Road Tires

[pinbuoy]

Hi All,

I just upgraded my road bike and the used bike I picked up seems to have had the tread worn flat on the tires. :eek: When looking at new tires online, it seems there are a lot of tires that seemingly have no "tread". Should I buy tires like this or buy tires that have tread or what's best?

I am not a commuter and I am an occasional road rider at this point, maybe once a week and don't "plan" :D to ride in the rain.

thanks

[saba]

Depends on what kind of riding you do. I stick to pavement although some of the roads around here would make Cyclo guys real happy. I ride and recommend Vredestein Tricomps or Continental GP4000. I am interested although have not tried the Attack/Force combo

[euler]

GP4000 :thumbsup:

[brian_brox]

Hi All,

I just upgraded my road bike and the used bike I picked up seems to have had the tread worn flat on the tires. :eek: When looking at new tires online, it seems there are a lot of tires that seemingly have no "tread". Should I buy tires like this or buy tires that have tread or what's best?

I am not a commuter and I am an occasional road rider at this point, maybe once a week and don't "plan" :D to ride in the rain.

thanks

The late Sheldon Brown answered your question before you even thought to buy a road bike!

[Text below is from http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html]

Tread for on-road use
Bicycle tires for on-road use have no need of any sort of tread features; in fact, the best road tires are perfectly smooth, with no tread at all!
Unfortunately, most people assume that a smooth tire will be slippery, so this type of tire is difficult to sell to unsophisticated cyclists. Most tire makers cater to this by putting a very fine pattern on their tires, mainly for cosmetic and marketing reasons. If you examine a section of asphalt or concrete, you'll see that the texture of the road itself is much "knobbier" than the tread features of a good quality road tire. Since the tire is flexible, even a slick tire deforms as it comes into contact with the pavement, acquiring the shape of the pavement texture, only while incontact with the road.

People ask, "But don't slick tires get slippery on wet roads, or worse yet, wet metal features such as expansion joints, paint stripes, or railroad tracks?" The answer is, yes, they do. So do tires with tread. All tires are slippery in these conditions. Tread features make no improvement in this.

[crack monkey]

I've been happy with Continental Ultra Gatorskins on my road bike. Not the lightest, but the puncture resistance is nice in areas with lots of road debris (I ride the shoulder of 7100/Fairfax County Pkwy frequently).

I also use the Continental Top Contact in 700x32 on my cyclocross/commuter bike. It's a touring/commuting tire with a bit of tread for dirt roads, but still rolls well.

[mountainwop77]

I've been happy with Continental Ultra Gatorskins on my road bike. Not the lightest, but the puncture resistance is nice in areas with lots of road debris (I ride the shoulder of 7100/Fairfax County Pkwy frequently).

I also use the Continental Top Contact in 700x32 on my cyclocross/commuter bike. It's a touring/commuting tire with a bit of tread for dirt roads, but still rolls well.

I also have the gatorskins on my road bike, great tire.

[PunkRock]

It's common for road tires to have little, if any, tread. The reason being less rolling resistance which translates to more speed. Some tread helps to channel water out from under the tire's contact point with the road and does offer some degree of traction. But agressive tread patterns and knobbies as found on mtb tires aren't necessary for pavement. Some road tires do have tread however, you just have to look around. Some variables to consider in choosing the right tires for you will depend on your budget and the road surfaces on which you'll be riding. Check out the tire reviews on www.roadbikereview.com (http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/tires-clincher/PLS_2489crx.aspx). Personally, I've had very good luck with either Michelin or Continental road tires.

[CRAIG2]

I'll also vote for the Ultra Gatorskins (running the 700x28 flavor on my crossbike right now), the GP4000 (another great tire), and the Conti 4 Season.

In the past I've also run Michelins (Axial Comp I think?), and had good luck with those.

I'll say that I agree with Sheldon Brown - I noticed no real change in grip between a no-tread tire and treaded tire - the Michelins were a dual compound tire with no tread, and served me just as well as the Conti's with grip. I think the more important consideration is tire pressure, which will determine surface contact.

[werace424]

I like the Bontrage hardcase tires. They are a little heavy, but only one flat in 1500 miles makes the exchange in weight well worth it.....

They have a wire bead and kevlar bead version.

[moto_ufo]

+1 Continental GP4000.

I was able to compare them back-to-back with the cheap tires (about $18 per) that came on the bike and I can tell you that the ride is definitely smoother and grippier. They get great reviews on roadbikereview.com too. They're a little pricey but the ride quality (mostly b/c of the high threads-per-inch count) is noticeably better. You can find some deals on the web.

I also have the Conti Ultra Gatorskins for my "commuter" road bike but haven't mounted them yet. They also get very good reviews on roadbikereview.com.

[MD Fire]

I put 23mm Continental Ultra Race tires on my CX bike two weeks ago and I have been very happy with them. They don't have any tread.

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/race/recetyres/ultra_race/ultra_race_en.html

[jon_baler]

I've had great flat protection with 32mm Panaracer RiBMo, but that's a heavier tire than the typical roadie would use. I know they also come in a 28mm version, not sure on smaller sizes.

[tsunayoshi]

I like the Bontrage hardcase tires. They are a little heavy, but only one flat in 1500 miles makes the exchange in weight well worth it.....

They have a wire bead and kevlar bead version.
I have these also...the center line is treadless, and there is some minor tread (more like a different rubber) on the cornering edges. I don't ride overly aggressive, but I have yet to lose traction with these, and I don't worry about riding through the occasional crappy section of road.

I run the 23mm @ 120psi and love them.

[bills]

Another thumbs up for the Conti GP 4000. :thumbsup:

I had the Ultra Race and tore them up in less than 500 miles.

The 4000 get great reviews everywhere. FWIW Bicycling Magazine says, in their May 09 issue, that the GP 4000 are the best tires ever.

[snappster]

I probably spelled it wrong but these tires last a long time. I got 2-3K miles on mine and then rotated the flattened rear to the front and expect a couple more thousand out of them. Use them on the trainer too. Never had a flat. Rode faster compared to the Armalillos that were on the bike when I bought it. Have no other road tire experience. I ride Skyline alot, Warren County roads, and commute in Mannasas when the mood strikes. Never had a spill due to traction loss, even in the rain or on wet Skyline descents. Only traction loss was on the Westport Wall's 31% frost heaved grade out of the saddle effort.

[philvw]

Another thumbs up for the Conti GP 4000. :thumbsup:


Same thing for me! Conti GP4000

All the cool kids are buyin' 'em.