Replacement tyres for Continental 4 seasons

[JulesDawes]

Hey fellas,

Currently (and have done for 4000 miles) a mix of conti gatorskin and conti 4 seasons. I LOVE the 4 Seasons, but the same cannot be said for the gatorskin (punctures more readily and does NOT grip very well, particularly in the wet)

What I really really want is a 4 season tyre in an actual 28mm - 30mm. Problem is it doesn't exist! the largest is a 28c (which measures about 27mm on my wide touring rims)

With this in mind I am trying to find the closest match possible. It needs to be a light weight, fast rolling, puncture resistant tyre that actually measures about 28-30mm. So I'm looking for a true 28mm, or maybe a small 32mm. the 4 seasons weighs a mere 260grams and I'm looking to find something probably 300 or less (I'm switching out my worn rims soon for a set that's 25g lighter a wheel, so that will make up for the weight a little)

I have looked at:

pasela tg (put off by tales of slow rolling, and wearing out quickly)
conti 4 seasons (no improvement - but no worse!)
t-serv (can't seem to find available anywhere)
Panaracer ribmo (harsh ride?)
Randonneur Hyper?
Schwalbe Marathon Racer (anyone used them? how do they compare)

I would love to hear any comment on these tyres, or any others that I haven't considered.

I tried Randonneur Cross in a 35c last year, and sold them on quickly as I found them far too slow and sluggish.

99% or my bike use is 17 miles daily commute. And I have SKS p35s fitted.

Thanks.

[Alun]

I've got Marathon Racers, although they are 35mm. They are good, grippy and quite fast rolling, but not as fast as my 28mm Gatorskins!

[meic]

I've got Marathon Racers, although they are 35mm. They are good, grippy and quite fast rolling, but not as fast as my 28mm Gatorskins!

Try measuring them.

[The Mechanic]

I use 28mm Marathon Supreme folding. I have not actually measured them but I use them on Rigida Chrina rims so might not be comparable anyway. Superb tyre IMHO.

On my LEJOG last May, the only people to puncture were those using gatorskins. (apart from one poor lady who got a nail through her Marathon Plus)

[stewartpratt]

Not sure I can help on the tyre front, but if you're switching rims, perhaps it's worth seeing if narrower rims with the 4Seasons - perhaps at a slightly different pressure - would give you the ride feel you're after. The Contis are very good tyres and the feel of a tyre is influenced by rim width...

[tatanab]

I too like 4 Seasons, but the price has driven me away. I have taken to Michelin Pro 4 Endurance which are available in 25. They are a fat 25 and measure 27mm when fitted to Open Pro rims, I have just measured them.

I also have Panaracer Ribmo in 28 on a slightly wider rim. It measures 28, again I've just measured it. I do not ride that bike very often, but I find them a bit wooden compared to 4 Seasons or Pro 4. However, they are a heavier tyre.

I have Panaracer Pasela TG too, but only in 25 which truly measure 25. I find them almost as good to ride as 4 Seasons or Pro 4 not slow rolling at all.

[JulesDawes]

Good information all, thanks - after a days research I am leaning quite heavily to trying out Schwalbe Duranos in 28c, which I didn't even know was a contender til yesterday, but looks and sounds very similar to the 4 seasons, but hopefully with a better size.

With regards to the rim change, My current rims are worn, one is nearly done, and so I have ordered some slightly thinner Exal LX17s to replace them, so will be getting a better size for the tyres I want to use anyway (28c - 35c)

My current tyres are also nearly done, the 4 seasons in particular is looking a bit ropey. 99% of my riding is commuting, but I am going to be doing a JOGLE in may, loaded, so am also bearing this in mind.

[Craigie]

I'm in the same position - love the feel and ride of Conti GP 4S but the price and lack of durability offend me. I've never worn a Conti out - they always develop a defect (usually a wiggly deformity) when there is still plenty of rubber left.

Going to look at Duranos and the Michelins. Good to know that the Michelins are proper 25s on Open Pros. Thanks for posting that.

[JulesDawes]

Have ordered 28c Duranos from Germany, at less than £20 a piece I'm happy with the price, will update once they arrive, and again once there is a few thousand miles on them (if I keep them that long they must be good!)

[Vorpal]

I'm in the same position - love the feel and ride of Conti GP 4S but the price and lack of durability offend me. I've never worn a Conti out - they always develop a defect (usually a wiggly deformity) when there is still plenty of rubber left.

Going to look at Duranos and the Michelins. Good to know that the Michelins are proper 25s on Open Pros. Thanks for posting that.

I've worn out a couple of sets of conti 4 seasons. One pair was through the first layer of rubber when I had a series of punctures. The other set looked completely knackered all over when I retired them. I did have a little trouble seating them correctly when they punctured at the end of their lives (well, frankly *past* the end of their lives), but I replaced them almost immediately, anyway, so it didn't matter much.

[JulesDawes]

Exal LX17 rims are now on, as are the schwalbe duranos.

Exal LX17s : very easy to build up true, but slightly oversized causing several tyre lever failures re-fitting the conti tyres (before the others arrived) aboslute biatch to get the tyres on - even one bead.

Schwalbe duranos : slightly larger diameter than the contis, making a SLIGHTLY easier job getting them on, but still v. hard! look nice but only measure 26.8ish mm, so about the same size as the 4 seasons, smaller than a gatorskin. Haven't ridden them yet, will see how they go.

[JulesDawes]

UPDATE:

Tyres have settled slightly after the first 100 miles, and the rear now measures about 27.7mm - much better!

They seemed a little slower rolling at first, but as they have settled, they have improved some. I would put them somewhere in between the 4 season and the gatorskin for performance, and having ridden in the wet today the grip seems much better than the gatorskin in cornering, but still not sure if its better than the 4 seasons.

will update more once the miles accumulate some.