UKC

Building up a cheap and nasty Flat bar road bike out of a Frame and wheels i found dumped a While ago.

700c wheels Naturally.

I have a good pair of 700x32 Trail Tyres, needing to get some Nice road slicks. Proper slicks, with Kevlar beading.

whats available at a cheap Price these days? what is slick puncture Resistant and cheap?

when i was younger used to roll on 700x18s, but in my older age i am Willing to Suffer the extra Rolling resistance and maybe go up to 700x23s?

In reply to broken spectre:
Current thinking is that anything under 23 is actually slower, so I'd say that's a wise choice. Maybe even plump for 25 or more if you're riding rough roads.

I quite like the Michelin Pro 4 Endurance (or the Pro 4 if you can sacrifice some durability for a true racing tyre).

EDIT: Sorry, just reread and realised you wanted cheap. Vittoria Rubinos might fit the bill.

In reply to broken spectre:

For quality, puncture resistance, rolling resistance and price Specialised Armadillos every time for me anyway

In reply to broken spectre:

I think a lot of racers now are on 25s as the added rolling resistance is negligible (like really, really negligible) and the added comfort etc. is noticeable. I don't actually know anyone who rides or races on 18s, perhaps track riders and testers?

For toughness I use Continental Gator Hardshells. I'm not sure you can describe them as cheap though, however I got my first set free at a trade day when they were launched, and second set trade price, so you know, I'm not complaining.

In reply to broken spectre:

Michelin Lithion 2s are really good value at around £12 to £13

In reply to Hat Dude:

Yeah, Lithions are a decent option although I'd say average from a puncture POV. They start to get pretty vulnerable once the rubber wears down. Rubinos are probably no better though.

In reply to Oujmik:

I've got 2 pairs of wheels -- that I interchange depending on whether I'm going to be needing a wide ration or close ratio cassette. I've got Lithions on my Khamsins, and Rubino Pros on my Zondas. Both setups have done a could of thousand miles round Lancashire, have still got plenty of tread and have had no p*nctures.

The Lithions are grippier in the dry, whereas I'm more confident cornering in the wet on the Rubinos.

In reply to broken spectre:

Michelin Pro 4s are excellent tyres and you can get them for around £22 each if you shop around - try Wiggle, CRC and Ribble Cycles.

In reply to broken spectre:

Rubino Pro's have been very good for me so far. Seem quite hard-wearing and I haven't had any punctures yet on them (though only ~1500km on them, mostly Devon country lanes).

In reply to broken spectre:

Having said that Pro4 are expensive, I just picked up two for £15.99 each and free P&P from JE James Cycles (only in pink, but it is Giro season).

In reply to Rigid Raider:

ill second pro4s, they have a race or an endurance type. Ive used the pro3 before that and really happy with them (23c)

In reply to broken spectre:

lithions are fragile if you are heavy , i have been running them for the last year because they are cheap but have destroyed two rear tyres already and the third tyre has many cuts in it , i am about 90kg.
they ride really well mind , comfortable and grippy in the wet and dry.
gatorskins are the tyre of choice if you don't want to be repairing punctures every week like i have been

In reply to misterb:

i took my gatorskins off as they were too heavy and didnt feel as grippy as the pro3, but yeah punctureproof

In reply to broken spectre:

I'm using conti GP4 seasons in 25c flavour, very pleased with them through the winter/spring and got a reasonable deal from merlin cycles.

In reply to broken spectre:

If it's cheap that you're after, it might be worth checking ebay. When people buy a new bike, upgrading the tyres is often one of the first things they do, so there's loads of pretty much unused ones out there.

In reply to broken spectre:

Cheers everyone... im away to town tomorrow morning to pick up my New harness, so will swing by Evans to check whats what in the modern world of Tyres.

In reply to Tom the tall:

I'm using Conti GP4 Seasons in 700x25 too. They feel great on rough roads and don't slip about like the show-room tyres they replaced but, as far as puncture resistance is concerned, I am NOT impressed.

It does seem that automotive glass is designed to shatter into a particular size of fragment, however, and those fragments seem to go straight through just about everything...

... and always in the rain while you're slogging through some dingy British town. Why can't the punctures wait for those balmy days and quiet roads when there's nothing but sheep and fields for miles around?

In reply to broken spectre:

I rode JOGLE last year on a pair of Vittoria Zaffiro (700 x 23). No punctures, but the rear tyre profile was worn flatter in the centre by the end. I've now swapped front to back and they still going strong and still no punctures.

N