Cycling UK Forum

Looking for a recommendation for some new road bike tyres.

My Vittoria Rubino pro's have bit the dust.

I'm after something that's fast and with some decent grip in the wet. Was thinking continental Grand Prix 4000's


Thanks in advance

it will be an interesting experiment to see if what you eventually settle on is better than the Rubino Pros and worth the extra money.

Rubino Pro would have been my recommendation with an eye to wallet as well as performance.

Will be interested to hear what you go with in the end and how you get on.

I think i'm in the minority in that i've never really had much luck with the widely praised Marathon Plus tyres and always used Specialized Armadillo's but these have recently been replaced with Armadillo Elite which don't really seem any different other than having an extra 25% slapped on the cost of them!

Avoid the S-Work Turbo's from Specialized though, i've had problems with 3 of them now in that the tyre wall is really flimsy

If by some miracle somebody was able to extract £30 from me for a cycle tyre like a Continental 4 Seasons, I would leave it on the front where it would last for 12-20,000 miles while using up a stream of cheaper tyres (like Rubino Pros) lasting 4,000 on the rear until it was so covered in gashes that I moved it to the rear to wear out and be gone.

Rather than wear out such an expensive tyre on the back where durability or cheapness matters more than grip.

Vittoria have introduced the G+ version of the Rubino Pro. I don't know if the Graphene makes any difference but there are some good deals on the older versions at the moment.

I've lately been using Grand Prix 4000's on my road bike but I've used Rubino Pro's in the past and when I saw these I couldn't resist. They're 25mm if that's a problem.

Gatorskins or 4000sII's - ime worth every penny - seem to win most of the road tests too!

Just fitted a pair of these, am very pleased with them. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-randon ... city-tyre/

If you want a pair of Marathons, hardly used, I took them off the bike and you can have them for a reasonable fee, but you'd need to collect from South Birmingham!

I have a Schwalbe Durano on the back, not the quickest tyre but reasonably puncture proof. Running a Vittoria Rubino Pro on the front, but I find it a bit noisy. I've previously used Vredestein Fortezza Tricomp if you are looking for something lighter and a bit more racy. I've worn these through to the canvas without puncturing them.

I've used both GP 4000 and 4 Seasons, and in the wet, the GP 4 Seasons is a better tyre. It's not a huge improvement; perhaps 5 or 10%. And either is a very good tyre.

I think that there is a small reduction in durability in exchange for wet traction performance between the 4000s and 4 Seasons. I have to admit that neither tyre is particularly hard wearing, but if performance in wet conditions is you highest priority, GP 4 Seasons is the best tyre I've ever ridden on.

I'm sorry I should have been a little clearer.

I don't particularly like ridding in the wet but being from NE Scotland , I do get cought out sometimes.

Theses tyres will mostly be used in the summer / dry months but I don't want something that's really poor in the wet..


I want something fast.


I've recently been using 32 Hypers on my commuting bike and I can't believe how fast they are..


Is this any clearer ??

The Gpx 4000 have one of the lowest rolling resistances. Other tyres may suit if you want puncture protection emg Michelin Pro 4 endurance.

Www.bicyclerollingresistance.com

I quite like Michelin Pro 4 which you can get in various compounds to suit longevity/stickiness/rolling resistance etc. I have only used the Endurance range but have had no issues. I used to use Conti 4 Seasons until they priced me out of the market.

GP 4000s are probably roll a bit better than the 4 seasons. I can't feel any difference, but the 4 seasons are definitely more puncture resistant, so all else being equal, I would expect them to be a bit slower.