Reply With QuoteConti Ultra Sports are a good tyre, grippy but do square off. If you are going to use the tyres all year round go for Conti Gatorskins, or if you want something more sporty go for Conti GP4000S.
You can tell by my recommendations I like Conti tyres.
Ok, posted a bit back of how I am just starting out in cycling at the age of 50.So I have got the bike...check,some lycra….check, shaved my legs…not yet! Upgraded the brakes to campag...check .Now the standard wheels are name less and I keep reading that the changing of wheels can make a big difference to my ride.So after searching and realising my funds are not healthy I have purchased some Mavic Askiums unused/new for 70 pounds the pair .Now I know these are deemed as heavy and cheap wheels but they will tied me over till things improve.
Having just dropped out my old front and held the 2 ,the Askium is deffo lighter than my wheel so will weigh tomorrow at work to see the difference. Thinking of getting some conti ultra sport II 25mm tyres, folding type.Are these ok for the money? reviews seem ok and at £20 the pair thought I might give them a go.The aim is to get ultegra 6800 wheels or something equivalent later on .
Conti Ultra Sports are a good tyre, grippy but do square off. If you are going to use the tyres all year round go for Conti Gatorskins, or if you want something more sporty go for Conti GP4000S.
You can tell by my recommendations I like Conti tyres.
GP4000s, 4-Seasons, Michelin Pro4 or Power Endurance, Schwalbe Durano DD all are better imo. If you can go handbuilt re wheels. Look at Wheelsmith and read what he says and go from there
Any tips for the cheapest place for GP4KS?
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Zondas and gp2000s were my upgrades too!
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Just weighed the old front with tyre and skewer and tube 1.61kg !! The front mavic with tyre, tube and skewer comes in at 1.20 kg so a saving of 400g on one wheel alone , will weigh rear tomorrow
Regarding cheapest GP4000, just do a search on all the popular internet sites, Ribble,Wiggle,Merlin,Chainreaction and so on.
Out of curiosity have you noticed a difference in the ride?
Not been out yet because I want to swap rear cassette over(never done it before) ,mines a 9 speed and the aksium are 10/11 I think so may need a spacer.Tomorrow I will weigh the rears , the askium rear feels lighter than my old rear I just want to see how much.Although when swinging the front around it feels lighter.If both front and rear save me 800g I will be chuffed with that,and it should feel better.Originally Posted by samswatch
rears weighed today and .55kg saving ,so a total of .951kg saved ,not bad
Well I wouldn't recommend my tyres, they're all over the place. Momentarily lost the front end 4 times cornering on my ride yesterday. The first time resulting in some arse clenching detour onto the grass verge, miraculously staying upright.
They're Mavic CXR Yksion but they're the specific tyre for the Mavic Cosmic CXR 60 WTS (wheel/tyre system) wheels that I've got.
I've always got on well with Conti 4 seasons & GP 4000
Does anybody else think that the slurry that passes for road grit these days results in a greasy residue on the road which never dries out? It's lethal for bikes
I personally don't like Mavic tyres, have tried them a few times but never get any feel from them.
Ive only ever used Mavic tyres that come with new wheels. I replace them when I get fed up of repairing punctures. I don't know anyone that has actually gone out and bought Mavic tyres.
I'm waiting for the weather to improve before I use my brand new Mavics.
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Mavic-Cosmic...2017_98712.htm
My first road bike was a steel giant defy 1, I ended up getting zondas and gp4000's and they transformed the bike it was so much quicker than the standard setup. Moved up to a giant tcr advanced 1 and still kept them as I just liked them.
Got them in a sale on wiggle, very good value
I noticed a nip in the sidewall on the mavic tyres so ended up getting the conti gp sport II for 9.99 each so will give them a blast and see what they are like first.
I've just ordered some new wheels & am having the Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless tyres fitted on them. They're supposed to be quite good
The schwalbes are great, I run mine tubeless so can go nice and low for more grip and less rolling resistance. (70/75 psi)
I never understand why people have expensive bikes and then scrimp on the contact points?? Saddle, shorts, shoes and tyres should all be the best you can afford.
Cheap tyres are always crap riding, might be ok for a commute but not for hours in the saddle when poor ride quality starts to grate.
dont get me started on the seat thing,how do you get the correct seat ?? do you have to buy loads and hope you find one. Mine has the charge spoon on it which gets great reviews,and whilst not bad I still ache after 20-25 miles on it.
The Zonda's are great - I have the Fulcrum branded version the racing 3's on my Giant TCR Adv, I'd have no problem recommending them or the slightly heavier & cheaper Racing 5LGs that I have on my commuter. Both are great wheels, I certainly do not recommend the Shimano Dura-ace C24 or their RS80/RS81 with the same rim after the rim broke on my front wheels coming down a mountain road.
As for the tyres Conti Gp4000S II's are brilliant - but for me I find once they hit 3,000km they have to be replaced as they start to puncture at that point.
Last edited by eldrich; 23rd February 2017 at 04:18.
I also ride the Zonda/GP4000S II combo on my "good bike", in an 11sp Ultegra set up, and agree that it's an excellent pairing.
F.T.F.A.
Main stream but you can't go wrong with specialized saddles...They use BG system ..whole host of saddles for different budgets and asses
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As for tyres...depends on your riding...I have been using conti gator skins on my road bike for a while now..well over 5000 miles and not one puncture...for racing I use zipp tangents
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If you can afford it/can be bothered/can get there, I'd recommend a pressure mapping by Cyclefit (uber bike fit place in Mcr and London). V. interesting and cheaper than buying/suffering saddles
Just been looking at Cyclefit. Usually baulk at the thought of spending money on a bike fit but I'm developing all sorts of pain while riding these days. If it's not my shoulders, it's my neck. Not my neck or shoulders, usually my rear. Might get away with those but always have annoying knees. On bad days it's everything and 15 miles in to a ride I'm all for turning around and selling the flaming lot.
Looks expensive for the pro fit but if it transforms my ride it will be money well spent. If not, well, at least I tried. On a bright note I'll be using the Manchester shop..........£100 cheaper.
Have you used them mrushton?
With bike fits, buy the fitter not the bike fit system. There's plenty of fitters who could cock up a Retul, Body Geometry, or any other fit for that matter.
FWIW I had my bike fit done by an Italian called Giuseppe Giannecchini. It was worth every penny. http://artisancycles.co.uk/blog/?p=63
I'm not a fan of bike fits in general, it's quite easy to work out how high your saddle should be and then take it from there, the only real time a bike fit would be useful is to get a good aero TT position, where comfort isn't top priority!
I know too many people that have spent the money only to revert to their previous position.
I'm fully behind a proper fit. Without one I wouldn't be cycling so for me worth every penny.
5mm here or there can make a massive difference and an experienced eye can get you where you need to be without trial an error.
The anecdotal sizing advice you get on forums (I'm 6ft and ride a 58. 'Move your saddle forward' etc etc) is harmful and idiotic as everyone is built differently.
The same people looking for free sizing and fit advice always seem to scrimp on contact points (saddle/tyres/shorts/gloves/shoes) yet have an expensive bike.
My riding time is precious to me so can't see the point in suffering with an imperfect fit or discomfort.
A BG or retul fit is what I would suggest. I don't agree with a fit that is based on power output as that's on a static bike and the fit that gets the most power is not necessarily the best fit for your riding.
I believe that cyclefit do this or have done this in the past from second hand anecdotal evidence :-) so don't take my word on that.
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