wlevey

I need to get new tires and I am in a quandry. I will be putting a set of 25's on my Lemond so I can commute with it. The ride is about 22 miles with some nice climbs in it, but the last five miles or so are on city roads so I need something durable and I figure the 25's will keep me form having too much trouble with the City part of the ride.

I was thinking of either the Ultra Gatorskin or the 4 Season with Vectran from Continental.

Any thoughts or alternate choices to consider?Thanks...Bill

nashcommguy

Have 3 commuter bikes all equipped w/Schwalbe Marathon Plus. 1 w/28mm and 2 w/25mm. Your frame/fork may not have the clearance for the SMPs. I know that on my rb(25mm) I had to sand the front tire down a little as the it rubbed on the underside of the fork crown. Just a little, but the constant noise was annoying. For my needs the tires are perfect. They ARE heavier, more rolling resistance, etc., but they're VERY flat-resistant. That's the trade-off, though.

Longfemur

It's darn near impossible to answer a question like that, especially when you start out with a conclusion about tire sizes that is itself debatable. I think that in all my decades of riding, the only tire that has gotten me through an entire season of riding without a flat is also the narrowest I've ever used other than a 20 mm tire that came with a used bike I bought once: a 23 mm Michelin Krylion Carbon. Other than actual racing, I don't think "commuting" is much different than any other kind of road bike riding.

andrelam

I've had excellent results with the Bontrager Hard Case 25mm that came standard on my LeMond. The roads here are frequently in poor condition and there tires have been perfect in 1000 miles of riding. So far they pretty much don't show any wear either (I am not a feather weight at 215 Lbs either).

I've heard nothing but great things about the Gatorskins... you definitely can't go wrong with those.

Happy riding,
André

wlevey

Thanks for the input! Unfrtunaely, clearene may be an issue as you noted. Do you think the 25 will work? I will have to get them off of the Web.



Bill

wlevey

Thanks for the input! Unfrtunaely, clearene may be an issue as you noted. Do you think the 25 will work? I will have to get them off of the Web.



Bill

sourdoughT

I've gotten tired of flat ties killing my cycling time so I went with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires 700x28s on my Fantom CX.

tmoritz

Take a look at the Specialized Armadillo line. Good tires with very good puncture resistance.

Longfemur

25 mm should work on pretty much any road bike, but if you think tire width is going to be a factor in getting or not getting flats, you're going to have to learn for yourself. 25 is a very good compromise, though. You don't give up too much liveliness when riding on them. I've never liked the feel of tires that have heavy flat protection, personally.

NormanF

I have a Lemond and am planning to outfit it with Schwalbe Marathon Racer 30 tires. The stays aren't big enough for wider commuting tires so it seems like a good compromise with the Marathons. Since it no longer has the drop bars, I can get away with a somewhat larger tire on it and I don't race so the extra weight isn't as much as a concern for me as riding comfort.

Andy_K 

I use the Gatorskin 25s. They aren't immune to flats, but they do pretty good. There's almost always glass and other debris in the bike lanes on my commute, and I've gotten 2 flats in 3000 miles.

tarwheel 

I've been commuting on Conti GP 4000s (25s) for the past 5 months and really like them. No flats in about 1,300 miles. Gatorskins are supposed to be even tougher, but hard to find with kevlar beads in 25 or larger. If your commute is 22 miles with hills, then you want to consider weight. Some of the really tough tires like the Schwalbe Marathons and Gatorskins with wire beads are also very heavy, which will slow you down on the hills. Definitely get tires at least 25 mm or larger. The Conti GP Four Season is available in 28, which might be a consideration. You might also consider Vittoria Rubinos 25s with kevlar belts. I haven't tried them personally but have heard good reports and PBK.com is selling them for $19/each.

Michelin Krylion 25s used to be a good option but have been unavailable for months unless you happen upon some in a bike shop somewhere. I am not convinced that the new Krylions, when they eventually become available again, will have the same durability and sizing as in the past. The new Michi Pro3Races are reportedly not as durable or flat-resistant as the tires they replaced, and they are also sized smaller.

NormanF

Did you say Michelin Krylion Carbon 25? I happen to have a pair installed on my Schwinn Madison - the 25 is the largest tire that will clear the seat and fork stays. A smooth, comfortable all around riding tire!

UprightJoe

I use Gatorskins on one bike and Panaracer Paselas with TourGuard on the other. I'm very happy with both sets of tires.

1fluffhead

Panaracer Tserv messengers have been great for me. Come in a bunch of sizes. Don't know if they still make them, but they can be still be found on some retail sites. I am going to try the Panaracer T-Serv Protex next. Looks like the next generation of this tire to me from Panaracer.

CCrew

25's fit on my Lemond just fine. Couldn't go any bigger though.

-Roger

Longfemur

I'm fairly retro for most things bicycle, but I feel the Krylion Carbons are the best tires I've ever used. I once had Vredesteins that were wonderful rides, but they did tend to flat at the mere sight of a glass sliver on the road.

nahh

I highly recommend Gatorskins. I use the 25s for a rear on my fixed gear, and 26x 1 1/8 on my commuter. Never flatted while using them, 6 months and counting.

BA Commuter

I have Ultra Gatorskin 23's on my road bike and have been very happy with them.

Got em here> https://modernbike.com/itemgroup.asp?IGPK=2126175604