Tire Recommendation for Commuting

[NickR]

Looking for some tire recommendations 700x28 or 700x32. A while back I switch all my bikes to 700x28 tires (commuters & road bikes) to simplify my life.

On my latest build, I was switching tires around between bikes and on my commuter wheel set tires I noticed (once they were removed from the rim) that the side wall had develop cracks. The tires are all Vittoria Randonneur. Under further inspection, they all had develop some cracks along the side wall, only noticeable when removed from rim.

My only experience with tires are Vittoria Randonneur & Bontrager Race Lite hard case. I liked the Bontrager but took it “off road” once and the tire delaminated (on a fairly new set). The majority of my riding on LA streets.

Nick

[flydhest]

I am rolling 32c Gatorskins. high volume makes them pretty comfortable and no problems of any sort so far. Slick tread rolls well. Very happy. I wanted to not have to think or worry. that is were I am.

I commute daily through downtown DC fwiw. good in rain or dry--except metal grates on the road, but hey, no tire will do well with that.

[zetroc]

Riv Rolly Polys.

[buldogge]

Schwalbe Ultremo ZX 28s.

-Mark in St. Louis

[jtakeda]

gatorskins. They don't ride especially well but they are incredibly puncture resistant.

[buldogge]

Life's too short for Gatorskins! ;)

-Mark

gatorskins. They don't ride especially well but they are incredibly puncture resistant.

[KidWok]

Schwalbe Marathon Supremes...incredible tires.

Tai

[Idris Icabod]

I use Continental Contact (I think they are called), not the most pliable tyre but I can't remember a single flat in years on the commuter and I commute exclusively by bike 14 miles round trip year round, just changed the rear after 3 of 4 years I bet, front is still going strong.

[rippledabs]

I squirt 1 oz of stan's into my tubes for commuting also. Saved me from at least 4-5 flats this year from thorns and misc bits of glass and wire.

Don't need removable presta core either. Just file off some of that threaded rod of the core, and unscrew the nut all the way. The core will then drop into the tube. Fill with stans, and then find the core, and push it back up the stem.

[pavel]

gatorskins

[m_sasso]

I have had excellent sucsess with Panaracer RiBMo PT Tires.

Great performance, long lasting, inexpensive and durable.

NA coast to coast tour through penty of cities not a single puncture and the rotated front tire is still doing commuter duty on my bike.

[TimD]

Something with reflective sidewalls.

Tires are wear items, so if you don't like the ones you choose, you'll get to choose again in a year or so :)

[Ken Robb]

I like most of the tires named above and add Panaracer Paselas with and/or without Tourguard. I haven't tried the most recent Specialized Armadillos because a few years ago they rode like they were made of wood but I'll bet they are nearly puncture-proof.

[palincss]

+1 for the non-TG Paselas. Historically, they've been available on sale for $15 or less, they last for many thousands of miles, and for commutes on routes not thoroughly sprinkled with glass and debris are plenty durable enough. The family resemblance between the Pasela and the Grand Bois Cypres is evident: they feel similar, with the Pasela providing what feels like 85% of the performance and 115% of the robustness.

[skijoring]

Urban commuting calls for the Pasela TG or maybe the RIbMo. The standard Pasela is great until it gets a bit worn then starts to flat a lot.

Another, more pricey, option is the Vittoria Voyager Hyper

High volume, great casing, reflective sidewalls, grippy.....hard to beat this tire apart from the price.

[Aaron O]

Continental GP 4 seasons - they're tough and roll well.

[giverdada]

i liked the continental contact tires as well, and i think they now come with a reflective sidewall which is muy cool. i rode one on a pannier-laden daily commuter through toronto winter for 3 years straight and only got a flat after it had worn/cracked through in between the treads and i pinchflatted the thing on a grate. it still held enough air after a stop at a garage to get me to school. amazing.

gatorskins are not what they could be, in my experience. the tubular i flatted was a sprinter gatorskin, not the sprinter or the competition.

gp4000 was an amazing tire that i rode in 28s. great rolling and performance in general, but no flats in over 4 years of commuting, and i just kept switching them through bikes. the grand prix tires have been crap for me though.

my all-time fave for urban commuting is the bontrager race lite hard case just like you used. i roll through glass without blinking on those things. no problems at all. they start to fall apart between rubber compounds after a few years/UV exposure, but have been great for me.

good luck. and good on you!

[cetuximab]

Reflective side wall
The most flat resistant tires

One notch down in flat resistance, spec armadillos
A couple more notches down in flat resistance are the gatorskins and the rest of the tires I have tried

[TimD]

Another, more pricey, option is the Vittoria Voyager Hyper

High volume, great casing, reflective sidewalls, grippy.....hard to beat this tire apart from the price.

That looks like the Randonneur Hyper reincarnated.

[skijoring]

That looks like the Randonneur Hyper reincarnated.

Yep - I have one of each. Same tire apart from the label.

[buldogge]

If the OP wants to go 32s, the Hypers roll really nice for sure.

-Mark

That looks like the Randonneur Hyper reincarnated.

[ecsnsmb]

Another vote for Gatorskins. Had 3400 rough miles on my last set. They were chunking and balding before flatting. Love em.

[false_Aest]

Gatorskins or Specialized Armadillo Elites.

I put close to 5k on an older version of Armadillo while living in Pittsburgh and Boston.

Both ride like ···· compared to Evo Corsas, Miche Pros, etc but they're way durable.

[foon]

Schwalbe Marathon Supremes...incredible tires.

Tai

Love those. They're a bit pricy and heavy, but roll so nice and durable. Had a pair with lots of miles on them and they are still going strong.

The paselas are nice if you can find them for cheap, but they're nowhere near as durable as the schwalbes.

[NickR]

Riv Rolly Polys.

planning on them or Jack Brown for my BMC build later this year.

[NickR]

Thanks for all the feedback, time to look into the forums suggestions.

Something with reflective sidewalls.
With daylight saving in effect that's something to consider.

gp4000 was an amazing tire that i rode in 28s. great rolling and performance in general, but no flats in over 4 years of commuting, and i just kept switching them through bikes. the grand prix tires have been crap for me though.

my all-time fave for urban commuting is the bontrager race lite hard case just like you used. i roll through glass without blinking on those things. no problems at all. they start to fall apart between rubber compounds after a few years/UV exposure, but have been great for me. I might give them another try.

Reflective side wall
The most flat resistant tires

One notch down in flat resistance, spec armadillos
A couple more notches down in flat resistance are the gatorskins and the rest of the tires I have tried

Gatorskins or Specialized Armadillo Elites.

I put close to 5k on an older version of Armadillo while living in Pittsburgh and Boston.

Both ride like ···· compared to Evo Corsas, Miche Pros, etc but they're way durable.
I had forgetting about the armadillos, good tires from what i can recall. Giving that there in my $40ish budget, something to consider.

[NickR]

Follow question, suggestions for an online seller. I'm going to check with my LBS first, IIRC their stock is limited when it comes to larger than 25.