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-   -   Your favorite road tubeless tires (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=1225393)

WhyFi 03-08-21 12:17 PM

Your favorite road tubeless tires
 
I've been exclusively running tubeless on the road bike for about 5 years, now, but the last year or so has seen a number of new, performance-oriented tubeless/tubeless-ready tires hit the market. I thought that it might be time to have a thread where we could discuss our experiences on the tires that we've tried and discuss what we liked about them, stuff along the lines of: suppleness/smoothness, perception of rolling resistance, grip, mileage/longevity, durability, ease of mounting, etc.

I'll break my tires out in to separate posts, just for clarity and ease of reading.

WhyFi 03-08-21 12:18 PM

Schwalbe S-One/G-One Speed, 30mm: this was my second road tubeless tire and I liked them a lot. They rolled really nicely despite the micro-knobbies and were magic-carpet-ride comfy. I didn't keep track of tire mileage at the time, but I think that they were roughly in line with what I typically experience - somewhere around 3k miles for a rear tire. I did take two tire-ending slashes on them, but that was hardly their fault (one was from running over the broken neck of a brown beer bottle that wasn't seen until too late). Other than those two big cuts, they didn't seem particularly fragile or puncture-prone (everything else sealed, usually without me noticing). After moving on from them, I realized that they were just perceptibly more sluggish than a good 28mm slick, but if I had a dedicated long-distance bike, these would still be my first choice at this point.

They always mounted without the aid of tools, but they didn't always seat easily - that could have been due to my relative lack of experience at that point, it's hard to say, now.

WhyFi 03-08-21 12:18 PM

Hutchison Fusion 5 Performance 11storm, 28mm: Not as supple and comfy as the G-One Speed, but felt more agile. They felt like they rolled pretty nicely. Grip was okay, but a little vague. Again, I wasn't keeping religious track of wear, but they seemed to be in about that 3k mile range. These did take the two only "Goldilocks" punctures that I've experienced: punctures that are slightly too big to seal on their own but not so big as to total the tire. That may have been dumb luck on their part, but who knows?

These mounted and inflated easily on my Reynold's Assaults.

WhyFi 03-08-21 12:19 PM

Schwalbe Pro One Addix, 28mm: I ran these for all of 2020. Great tire: supple, fast, good grip and feedback, decent mileage, no premature death. These felt pretty nice on the Assaults, but even better when I went to the wider Zipp 303S, particularly in terms of throwing them in to a corner. In terms of performance, these are currently my overall favorite.

These mounted and seated very easily on both the Reynold's and the Zipps. In fact, they mounted/seated too easily on the Zipps, and that's the cause of the only negative that I have against them - they don't stay bead-locked on the 303S when deflated, which makes sealant maintenance a bit of a pain (and gives me a small bit of worry about the prospect of a big puncture at speed). I'll probably come back to them at some point, and if I do, I'll try double-wrapping the rim tape to see if that tightens them up enough to stay locked.

WhyFi 03-08-21 12:20 PM

Michelin Power Road TLR, 28mm: I mounted them a couple days ago, and only have 100 miles on them, but the first impression is good. They don't seem quite as supple as the Pro One Addix, but they're not bad by any means. My impression is that the grip is pretty good, but there's so much salt and sand on the roads here that I'm not about to chuck them around any time soon. I hear that these do pretty well in terms of mileage, so I'm cautiously optimistic, there - we'll see how the next few months go.

These are pretty tight, probably as tight as I've experienced. I didn't need any tools to get them on to the rims (I've never needed any), but I did have to be very deliberate about getting the beads in to the center of the rim and taking up slack before getting the last bit over the edge. Once on the rims, they seated very easily.

WhyFi 03-08-21 12:21 PM

I've also used some Giant tires that were pretty good, but no longer available.

I also have some 28mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLRs waiting in the wings (might not get to them until next year, to be honest). Good ol' Psimet2001 thinks pretty highly of them, so that's a good endorsement and I look forward to trying them.

DangerousDanR 03-08-21 01:06 PM

I have used the Schwalbe Pro 1 TLE (25 mm) on my solo road bike and it was a good tire, but I did have several tires fail due to glass cuts which would not seal, and even if they did I would not have ridden on them if I knew they had a 10 + mm cut in the tire.

I have ridden on Conti GP5000 on my road bikes (25mm) and my tandem (32mm). I have had one failure due to the casing separating from the bead (bang!) which was possibly due to low inflation. The Conti's are a bit less expensive, wear very well, seem to be more cut resistant, and I don't notice any handling difference.

I would ride on either Schwalbe or Conti, but when the Conti's are $10 per tire less from Merlin they get the nod.

phrantic09 03-08-21 01:55 PM

I've had two - the Maxxis Padrone TL (back in 2015) and the GP5K.

The GP5K are alright, not great. Searching for something new. The Schwalbe Pro-One Addix are going on in a day or two.

WhyFi 03-08-21 02:06 PM


Originally Posted by DangerousDanR (Post 21957828)
I have used the Schwalbe Pro 1 TLE (25 mm) on my solo road bike and it was a good tire, but I did have several tires fail due to glass cuts which would not seal, and even if they did I would not have ridden on them if I knew they had a 10 + mm cut in the tire.

I have ridden on Conti GP5000 on my road bikes (25mm) and my tandem (32mm). I have had one failure due to the casing separating from the bead (bang!) which was possibly due to low inflation. The Conti's are a bit less expensive, wear very well, seem to be more cut resistant, and I don't notice any handling difference.

I would ride on either Schwalbe or Conti, but when the Conti's are $10 per tire less from Merlin they get the nod.

The original Pro One TLE seemed to have a reputation for being fast and supple, but also for being a little fragile, which is why I avoided them. The pricing on them is pretty fantastic right now, though, and you might do okay if even one of out 4 meets a premature end.

In general, though, it's getting harder to find sale prices on good TL tires - discounts are neither as deep nor as common as they were pre-covid.

Sojodave 03-08-21 02:11 PM

I have two favorites, Michelin Power Road 28's and Enve SES 25's with tan walls. Both are fairly easy to mount and dismount and both have been trouble-free. My first experience with tubeless was with Continental 5000 and they were near impossible to mount. They didn't last long before I got a sidewall cut.

WhyFi 03-08-21 02:14 PM


Originally Posted by phrantic09 (Post 21957891)
The GP5K are alright, not great. Searching for something new. The Schwalbe Pro-One Addix are going on in a day or two.

I can't use the GP5K myself, they're not hookless compatible, but many think of them as a benchmark, so I'm still interested to hear what you think, in terms of feel, between them and the Pro One Addix. The Conti are supposedly a couple watts faster per tire, but it's such a thin margin that other handling characteristics should be the deciding factor.

phrantic09 03-08-21 02:17 PM


Originally Posted by Sojodave (Post 21957908)
I have two favorites, Michelin Power Road 28's and Enve SES 25's with tan walls. Both are fairly easy to mount and dismount and both have been trouble-free. My first experience with tubeless was with Continental 5000 and they were near impossible to mount. They didn't last long before I got a sidewall cut.

I may grab some SES in 29



Originally Posted by WhyFi (Post 21957912)
I can't use the GP5K myself, they're not hookless compatible, but many think of them as a benchmark, so I'm still interested to hear what you think, in terms of feel, between them and the Pro One Addix. The Conti are supposedly a couple watts faster per tire, but it's such a thin margin that other handling characteristics should be the deciding factor.

Honestly, they didn’t seem to be any more supple than the 25mm stock tires on the R3. I’d wager that accounting for vibration loss, the Schwalbe will be faster if they truly are more supple.

I’ll let you know what I think.

Ogsarg 03-08-21 03:02 PM

I just went tubeless running Schwalbe Pro-one Evo's in 700 X 30c. Previously I was running a GP5000 in the rear and the original Specialized Turbo Pro in the front, both 28's.

This was my first time mounting tubeless and it wasn't as difficult as I was expecting. The GP 5000 clincher on the DT-Swiss R470 wheel was the most difficult tire install I've come across. Even with a kool-stop jack, it was incredibly difficult. Given that experience, I was expecting the tubeless tires to be difficult also but they were a breeze to get on the rim in comparison to the conti.

I did have a hard time getting them to seat at first but I think that was mainly my inexperience. Oddly enough the 30c Schwalbe's are actually narrower than the 28's I had before. I assume they are taller. I'm running 60/65 PSI front/rear and find that works well for me as a 155 pound rider. I think I could reduce it some but I ride some really bad roads with lots of potholes.

I like the ride quality and don't feel like these roll any less efficiently than the previous tires. I don't ride very aggressively but feel like they handle well. I only have a little over 200 miles on them so no idea about longevity. Mine were purchased at Chain Reaction in the UK and were about $50/piece if I recall correctly.

WhyFi 03-08-21 03:17 PM


Originally Posted by Ogsarg (Post 21957987)
Oddly enough the 30c Schwalbe's are actually narrower than the 28's I had before. I assume they are taller.

That's not terribly surprising - the latest Schwalbe Pro One are made to measure out to their nominal size on a 19mm internal width rim, which makes them narrower than a lot of older tires. A few other manufacturers are following suit, though some, like Pirelli, are going even further and are providing WAM and/or RAM specs, which is super cool.

Eric F 03-08-21 03:20 PM

I'm currently on GP5Ks, and they're good, but I have zero reference point to other TL. These are my first TL experience after coming from old-school style 110psi 23s. The TL seem more supple, but that's probably largely due to running 85psi. I'm very interested to try the Vittoria Corsa Speed 2.0.

Psimet2001 03-08-21 03:22 PM


Originally Posted by WhyFi (Post 21957743)
I've also used some Giant tires that were pretty good, but no longer available.

I also have some 28mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLRs waiting in the wings (might not get to them until next year, to be honest). Good ol' Psimet2001 thinks pretty highly of them, so that's a good endorsement and I look forward to trying them.

I was concerned when you pointed out they aren't for use with hookless rims...then I watched a GCN video the other day where they were using Pirelli's on hookless rims with the full OK and recommendation from the rim OEM. It does specifically state that they aren't for use on hookless rims on the tire itself...but apparently it's OK to an extent.

WhyFi 03-08-21 03:34 PM


Originally Posted by Psimet2001 (Post 21958023)
I was concerned when you pointed out they aren't for use with hookless rims...then I watched a GCN video the other day where they were using Pirelli's on hookless rims with the full OK and recommendation from the rim OEM. It does specifically state that they aren't for use on hookless rims on the tire itself...but apparently it's OK to an extent.

Yeah, I think that the earliest batches had that on the sidewall, but the newer ones don't. I think that, across the board, manufacturers are following the ETRTO lead in maxing out at 72psi for hookless, so a lot of smaller tires (under 28mm, generally) aren't getting the blessing

jaxgtr 03-08-21 04:06 PM

I've been using the Bontrager R3's in 32 on my Domane and really like them. Not the lightest tire, but pretty smooth and nice riding tire.

sshakari 03-08-21 05:20 PM

On my first set of tubeless Hutchinson Fusion 5 All Season 28mm - training tire. Mounted very easily, sadly don't have enough experience to compare the ride to other tubeless. 2k miles with 80psi so far.

My next tire is going to be the Hutchinson Sector 28. I got 5 pairs of them on sale.

sfrider 03-08-21 05:49 PM

I've only used GP5k's in TL with zero problems on three different wheelsets, but am on the fence on a set of 303S which would require a different tire. So not much basis of comparison for me, but the thread is very welcome!

NoWhammies 03-08-21 09:48 PM

Giant Gavia AC0, 25mm: Thanks to DrIsotope for putting me on to this tyre. The Gavia tyres were workhorse tyres for me. No muss, no fuss. The tyres were a breeze to mount and seated with one blast from the air pump. They lasted just under 7,000k before the cords started to show through. The tyres didn't feel particularly fast, didn't have the grippiest rubber and weren't glamorous. But they worked. No complaints. And I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a solid performer in a tubeless tyre. Price to performance/long life I have absolutely no complaints.

NoWhammies 03-08-21 09:52 PM

Pirelli Cinturato Velo, 26mm: I had high hopes for these tyres. They were easy to mount and seated with just one blast from the air pump. The rubber of the tyres also felt grippy and as far as rides go, the tyres gave a nice comfortable ride. Where I had problems with the tyres is a) they started throwing cords b) a soft spot developed on the tyre after just under 1,000k and Pirelli refused to honour the warranty (although PBK did - good on them!) and the tyres just didn't last. Total life was 4,500k. Now. I had the first gen. tyres and am sure that was part of the problem. On sale/closeout, I might give these tyres a second chance. But with so many tyres out there, it could be a white before I get back to the top of the order. I would recommend them, but with the caveats I've mentioned here.

NoWhammies 03-08-21 09:56 PM

Schwalbe Pro One, 25mm: Meh. I am kind of underwhelmed about these tyres. Could be because of all the good things I read about them on the forums so I had higher expectations going in. Hard to say. What I can say though is after 6,800k I have no complaints about the longevity of the tyres. From what I remember they were fine to mount and mounted with a blast from the air pump/canister. Again, these tyres worked. The rubber wasn't particularly grippy and I don't recall feeling any faster with these tyres compared to anything else I've run. I'd buy them again, but as I mentioned before. There are plenty of other tubeless tyres out there to try before going back to the top of the order.

NoWhammies 03-08-21 10:04 PM

Veloflex Corsa EVO TLR, 25mm: These are the tyres I am currently running and are my favourites to date. The tyres just feel fast. The ride is comfortable and after just under 3,000k the tyres seem to be holding up just fine. That said, if you have read any reviews of these tyres, they can be a real pain to mount. I read one review where the reviewer had no trouble getting one tyre on the rim and mounted. But the second tyre was a real brute to mount and would not seat. He finally tried to put sealant in the tyre only to have sealant leak all over the place/sidewall before the tyre finally seated/mounted. I had this EXACT same problem. One tyre, no problem. The other tyre caused all kinds of grief to a) get on the rim and then b) to seat. I blasted it REPEATEDLY with the air canister and no go. Eventually I put in some sealant, dealt with the leakage, and FINALLY the tyre seated.

To this day, both of my tyres seem to require more sealant top-ops than any of the other tubeless tyres I've run. I think it's because of the porous nature of the cotton tyre, but I could be wrong.

I really want to purchase another set of these tyres because they roll so nicely. But the problems with mounting and sealant leakage have me holding off on putting my money down.

The tyres I am looking at next are the Michelin Power Road TLR, but again. I've read they are a brute to mount, which is keeping me from just going out and plunking down my hard earned cash. Looking forward to read more reviews here.

rsbob 03-08-21 10:44 PM

Conti GP5000 TLs. Comfy, fast, excellent grip, even on wet. A bit of a challenge to seat, but once I used a compressor, no problem. Had one sidewall puncture in 2000 miles but otherwise bullet proof. Really like them.


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