Winter Tyres?

[Mike Muz]

I'd recommend Vittoria Rubino Pro's. I've put about 2500 miles on a pair of these this winter with no issues and no punctures. They don't have a deep tread pattern but they grip well.

Posh bar steward, they're my summer tyres!

 

[Robbied196]

I'd recommend Vittoria Rubino Pro's. I've put about 2500 miles on a pair of these this winter with no issues and no punctures. They don't have a deep tread pattern but they grip well.

Posh bar steward, they're my summer tyres!

Posh Tyres Are Us

I always think money is well spent on tyres, plus Wiggle have them at £15.99 each which isn't bad. I was out this morning in the frost at -7º and they feel very safe.

 

[rusty bodie]

Re:

Chaps, thanks for your suggestions. I've looked up a few of these tyres you've recommended and I've seen more grip on the top of my baldy heid!!! :shock:

Up here in Scotland, it's WET; it's ICY; it's MUDDY; it's FROSTY!

Can you recommend a tyre with something resembling the tread of the Goodyear Grand Prix S, but in 700 x 23/ 25c?

 

[Mike Muz]

Re: Re:

Chaps, thanks for your suggestions. I've looked up a few of these tyres you've recommended and I've seen more grip on the top of my baldy heid!!! :shock:

Up here in Scotland, it's WET; it's ICY; it's MUDDY; it's FROSTY!

Can you recommend a tyre with something resembling the tread of the Goodyear Grand Prix S, but in 700 x 23/ 25c?

If I was riding in those conditions, it would be on an mtb, wouldn't want to crash a nice road bike!

Mike

 

[Robbied196]

Re:

There's an interesting article here:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/05/ ... ons_328827

 

[cce]

Tread provides traction on loose surfaces, cars have tread to channel water away to prevent aquaplaning. A slick puts more rubber on a road-type surface hence more grip.

at the size of a bicycle tyre you'd have to be doing well over 100mph to aquaplane, as such a slick is grippier for the road.

unless there's ice of course, in which case only studs will do.

 

[rusty bodie]

Re:

I remember this theory back in the 80s when the Nutrak Fasgrip (BALD!) tyre came out. We all howled with laughter when one guy in the club bought a pair and turned up for a wet club APR on evening!

After about ten miles of racing, we got to the main hazard of "Jobby Corner" (a wet, muddy farm entrance on a bend) and as predicted, down he went like a sack of tatties!!

:shock:

I'd rather have something rugged, no matter the science behind it!

 

[mattr]

In scotland? You mean the deep south?

If i'm on the road in the winter round here (Scandinavia), it's either gatorskins which offer only one redeeming feature, puncture resistance, might as well tape two lengths of hosepipe to your rims for how much traction and comfort they offer. My wife punctured one a few years ago and actually hadn't noticed until she hit a rumble strip with the almost completely deflated tyre.
The other option is conti 4 seasons. Which i have punctured, but infrequently.

Both in 28mm.

When the weather is too bad for either of them we switch to either cross bikes with 30+mm semi slicks, or studs. Or a modified MTB.

Anything with significant grip/ruggedness won't fit into a road frame either. Not in 23/25 anyway.

The only (very very) marginal benefits to treaded tyres on tarmac is on very thin layers of mud and leaf mould/slime type stuff. You might get a *tiny* fraction more grip. Or, if the stuff is thick enough, it'll make no difference. Like your mate.

FWIW they do the cobbled classics and strade bianchi on "standard" tyres. Just a bit bigger and softer than normal. Nothing more than a file tread for the most part. And wet belgian cobbles are possibly the slippiest thing on planet earth.

 

[mattr]

Oh, and FWIW the Marathons in your first link are hewn from the same type of plastic as the gatorskins. No grip AT ALL.

 

[rusty bodie]

Re:

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. In the end I can't see past these tyres for both value and grip:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191807831358? ... EBIDX%3AIT

I'll let you know how they fare.