Cheap tires, fast tires, durable tires

[Tom]

I really like Michelin Pro Race, having not ventured to the other side and gone tubular. I noticed I squared one off in 5 or 6 weeks, so I'm wondering if anybody can remind me what that place was that sells them cheap - I remember calling Madge or whatever her name was and they showed up on my doorstep like the next day.

I have a pair of Kevlar he-man tires on my Open Pros and I rode those Saturday. Those tires turned a buttery set of rims into truck wheels, so I don't care much for riding them every day. What decent fast tires are durable enough to ride the hell out of?

[92degrees]

I bought a bunch of Vredestein Fortezza SEs from Performance when they were having a big sale last year (they're $27 right now and I think I paide $22 or less in the Fall) and figured they would be fine but not great. I've been very happy with them and they show no sign of wear after 1500mi in the past couple of months.

[JasonF]

I have also been very pleased with the ride quality and durability of the Fortezza's. Although not quite as supple as sew-ups, the ride is pretty close. Give 'em a shot.

Although absolutely 100% puncture-proof, I could only stand a few rides with Ultra-Gatorskins. It really felt like I was riding on just the rims.

[Marcusaurelius]

I really like Michelin Pro Race, having not ventured to the other side and gone tubular. I noticed I squared one off in 5 or 6 weeks, so I'm wondering if anybody can remind me what that place was that sells them cheap - I remember calling Madge or whatever her name was and they showed up on my doorstep like the next day.

I have a pair of Kevlar he-man tires on my Open Pros and I rode those Saturday. Those tires turned a buttery set of rims into truck wheels, so I don't care much for riding them every day. What decent fast tires are durable enough to ride the hell out of?

I've been using ultra gator skins for two years on my cyclocross bike and they feel great. I am not sure how some find the ride unpleasant unless my cyclocross bike rides a lot smoother than some road bikes.

[Orin]

I bought a bunch of Vredestein Fortezza SEs from Performance when they were having a big sale last year (they're $27 right now and I think I paide $22 or less in the Fall) and figured they would be fine but not great. I've been very happy with them and they show no sign of wear after 1500mi in the past couple of months.

Michelin Pro2 Race are much smoother IMO. Danny at CritUSA@aol.com has great prices on them.

Orin.

[92degrees]

Michelin Pro2 Race are much smoother IMO. Danny at CritUSA@aol.com has great prices on them.

Orin.


i thought the opposite. i had Pro2s on before these and Conti GP3000s before that. i like them all for different reasons, but think the Vredesteins are the smoothest of the three. i may try GP4000s when i run out of these.

[shaq-d]

I really like Michelin Pro Race, having not ventured to the other side and gone tubular. I noticed I squared one off in 5 or 6 weeks, so I'm wondering if anybody can remind me what that place was that sells them cheap - I remember calling Madge or whatever her name was and they showed up on my doorstep like the next day.


hmm. what's squaring a tire off mean? i have a tire that's "square" in that the contact with the ground is more flat than round... is that all that bad? am i supposed to replace a tire that's "squared off"?

sd

[Kevan]

hmm. what's squaring a tire off mean? i have a tire that's "square" in that the contact with the ground is more flat than round... is that all that bad? am i supposed to replace a tire that's "squared off"?

sd

Tire wear happens. Tire wear happens faster to the back wheel than the front. Tire wear only becomes a concern when either the tire is looking particularly fatigued or you sense a less stable ride from your rubber. My guess is the typical schlub (that would be someone like me) could use a set of tires for a season and a fraction. Certainly the number of miles, the general conditions of your roads, your attention to tire pressure and the like have a baring on the tire's lifespan. Events like Hail Mary stops and running over razorblades spilled from a passing Gillette truck might lessen a tire's life. I'll leave that for you to decide. Look at the tire, if there are small nicks, I wouldn't much worry, but if I've got something like 3-4000 miles on'm I'd start considering my options.

[Bruce K]

www.biketiresdirect.com usually has very good prices on the Michelin Pro Race2's in quantities of 2 or more.

I usually change mine every 1500 miles or so (which is usually once per season on the 2 Serottas).

I won't buy their (btd) Michelin tubes though. They don't seem to be as durable as the Salsa or Wrench Force ones that I get at the LBS.

BK

[nobrakes]

Most of the tires suggested here are pretty good merchandise, but the biggest culprit doesn't seem to be tire wear, but "squaring-off" of the tread on the rear tire. This is mostly caused by over inflating the tire. I've found that by inflating to 110 lbs, and no more, the tire rolls better, smoother, lasts longer, and doesn't suffer so badly in the squaring-off catagory. Most people would be surprized by how much this little modification can improve the ride of their bicycle.

Of note is the preference of many to Vredestein tires, which recommend inflating to 145 lbs. If you do this, I would heartily recommend replacing the plastic rim strip that comes stock with many Campy, Easton and Mavic wheelsets with Velox cloth tape. I've had mystery flats with these tires that ended up being from the high pressures stretching out the plastic rim strip until it splits in the spoke holes and causes a flat. Also, Vredesteins feel sluggish and slow at less than their recomended inflation values, so a little prep work on your wheels before pumping them to that high psi could save you out on the road.

[stevep]

hmm. what's squaring a tire off mean? i have a tire that's "square" in that the contact with the ground is more flat than round... is that all that bad? am i supposed to replace a tire that's "squared off"?

sd

no, you should replace the whole bike.
the jerk says to save time later