Michelin PR3....booo....

[veggieburger]

I waited a day to send this because I was royally miffed yesterday. My Pro 3 Race tires, which have maybe 7 or 800 kms on them are showing serious signs of wear. The grey strip that runs down the middle is now dotted with black holes from being worn away. The sidewalls are a little cracked too.

I know you can't have a nice-riding tire that also lasts a long time, but I have gotten more milegage out of Vittoria Corsas. Maybe I'll send them to Michelin...we'll see.

Having said that, any opinions on the Krylion? Do they last as long as the hype?

[maxdog]

Never tried them, but have had pretty good results with Contis.

[RADaines]

I recently replaced a pair of PR3's after 2500 miles front and 2000 miles rear. The front probably still had another couple of hundred miles worth on them. I find interesting the huge differences in tire wear and reliability reported on this forum. I am not questioning the accuracy of the reports just commenting on how different people's experiences can be. Personally, I have been extremely happy with all of the Pro Race tires I have owned. No doubt, however, the series 3 does not last as long as the series 2. I am now trying a set of Conti GP4000s tires, and these have been reported to be fantastic to crap, and everything in between.

[veggieburger]

I recently replaced a pair of PR3's after 2500 miles front and 2000 miles rear. The front probably still had another couple of hundred miles worth on them. I find interesting the huge differences in tire wear and reliability reported on this forum. I am not questioning the accuracy of the reports just commenting on how different people's experiences can be. Personally, I have been extremely happy with all of the Pro Race tires I have owned. No doubt, however, the series 3 does not last as long as the series 2. I am now trying a set of Conti GP4000s tires, and these have been reported to be fantastic to crap, and everything in between.

Very true. I think the issue with the PR3s is my weight (heavy), the roads (not great) and the age of the tires. They were sitting in a dark cloest for a good 9 months.....not old, but not exactly fresh.

Lesson learned.

[firerescuefin]

PR3's are my tire of choice, but watching the rear wear (for me) is like watching your gas gauge in a Top Fuel Dragster. It is unusual for me to get more than 1200 miles out of one (I don't wear them to the threads..but close). The fronts....much more. It is a racing tire FWIW...kind of like complaining of wearing out your P-Zeros on your S8/ M5. The cracking seems to be more of an environmental/age issue.

[Keith A]

I think you'll find pretty favorable reviews of the Michelin Krylion on both the 'net and this forum (trying searching). I've been happy with both the Krylion and the Pro Races (I've had all three versions), but they are designed for different purposes. One thing you might consider is to put the Krylion on the rear and the PR3 on the front...that way you get the better ride qualities and grippiness up front and the better wear properties on the rear.

[false_Aest]

me:
140-150lbs depending on the season
front: ~ 95psi
rear: ~ 100psi

Krylion vs Pro3

Pro3s feel more supple and are stickier in fast descents and fast corners.
Krylions are, so far, lasting longer.

Krylions feel a little bit harsher at the same psi. I suppose I could get it close by adjusting the PSI but really, who cares that much?

PRO3 in the front and Krylion in the rear is what I'm doing for the winter.
----
GP4000S feel just about the same as the Krylion. They're both good tyres.

I'd recommend either of them as a longer lasting, almost as good, clincher at the same price.
----

Whatever you buy don't come back in a month and call the tyres ****ty just because you had a run of bad luck and got 4 flats.

[bironi]

I gave up on the 3's. They're too expensive and fragile. This winter I'm using some inexpensive Panaracer's. 28 bucks ea, lots of rubber, a bit heavy, but I don't think I'll be flatting much this season. The ride quality is pretty good

Ridiculous model name: Ride Bicycle More Precision Technology

[gone]

I had a set of PR3's on without 900 miles on them. Went to do a ride with some friends, 4 days of 100+ miles/day, moderately warm (low 90's) temperatures. On day 3, I looked at my tires in the morning as part of my normal pre-ride inspection and they looked OK. Rear was showing some wear but was a long way from having a "flat spot" down the middle. We stopped at about 70 miles for a break and I glanced down at the rear and it was gone. Middle of the tire was worn all the way through, inner tube showing through. I have never seen a tire wear out that fast. Haven't used them since and won't.

[Ti Designs]

It is a racing tire FWIW...kind of like complaining of wearing out your P-Zeros on your S8/ M5.

That so depends on the rider and/or driver. With a bike tire you look at a number of things and decide which tire is right. Grip is one of those things, but how many people really corner that hard? I find that the pro 3s sacrifice long wear for a softer compound, which does make sense for a race tire. What doesn't make sense is why people who don't need or want that buy those tires and complain about the wear. Their triathlon tire has a similar ride without the sticky compound, and there's nothing that says you have to wear a speedo while using them...

As for the car tire example, most of the drivers I know look forward to testing other tires, so wearing a set out is just part of the learning experience. There's a difference with cars, how often do you spin your tires on the bike? With car tires the limits of their traction are tested by the car, on a bike they are tested by the rider. It's all too easy to buy horsepower in a car, just look at all the S4's and M3's driving around. Now look at the cyclists in your area...

I just put a set of RE-11's on my little buggy. It's the first DOT tire I haven't had the urge to shave...

[Ken Robb]

My guess is that a lot of the variance in tire wear depends on the type of ridng one does. DOH, I know I'm stating the obvious but this was made clear for me while I was slowly grinding/spinning up a long steep hill in my 30-34 gear at 6mph. A younger/faster guy riding a bike with dbl.crank passed me standing up and mashing his pedals and I could clearly hear a "swish, swish" sound from his tires on the pavement as he applied the power to his pedals. That had to be the sound of rubber being ground away.

Similar things happen to car and motorcycle tires where riders who frequently accelerate hard in lower gears grind down the tires driving the car pretty fast even when there is no obvious wheelspin.

I'll bet a really good rider with a smooth pedaling technique gets better mileage than a strong masher, especially when a lot of climbing is involved.

[Larry]

Try GP 4000 in a 25 mm. width. Wonderful!! :banana: :beer:

[veggieburger]

Try GP 4000 in a 25 mm. width. Wonderful!! :banana: :beer:

That's the plan - that or the Krylions.

And False_ae, I generally don't criticize tires when they flat. Unless the sidewalls are stupidly thin, I think flats are more a function of crap on the road, not the tire.

(exception is the Conti Supersonic, or tires of that ilk...glorified inner tubes with no belting whatsoever)

[gasman]

I decided to try commutig on Krylions this year. They work well and show no sign of wear yet. I'm happy with them.
I also like PR3's and have good luck but I mostly use them for racing or fast training rides. Good luck with mine this year.

[Ralph]

PR3's are for racing. They ride so nice, for a clincher, we are all tempted to use them for everyday riding. I know because.... I'm currently using up (quickly) the last of my supply of PR2's. But there are more suitable tires for regular riding. I don't think we should blame Michelin if a soft compound race tire doesn't hold up to regular riding. I'm going to their harder compound tires next....like the Krylions. Just hope the Krylions mount as easy as the PR's.

[thwart]

Agree with all the above... but I think you wear the rear tire significantly faster on hilly routes even if you're spinning up at 80 rpm.

Riding buddy bought a slew of PR3's from ProBikeKit at the beginning of the year. 5K later he's gone through almost all of them with accelerated wear. We ride lots of hills, he weighs 175, and runs 115 PSI F & R.

Oh, and he's had so many flats it's become a running joke...

[AngryScientist]

i ride predominantly PR3's. they definitely go quick, but i like the ride so much i just suck it up. vittoria OC's are just as nice, and last about as long in my experience. the price of comfort i guess...

[Tom]

Bike Tires Direct usually has them pretty cheap. They're the only things I ride, in the course of a 7000 mile year I go through about three in the back and perhaps two up front. One of the three in the back is often one of the front ones. It depends if it just wears or I hit a broken bottle. I have more than once this year fallen asleep and ridden right through a fresh patch of beer bottle without flatting or even getting a nick. I like them.

[palincss]

Having said that, any opinions on the Krylion? Do they last as long as the hype?

I got 5,000 miles out of their predecessor, the Axial Carbon, and there was plenty of life left in the tires when I discarded them. I got tired of worrying about when they would wear out. I've never used the Krylion, but a friend of mine has, and they lasted very well for him. We are both over 200 lb.

[JBone]

They're great for a about 6 - 8 months (depending on how much you ride) but that's it. Went back to old reliable... conti 4000s. :)

[torquer]

Riding buddy bought a slew of PR3's from ProBikeKit at the beginning of the year. 5K later he's gone through almost all of them with accelerated wear. We ride lots of hills, he weighs 175, and runs 115 PSI F & R.
I checked the Michelin site for recommended tire pressures, and, assuming he's riding 23Cs, that's almost spot on.
http://www.michelinbicycletire.com/michelinbicycle/img/pressurechart121405B.jpg
Anbody else think he could extend his mileage by going with 25Cs at 100 psi?
I'm a little bit lighter, and so I pump 'em up a bit further down the green line, and my PR3s (or P3Rs, as I read the sidewall label) usually last me at least one full 4K to 5K season.

[endosch2]

I am on my third pair of PR3s with 2200 miles per pair. No problems whatsoever with what you report. I also ride probably 5-10% of my miles on dirt roads. Weight 175.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . after switching from Open Corsas at the beginning of 2009 riding season. No, they don't last as long as the Vittoria's, but I don't really expect them to. The PR3's are clearly a stickier and therefore less durable rubber.

But even at 1500 miles or so of wear on a rear tire, you can get them for under $40 fairly regularly on sale at PBK. To me that's an acceptable expense for what I am getting.

BBD

[benb]

I haven't used the PR3s.. I used the Axials back when they were current, and I used the PR. But when the price went from $50 to $60 for some reason that was too much. This is a little odd, as tires on a bicycle are not really expensive, they are not difficult to change, and we are all spending so much why do we have to save money on tires?

I've never really been one to wear tires out fast.. I'm on the heavier side compared to most competitive riders (170-180lbs depending on time of year) and I do check my tires before every ride. But whatever some people must do to not wear out tires quickly I must do it. I'd say I've gotten 4000 miles out of just about any tire I've tried.

I will add there have actually been two revisions of the Krylions. The first set I had was made in Europe, they were great. I never flatted on them once. When I finally had to replace them, the next set said made in China, and they weren't the same tire.. they didn't even look the same. And they didn't ride the same.

Currently riding Continentals.. they've been pretty good. Definitely on pace to get 4000-5000 miles out of them.

Ironically I get great wear out of my car & motorcycle tires too. I got 45,000 miles out of my last set of car tires, which were Eagle F1 All Seasons.. the tire installer was shocked. And at one point I got 9,000 miles out of a set of tires on my Honda VFR, which included several track days.