Michelin Pro 3 Optimum opinion

[Dromen]

Can you share feedback if you have some experience on these tyres?

[toaster]

A buddy of mine swears by the 25mm rear! When (or if) they go on sale I'm buying a couple.

[rphetteplace]

I love them

$44 ea worldclasscycles.com last I checked.

[Dromen]

rphetteplace, do they wear evenly? i usually rotate tires every 500 or so mi to keep wear even. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing just seems logical. thought interesting that theoretically these tires will wear equally or so the marketing says.

[rccardr]

I use 'em a bunch. Rears = 1000 miles, fronts = 2000 miles and then I replace them. Some people say they are prone to small cuts from road debris biut I have not had that problem.

Best deals seem to be from ProBikeKit, usually under $35 and free shipping.

[keevon]

I used Pro 3 Optimum's early this season.

Tires felt nice, but the rear squared off faster than other tires I've had. Ultimately lost the rear tire to a sidewall cut after 1000 miles or so.

I switched to Clement Strada LGG 700x25's immediately after that. They ride better than the Pro 3 Optimum's and seem to have better durability too. Highly recommended.

[sw3759]

"I switched to Clement Strada LGG 700x25's immediately after that. They ride better than the Pro 3 Optimum's and seem to have better durability too."

sorry i have not tried the Optimum tires,only the PR3 25's which are very nice but wear quick,but its a race tire so cant really complain too much.

interesting i had not really heard of any new Clement clinchers.can you give any insight on the sizing ?
meaning,is the 25 as large a volume tire as the Michelin 25 or is closer the Vittoria and Conti 25?

thanks

[Spinner]

however have been riding the p3s for three seasons and have been very satisified.

i also rotate. why not as they are easy to mount.

probikekit.com has them on special frequently. bought my last pair several months ago for $65 including shipping; they arrived 4 days after online order.

cheers.

[toaster]

rphetteplace, do they wear evenly? i usually rotate tires every 500 or so mi to keep wear even. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing just seems logical. thought interesting that theoretically these tires will wear equally or so the marketing says.

Rotating tires has been a subject of much debate. The rear and the front tires are basically not interchangeable because they wear differently. A rear tire loses the rounded profile needed for the way a front tire interacts with the road as it leans and turns.

[tiretrax]

I ride them and like them. They can be found on sale for $30-35 as dealers clear them out in advance of the PR4's. I usually get 1500 out of the rear, maybe 2000 on the front. I also use Rubinos. Performance blew some out earlier this year at $30, or so.

[Ralph]

I think some of you aren't reading the post and confusing Optimim's, which are different tires F and R, with regular PR3's.

[Dromen]

Thanks Ralph. Mich thinking, the way i get it...rear tire design has 30% better wear characteristics than front. With rear typically having 30% more wear than front, the set should age at same rate or reach end of life at approx same time. All based on "normal" wear and tear.

From an aging stand point this all seems logical. Wonder if they do as advertised and most, how they perform.

Thanks to all

[gordieax]

I also ride the PR 3s 25s and have been happy w/them re: quality of ride = plush. IMO they do tend to be susceptible to small cuts, which can be sealed w/ a drop of super glue.

[rphetteplace]

I haven't had any problems with cuts or uneven wear, and they're big for a 25 which I like. Normally as big as I am and being a total gear masher I do often notice that rears square off super quickly.

Ryan

[keevon]

...i had not really heard of any new Clement clinchers.can you give any insight on the sizing ?

The Clement Strada LGG 700x25 tires seem to be a little smaller than the Michelin Pro Optimum's, but larger than the 700x25 Conti's that I've had in the past.

I found the Michelin Pro Optimum's to be smaller than the Michelin Pro 2 700x25, which measured closer to 27mm.

The Clement Strada LGG's also come in a 700x28 size, which would probably be close to the old Michelin Pro 2 700x25 size.

Confused yet? :rolleyes:

[sw3759]

not confusing at all.makes sense to me had lots of pr2 & pr3 25's and the conti's as well.that is the info i was looking for.thank you keevon i'll have to give em' a try

[bwest]

I have a few hundred miles on some Optimums (PR3 25's before). Not quite as sticky/soft as the PR3's, but so far the wear out back is better (less squaring) than the PR3's (on the same bike).

I had no puncture issues w/ either tire and minimal cutting on PR3's (Norcal roads aren't exactly nice). Correct tire pressures solve a lot flatting issues and improve ride quality.

[fourflys]

re: tire rotation

good stuff here on Sheldon's site: http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html

I have the Clement tires in 25mm and really like them... plan to get a set of the 28's as well...