufactures put belts made of Kevlar and other materials in tires, saying they increase puncture resistant. You can choose to believe them or not.
> 
> Using thick rubber inner tubes that are at the maximum size for the tire may reduce flats.
> 
> If you are getting a lot of flats check the inside of your tires and make sure you do not have a small piece of glass or something else stick in the tire that is repeatedly puncturing the tube. If you always line the tube valve up with the label on the tire, it will help find an object in the tire. Add air to the punctured tube and find the hole. Look at the distance from the valve to the hole, and look at the inside of the tire the same distance from the label.
> 
> If you are getting 2 holes on either side of the tube it is a pinch flat caused by not enough air in the tire. You hit a hole or a bump hard and the tire squashes against the rim, pinching the tube and putting 2 holes in it.



Not sure I agree with the large tube advice. Even so, make sure you do not go too big on the tube. A recipe for pinching. Basically get a tube that fits your tire. If something punctures the tire, it likely punctures the tube.


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## stevesbike

all things considered, the 4000s is the best clincher. Not sure about above comment re rubino pro - the 4000s has better grip. They are still made in Germany, so also have fewer manufacturing problems as most other makers, including Michelin, who make the pro4 in Thailand and have QC issues.


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## joda

Conti 4000s. I have thousands of miles with no flats. I had a few flats in 1000 miles on the stock tires. Consider 25mm for a more comfortable ride with less rolling resistance. Or if you ride fast (25+), you could do 25mm in back and 23mm in front for better aerodynamics. If you ride at my speeds, aero is not the problem ;-)


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## gabedad

gubber12345 said:


> just got a new bike and its got lugano schwalbe tires on it.
> 
> not sure of the TPI but i've been getting a few punctures with them lately.ok i know punctures are part and parcel of it all but what are the best tires to get and would a tire with a high TPI be slightly more puncture proof with high pressure in them.
> 
> any thoughts on this and what tires are you guys using?


I hate these tires - 4 flats in 6 months. They came on my cannondale. I just switched to conti gp4000s. Taking my maiden ride tonight for a quick 20 mile ride. we will see how they are

Based on all of the feedback - it will be a welcome change

They were a pain to put on though.


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## gabedad

Boy I love these gp4000's. Roll so much better than the stock ones. Smoother and faster too - Noticable difference


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## Tzvia

Since I got back into cycling after a long time off (like 8 years) I have used and abused several tires. First off, Vredstein Tricomps, 23c. Nice feel, fast wearing, cut up way too much. 1300 miles and they were really too gashed and i had several flats by then. Next Vittoria Open Corsa CX. Hard tires. Not supple. Tricomps were better feeling. Again, 1300 miles and they had some serious gashes and the rear was worn flat. Now on GP4000s, 25c. Night and day- more supple than the Tricomps, good grip, rolls nice. So far, about 700 miles and they look almost new so they look to be keepers. Hope they last, this is getting expensive. Have some Gatorskins on one of my commuter bikes, also 25c. Not quite as supple, but they have been holding up really well too, about 1800 miles, one flat-glass shard.

While nothing matches the sew-ups I used to ride back in the late 80s, in terms of feel (I was on a Columbus SLX Scapin then so that may have had something to do with it) those GPs do a mighty fine job and if they can last on our crappy roads any longer than the other tires I have used, that's good enough for me.


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## cwg_at_opc

for absolute puncture/cut resistance, i'd go with the conti gatorskin hardshells or armadillos.
as for best compromise tire(feel, RR, grip, durability) i vote for the Conti GP4000S. the black chili rubber formulation is remarkably grippy and durable.
for a race(triathlon) tireset, i like Continentals Attack/Force combo, although it is quite a bit less durable than the 4000S(cuts easier and wears faster, tread is not as thick as 4000S)

wait for probikekit to have Contis on sale, then buy two sets, i have a second pair of 4000S just waiting to be used(25 fr/rr) but the ones i have mounted now just keep going and going.

i gave up on Michelin after they moved production of the Pro Race2 to Thailand. that tire had the most unbelievable grip and great road feel, but cut if you looked at them funny. it was all downhill when they moved to thailand. the PR3 had great feel, but wore out 2x faster than the PR2 and got cut even when you didn't look at them. i do hear good things about the Lithion but have not tried them.


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## vagabondcyclist

cwg_at_opc said:


> i gave up on Michelin after they moved production of the Pro Race2 to Thailand. that tire had the most unbelievable grip and great road feel, but cut if you looked at them funny. it was all downhill when they moved to thailand. the PR3 had great feel, but wore out 2x faster than the PR2 and got cut even when you didn't look at them. i do hear good things about the Lithion but have not tried them.


I'm not sure what the place of manufacturing has to do with how easily cut the tire is. It sounds more like a design issue than a manufacturing issue. 

Michelin designed the Pro Race tires to be grippy race tires not durable training tires. Maybe now with the various iterations of the Race4 Michelin is getting the material science and chemistry right to offer both grip and cut resistance.


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## jamesdak

I am endorsing the GP 4000s also. I have over 12,000 miles the past two years on them and they are great. Have used both the 700x23c and 700x25c as well as the GP-4000 tires. They last a long time, roll well, grip well, are comfortable, and don't flat much. I've probably had maybe 1/2 dozen flats. Two were from being run over a road by a horse and picking up some goatheads. One was pinch flat from a rough spot in the road. All and all a very good tire. Expensive but worth it in my book.

On the comfort note. I recently picked up some used tubulars and did a 38 mile ride on them. Not much difference in the way they felt over the GP 4000s.


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## Stradguy93

I had the same question and seemed like everyone suggested Continental GP4000's, ordered a set and they're on their way. Went into my LBS to pick up some stuff yesterday and almost all the _seriously_ ridden bikes had GP4000's on them. I had a set of ProRace3's last year and they deteriorated pretty quickly. Every set of Continentals i've ever had look great a couple months down the road as were the Michelins have the sidewalls deteriorating.


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## cwg_at_opc

during the transition to Far East manufacturing, the quality of the PR2 slipped drastically and did not really improve through the PR3. i feel this is a combination of tire design, new manufacturing ramp-up(staff, environmental issues), materials quality and QC. yes, the PR2 is a race tire, but it was at the time a very good compromise tire, until the gp4000s came along.



vagabondcyclist said:


> I'm not sure what the place of manufacturing has to do with how easily cut the tire is. It sounds more like a design issue than a manufacturing issue.
> 
> Michelin designed the Pro Race tires to be grippy race tires not durable training tires. Maybe now with the various iterations of the Race4 Michelin is getting the material science and chemistry right to offer both grip and cut resistance.


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## froze

There is no best tire, there are however quite a few good tires, and if you study the reviews of tires you'll discover that. 

And those that toot Conti's is just nonsense, their not any better then a lot of tires you can get for less. Speaking of tires for less there are a lot of end of the season sales going on for road tires. Also Ripple in the UK has the best prices for Conti tires anywhere, so if your addicted to Conti at least get them for a decent price!

Tube wise, it's usually better to get a tube that is sized no larger then your tires, in fact I find getting them one size smaller to be better yet. A smaller tube actually makes it easier to install tires because it stays out of the way better. There's also the argument that a smaller tube weighs less and racers do that for that purpose, but I don't too excited about the weight issue. A larger tube then the tire size gets in the way when trying to install a tire, and they do have a tendency to crease because they got slightly folded when inside the tire. Some people think the larger tube will prevent flats, maybe about 1/2 of 1 percent of all flats might be prevented with a larger tube, but if your looking for flat protection don't look a the tube.


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## stevesbike

froze said:


> And those that toot Conti's is just nonsense, their not any better then a lot of tires you can get for less. Speaking of tires for less there are a lot of end of the season sales going on for road tires. Also Ripple in the UK has the best prices for Conti tires anywhere, so if your addicted to Conti at least get them for a decent price!


OK, I'll bite. When you consider feel/feedback, weight, rolling resistance, puncture protection, grip, and manufacturing quality, the Conti 4000s comes in best on combined scores (such as Tour magazine's tests). The other top-tier tires have various weaknesses: Vittoria's have unpredictable feel, poor puncture protection. Michelin Pro Races are arguably the second best, but the Pro 4 has had manufacturing QC issues, doesn't wear well, and not as good puncture protection (the vectran breaker in the Conti is by far the best). Schwalbe are in theory nice race day tires, but there have been a stream of recalls on various models, some with catastrophic failures.

Long story short - if you want the best overall tire, get some 4000s.


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## gubber12345

looks like the conti 4000s are the most popular options and get a lot of good reveiws.i'm only new to cycling and although the conti's may be expensive it looks like a worth while investment.

i'm sold!!!


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## froze

stevesbike said:


> OK, I'll bite. When you consider feel/feedback, weight, rolling resistance, puncture protection, grip, and manufacturing quality, the Conti 4000s comes in best on combined scores (such as Tour magazine's tests). The other top-tier tires have various weaknesses: Vittoria's have unpredictable feel, poor puncture protection. Michelin Pro Races are arguably the second best, but the Pro 4 has had manufacturing QC issues, doesn't wear well, and not as good puncture protection (the vectran breaker in the Conti is by far the best). Schwalbe are in theory nice race day tires, but there have been a stream of recalls on various models, some with catastrophic failures.
> 
> Long story short - if you want the best overall tire, get some 4000s.



Tour Mag is a German magazine, really, what did you expect them to say? That their crappy tires? And Michelin being another German tire company. Funny, both German tire companies were rated #1 and #2, that should tell you something...I guess it doesn't. 

Nor did I say Schwalbe were the best, so not sure what your reference to that was all about, I never even mentioned them.

But there lots of tires that are the equal or better then Conti, Hutchinson, Vittoria, Vredstein, and VeloFlex all make tires that match or exceed a Conti. I'm not saying not to buy a Conti, what I am saying you can get a tire that's just as good maybe even better for less money. 

I've used Conti GP 4000's, 4000 4 Seasons, Attack Force, and Gatorskin, and the longest lasting tire I got from those was one Gatorskin made it 3200 miles all the others fell way short. Not only that but the flat protection even with the Gatorskin was not all that great, not bad but not great. I averaged about a flat a month on the Gatorskins, my last set of Kenda Konstrictors averaged one flat a year; my average miles on a Gatorskin (which lasted longer then the others) was 2800, the Kenda's was 4200. The weight of the Gatorskin was 280 grams, the weight of the Kenda was 220. The cost of the Gatoskin was $42 (on sale from $51), and the cost of the Kenda was $19 (close out sale from $45). Handling both wet and dry were identical but the ride was a tad smoother with the Conti due to Conti's skin thin fragile sidewalls. So for normal road use which tire was more effective?

Now I'm going to try a set of Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks and see how they go, but they were at least half the price of a Conti. So far the Vitt's have a smoother ride then the Kendas, that's all I can tell at this point.

Then invariably the conversation degrades to rolling resistance and that Conti's are the god of rolling resistance...more nonsense, see: http://www.terrymorse.com/bike/rolres.html
And a more recent test that is supposedly constantly being updated; see: http://www.biketechreview.com/tires_old/images/AFM_tire_testing_rev5.pdf

But again, let me repeat this because some of you don't get it; I'm not saying not to buy the Conti, all I'm saying is that there are better deals out there; and if you must buy a Conti then get them from Ripple, it may take longer to get the tires then from Bike Tires Direct but you'll save money. see: http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pp/ro...inental-tyres-road-tri-track-folding/conttyrf


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## gubber12345

looks like the conti 4000s are getting the majority of the votes,they seem to be very popular and get pretty good reveiws all round.think i'l invest in a set and see how i go.

i'm only new to the cycling world and every little bit of advice on tires etc all helps....really loving it at the moment just a pity the weather is nearly always cr4p here in ireland so cant get as much mileage as i would like at the minute.


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## bayAreaDude

My 2 favorite all arounders are Conti GP4000s and Hutchinson Fusion 3.


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## stevesbike

froze said:


> Tour Mag is a German magazine, really, what did you expect them to say? That their crappy tires? And Michelin being another German tire company. Funny, both German tire companies were rated #1 and #2, that should tell you something...I guess it doesn't.
> 
> Nor did I say Schwalbe were the best, so not sure what your reference to that was all about, I never even mentioned them.
> 
> But there lots of tires that are the equal or better then Conti, Hutchinson, Vittoria, Vredstein, and VeloFlex all make tires that match or exceed a Conti. I'm not saying not to buy a Conti, what I am saying you can get a tire that's just as good maybe even better for less money.
> 
> I've used Conti GP 4000's, 4000 4 Seasons, Attack Force, and Gatorskin, and the longest lasting tire I got from those was one Gatorskin made it 3200 miles all the others fell way short. Not only that but the flat protection even with the Gatorskin was not all that great, not bad but not great. I averaged about a flat a month on the Gatorskins, my last set of Kenda Konstrictors averaged one flat a year; my average miles on a Gatorskin (which lasted longer then the others) was 2800, the Kenda's was 4200. The weight of the Gatorskin was 280 grams, the weight of the Kenda was 220. The cost of the Gatoskin was $42 (on sale from $51), and the cost of the Kenda was $19 (close out sale from $45). Handling both wet and dry were identical but the ride was a tad smoother with the Conti due to Conti's skin thin fragile sidewalls. So for normal road use which tire was more effective?
> 
> Now I'm going to try a set of Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks and see how they go, but they were at least half the price of a Conti. So far the Vitt's have a smoother ride then the Kendas, that's all I can tell at this point.
> 
> Then invariably the conversation degrades to rolling resistance and that Conti's are the god of rolling resistance...more nonsense, see: Rolling Resistance of Bicycle Tires - Bike Tires
> And a more recent test that is supposedly constantly being updated; see: http://www.biketechreview.com/tires_old/images/AFM_tire_testing_rev5.pdf
> 
> But again, let me repeat this because some of you don't get it; I'm not saying not to buy the Conti, all I'm saying is that there are better deals out there; and if you must buy a Conti then get them from Ripple, it may take longer to get the tires then from Bike Tires Direct but you'll save money. see: Continental TYRES ROAD/TRI/TRACK FOLDING


FIrst, Michelin is a French company, not German. Second, the point about the 4000s is that they are the best in terms of a composite score summing the features that matter. Sure, there are more durable tires and more puncture resistant ones. But those tires have weaknesses in other respects that make them relatively poor overall (such as added weight for a high mileage tire). If someone is looking for a tire for a special purpose, then they would choose a tire that is best for that feature. But, putting it all together, the 4000s is the best. 

For your Rubinos, here's a fun test: find a technical descent and enter corners (preferably switchbacks) a bit too fast, requiring hard braking into the corner not to over cook the corner! Warning: it might make you want to throw away the tire after.


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## dgeesaman

A friend had Schwalbe Luganos on his new Cannondale SuperSix Evo. Nice bike, horrible tires - they rode nice but he got 4 flats in the first ride including one that damaged the tire severely. (None of the other 12 riders were getting flats that day, either so it wasn't just a bit of bad luck)

I'm among the riders who find Conti 4000s to be a very good all-around tire. Conti Gatorskins for commuting and maximum flat resistance.


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## bwbishop

I ride on Armadillos and love them.


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## froze

stevesbike said:


> FIrst, Michelin is a French company, not German. Second, the point about the 4000s is that they are the best in terms of a composite score summing the features that matter. Sure, there are more durable tires and more puncture resistant ones. But those tires have weaknesses in other respects that make them relatively poor overall (such as added weight for a high mileage tire). If someone is looking for a tire for a special purpose, then they would choose a tire that is best for that feature. But, putting it all together, the 4000s is the best.
> 
> For your Rubinos, here's a fun test: find a technical descent and enter corners (preferably switchbacks) a bit too fast, requiring hard braking into the corner not to over cook the corner! Warning: it might make you want to throw away the tire after.


Your a marketing rep for Conti, this is very obvious. The way you write that all pros ride on Conti tires and Conti only because the rest are poor imitations. And you didn't even bother to read the web site I gave on rolling resistance which proves your whole agenda falls flat on it's face.

I use to race and race in mountains of Southern California, and I did it without Conti tires as did numerous other riders, so don't come here preaching about how well Conti's can handle vs any other tire on the market. In fact the pros on the TDF use whatever tire they can get for free from their sponsorship, those include but not limited to: Hutchinson,Vredestein, Vittoria's and Conti, but fewer riders use Conti then any of the other 2 brands mentioned! In fact the most popular tire on the TDF is Vittoria. And by the way, the brand spread is virtually the same whether their riding tubs or clinchers. And Hutchinson tubs which are actually made by Veloflex and labeled Hutchinson is the most widely used tire in all pro racing in the history of cycling sport.

So go take your marketing spew and go to some bar and tell them your stories.


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## froze

gubber12345 said:


> looks like the conti 4000s are getting the majority of the votes,they seem to be very popular and get pretty good reveiws all round.think i'l invest in a set and see how i go.
> 
> i'm only new to the cycling world and every little bit of advice on tires etc all helps....really loving it at the moment just a pity the weather is nearly always cr4p here in ireland so cant get as much mileage as i would like at the minute.


If you want to save some money on the Conti's get them from the Ripple web site I mentioned.


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## stevesbike

froze said:


> Your a marketing rep for Conti, this is very obvious. The way you write that all pros ride on Conti tires and Conti only because the rest are poor imitations. And you didn't even bother to read the web site I gave on rolling resistance which proves your whole agenda falls flat on it's face.
> 
> I use to race and race in mountains of Southern California, and I did it without Conti tires as did numerous other riders, so don't come here preaching about how well Conti's can handle vs any other tire on the market. In fact the pros on the TDF use whatever tire they can get for free from their sponsorship, those include but not limited to: Hutchinson,Vredestein, Vittoria's and Conti, but fewer riders use Conti then any of the other 2 brands mentioned! In fact the most popular tire on the TDF is Vittoria. And by the way, the brand spread is virtually the same whether their riding tubs or clinchers. And Hutchinson tubs which are actually made by Veloflex and labeled Hutchinson is the most widely used tire in all pro racing in the history of cycling sport.
> 
> So go take your marketing spew and go to some bar and tell them your stories.


I'm not a marketing rep for Conti (the 4000s sells so well they don't need one on a forum). That's an ad hominem anyway and not to the point of the best all around clincher. What protour riders use has 0 to do with the best clincher, since they ride tubulars, are dependent on sponsors, and have support vehicles following them in case of a flat. For those of us who have to glue our own tubulars on, repair them, etc., the Conti tubulars are an outstanding choice (the competition or 4000 tubular). Again, you're missing the point. A Vittoria Corsa might be a nice dry weather race tire (despite the fact that it punctures too easily) but it's a lousy wet weather tire. A pro racer doesn't care since he has multiple wheelsets to choose from depending on race conditions. For everyone else, it's all about what single tire does best overall in a variety of conditions and combines the best mix of attributes.

The fact that you used to race on tires other than Conti also has 0 to do with it. I still race in the mountains of Southern CA (and across the US, and Europe in the summer), have raced since the early 80s on tons of different tires. The 4000s is the best overall clincher, as multiple tests show, and as evidenced by its popularity. By the way, it does well on rolling resistance - lower resistance tires have less puncture protection. Re your Rubino pros, go try them on an aggressive descent of Las Flores or Palomar. They are unpredictable when braking into corners. In fact, they are one of the few tires I rode once and then threw into the turbo trainer pile.


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## Thanos

Michelin Pro 4 (white) is da ****. Used Schwalbe Ultremo R1 during 2010, GP 4000 S 2011, before changing to Michelin. Ultremos had a great look and road feeling but got wasted by cuts after 3000 kms. Conti were more resistable to cuts, but cracked (twice) after I inflated them a couple of PSIs more than the max 120 PSI!


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## jamesdak

Why were you over inflating? That's a lot of pressure to run...


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## Thanos

jamesdak said:


> Why were you over inflating? That's a lot of pressure to run...


Well, the "overinflation" was about 123-125 PSI, not really dramatic preassure. The reason is that I wanted the pressure to last a bit longer so I dont have to pumo every week. I did not expect that a crack could be possible. It happened twice (first time I thought it was somethhing else that caused it...).


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## jamesdak

Ok, a bit weird to me I guess as I check tire pressures before each daily ride. Only takes a minute and being able to run a lower and proper pressure for you weight is optimum for comfort, handling,and keeping the tire in contact with the road thus getting all the power to the ground. And old fart like me needs all the help he can get, LOL!!


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## froze

Thanos said:


> Michelin Pro 4 (white) is da ****. Used Schwalbe Ultremo R1 during 2010, GP 4000 S 2011, before changing to Michelin. Ultremos had a great look and road feeling but got wasted by cuts after 3000 kms. Conti were more resistable to cuts, but cracked (twice) after I inflated them a couple of PSIs more than the max 120 PSI!


Nope, sorry, Conti tires are the only tires anyone should use and are the gods of the tire world, all else are...well below them.


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## andrewbrad854

I need best affordable tires for my bike. f you have any where i can get comeplete info then please it with me


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## froze

andrewbrad854 said:


> I need best affordable tires for my bike. f you have any where i can get comeplete info then please it with me


If you're not racing then check out WTB line of tires, or Continental Ultra Sport III, or Vittoria Zaffiro, or Schwalbe Lugano, or Maxxis Re Fuse, Serfas line of tires; those tires you should be able to find something you like. I only buy tires during the closeout time of the year, you can find all sorts of really nice tires for about half of the normal cost, however, due to Covid tires are in short supply so I doubt you'll see much in discounted prices for awhile.


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## Lombard

andrewbrad854 said:


> I need best affordable tires for my bike. f you have any where i can get comeplete info then please it with me


We really need more specific info in order to help you. Do you want the absolutely least expensive tires? What price do you consider "affordable"? Some people consider $50 affordable, others consider $35 affordable. And do you want the smoothest fastest riding tire, do you want the most puncture resistant tire or something in between?



froze said:


> Nope, sorry, Conti tires are the only tires anyone should use and are the gods of the tire world, all else are...well below them.


Horse pucky!


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## Miles813

I am looking to pick up a pair of conti gp 4000 and I was wondering if I need to be concerned about the creases where the tire is folded? Does that look like cracking?


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## Lombard

Miles813 said:


> I am looking to pick up a pair of conti gp 4000 and I was wondering if I need to be concerned about the creases where the tire is folded? Does that look like cracking?
> View attachment 483565


Nope, that's typical.


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## Miles813

Lombard said:


> Nope, that's typical.


Thank you. I am buying these as back up for my current 4000s. Should I leave them folded and store in bag in cool dark place or unfold them and store in my closet?


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## tlg

Miles813 said:


> Thank you. I am buying these as back up for my current 4000s. Should I leave them folded and store in bag in cool dark place or unfold them and store in my closet?


Folded is fine. There's no harm. They'll straighten out when inflated.
I don't know that you need to store them in a cool dark place, but it wouldn't hurt. Just don't leave them sitting on a window ledge for moths. 

Curious... what'd you pay for GP4000's and where did you find them? They haven't been made in quite a while. GP5000 is the new replacement (and a better tire). Not that there's anything wrong with the 4000's.


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## Miles813

tlg said:


> Folded is fine. There's no harm. They'll straighten out when inflated.
> I don't know that you need to store them in a cool dark place, but it wouldn't hurt. Just don't leave them sitting on a window ledge for moths.
> 
> Curious... what'd you pay for GP4000's and where did you find them? They haven't been made in quite a while. GP5000 is the new replacement (and a better tire). Not that there's anything wrong with the 4000's.


The seller is asking $70 for the set. Is the 5000 a better tire? It just seems like the 4000 had a cult following.


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## tlg

Miles813 said:


> The seller is asking $70 for the set. Is the 5000 a better tire? It just seems like the 4000 had a cult following.


Too much for a discontinued tire IMO.
I typically pay ~$75 for a set of 5000's








Continental Grand Prix 5000 Clincher Road Tire Twin Pack - Black


Buy Continental Grand Prix 5000 Clincher Road Tire Twin Pack - Black here at ProBikeKit USA. We have great prices on bikes, components and clothing, as well as free delivery available!




www.probikekit.com





They have a cult following because they're pretty much the best bang for the buck performance tire there is.


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## Miles813

tlg said:


> Too much for a discontinued tire IMO.
> I typically pay ~$75 for a set of 5000's
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Continental Grand Prix 5000 Clincher Road Tire Twin Pack - Black
> 
> 
> Buy Continental Grand Prix 5000 Clincher Road Tire Twin Pack - Black here at ProBikeKit USA. We have great prices on bikes, components and clothing, as well as free delivery available!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.probikekit.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They have a cult following because they're pretty much the best bang for the buck performance tire there is.


Ok well I don’t want to overspend on a subpar tire. I’ll just look for 5000s


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## Miles813

tlg said:


> Too much for a discontinued tire IMO.
> I typically pay ~$75 for a set of 5000's
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Continental Grand Prix 5000 Clincher Road Tire Twin Pack - Black
> 
> 
> Buy Continental Grand Prix 5000 Clincher Road Tire Twin Pack - Black here at ProBikeKit USA. We have great prices on bikes, components and clothing, as well as free delivery available!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.probikekit.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They have a cult following because they're pretty much the best bang for the buck performance tire there is.


Is there any reason I shouldn’t bump up to 25mm from 23 mm? Given what you said about weight not hurting me, less rolling resistance would probably be more valuable than 40gram penalty? Im pretty sure my 2012 Caad 10 won’t accept anything larger than 25mm.


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## tlg

Miles813 said:


> Is there any reason I shouldn’t bump up to 25mm from 23 mm?


Nope. Unless you can't fit them on your bike.
My older (2015) Supersix wouldn't fit 25mm tires safely. There was only ~1-2mm of clearance and would rub on frame flex. 
I don't know how the older CAAD's were. Definitely make sure you can fit 25's. 




> Given what you said about weight not hurting me, less rolling resistance would probably be more valuable than 40gram penalty?


And you can run a lower pressure for a more comfortable ride.


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## Miles813

tlg said:


> Nope. Unless you can't fit them on your bike.
> My older (2015) Supersix wouldn't fit 25mm tires safely. There was only ~1-2mm of clearance and would rub on frame flex.
> I don't know how the older CAAD's were. Definitely make sure you can fit 25's.
> 
> 
> And you can run a lower pressure for a more comfortable ride.


I will double check before ordering. Thanks for all your advice today.


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## Lombard

tlg said:


> Nope. Unless you can't fit them on your bike.
> My older (2015) Supersix wouldn't fit 25mm tires safely. There was only ~1-2mm of clearance and would rub on frame flex.
> I don't know how the older CAAD's were. Definitely make sure you can fit 25's.
> 
> 
> And you can run a lower pressure for a more comfortable ride.


Also to note. Check the internal width of your current rims. If they are original to the bike, they are likely only 15mm. Most road wheels you buy now will be 17mm or greater. A wider rim makes the tire effectively wider.

So a 23mm tire on a 15mm rim will measure 24mm or more on a wider rim. A 25mm tire may be 26mm or more.


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## froze

Lombard said:


> We really need more specific info in order to help you. Do you want the absolutely least expensive tires? What price do you consider "affordable"? Some people consider $50 affordable, others consider $35 affordable. And do you want the smoothest fastest riding tire, do you want the most puncture resistant tire or something in between?
> 
> 
> 
> Horse pucky!


You didn't catch the sarcasm did you?


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## Lombard

froze said:


> You didn't catch the sarcasm did you?


Apparently not. There are plenty of people who absolutely believe that remark you made in Post #34.

.


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## froze

Lombard said:


> Apparently not. There are plenty of people who absolutely believe that remark you made in Post #34.
> 
> .


That's too bad for them, and now that is NOT sarcasm.


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