About tires

sopas said:

...1. Which of the two tires is better the Bontrager Select of the Hutchinson Equinox? The Hutchingson comes with a Kevlar anti-puncture reinforcement but I think the Bontrager is a bit lighter....

Better for what? I ride light racing tires on my road bike for all my training. I like riding the same rubber I'll race on. I don't get very many flats, but I take more of a risk in that department relative to someone riding kevlar anti puncture tires. If I was commuting on dirty roads I'd probably lean towards puncture resistant tires even if they were heavier and lacked the road feel of racing tires.

There are a lot of "good" tires out there but it depends on your needs. Are you racing, training, riding long distances, loaded touring, commuting? Do you mind the occasional flat in exchange for performance? Are you counting grams or focused on ride feel, cornering, solid feel in wet conditions, etc? Figure out your needs and buy tires suited to those needs, there is no single "best" tire for all purposes.

Quoted post said:

...2. Which of the two tires would you use at home with the bike trainer?...

Sorry, don't know the characteristics of those particular tires but I'd hazard a guess that the heavy puncture resistant tires would last longer on the trainer. But that's just a guess. Personally I ride older tires that I've retired from racing or general training as my indoor trainer tires. Those are mostly Michelin Pro race series (2s and 3s) these days. They seem to last plenty long on the trainer even though most have sidewall nicks worn tread or other reasons I took them off my race wheels.

I've used the Continental home trainer tire and it really does work as advertised. It's the best bet if you only use the wheel indoors. You DO NOT want to ride outdoors on those tires. They're also very difficult to mount on the rims but for a dedicated indoor training tire they're hard to beat.

Quoted post said:

..3. When riding outdoors, would it be OK if I use my Bontrager 700 x 25 on the rear wheel and the Hutchinson 700 x 23 on the front wheel? Note the difference in width 23 vs 25. Would that affect my riding or would it be OK?...

There's nothing wrong with mixing and matching tire widths front to rear. The combo you describe is very normal, especially for a heavier rider or if you tend to wear through tires quickly. The bike handling will be just fine if the tires are in good shape and you keep them pressurized. I've ridden much bigger front to rear differentials than that like some old Paris Roubaix tubulars in the rear for very bumpy roads back in the day. Those things were like soft cushions for very bumpy roads but my front fork and brake clearance didn't let me run them front and back so I paired them with a much narrower front tire. The ride was just fine.

Good luck,
-Dave

daveryanwyoming said:

Better for what? I ride light racing tires on my road bike for all my training. I like riding the same rubber I'll race on. I don't get very many flats, but I take more of a risk in that department relative to someone riding kevlar anti puncture tires. If I was commuting on dirty roads I'd probably lean towards puncture resistant tires even if they were heavier and lacked the road feel of racing tires.

There are a lot of "good" tires out there but it depends on your needs. Are you racing, training, riding long distances, loaded touring, commuting? Do you mind the occasional flat in exchange for performance? Are you counting grams or focused on ride feel, cornering, solid feel in wet conditions, etc? Figure out your needs and buy tires suited to those needs, there is no single "best" tire for all purposes.
Sorry, don't know the characteristics of those particular tires but I'd hazard a guess that the heavy puncture resistant tires would last longer on the trainer. But that's just a guess. Personally I ride older tires that I've retired from racing or general training as my indoor trainer tires. Those are mostly Michelin Pro race series (2s and 3s) these days. They seem to last plenty long on the trainer even though most have sidewall nicks worn tread or other reasons I took them off my race wheels.

I've used the Continental home trainer tire and it really does work as advertised. It's the best bet if you only use the wheel indoors. You DO NOT want to ride outdoors on those tires. They're also very difficult to mount on the rims but for a dedicated indoor training tire they're hard to beat.
There's nothing wrong with mixing and matching tire widths front to rear. The combo you describe is very normal, especially for a heavier rider or if you tend to wear through tires quickly. The bike handling will be just fine if the tires are in good shape and you keep them pressurized. I've ridden much bigger front to rear differentials than that like some old Paris Roubaix tubulars in the rear for very bumpy roads back in the day. Those things were like soft cushions for very bumpy roads but my front fork and brake clearance didn't let me run them front and back so I paired them with a much narrower front tire. The ride was just fine.

Good luck,
-Dave

keep them up to pressure swalbe ultremos havent had a punture in about a 1000 miles
fingers crossed

sopas said:

2. Which of the two tires would you use at home with the bike trainer?

I also use tires which are no longer roadworthy with my trainer -- why pay more?

Thanks for the reply.

I have another question. I noticed that some tires are sold folded inside a box. I am supposed to give the tire the correct circled shape myself later, right? Is that difficult to do?

sopas said:

Thanks for the reply.

I have another question. I noticed that some tires are sold folded inside a box. I am supposed to give the tire the correct circled shape myself later, right? Is that difficult to do?

Tires with foldable beads instead of wire beads are usually sold folded. Yes, you have to unfold them into the circular shape. It isn't difficult and should take you about ten seconds to figure out how it's done. If in doubt, ask a shop employee.

BTW, I assume you're comfortable changing tires, but your last question makes me wonder. If not I strongly urge you to ask for some guidance at your local bike shop, take a class in roadside maintenance or at the very least practice changing some tires in the comfort of your own house before getting stranded roadside with a flat. Many foldable tires in particular are a bit tight and tough to change without some practice. There are some tricks of the trade that make it easier and help you avoid things like pinch flats caused by the tube getting caught under the bead while mounting.

Good luck,
-Dave

I have no problem changing the more traditional tires with wire beads, but I have never installed foldable tires, that's why I asked.
BTW, I have just bought a Continental home trainer tire that you suggested on-line and it comes with foldable beads. I hope I have no problems at all putting it into the rim.

One question: tires with foldable beads are lighter than those with wire beads, right?

sopas said:

I have no problem changing the more traditional tires with wire beads, but I have never installed foldable tires, that's why I asked.
BTW, I have just bought a Continental home trainer tire that you suggested on-line and it comes with foldable beads. I hope I have no problems at all putting it into the rim.

The rim "shapes" a folding tire ...

sopas said:

One question: tires with foldable beads are lighter than those with wire beads, right?

Yes. The Kevlar that is used for the bead in a folding tire is lighter than the steel in a tire which has a wire bead ... that is one of the reasons a folding tire is generally lighter than one with a wire bead.

sopas said:

Hello all,

My 2008 Trek 1.2 road bike came with Bontrager Select B 700 x 25 tires. According to Bontrager's website this tires weight 270 g.

Well the thing is that using the bike trainer the other day at home, I noticed that my back wheel was rapidly wearing out. So I dediced to stop using it and buy another wheel for use exclusively at home with the trainer. So I went to a bike store and I got the cheapest tire I found: a Hutchinson Equinox Kevlar ProTech 700 x 23 (there was no 25 available). Price: 14 Euros.

My questions are:

1. Which of the two tires is better the Bontrager Select of the Hutchinson Equinox? The Hutchingson comes with a Kevlar anti-puncture reinforcement but I think the Bontrager is a bit lighter.

2. Which of the two tires would you use at home with the bike trainer?

3. When riding outdoors, would it be OK if I use my Bontrager 700 x 25 on the rear wheel and the Hutchinson 700 x 23 on the front wheel? Note the difference in width 23 vs 25. Would that affect my riding or would it be OK?

Thank you for your time.

Tyres: I would buy a dedicated orange continental indoor tyre for trainer use. As for road riding, go out and get some decent tyres such as michelin krylion which last for ages or if you are a daredevil descender and also like longevity, the continental gp4000 black chilli or attack force. Sell on your other tyres.