Recommendations for summer tyres in 700c x 28mm size.

[Sleeper Service]

Yes, I know it's winter, but with Black Friday upon us it doesn't hurt to look around for good deals.

My Boardman Team Hybrid currently has 32mm M+on it, which are fine for winter commuting, however I'll be looking to replace these come next summer. As the bike uses Mavic XM319 rims, which I have no intention of replacing, the thinnest I can safely go is 28mm. I've tried Kenda, Conti and Vittoria tyres of thinner widths on other bikes in the past (drops, before the arthritis in my fingers made riding those difficult), however tyre tech has moved on since those days, and I'm wondering what fellow riders would recommend for a decent, reasonably quick yet robust and puncture proof set of summer tyres. From a quick search Conti GP4000s II gets good praise, for example.

[Samuel D]

The Schwalbe One clincher, which I have in 25 mm, is also available in 28 mm (and 23 mm). These tyres are comparable to the Continental Grand Prix 4000 S II in that they have low rolling resistance, supple sidewalls, and not much in the way of durability. Nice things to ride on good tarmac in the summer.

Vittoria has some new open-tubular type tyres, marketed as containing graphene. I don’t much care about graphene but know that Vittoria has made excellent open tubulars in the past. By open tubular I mean a cotton casing with a glued-on tread. However, I doubt you’ll see big discounts on these new models; you’re more likely to see discounts on the Open Corsa CX, which is an excellent tyre but not available in 28 mm.

There’s probably only a couple of other genuinely comparable tyres to this small bunch. I opted for the Schwalbe One over them mainly because it was significantly cheaper last spring. That doesn’t seem to be the case any more. Still, I can recommend it.

[Sleeper Service]

Much obliged, Samuel. I'll have a look at what I can get the Schwalbe One for on t'internet.

[honesty]

I currently have Conti 4 Season tyres on my bike and they are great. I really couldn't tell you speed difference etc. but they are comfy and have lasted.

[chocjohn9]

+1 for Conti 4 season

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/cont ... aid:789967

[Brucey]

if you are happy to go to a 26mm tyre (and NB some 28s come up nearer 26/27mm when fitted, so you may or may not be going down a size) then the specialized s-works turbo is worth a look; in recent velonews tests it showed itself to be considerably faster-rolling than most of its competitors (and a lot faster than a schwalbe one for example). On sale for about £25 a go.

Also worth a look is the Turbo Pro; just over £20 a go and only a little heavier/slower than the S-works, i.e. still as fast or faster than the Schwalbe One I think.

BTW in buying the latest specialized tyres you are buying the same expertise that designed the Contis in recent years; Specialized poached some key figures from Continental, and the current specialized tyres are the result of their input.

cheers

[Sleeper Service]

Thanks, all. Lots to look into it seems!

[Samuel D]

I had not paid close attention to Specialized tyres until the recent Velonews test Brucey mentions. Fancy tyres indeed. The fastest of them (taking into account the width of the tested tyres) seems to be the Turbo Cotton, an open tubular with the worrying label “FOR THE CONNOISSEUR” on the side of the tread!

I’d love to try something like that, but you’d have to go in with your eyes open. They might not last a fortnight on the mean streets of Paris. My Schwalbe Ones, on the other hand, have done alright. (They’re now in storage waiting for spring. They have a few cuts, for sure, but nothing terminal.)

Edit: by the way, a 28 mm S-Works Turbo (though not Turbo Cotton or Turbo Pro) is listed on the Specialized website. Specialized keeps an iron grip on distribution so I don’t even know where to buy them, but the one shop I did find only had the S-Works Turbo in 24 mm and 26 mm.

[Brucey]

EBC have some specialized tyres. I've used previous turbo models and they are no M+s but they have always been tough enough for summer use in the UK.

Some older models were a bit lacking in cold/wet grip; I'm hoping that they have improved that with the latest rubber compounds.

cheers

[Samuel D]

EBC have some specialized tyres.

And 15% off for Black Friday. See here.

[mattsccm]

Challenge do several about that size. I wouldn't worry about 1mm.

[Sleeper Service]

Thanks again, all. EBC is just up the road from my work, so I'll have a look in tomorrow or Wednesday and see what the have for the S works Turbos. I'll see if I can get a measurement of the 26mm ones.