Part of the fun of biking for me is tinkering with equipment, trying to do more with less (as is often the case for grad students), or even just seeing how small adjustments and changes in equipment effects riding. Some take it extremes, see this MTB to road conversion.
I enjoy trying out different tires when possible, while they make a drastic difference for cyclocross, there are still noticeable changes in handling, speed, cornering, and comfort for road. Here is a breakdown of the tires I've ridden on road, roughly in chronological order.
Vittoria Zaffiro (wire bead, 25mm) - I love Vittoria tires for the most part, but these might be the worst tires I've ever endured. To begin with, they were the most difficult tires I've ever mounted, the kind that will break your tire levers if you're not careful. Plus, they didn't roll particularly well and weren't super durable. If you can't afford more then $15 for tires, there are better options then these. Maybe the new version is better.Continental Ultrasport (wire bead, 25mm) - A few bucks more then the Zaffiro, but a better tire. I commuted on these for a while, and had no major complaints. By no means a racing tire, but if you need something cheap to get around on, these will do just fine.
Hutchinson Fusion 2 (kevlar folding bead, 23mm) - My first suitable racing tire, and a huge leap up from the Zaffiro and Ultrasport. I've also ridden the Fusion 3 for a short while, but didn't notice any difference. I've seen these sell for as little as $20, and even at twice that price, they are a good bargain. They roll well, handle well, are generally a good tire for racing and training. The Fusion is probably the easiest tire I've ever installed. After more then two years of regular riding (several thousand miles), the rear is pretty much worn out, but the original front tire stills sees occasional use. 
Vittoria Diamante (folding bead, 23mm) - One of my favorite tires for both training and racing, remarkably comfortable on a wide range of road conditions, and still feels fast. When these wear out, I'll probably seek to replace them. 
Continental GP 4000 (black chili 25mm) - The most comfortable tire I've ever ridden, by a huge margin. This is my top choice for most of my riding and training. The only thing I don't like this tire for is racing crits, although the profile looks round, it sometimes feels like you're riding on a "corner" which is unnerving when leaning over in a pack at 30+ mph on the off camber section of the Thursday night crits before the final straight. A German magazine did some real world road testing, and these rated highest for wet road traction. They are long lasting, after 1000+ miles, the central seam is still visible on the front tire, and the rear is only slightly more worn. Traction is very good, and they still roll fast. These aren't cheap, but that's the price to pay for tires that do it all. I generally keep these mounted to my 32 spoke box section wheels at all times for a super plush ride, long miles are much more enjoyable that way. Good 25mm tires are underrated, everyone should try a pair.
Hutchinson Intensive (tubeless 25mm) - Relatively new to me so far, but they seem to be just about indestructible. They don't feel quite as fast as the above 3 tires, but it's hard to really tell without doing some testing. On the plus side, they feel like they'll last for nearly forever. I do wish that they were a bit wider, on my rims (Mavic Ksyrium Elites) they measure 23.1mm in width, some of the other 23mm tires are actually wider then this. See my video review here.
Specialized S-Works Turbo 23mm - Relatively new to me as well, but my first impression is that they are faaast. The rubber feels particularly sticky, the kind that if I turn the wheel while rolling it across the tiled kitchen floor, I get all kinds of screeeching noises. Thursday night crits and road races have gone very well with this tire, they feel very responsive but predictable in pack riding situations. Based on how soft the rubber feels, I suspect that they will wear quickly, but best crit tire yet. 
FLATS: I've read all kinds of tire reviews in which the author complains about getting flats constantly, or in the first 10 miles. This baffles me, as I've had about probably at most 3-4 flats annually, and last year I rode over 3,000 miles. Most of my flats are a result of me getting lazy, not keeping my tire pressure up, and then pinch flatting. None of these tires have given me excessive flatting problems.
RAIN: If the road is wet, I don't push it, so I can't comment on wet traction.
ROTATING: Like the good Sheldon Brown recommends, never rotate your tires. Rather, when the rear is worn, toss it. Move the front to the rear, and buy a new one for the front. The front and rear wear at very different rates, and there is no use in throwing out a perfectly fine front tire. Also, the better of the two tires should always be in front.
PRESSURE: Like most things in life, more is not always better. Play with your inflation pressure, if the roads are rough, too much pressure can slow you down. Comfort is a factor as well.
Experiment, enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment