Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

Hadn't heard of these before

Criterium Super Tyres

http://www.kennedydirect.com.au/store/v ... Product=44

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=200 ... speedtyres

Any good?

I would be very cautious of a road tyre that makes you ride on the coloured part. Coloured sidewalls are fine, but where the tyre makes contact with the road (or track) you really want as much of that grippy black stuff as possible.

Ever think why you never see a cars or motorcycles with coloured tyres? The tyre technology isn't up to it. Smart tried it a few years back, but failed, and couldn't make the tyres grippy enough to pass the safety standards.

If I've convinced you, then look at the alternatives here:
http://www.torpedo7.com.au/division/bik ... o?id=02-TY

Cheaper than your guy, and they occasionally do specials even cheaper. (less than $20 for a race tyre!)

toff, which tyre are you thinking of

It's up to you. I just personally wouldn't ride on coloured tyres.

Both sites had a number of alternative cheap tyres, but the site I suggested had a few more. - Although I've noticed that some are cheaper on your site.

Cost isn't the primary driver for track tyres, they last figging ages.

Look to be new kid on the block and the review wasn't exactly flattering. A few question,

- Why are you thinking of using it on the track? It looked to be a road tyre.

- What are the performance priorities of a good track tyre?

I've only used singles on the track, and then only Vittorias.

My personal preference for clinchers would be for high-end Michelins. I run these on my road bikes. I know they'll stick in just about any situation, but I also know how they will handle if they do slide, so my reactions are already pre-programmed.

For me it's probably more of a confidence thing. You've gotta trust your equipment...

My track wheels are clinchers.

Requirement is subset of that for the road. You don't need to worry about punctures, wet weather and durability is less important. The smoother surface permits higher pressure.

When you have half an hour to spare, grab a coffee and read through this.

http://yarchive.net/bike/slicks.html

Jobst Brandt debunks a whole bunch of myths about bike tyres, and tears strips off the morons that still don't get it.

Lots of science, and a great read. You should be able to put together some ideas on the optimal tire for both road and track by the end.

Yes, bicycles don't acquaplane (unless you can do 180kph), so you don't need grooves. Prorace2's have no grooves what so ever and have provided the best wet weather grip of any tyres I have used.

BTW, did you look into that track bike you were thinking of?

Jobst Brandt is a dangerous man to pick on in a technical flame war. And he is still very active these days.

I disagree with the view of coloured tyres being inferior, as black tyres are died too from what i remember, so they're just the same coloured, and natural would be a sort of brown (i think my track tyres are natural colour), and from my experiences there's no difference. Well definitely with continentals there is no difference. As for michelins, aren't they coloured in the most important cornering section of the tyre, the part the supposedly has the most grip???

It all comes down to quality of the rubber, rather than colour of it.

I reckon for the price, you won't be losing out too badly. I want to try the black chili continentals as i've heard very good things, but unfortunately for me (or fortunately), my weight doesn't tend to wear tyres out too quickly.

i'd say priorities for track tyres are low rolling resitance, and low weight. You generally shouldn't puncture, but knowing you mike, maybe some mr tuffys would be beneficial.

A light rider like you James could probably get away with these 130gms Veloflex tyres on your track bike

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y2041

But the black chilli sounds like a dam good tyre

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y1015

See also that they have a 4000 with a reflective sidewall, sounds useful for riders like me who do a lot of K's in the dark

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y2076

Also the S version of the 4000 comes in black chilli, but whats the difference between the S version and the non S version?

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=y1014

And you could always save a couple of dollars with the prorace2

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y1056

Or cheaper again, the rubino pro

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y1147

and of course, Vittoria have their own top end tyre

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y1060

Perhaps I could put the 2 prorace2's I have lying around on the track bike, buy some 4000S black chilli's for the OCR and continue to use whatever crap I have lying around on the beast.

i'd say priorities for track tyres are low rolling resitance, and low weight. You generally shouldn't puncture, but knowing you mike, maybe some mr tuffys would be beneficial.

Seem to have stopped getting punctures, I've only had 2 since July 1, making a total of 19 for the year so far.

Mind you I haven't had a flat on the track, not even when I had my off and the bike cartwheeled down the track

I've got a puncture on the track! Yeh whilst training at tempe. I think my tyre was a bit warn and there was crap on the track. But it's rare, really rare. I just wore out my rear training tyre, I got 2 years out of it and it was down to the canvas. The front still looks fine...

But I don't think it really matter what tyres you use on the track, I would get veloflex record if you want some good racing tyres, they come in clinchers don't they? But you wouldn't want to train on them all year round. I use what ever I can find on my training wheels and conti tempos (singles) for my racing wheels...

Yeh, the veloflex record looks the best on paper except its only 20mm and I think I'm too heavy for 20mm

I wouldn't think so, they're popular on the track in singles and they're always 20mm. Most track sprinters are big boys... But they're definite racing tyres, not something you just put on your bike for the sake of it...

Their rated at 2000k on the front and 1000k on the rear

Thats 3000 laps of Tempe for the rear. 1 - 2 years?

i believe those are maximum lifetimes, i've heard of people going through one in one race due to a slight skid when braking suddenly, less likely on the track, but as simon said, i'd save them for racing.

The gp4000 are now being made with black chili rubber, initially (when the black chili rubber was introduced) it was only the gp4000s. The other difference is the labling on the sidewall, the gp4000s has sort of block white writing, just check the photos and you'll understand.

GP4000S still has higher thread count, whatever that's worth.

This is my current thinking, I've almost used up my arsenal of tyres.

I have some old stuff only suitable for commuting on, which I will use up on the beast, probably enough for 12 months riding on the rear, none suitable for the front, so I've just put a new prorace2 on the front, which I happened to have.

The OCR has brand new prorace2's on it.

Might do this;
Buy Conti4000s chilli's for the OCR and put the prorace2's on the track bike.

Logic;
Conti 4000 have a reputation for sidewall death so probably not suitable for where a long life expectancy is required.
Prorace2's while having good puncture protection, aren't as good as as the 4000, however they have much better side walls.
Prices at PBK are the cheapest they have ever been and while I'm at it, I might as well get latex tubes for the track bike.

But you are less likely to get sidewall damage on the track than on the road. So wouldn't it make more sense to put the GP4000 on the track bike?

Otherwise bear in mind there's Conti GP4000 and GP4000S. Both of them have the new chili compound if so labeled. The S model is their race specific model with the higher TPI count. There are still standard GP4000 around with the old compound and don't have the chili label.

I'm thinking that the sidewalls need to last 2 years on the track bike, where they only need to last 6 months on the road.

The claims for the chilli compound make it quite appealing over the previous compound. Does sound like they have put more sicila in it as they are claiming substantially lower rolling resistance and substantially more grip while providing similar life.

What the difference between 4000 and 4000s is I don't know. Yes there is higher TPI, which in theory provides lower rolling resistance and reduced weight, what reality is could be different.

But the side wall of GP4000 would easily last more than 2 years if it doesn't get scuffed, as on the track. Plain riding won't damage the side wall.

The higher TPI supposedly provide better handling. IIRC, GP4000S has a similar count as Vittoria's Open Corsa Cx. Obviously it's more expensive too.

Actually the price of the Vitoria's has come down and is around the same price

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?c ... 0&LIMIT=47

Actually the price of the Vitoria's has come down and is around the same price

Sorry I didn't make it clear earlier. I was referring to the GP4000S being more expensive than the GP4000 with chili.

Yes, but its only a 4 dollars.

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?c ... 0&LIMIT=27

They have you covered at every price point. Then x2.

It's all in the marketing, for a few dollars more...

Could save myself $19 a tyre by getting rubino pros

you can get coloured motor bike tyres but they are redone, not actualy coloured the whole way through

Would you ride on those coloured tyres? - Not down to the shops... I mean hard?

I am curious about these "Tufo" tyres, which appear to be singles that you can install on clincher rimes:

http://www.kookiebikes.com/store/produc ... =17&page=1

Anyone ever see these in action?

I've ridden yellow tyres on my training wheels for past two years...Raced division one at Dunc Gray on them.... Love 'em... What's the big deal??

If you ran tubs, you could get some Conti olympics and run them at 220 psi.

http://www.cellbikes.com.au/p_616_Conti ... r__Olympic