Doctor Morbius

Kenda Kwests that is. I currently have heavy 700x32C Kenda Kwests on my hybrid and am looking to replace them with something more pavement performance oriented. If the Conti Grand Prix 4000S II came in 700x32 I'd be all over them, but the largest I've seen is 700x28.

Here are some features that would be nice:

• 700x32C
• Lightweight for their size
• Low rolling resistance
• High TPI
• Folding bead preferable
• Clencher, not tubular
• 100 PSI capable
• $90 U.S. or less per pair
• Not Gatorskins
• Not Kendas

Seems like a performance oriented 32C tire is a bit of an oxymoron, however, they are abundant for touring.

Thank you!

Doctor Morbius

Looks like I may have just found my tire, although a bit more expensive than ideal. Not sure if an all weather tire is going to make a difference or not. I'm certain they are vastly superior to the Kenda Kwests I'm using now.

Continental Grand Prix 4-Season:
Weight: 320g
TPI: 3/330
PSI: 85-102
Price on sale at Bike Tires Direct: $63.96 each

https://www.continental-tires.com/bi...-prix-4-season

Other suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

HTupolev

It's not, but a cheap one is. 32mm high-performance road tires are still a specialty product. I'm also not sure about that 100PSI limit... some top out at more like 90PSI.

They're a good tire if you're looking for something decently lightweight with excellent wet grip. They're not a totally performance-oriented tire, though; they've got both sidewall protection and a layer of tough polymer under the tread. I would be quite surprised if they aren't quicker than Kwests, though.

$64/tire seems like a ripoff for GP4S, though. It looks like Amazon has that size in $52.66.

If my goal was performance, and I was willing to do >$50/tire, I'd get Stampede Pass. Although they're only rated for 90PSI.

JonathanGennick 

WTB's Exposure line might be worth a look:

https://www.wtb.com/collections/road...s/exposure-32c

They make 30 mm version without the side knobs.

Kapusta

Stampede Pass (Extralight version) by Compass Tires.

https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/tires/700c/compass-700cx32-stampede-pass/

-32mm
-254g
-rediculously fast rolling, even at lower pressures
-rediculously smooth.
-max pressure is something like 85 or 90 psi, but unless you are really heavy, there is absolutely no reason to run these at 100psi.

$76 a tire, and worth every penny. You will not believe what a difference these make in the ride. It does not get any more “high performance” than this. The downside is that they do not last as long as most good tires.

Viich

Clement Strada LGG is a choice. I have 28's on my dry commuter road bike, they are available in 32. Quite supple, very round profile. They are at least equal to the vittoria Rubino pro for speed, but available in 32.

32mm lgg at crc

HTupolev

The centerline tread thickness of Compass tires is actually quite high for such a high-performance tire, and it hasn't been my experience that the rubber vanishes unusually fast. They last a decent while.

agmetal

Vittoria Voyager Hyper

Dirt Farmer

Yes, Kwests are a joke, and many people think Kenda as a whole is a joke. But I've read decent things about their Tendril's, if you can live with 85 psi (which it sounds like perhaps you can't).

Kenda Tires | Bicycle | Kwick Tendril Endurance

chaadster

Kenda make some good tires in my experience, and the Kwik 320G (aka model K879) has been my go-to winter ute bike tire for about a decade. It’s superlative in 30c on slushy and snowy roads.

To the OP’s request, I can make a strong recommendation for the Panaracer GravelKing 32c. They meet all the requirements, and are super performers; agile, surefooted, smooth and reactive. I’ve used them in various sizes (23, 26) and currently roll the 32s as 3 season tires on my ute. They replaced Vittoria Randonneur Pros— which were very good tires— and they’ve been just a bit better. I’d say they feel more supple and faster, but that’s just my seat-of-pants impression.

Juan Foote

For the price and sturdiness, lasting quality I have found the Kwest to be hard to beat. IME I liked Specialized Nimbus quite a bit for a similar sized/purpose tire...the price is not.

Mr IGH

Panaracer Pasalas
Huthinson Sector
Maxxis ReFuse

All great 32mm tyres with nice ride and great flat protection. Forget Compass if you ride gravel, they'll rip like a cheap suit at the sight of gravel....

mstateglfr 

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYVIVO...r-folding-tyre

Vittoria Voyager Hyper
$30 per tire.
Fast rolling based on tire resistance testing.
32mm.

Doctor Morbius

Thanks to everyone who posted. I've gone a slightly different route.

Just bought four 700x32C Continental Grand Sport Race foldable clincher tires on sale for $25.99 each with free shipping. About $35 each elsewhere.

https://www.probikekit.com/bicycle-t.../11462442.html

Tire specs:
https://www.continental-tires.com/bi...and-sport-race

Thanks again!

Features:

• Size: 700x32C
• Weight: 370 g
• TPI: 3/180
• Bead: folding
• Clincher: YES
• PSI: 65-102 capable
• Cost: $25.99 each
• Not Gatorskins: Check
• Not Kendas : Check

alcjphil

Sounds like a good buy. However, you are on the wrong track if you plan on running 700 x 32 tires at 100 psi. That is far too much for a tire of that width. Optimum pressure for low rolling resistance in that width would be somewhere between 65 and 80 psi depending on how much you weigh

chaadster

370gm! Ooof!

chaadster

Well that depends on the road surface conditions, right? I mean, Crr tests always show lower rolling resistance at higher pressures. Optimizing low Crr for real road use, however, depends on rider weight and road conditions. That said, I agree that 100psi is probably unnecessarily high for a 32c tire, and much greater comfort could be had at lower pressures and probably better real life rolling performance as well (given roads aren't anywhere near perfectly smooth).

Doctor Morbius

The 700x23C version of that tire is 230g, which isn't too terrible.

chaadster

Yeah, which is kind of strange when you look at the Panaracer Gravelkings, which are listed at 220gm in 23c and 290gm in 32c. Probably Conti's priorities shifted a bit with the larger size, but in any case, they make good tires, so I wouldn't sweat it, and you're still knocking off a fair bit of weight compared to the Kwests, so your bike should feel more responsive and lively.

ThermionicScott 

Those Conti Grand Sports are only 60 tpi in honest terms. Real 180 tpi tires would be much more expensive. But these tires should serve you well for the price. Most of my tires are in that 60-67 tpi zone.

Doctor Morbius

Hmmmm, well that's kind of misleading. Oh well, the deal has been made, money has exchanged hands, etc., etc.

I've been pretty happy with previous Conti tires, such as the Ultra2000 and Town&Country. The only thing I didn't like about the Ultras were the threads that kept coming off. I'd start to pull on one that would be 2" long only to have it unravel like a sweater.

Juan Foote

Funny....

I have gone in two threads over the past couple of weeks and talked about how I liked the Kwests. Today on a ride the front tire is starting to separate at the seam. It isn't critical or bulging yet, but don't think I have ever seen a tire do this. They are several years old now.

ThermionicScott 

I've had a couple tires like that. You just hope that that one thread isn't what's holding everything together!

Kapusta

My experience with Kwests was that for a very cheap tire, they were sturdy and very long lasting. I ran them for about three years on my commuter, and at the end of that time they did not look much different than when I bought them. Never once flatted.

But that is all I have good to say about them. The ride quality sucked.

Juan Foote

Yup, no issues at all with them until this. They practically look new otherwise with about the same time on them. I have them on a hybrid/commuter beast that came with a set of 50's on it, so these were like butter comparatively.