Do tires make a difference in ride feel?

9000 miles ago I bought my first road bike with Continental GP 3000 tires.
I've changed them out with Conti's everytime they've worn out and never had
a flat, so, given my experience, I really don't have a reason to consider
going to a different tire because of reliability issues. I am curious
though, as to whether different tires provide a different ride feel on a
bike or whether it would all be in air pressure...a Conti would feel like
everything else. I consider reliability a premium issue, so I don't want to
risk a bunch of flats just to scratch my curiosity itch. I figured I would
ask the collective wisdom of the group. Thoughts?

On Sat, 25 Mar 2006 08:31:57 -0500, prometheus7 wrote:

9000 miles ago I bought my first road bike with Continental GP 3000 tires.
I've changed them out with Conti's everytime they've worn out and never had
a flat, so, given my experience, I really don't have a reason to consider
going to a different tire because of reliability issues. I am curious
though, as to whether different tires provide a different ride feel on a
bike or whether it would all be in air pressure...a Conti would feel like
everything else. I consider reliability a premium issue, so I don't want to
risk a bunch of flats just to scratch my curiosity itch. I figured I would
ask the collective wisdom of the group. Thoughts?

Certainly tires make a difference in ride feel. The stiffness of the
sidewalls is a good measure of how much drag you'll feel from the tire. I
had a set of cheapo Vittorias and it felt like I was dragging an anchor.
A good, supple sidewall (with the proper pressure) and the whole bike will
feel more lively.

I've never used Conti's, though, since I've had to rescue too many riders
using them, who have sidewall blowouts.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | When you are up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember
_`\(,_ | that your initial objective was to drain the swamp. -- LBJ
(_)/ (_) |

prometheus7 wrote:
9000 miles ago I bought my first road bike with Continental GP 3000 tires.
I've changed them out with Conti's everytime they've worn out and never had
a flat, so, given my experience, I really don't have a reason to consider
going to a different tire because of reliability issues. I am curious
though, as to whether different tires provide a different ride feel on a
bike or whether it would all be in air pressure...a Conti would feel like
everything else. I consider reliability a premium issue, so I don't want to
risk a bunch of flats just to scratch my curiosity itch. I figured I would
ask the collective wisdom of the group. Thoughts?

I personally can feel no difference between tires of similar size.
Handling and ride always feel about the same to me, whether I'm using a
racing tire or a heavy duty commuting tire. For this reason, I find it
hard to sell high end tires... it really annoys Vittoria loyalists when
I say "they're just tires."

I think it's to my benefit that I'm so undiscriminating. I have oodles
of slightly used tires in my basement that more sensitive riders
abandoned as too heavy or harsh or whatever. They work fine for me.

-Vee

David L. Johnson writes:

9000 miles ago I bought my first road bike with Continental GP 3000
tires. I've changed them out with Conti's every time they've worn
out and never had a flat, so, given my experience, I really don't
have a reason to consider going to a different tire because of
reliability issues. I am curious though, as to whether different
tires provide a different ride feel on a bike or whether it would
all be in air pressure...a Conti would feel like everything else.
I consider reliability a premium issue, so I don't want to risk a
bunch of flats just to scratch my curiosity itch. I figured I
would ask the collective wisdom of the group. Thoughts?

Certainly tires make a difference in ride feel. The stiffness of
the sidewalls is a good measure of how much drag you'll feel from
the tire. I had a set of cheapo Vittorias and it felt like I was
dragging an anchor. A good, supple sidewall (with the proper
pressure) and the whole bike will feel more lively.

You mean RR is higher with thicker sidewalls (lower TPI) but the ride
comfort is not perceptibly different, these damping losses being so
small it takes careful measurement to characterize the difference in
RR. You can most likely hear the difference because acoustic damping
is significant for sound but that's literally in the noise for ride
comfort.

I've never used Conti's though, since I've had to rescue too many
riders using them, who have sidewall blowouts.

They are famous for that and their "kite string" low TPI casings
should make that obvious.

Jobst Brandt

vredestein fortezza tricomps are puncture resistant and have a lively
feel even at 140psi

"prometheus7" wrote:
9000 miles ago I bought my first road bike with Continental GP 3000 tires.
I've changed them out with Conti's everytime they've worn out and never
had
a flat, so, given my experience, I really don't have a reason to consider
going to a different tire because of reliability issues. I am curious
though, as to whether different tires provide a different ride feel on a
bike or whether it would all be in air pressure...a Conti would feel like
everything else. I consider reliability a premium issue, so I don't want
to
risk a bunch of flats just to scratch my curiosity itch. I figured I
would
ask the collective wisdom of the group. Thoughts?

There's a couple of issues to consider when it comes to tire "feel." One has
to do with tread pattern. The old (mid '80s?) Turbo S tires had a raised
center ridge, supposedly to extend wear. That ridge would squirm as the tire
rotated, producing a weird sensation.

Another issue is traction. While not strictly related to "feel," a tire with
good traction gives more confidence when cornering, especially in rain.
Traction depends on tread material, tread pattern (or lack thereof), and
inflation pressure.

A lighter tire and higher thread count will produce more compliance, less
rolling resistance, and some will say, a better feel. Personally, I think
tire width, tread pattern, weight, and inflation pressure have the greatest
effect. Will two otherwise identical tires, one with 66 tpi and the other
with 127 tpi casings, feel very different? I tend to doubt whether most of
us could tell the difference in a blind test.

Art Harris

someone writes:

vredestein fortezza tricomps are puncture resistant and have a lively
feel even at 140psi

Ooh! "Lively", that's better than "supple", and at 140psi yet. How is
that characterized in measurable terms?

Jobst Brandt

aramco aramco!!

if the manufacturer defines his goal as supplying a specific market
segment with an ideal tire for that MS then yahhoooo!!! there's a
definite feel/longevity/punture resistance/AND USEAGE!! for each model:
delightful and more reliable than beer
the conti is malinged for the sidewall but the sidewall gives the TT
really lifesaving performance and off couirse that's what a TT should
do at 5PM in NM.
the Conti TT's problem maybe be a lack of inflation - the pressure ##
should read - "as necessary"
i just ran 2 tires HDTouring with 100 pound ratings and the 100 pounds
is $%^^##@ more reliable than the Conti suggested 70

wrote:
someone writes:


vredestein fortezza tricomps are puncture resistant and have a lively
feel even at 140psi


Ooh! "Lively", that's better than "supple", and at 140psi yet. How is
that characterized in measurable terms?

Jobst Brandt

I've always wanted 'em lively AND supple. I guess it is just personal
preference.