Tires that roll well and are puncture resistant?

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Interesting.

Is it any better in Marin? The subtext of your response is that traditional road bikes with limited or standard (28c) tire clearance are ill suited for the Bay Area. Kind of hard to argue with that.

And just when I was getting back into rim brakes…

"Bay Area" is a big place, and the roads are very different.

There are the "urban" roads, which are an absolute mess, and the "good" roads where you're fine on anything.

There's no broken glass on Mount Diablo. When I lived in Palo Alto, I don't think I ever got a flat tire west of 280. In the dense parts of Oakland, lots of debris on the road, but Skyline/Pinehurst/Redwood Rd aren't a problem.

[EB]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Interesting.

Is it any better in Marin? The subtext of your response is that traditional road bikes with limited or standard (28c) tire clearance are ill suited for the Bay Area. Kind of hard to argue with that.

And just when I was getting back into rim brakes…

Marin is much better than SF - I happily rode around Marin on Corsas.

Edit: Some of the Marin backroads like Bolinas-Fairfax Road are quite rough and are best on 28s or 30s, in my opinion, but I'm also not nearly as small and lightweight as some folks and I know this is weight and tire pressure dependent. YMMV.

[fourflys]

as stated, I think it just depends.. ride in any urban environment and you're going to deal with all the crap the cars kick over toward the gutter.. ride in West County Sonoma and, while the road might be a little rough, it's pretty nice.. I guess there are goat heads around here, but, knock on wood, not sure I've found them where I ride.. I can't imagine Marin being bad to ride at all, unless you're trying to ride in the urban areas..

BTW- I'm no lightweight for sure..

[Vientomas]

I've had good luck with the Schwalbe Durano in 28.

[robertbb]

I don't understand all the love for the Vittoria Corsa's.

The design of those grooves on the tread seems to have been the brainchild of someone who never rode a bike outside of an indoor velodrom. Absolute magnet for little pebbles and other mulch off the road.

This is why I ended up on the Rubino Pro's. There's nowhere for cr*p to accumulate in the tread. In the larger sizes of 30 and 32 the ride quality is indistinguishable from the Corsa's, and I believe they are grippier for no measurable loss in speed compared to the Corsa's.

But you gotta get the Rubino Pro with the plush sidewalls, not the Rubino Pro control which has the super stiff sidewalls.

[Rootfreak]

Originally Posted by GregL

For conventional clinchers, I’m a fan of the Continental Grand Prix 4-Season. I run them on my winter bike. The last thing I want on a winter ride in rain, sleet, and wind is a flat tire. So far, the 4-Seasons have proven reliable on salted and sanded winter roads.

Greg

Offhand I’m not sure of the rolling resistance specs on the 4-seasons, but they’ve been plenty fast and flat resistant for the awful roads and street debris in urban Houston. Everybody has a different story, but I’ve gotten solid performance from the GP 4-Seasons for fast city riding since 2017.

[Ralph]

I still ride Gatorskins for every day riding on the trails around here. Rarely have a flat, but I don't like fixing them. On this bike, I'm just out for exercise and enjoyment. I don't notice this extra drag some speak of. Especially at my old man speeds on smooth trail. And on this steel bike with 700X23's, don't run much air pressure. 70-80 to 80-90 max. After seeing Lance and his team training up around Blue Ridge Parkway and Boone NC one year on Gatorskins, they're OK for me. If I was competing, riding up front on a fast A ride, et different story. I think many ride with too much air pressure anyway. We don't have potholes here around Orlando. BTW,,,Armadillios I won't ride. Still working thru stash of Michelin supple 700X25's on my CAAD 10.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by robertbb

I don't understand all the love for the Vittoria Corsa's.

The design of those grooves on the tread seems to have been the brainchild of someone who never rode a bike outside of an indoor velodrom. Absolute magnet for little pebbles and other mulch off the road.

This is why I ended up on the Rubino Pro's. There's nowhere for cr*p to accumulate in the tread. In the larger sizes of 30 and 32 the ride quality is indistinguishable from the Corsa's, and I believe they are grippier for no measurable loss in speed compared to the Corsa's.

But you gotta get the Rubino Pro with the plush sidewalls, not the Rubino Pro control which has the super stiff sidewalls.

to each their own, but I've had Rubino Pros (older ones, not anything recent) and they were fine, but rode nothing like the Corsas..

[Spaghetti Legs]

Vittoria Open Pave is my go to for this purpose. I have one set of Gran Bois Cerfs that I got NOS from someone here that have been great and (knock on wood) yet to flat, including the 2 days of Cino gravel.

[robt57]

I've never flatted a Michelun Pro 4 Service Course.

Question is can you find any anymore.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Not the aforementioned Gators or Armadillos. Or Gravel King Slicks, either. Durable, but not great in the “rolling” department.

If Gravel King Slicks are below your threshold for "tires that roll well" I would be extremely skeptical of anything that does get recommended in this thread.

I'm not saying that I think GK Slicks do roll well... just that I think you're looking for a unicorn.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

If Gravel King Slicks are below your threshold for "tires that roll well" I would be extremely skeptical of anything that does get recommended in this thread.

I'm not saying that I think GK Slicks do roll well... just that I think you're looking for a unicorn.

FWIW, I think Panaracer SS + are the best gravel tires out there and actually roll better on the pavement than the slicks.

[mass_biker]

Disappointed with: Gatorskins/anything Conti. I found Gatorskins very slippy in the wet stuff, and have found Contis in general very tough to put on/take off (to the point that I really hoped + prayed nothing would go wrong if out in the sticks).

Encouraged by: Michelin Pro4 “Endurance”. These run BIG. The 28c tires do balloon out. And despite the absence of tread (these are slick), they are great in the wet stuff. It’s on the bike that I reach for when I *have* to ride in rain. And they are pretty lively in terms of road feel.

Also a winner: Pirellis. I am running the “race” version in 26c and these are fast, true to size, and pretty tough on some of the crummy roads I ride here in northern Baltimore and surrounding areas.

Both Michelin and Pirellis are also very easy to put on/take off.

Another vote for the Panaracer slicks by the way. I have these on a few bikes. Last week on an exploration ride in central PA I wondered way off course and found myself on a true dirt road and these did admirably well. Not as easy to put on/take off than Michelin and Pirellis though.

[robertbb]

Originally Posted by fourflys

to each their own, but I've had Rubino Pros (older ones, not anything recent) and they were fine, but rode nothing like the Corsas..

The Pro IV's are a different tyre to the old ones. 150tpi sidewall is a good compromise and in 30mm and 32mm at correct pressures the comfort is a wash.

The Corsa Controls are awesome tyres for sure, and are probably "better", but those damn grooves. Why just why

[DRietz]

Oakland perspective:

For my tubeless clients, I typically recommend the Pirelli Cinturato and they all seem pretty chuffed.

I still live in a world of inner tubes and train on the Specialized Turbo Pro T5 - they do the job for me.