[RBW] Re: Tires for wet roads
I can't currently measure the Contis myself, since I swapped them out after 8k miles (with rideable tread left!) in order to give the GB's a go. However, a survey of old forum posts suggests that other folks have measured them at ~34mm, so they might work for you. Note that rim width will matter: the same tires mounted on wider rims will measure a little wider on wider rims than on narrower rims. rod -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Tires for wet roads
Would it be possible to measure the actual width of the Conti's? I have two bicycles that can take 35mm +/- a mm or so with fenders and with a bit of fettling probably a tad more, so tire threads are excellent information for me. I've read the Vittoria Randonneur Hyper tire is also well regarded and comes in sizes of 700 x 32/35/38. Would love to know actual widths of tires as some manufacturers seem to be flexible in their measurements. Currently I'm running Kojaks 700 x 35 that measure 700 x 33 give or take 0.5mm according to my digital caliper. I've used Marathons in 700 x 35mm and 40mm (fender-less on the 40mm), but suspect they were narrower than stated on the sidewall. They seemed to me to be excellent tires for loaded touring and general rough abuse and roll well enough. Good puncture protection until they wear out, which takes a long while. Ian A Edmonton, AB Canada. On Thursday, August 1, 2013 7:21:11 PM UTC-6, Rod Holland wrote: > > I can give good reports on Continental Contacts 700c x 37mm tires for wet > weather, urban commuting. Good tread, grippy rubber, very flat resistant > over 8000 miles ridden. Roll somewhat sedately. On the other hand, Grand > Bois Cypres Extra Leger 700 x 32mm also do nicely in wet weather, roll like > a dream, grip well, and are comfy. The have no armor againt flats > whatsoever, but I haven't personally found this a problem thus far, after > 700 miles. Of the two, the Contis are the more conventional choice for > urban commuting. > > rod > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Tires for wet roads
Hey there Peter - In general a larger tire at a lower pressure will give the best footprint. More footprint = more grip. Over the years, I've ridden a pretty wide variety of tires through the rains and I'm not really sure one stands out as horrifically bad. Wet weather riding really does have a lot more variables which rank higher in my book. - Is it the first rain in a while? This is probably more of an issue for those of us in CA or areas where there are extended dry periods between storms. The first (and sometimes second and third) rains bring all the oils out into a film which can make you feel like you are on ball bearings while wearing roller skates. Or, you tap the brake and are down before you know what hit you. The first rains always put me on "DANGER WILL ROBINSON" alert, as other vehicles will also be having trouble. - Metal Wet metal is bad. Construction plates and any kind of train tracks should always be assumed to be extremely slick. Avoided if possible. Here's a good time to just get off and walk if not. Always cross tracks at 90 degrees if they are wet. Just saying. - Thick paint Those big crosswalk stripes. Road lane striping. Those always seem to be adhesion erasers long into the wet season. The big issue here is that those often appear where we are trying to make turns. - Confidence If you ride loose and keep your head up, you'll be surprised what you can recover from. A bike that starts to slide one way can often be brought back just as easily. A lot of it has to do with keeping your weight off the front end of the bike and really trying to steer from your hips. (not unlike riding in deep sand, but without any of the sluggishness that you feel when doing that). A bicycle will not hydroplane like a car, so you actually maintain pretty good contact with the ground. Once you have a few rides on non-greasy (after the initial rains) pavement, you'll see you do actually adhere pretty well. The things that work against you are oil, metal and paint. Obviously, you don't want to really "push" things if you don't have to, but it's important not to lock up or ride tight. I do try to keep my body a bit more centered over the frame, but the bike itself actually works pretty well in wet conditions. That being said, a round profile tire with a predictable behavior as you lean is my choice. It should not surprise anyone that the Jack Browns fit that bill well for me. Since I ride those most of the time, they don't/won't surprise me when I lean, and they have a plenty sticky compound if I'm not doing something I shouldn't be doing. I will agree with Patrick that Fat Boys (and some other tires from that same company - which I actually got comped (and they don't make anymore) ) were not known for wet weather behavior. I will also say that riding fixed in the wet weather will give you a heightened sense of adhesion. Hope that is of some help, - Jim / cyclofiend.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Tires for wet roads
Peter: Same as per others; as wide a tire as you can will take the hits of poor street surfaces. I put on some 700 x 37 Schwalbe Marathon Plus Smartguard tires and have been well impressed. I'm a daily commuter and have had no flats for 14 months despite some pretty awful pavement. They felt a tad heavy-ish and had a really narrow band of optimum inflation range to me initially, but their durability has been astonishing, the (lack of) tread wear particularly. I admit and accept the performance compromise but revel in their durability. Andy Cheatham Pittsburgh > > On Thursday, August 1, 2013 12:16:10 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: > > Hi everyone. Please tell me what tire and width of tire you'd recommend > for a novice commuter riding on wet (rainy) and poor city streets. I find > that I don't feel very safe on wet streets and thus suffer a loss of > confidence unless I ride quite slowly--obviously I want to keep riding and > improve my skills. At the moment I'm gearing up to buy a new bike from > Rivendell, but haven't yet decided on the model. My current bike is a > Cannondale touring bike. > Many thanks. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Tires for wet roads
I have no problem commuting in the rain on my nearly-treadless Jack Browns (700 x 33 1/3), the only thing I do out of normal is drop their pressure down to 45 psi, so they have more contact and more cush. - Andrew, Berkeley -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Tires for wet roads
Hi Peter I ride commute regularly (spring,summer,fall) on Panaracer Paselas...either 26" X 1.5 or 700c X 35mm @70-80psi. These have a round profile and a nice chevron-type tread. If your Cannondale is a touring bike , the 700c size might work, but how fat a tire you can use dpends on clearances and fenders, etc.They're quite tough, and not excessively heavy, especially if they have the Kevlar and not the wire bead.I've used both sizes since, oh,I'd say at least 5 years. I commute on an X0-1 with fenders if it is raining when I leave or a PX-10 which, with the 700 fatties, doesn't have any clearance for fenders. For regular mortals such as you and me, skinny, slick tires are not confidence-inspiring , to say the least. Obviously, rain,mud, gravel,wet leaves , etc dictate a change in riding style...but I feel these tires have not let me down. If you're commuting regularly, I'd say tires are not a good place to economize Other people on this list will have other excellent suggestions. I've heard lots of good things about Schwalbes ; there are models equivalent to what I'm using. I've heard they're durable...and some models can be a bit spendy. Good luck On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 11:16:10 PM UTC-5, Peter wrote: > Hi everyone. Please tell me what tire and width of tire you'd recommend > for a novice commuter riding on wet (rainy) and poor city streets. I find > that I don't feel very safe on wet streets and thus suffer a loss of > confidence unless I ride quite slowly--obviously I want to keep riding and > improve my skills. At the moment I'm gearing up to buy a new bike from > Rivendell, but haven't yet decided on the model. My current bike is a > Cannondale touring bike. > Many thanks. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
