Where do you buy your tires?

[K3RRY]

Need to pick up some GP4000’s in 25 and 28.

Curious where everyone purchases for a good deal because they are about the same price everywhere and the 5000’s are a tad pricier.

Thanks

[RobJ]

BikeTiresDirect always has something discounted. Plus a lot of times with my account it shows a better price then when i googled them. Plus they’re a forum sponsor.

Jenson too but they lean towards mountain and gravel tires.


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[mcteague]

I generally use:
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/ or https://www.probikekit.com/

Tim

[azrider]

Lbs

[godfrey1112000]

Btd no questions since 2005




BikeTiresDirect always has something discounted. Plus a lot of times with my account it shows a better price then when i googled them. Plus they’re a forum sponsor.

Jenson too but they lean towards mountain and gravel tires.


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[gasman]

I like BTD also but they are no longer a forum sponsor. They ghosted me in trying to get them to renew. I heard they have a lot of turnover in personnel.

[AngryScientist]

yes to BTD, probikekit and a host of other vendors, including ebay.

the key with consumables, tires, chains, cassettes, cleats....

keep an eye out for sales and buy a few of each before you need them.

it seems that a few months ago when the gp5000's hit the streets, everyone was blowing out the 4000's on super sale.

having used both, i would say the 5000's are a notable improvement over the 4000's. i'd just spring for some new ones if i were you. i still think the vittoria corsas are a nicer tire and generally available cheaper too.

[54ny77]

there's a forum member here who sells great tires for a very fair price, mcewen i think is the name. have bought several from him. very smooth & easy transactions. :cool:

[peanutgallery]

If you want a tire made 10 years ago, go online

Get mine at the LBS. Life is too short for rubber that has turned to kitchen vinyl...or was poo to begin with

[rnhood]

I get the Conti 5000 in pairs, in 25 and/or 28, from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Continental-Grand-Prix-5000-Performance/dp/B07L4Z1WQP/ref=pd_day0_hl_200_1/138-1147764-7383125?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07LC241S6&pd_rd_r=870fe41c-0685-4627-95ec-15c5681b1883&pd_rd_w=Ptkg1&pd_rd_wg=NYJwL&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=NZ9R355BET9WD5K7G39B&refRID=NZ9R355BET9WD5K7G39B&th=1&psc=1) for a hundred bucks. 4000's should be less.

[charliedid]

Lbs

ding ding ding!

[josephr]

there's a forum member here who sells great tires for a very fair price, mcewen i think is the name. have bought several from him. very smooth & easy transactions. :cool:

+1 on mcewen....haven't bought conti tires from anywhere else for years now. always easy transaction and good deals.

[SoCalSteve]

If you want a tire made 10 years ago, go online

Get mine at the LBS. Life is too short for rubber that has turned to kitchen vinyl...or was poo to begin with

I bet there are LBS that have 10 year old tires too, just sayin’

The GP 5000’s are very nice ( and definitely not 10 years old )

[rwsaunders]

No 10 year old tires from these folks and quick shipping.

https://www.merlincycles.com/road-bike-tyres-75331/

[peanutgallery]

A year, max

If you're paying overhead to keep a tire dry for 10 years...you've failed at retail

I bet there are LBS that have 10 year old tires too, just sayin’

The GP 5000’s are very nice ( and definitely not 10 years old )

[peanutgallery]

27 cubic feet of polar ice cap...melted :)

No 10 year old tires from these folks and quick shipping.

https://www.merlincycles.com/road-bike-tyres-75331/

[rwsaunders]

27 cubic feet of polar ice cap...melted :)

Same with the LBS unless they manufacture the tires in the basement. Actually when you think about it, the tires ship from the manufacturer, to QBP or another distributor then onto the LBS then to the consumer, who drove their car to and from the LBS to pick up the tires. :banana:

[bigbill]

BikeTiresDirect, even if they aren't a sponsor. They were good to me when I was deployed. I bought enough stuff from them as a Gold club whatever that I saved close to $100 when I bought my Kuat NV 2.0.

[Dino Suegiù]

I bought many Veloflex from World Class Cycles and Bike Tires Direct.
Both stores were very good in my experience.

[robertbb]

having used both, i would say the 5000's are a notable improvement over the 4000's.

In what way? Everyone says they are faster, but some say they compromise on grip. Is this your experience?

I'm also unsure whether 25's or 28's will be most appropriate for my Zonda C17's (17mm internal). My 25mm 4000's inflate to about 26.5mm at 85PSI and I'd like to replicate that size/pressure with the 5000's.

[oldpotatoe]

A year, max

If you're paying overhead to keep a tire dry for 10 years...you've failed at retail

What he said..there may be small, hole in the wall bike shops that have this kind of stale inventory but 99% of the ones that want to stay 'current' and competitive, have the interweb also, see new tires and send the old stuff to ProCloset or ebay..
I bet there are LBS that have 10 year old tires too, just sayin’

Not really...

[AngryScientist]

In what way? Everyone says they are faster, but some say they compromise on grip. Is this your experience?

I'm also unsure whether 25's or 28's will be most appropriate for my Zonda C17's (17mm internal). My 25mm 4000's inflate to about 26.5mm at 85PSI and I'd like to replicate that size/pressure with the 5000's.

it's hard to explain and not a black/white thing, but they just feel a little better. not as nice as the vittorias or veloflex, but they ride a little nicer than the 4k's ever did, in my experience. also the compound just appears a little nicer.

i have 25's on 17mm internal rims on a bike home, i can measure tonight for you.

[citycyclist247]

Ebay and local listings/forums. Haven’t paid full retail for one yet 😄

[robertbb]

it's hard to explain and not a black/white thing, but they just feel a little better. not as nice as the vittorias or veloflex, but they ride a little nicer than the 4k's ever did, in my experience. also the compound just appears a little nicer.

i have 25's on 17mm internal rims on a bike home, i can measure tonight for you.

Thank you, would really appreciate that! Particularly if they've been ridden a bit and had a chance to settle in/stretch. measurement at 85psi would be awesome

[mcteague]

What he said..there may be small, hole in the wall bike shops that have this kind of stale inventory but 99% of the ones that want to stay 'current' and competitive, have the interweb also, see new tires and send the old stuff to ProCloset or ebay..


Not really...

BTD still shows Michelin PR4 tires at nice prices. I wonder how old those are.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/michelin-pro4-service-course-tire?fltr=&sg=500

Tim

[AngryScientist]

Thank you, would really appreciate that! Particularly if they've been ridden a bit and had a chance to settle in/stretch. measurement at 85psi would be awesome

here you go. these have a few hundred miles on them.

[mcteague]

BTD still shows Michelin PR4 tires at nice prices. I wonder how old those are.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/michelin-pro4-service-course-tire?fltr=&sg=500

Tim

Update: BTD answered my email in about an hour when I asked about the age of their PR4 tire stock, nice customer service!

“Our most recent shipment of those was a month ago so you should be safe.”

Tim

[Mark McM]

Update: BTD answered my email in about an hour when I asked about the age of their PR4 tire stock, nice customer service!

“Our most recent shipment of those was a month ago so you should be safe.”

Tim

But how do you know how long the tires were sitting around in a warehouse before the retailer received them? I suspect longer than you might think.

Some tires are marked with factory production dates. The Continental Tire Construction FAQ shoes how to read the date codes molded into Continental tire sidewalls:

https://www.continental-tires.com/bicycle/service/faq/tyre-construction

[merlinmurph]

Biketiresdirect.com

Get on their email list and isten for your tires going on sale. The emails can be annoying, but you'll eventually get a good price.

Also, I have to give BTD kudos for excellent customer service. In my haste, I ordered a tire in the wrong size - totally my fault. I told them I messed up, sent the tires back, and they sent me the correct tires at no additional cost. Totally unexpected.

[makoti]

In what way? Everyone says they are faster, but some say they compromise on grip. Is this your experience?

I'm also unsure whether 25's or 28's will be most appropriate for my Zonda C17's (17mm internal). My 25mm 4000's inflate to about 26.5mm at 85PSI and I'd like to replicate that size/pressure with the 5000's.

I recently got the 5000 TL's, and I personally think they grip better. Now, I did go from 23's to 25's, so that could be a bit of it and the whole tubeless thing vs tubes, but descending Skyline Drive I felt much more stable & connected with the road.

[Ozz]

World Class Cycles and LBS if they have what I want....

[bikinchris]

I go to a place called bicycle shop.

[R3awak3n]

last few pairs were bike tires direct, LBS and direct from spesh.

[cash05458]

offshoot question for those who know...most likely Old Potato...I remember old school stuff abut preferring aged tires...of course those were sew ups...what's the difference now? different compounds? differences between sew ups and clinchers? Was that just a bad idea to begin with? Just curious about the "freshness" debate...

[benb]

A mix.. on my road bike the last few pairs have been Specialized, I really like the Specialized Turbo (non-cotton). I've gotten the last 2 pairs at the LBS when Specialized has their annual BOGO sale on tires.

On my other bikes I think they were bought online. Maybe Amazon? I am not loyal to any one particular online site. I'm not really loyal to any one particular LBS either.

[oldpotatoe]

offshoot question for those who know...most likely Old Potatoe...I remember old school stuff abut preferring aged tires...of course those were sew ups...what's the difference now? different compounds? differences between sew ups and clinchers? Was that just a bad idea to begin with? Just curious about the "freshness" debate...

A lot of those 'gotta age the tires' were silks and 'aging' seemed to make them ride better and be more durable..mostly an old Italian wife's tale..Some did this with cotton tires as well...I dated my tubulars and used oldest first..hung in 'normal' temps..not no more...:)

[cash05458]

Thanks Pete...on the other side I have quite a few conti 4's I bought in bulk a number of years ago sitting on my shelf for future use...anything I can do to keep them a bit fresher and is it a really big deal?

[RobJ]

Also if you sign up for ActiveJunky, you can regularly save 8%-12% at Backcountry and Competitive Cyclist (plus others). It's via cash back in your account. It's all legit and I have been using it for at least 2 years.

[RobJ]

I go to a place called bicycle shop.

I would like too as well but even in the populous DC area one of my local go to LBS's that carries high-end stuff like Pinarello, Willier, 'Dale etc. has a very weak selection of tires. Maybe a few Maxxis mountain tires and a Conti or two, but not in all widths or models. They just started carrying a few Compass models, only the tan-wall durable model.

It doesn't pay for them. The serious riders are looking for a specific model/width and order online. The recreational cyclist just takes what comes on the bike or isn't buying tires at this price point. They aren't making money on the accessories.

[cash05458]

yeah, and not to turn this into the do or do not support your local shop and all the bene's therein...but last time I was in my local LBS they wanted 85 for a Conti 4000...I mean, that just isn't going to happen as much as I appreciate them being there.

[Ozz]

Thanks Pete...on the other side I have quite a few conti 4's I bought in bulk a number of years ago sitting on my shelf for future use...anything I can do to keep them a bit fresher and is it a really big deal?

I would guess ozone and uv would be your biggest problems...I keep extra tires dark, cool, in a plastic bag (in a box, on garage shelf).

No idea if new tire compounds are susceptible to ozone or not...but seems easy to do.