late

Did a list of the weights of most 28c tires. Was thinking that if we completed it, maybe added some comments on ride quality and durability,
it might be helpful. I found the Marathon Racer to feel heavier than it actually was, for example.

I am currently using the Pasela TG 32c. I would rate the puncture resistance as low-medium, despite the belt. It's a fairly thin tire.
Which is also why I am riding it. It's a good compromise. I think there are better choices for commuting. The Rando weighs several ounces more,
the carcass is significantly beefier. But somehow it avoids feeling heavy when you ride. The Armadillos are very tough, heavy and have a harsh ride
IMHO. The marathon plus is quite heavy and feels like it. But it does offer terrific protection.

Marathon Plus 740g
Vittoria Rando 490gr
Vittoria Zaffiro 400gr
Armadillio (not elite) 430g
Ribmo 420gr
Conti Ultra Sport 380gr (approx)
Hardcase 385gr
Ruffy Tuffy 369gr
Conti Top Contact 350gr (claimed, I bet it's both heavier and smaller than claimed, but very very tough for it's weight)
Marathon Racer 330gr ( I have a pair, it said 30c in the catalog and 28c on the sidewall. Go figure. Claimed weight was accurate.)
Forte GT2K 320gr
Gatorskin 320gr
T-Serv 310gr
Conti Grand Prix (post 2009 model) 290gr
Schwalbe Durano 290gr
Pasela TG 280gr
Conti GP 4 Season w Vectran 250gr (most expensive hi tech tire in the bunch, not really a commuter, but...)
Vittora Rubino 250 gr (old version)
Vittoria Rubino Pro 3 245gr

Couldnt find an Armadillo Elite in 28c at the Specialized website.

labrat

As far as I'm concerned the Conti GP 4 Seasons is my summer commuter tire. Have it on both my road bike and cyclocross/lht rig that get over 90% of my summer miles. Subtle, good handling, good puncture resistance are the reasons I like them. Ok wear resistance, and spotty QC keep me wondering if there isn't something better. I have had a couple where the Vectran had delaminated on the sidewalls.

mechBgon

I have a 700 x 28 Panaracer T-Serv with reflective sidewalls that's about 310 grams (T-Serv is essentially a folding Pasela TourGuard with a black rubber coat on the sidewalls for better dry-out resistance). My Conti GP4000 with reflective sidewalls, in a nominal 700 x 25, came out near 28mm inflated, and was quite light at about 240 grams.

When I put the bike up in the rack to check the tires for debris, I often find embedded bits of glass in the T-Servs. That's a good thing, since it means the casing managed to prevent a puncture long enough for me to get around to my tire check. But they're not the ultimate in puncture resistance by any means, just adequate for a moderately-light tire.

late

T-Serv added to the list, thanks!

mike047

I use these at about 380g;

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...port+Tire.aspx

late

Added to the list. Tried one, it's good for the money.

knucklesandwich

Bontrager Hardcase are rated at 385g in the 28c width and roll nicely. Susceptible to what I would call traumatic cuts, but fight off the little bits of glass, etc.

tarwheel 

I've been using Conti GP 4000s in 25 mm for several years commuting with excellent wear and puncture resistance. I've had one flat in 2 years of commuting on them. However, the roads are pretty good where I ride. I recently bought some Conti GP 4 Seasons in 28 mm that I plan to install in spring, when the days get longer. They supposedly only weigh 250 grams, and I will be very pleased if they roll as well as my other Contis. My GP 4000s have reflective sidewalls, so I plan to keep them on while I'm still commuting in the dark. I probably would have bought some Gatorskins but they are impossible to find in 28s with folding beads. I don't want the wire beads because my commute route is very hilly and I want my tires as light as possible.

I also commuted for a while on Panaracer Pasela TG kevlars in 28 mm. They wore well and seem to be flat resistance, but didn't roll well for me. They felt like they had glue on the treads, and my average speed dropped 1-2 mph as soon as I installed them. I ended up removing them after a few weeks.

One of my favorite all-time tires was the Michelin Pro2 Race in 25 mm, which actually was closer to 28 mm in width. They were reasonably light, flat resistant and rolled great. However, Michelin, in their infinite wisdom and quest for profits , downsized all of their tires. So the new Pro 3Races in 25 mm are actually 24 mm, and reportedly wear out much faster and flat easier.

Bekologist

for 28s, Vittoria's Rubino ProTech are the fastest 28 c tires i have ridden. Puncture resistance on the order of the Conti 4 seasons, and faster. Sidewall rates it to 145 psi i think....

greaterbrown

Ruffy Tuffy's: Great commuting tire. flat prevention is excellent. they perform well from 80psi all the way up to 110. they are kinda slow rolling for a speedy road ride, but that's what you get with most kevlar belted tires. they have great cornering stability because they are so round.

Panaracer pasela: I ride the wire bead non-kevlar version which is lighter. (don't know the weights between the two paselas). even the non-kevlar version has good flat prevention for glass strewn Baltimore streets. tires are very fast and responsive. nice and grippy in the rain. they are remarkably cheap too. <$20/each. best tires I own for the money.

barturtle

The Vittoria Rubino Pro 2 is 282g in the 700x28C size, but the new Rubino Pro 3 is listed at 245g in the same size (but I've yet to see it for sale anywhere)

I've also got the cheapie Vittoria Zaffiro on my commuter. 400g at 28C, I've yet to wear one out, as they have suffered puncture damage before getting worn. My front tire looks to go 6000 miles, at the very least, if it can stay undamaged, but I' averaging around 1200 miles per rear due to casing damage.

late

I don't think the Zaffiro is a current model.

Barrettscv 

Keep in mind that the Continental Gatorskin can be had in a 700x25 size folding tire that is much lighter than the 700x28 wire bead tire.

Michael

barturtle

It's still listed on their website, and is the OEM tire on many Jamis models. It may not be "current" as in "up to date" but it does seem to still be in production.

HappyStuffing

I ride Vittoria Zaffiro tires that came with my bike in downtown, Toronto, Ontario. Got about 1,500km on them. So far one flat that was truly the tires fault. I haven't got any complaints about it.

Seems to be tacky enough in the summer time, rain is ok. Just wish it had reflective sidewalls. I'd buy them again

sci_femme

Conti 4 seasons 700x28. Supple, low rolling resistance and fair puncture protection. Great wet grip!!!

dwilbur3

I enjoyed my Marathon Racers (30/28? do these numbers really mean anything these days?) I had one flat in 1500 miles (one of those tiny little wires) and they get good grip on wet or dry pavement. They're reflective to boot.

On my new bike I'm going up to 35/37 Marathon Supremes. A little fatter tire and a little better flat protection, but still grippy and not too heavy.

Giro

You also might look at the long list that Weight Weenies maintains of tire (and almost anything else on a bike) weights. In addition, you could add your data to their list. Currently they list 205 road tires, 541 MTB tires, and 134 UST tires.

This listing might also include the bead seat diameter (559, 573, 622 mm) since some of us have 559/26" ATB wheels on the commuter bike.

weavers

i tired 25c cont 4000S with reflective sidewalls(~220grams). i had horrible experinces with this tire. had 8 flats over a year with ~2.2k miles(2 front flats, and 4 rear). the just got torn up by road debire, all of these nicks and small cuts. glass and rocks and potholes just destroyed the tire. the rear wheel squared off around 2k miles, the front one lasted a few hunderad miles longer. they also had a harsh ride and a bit hard to mount on newvation wheels.

i switched to 28c cont gator skins(~250grams), so far only a few hunderad miles, but worlds better. the ride isn't nearly as harsh, i feel good in tight courners and don't mind riding threw debire or over potholes. i have alot more confendence in this tire. also easy to mount. only 2 bad things, first is its a bit slugish compaired to a 23 or 25c race tire(but thats ot be expected) second is no reflective sidewalls. i had a hard time finding any smooth thread reflective 28c tires, i gave up and just bought gatorskins, however i found out cont made news ones from 2010. Continental Gatorskin Hardshell, comes in 23-32c seems like they added a 100 grams of hard ruber, i kinda wish i bought these instead.
https://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y0097

interested

Just wanted to add a couple of 28c tires:

Schwalbe Durano (HS399) 28c: 290g., folding tire, 6-8 bar. Positioned as hard wearing racing training tire with above average puncture protection.

Continental Gran Prix 28c (post 2009 models): 320g., wire bead, 180/3 tpi, 6,5-8,5 bar, black chili compound as the GP4000S. Positioned as a fast racing training tire with decent puncture resistance, but cheaper than dedicated racing tires like the GP4000S.

My own preferred commuting tires are Continental Ultra Gatorskin 28c; they have excellent rolling resistance (a 2006 test showed that some dedicated racing tires were heavier, had more rolling resistance and lower puncture resistance than the Gatorskins). They also have excellent road grip. They have better puncture protection than the dedicated racing tires I know of, but are probably much more puncture prone than Marathon+. To me it is worth to puncture sometimes if it means that I ride a "fun" tire with low rolling resistance and low weight.

I also ride Continental GP4 seasons 28c (tried both the old and the new Vectran model). Probably the best wet road grip on the market, but not as hard wearing as eg. Gatorskins. Higher rolling resistance than most dedicated racing tires according to a Tour Magazine test (2007), but it doesn't feel sluggish, probably because of the low weight and excellent riding qualities. The rolling resistance is probably on par with the Gatorskins, so not bad at all, just not as good as the top racing tires.
The old model was much more puncture prone than the Gatorskins. The new Vectran model seems more promising in that regard, but I probably have less than 400 km on them. Perhaps more a training tire for the aggressive racer in the wet/cold season than a typical commuting tire, and probably not the most economical tire solution. Still, for some commuters this tire may have exactly what they want for a 28c tire.

--
Regards

CACycling

I'm using the Forte GT2K from Performance weighing in at 320 gr (rated weight). 125 flat-free commutes so far (1,250 miles) and no real sign of wear yet. I stopped dodging glass about 6 months ago with no ill effects. Ride isn't bad and at $10.99 each on sale, I'm happy.

gerv 

What about the Nashbar Prima 2 tires. Feature kevlar belt. Pretty cheap. Lots of tread after a summer and fall of commuting on my Fuji. Weight:280 grams.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...2_10000_201496

jim6b

Listing 28c weights is a good idea, but tire width should also be listed because there is so much variation between “28c” tires. . I have three 28c tires and they have widths of 26.2mm, 27.0 and 29.4 all on a 19.5mm rim (outside measure) -- Conti Gator, Panny Tserv, and Michelin Dynamic respectively. It’s not surprising that a 26mm tire can weigh less than a 29 and take higher inflation pressure.

But if your reasons for going to a larger tire size are to get a larger contact patch for greater stability (control) and for the comfort reduced tire pressure without pinch flatting, getting a 26mm tire vs. a real 28mm may not get you where you want to be. In my case, I am trying to expand to the frame’s limit the range of use my road bike provides, e.g. harsh conditions such as night riding or dirt/gravel roads.

It would be helpful if posters listed not only their tire’s (1) weight but also (2) tire width and (3) rim width.

Bekologist

a great gravel oriented 28 with reflective sidewall option is the Panaracer T-Serv for Messenger. Microtread is great on gravel and loose, its my first choice of tire in a slightly wider width for fully loaded touring. this tire is available in 700x25-35 mm widths, 26" as well and represents a robust tire choice for towpath, gravel road and rough road riding.

tarwheel 

BTW, if you find Michelin Pro2 Races in size 25, they actually measure closer to 28 mm wide. Very nice rolling tires, reasonably light (less than 300 g), and good wear and flat resistance. Unfortunately, the new Pro3s measure more like 24 mm wide and are getting poor marks for wear and flat resistance. Good going, Michelin!