I used the search function but didn’t come up with what I needed. I am about to buy some new tyres but wanted opinions from the all knowing fixed.org membership. I want a training tyre for the roadie, 23mm or 25mm, I want it to have good grip especially on fast windy descents and I want it to be long lasting and highly puncture resistance, not so worried about weight. I have previously used rubino’s (don’t like the way they descend), gatorskins (no qaulms with them) and Ultremo ZX’s (loved them to bits but they burst at the seem and also punctured easily, so did my bro’s). So I’m thinking about the following;
Schwalbe Durano
Schwalbe Durano Plus
Schwalbe Ultremo DD
Continental Gatorskins
What do people think of these options? Any other suggestions?
Also interested in this.
Love the Gatorskins in a 25c, but haven’t used any of the Schwalbes. I’ve heard good things from various people about them, but have had such good luck with Gators that I haven’t been game to switch.
I’ve just tested michelin and even though the prorace 4’s are sticky, combine them with latex tubes and they lose air pressure and require re pumping before most rides or at least every couple.
a set of pre race 3’s lasted me one skid but it was a large one.
They both seem a bit spongy after a certain forum member told me he hated them and they always felt flat, I hadnt notced it until then,
I’ll be testing a set of challenger’s when i next have the coin.
Having ridden three out of those four tyres you mention, my comments would be this:
Schwalbe Durano Plus- the benchmark puncture resistant tyre, extremely long lasting, however the Plus edition is quite heavy and the blue insert makes for a rather ‘dull’ ride quality. Great for training, but don’t expect magic carpet ride. I would expect the vanilla Durano version to be a great all rounder.
Schwalbe Ultremo DD- these are probably my 2nd favourite tyre of all time (1st is the Vittoria Evo Pave 24c clincher)- Amazing grip in the wet, sticky rubber with surprisingly good puncture resistance. The soft sticky rubber comes at a cost though and they won’t last anywhere near as long as the Durano Plus.
Gatorskin- another puncture resistant classic. I’m a big fan, but the Durano Plus has much better wet weather grip IMO. Gatorskins are crazy slippery when it starts raining.
In summary, I’d go the Ultremo DD or Vittoria Evo Pave. If puncture resistance is the priority, go the Durano Plus or regular.
If you have a steel or carbon roadie you can get away with 23c size, but if you have aluminium, definitely go the 25c for much better comfort.
My 2 cents.
I ran a 25c Durano Plus for about 7 months and only just started going through to the blue. They’re on the larger side of a 25c, but they’re a burly and awesome tyre. Great grip in all conditions, never had a flat on it (courier use for 4 or 5 months), look cool. Downfall is they’re expensive, but IMO totally worth it.
Great if you can find a tyre that meets your needs but I doubt it. For the most tyres are a compromise.
I put puncture resistance fairly low priority. I rarely flat, I know some people that flat all the time. If you fall into the latter camp then there’s something you’re not doing right (imo).
Grippy tyres for the most tend not to last as long. Most long lasting tyres bore me to tears and feel dull to ride. I think you’re better to ride wider grippy tyres at lower pressures and they should last longer than the same tyre in a narrower width.
I had Durano Plus (25’s) on my road bike and they were awesome, but felt a but sluggish. I stuck them on my wife’s tarck commuter and she wasn’t a fan. However neither of us had flatted on them in a year.
I like Gators on my fixed, even in the wet… But I only ride ~10k’s a day in the wet and it’s pretty straightforward.
Have been present on 2 separate occasions when the sidewall has blown out of a gatorskin, as such i won’t go anywhere near them. Went on a group ride the other week, guess what kind of tyre got a pinch flat from hitting a pebble…
Only schwalbes I’ve ever run are marathons in 28c and found them grippy and fast rolling for their size. Even once made a great rear tyre on fixed in 25c - predictable skidding, grippy and reasonably puncture proof. Also the sidewalls are fine if you have to run them for a bit at really low pressures in an emergency.
Like Maxxis Re-fuses - excellent for the money but not super fast rolling. They last forever as a roadie/front on fixed tyre and almost never flat. The knurled tread gives it great grip, i ran a 25C front on greasy london roads for 18 months and was still going strong and only punctured once. You have to hunt high and low in Aus for a 25c - but wiggle will have.
Have a 23c specialized all condition armadillo (the latest generation) on fixed/rear at the mo from a Mikes Bikes GC recommendation and it’s goddamn indestructable. Grippy, fast, skids well and nothing’s got through it yet. Even has a cloth bit on the lip so it slides on the rim easy and centres itself. I hated the old armadillos but these new ones are mint.
rubino pro 3s. no shit. while i agree with spirito, in that all of these tyres are a compromise, the rubino pros seem to me to be the best compromise. stay away from the rubinos, go for the rubino pros.
Vittoria Pave Evo CG. Seriously the best tyre I have ever had. I tried GP4000s but only got about 50km from home before something slashed the sidewall open. I’ve had Duranos and would rate them high, but for control in wet slimy fucked up conditions and fucking awesome puncture resistance, and a tyre that I would still consider “fast” go the Pave. I recently rode through a pool of broken glass on a highway shoulder on these babies when I had nowhere else to go, the shoulder was so tight I couldn’t even stop to clear the tyre until 1km down the road when it opened back up. When it was safe I stopped and an inspection of the tyre revealed no cuts or stray pieces of glass embedded in the tyre. I agree that they wear out a bit quicker than alternatives but durability is overrated if you’re changing or patching inner tubes every 1000km or replacing broken components because you slid out in the wet.
The gp4000s last ok and give good around performance and are pretty tough until you wear em right down.
Gators are super slippery in the wet which is a very bad thing…
If your commuting or riding a fixie gators make sense other wise steer clear.
My favorate clinchers are the veloflex carbon 22s, so fast and so much grip rain or shine!
I love their tubbies too, pretty much the nicest riding tires you can buy!
They don’t last all that long though…
Such is the price of awsome tires though…
From your list I’d choose the durano plus. I used them on my commuter for a year but just changed to the marathon plus which ride well. They both feel cumbersome compared to the gators, which i have on the roadie… i’m happy with that as i don’t often get caught in the rain on that bike. When commuting, if it’s raining, you still need to ride, hence that tyre choice on the commuter.
I agree that specialized tyres are worth a look. Only had one set but they felt fast, grippy and supple.
I have been using the reg durano in a 25 and they have had (touch wood) no punctures even after picking out massive chucks of glass. A bit dead in feel but a good compromise for commuting or training.
Na the conti supersonics are much lighter
The veloflex are a wee bit lighter than the gp4000s
But they are worlds apart in ride quality.
And they hold up pretty good