Road Clincher Tires Comparison Review

Tires are remarkable feats of engineering.

A tire must be perfectly round, or else cause dangerous wobble or shimmy at high speed. A tire needs to be resistant to wear and puncture, grip the road surface, maintain suppleness in a wide range of temperatures, not deform at very high or low speeds, and resist deformation to forces applied from underneath, side, or some combination (as in a turn). Tires must be easily mounted with simple tools. In addition, bicycle tires must be lightweight, look decent, and maintain high pressures  -- all at a reasonable price.

Road racing bicycle tires are particularly critical.

A flat tire in a car or truck is inconvenient. A flat in an airplane can be trouble on landing but doesn't affect flight (if you have a flat on takeoff you should abort the takeoff) but a bicycle's limited amount of tire surface makes a flat -- especially at speed -- a dangerous event.

I've been on a never-ending quest for the perfect tire that is impervious to flats, provides superb road feel, lasts for a full season, weighs less than 200 grams, has at least 250 TPI, rolls well at high pressures (120-130 PSI), and that costs less than $100 a pair.

The quest continues.

In the meantime, I've found a few favorite tires. Below is a small table with my subjective assessment of various road tires.

Brand	Model	My Assessment	Ride quality	Longevity	Durability	Cost
Continental	Grand Prix II	These are fantastic tires, well worth the price and the hype. Like IBM – you can’t get fired buying Continental. Nevertheless, Contis have a firm, even harsh ride. I’m used to it, but often wander over to Vittoria for a supple, smooth-ride.	Firm	Good (1.5-2k miles)	No flats in several years	>$50
Continental	Gatorskin	Decent tires for harsh environments, but too disconnected a ride for my tastes	Harsh	Good (1.5-2k miles)	No flats, but limited miles
Continental	Grand Prix 4-Season with Vectran	We have these mounted on our tandem and they are tough, tough, tough. While I’m not impressed with the ride (nowhere near the namesake GP), they are good tires for those who prefer durability over road feel.	Squishy	Good (1.5-2k miles)	No flats
Vredestein	Fortezza TriComp	Still awesome (despite dated technology). I’m never disappointed with these tires, but usually feel like I’m missing out on something newer. Nevertheless, these tires continue to deliver.	Good	Excellent (2k miles)	No flats
Vredestein	Gran Fondo TriComp	These were a huge surprise – low cost, awesome ride. These are truly the perfect winter training tire – fast, smooth, and tough.	Good	Excellent (2.5k miles)	No flats
Michelin	Pro4 Service Course Tire	Terrible – despite pumping up to 120 PSI, I felt like I was riding on flat tires.	Squishy		No flats, but limited miles
Michelin	Pro4 Endurance Tire	This is a very good training tire, with decent wear. The ride is somewhat firm.	Firm	Excellent (2.5k miles)	No flats
Vittoria	Open Corsa CX III Clincher Tire	The fastest, smoothest riding race clincher currently available. My favorite tire for fast events, but not suitable for everyday riding.	Excellent!	Poor (1k miles for rear tire)	No flats, but limited miles	>$50
Vittoria	Rubino Pro III Road Tire	Amazing price for near Pro quality ride. I’m not a fan of tread patterns on road tires, but these have a slick centerline that helps. Highly recommended commuter or training tire.	Very Good	Excellent (2k miles +)	No flats	<$50
Panaracer		I have not mounted a Panaracer since the late 90s, when I was less than impressed with the somewhat squishy, disconnected ride
Schwalbe	Marathon	I tried a set and was very disappointed. Squishy, disconnected ride that felt like I was riding on balloons.
Clement		Have not tried
Kenda		Have not tried
Maxxis		Have not tried

I've been happy with the selection and service from www.biketiresdirect.com, and they should have all in stock.