Picking a road tyre for the peninsula
A road tyre is a trade between three things: how fast it rolls, how long it lasts, and how well it resists a puncture. You cannot have all three, and the right compromise depends entirely on what the bike is for.
Racing and fast group rides
If the bike is for Sunday bunch rides and the odd event, roll speed wins. Continental's GP5000 and GP5000 S TR are the reference tyres in that bracket, and Schwalbe's Pro One sits in the same conversation. They are supple, they are quick, and they will not last as long as something with a thicker casing — that is the deal you are making.
Training and winter miles
For the bulk of the year's riding, durability is worth more than a few watts. The Gatorskin is the classic answer: a reinforced belt under the tread that shrugs off most of what the road surface throws up. Grand Sport Race and Ultra Sport 3 sit below it, and are honest tyres for a bike that gets ridden hard and thought about rarely.
Width, and why nearly everyone has gone wider
Road tyres have been getting wider for a decade, and it is not a fashion. A 28mm or 30mm tyre at a sensible pressure holds more air, so it deforms over a rough surface instead of bouncing off it. On Chapman's Peak and the coast road, where the tarmac is good but never perfect, that is both faster and considerably more comfortable.
The limit is your frame. Older road frames and rim-brake bikes often top out at 25mm or 28mm; most modern disc frames will take 32mm or more. If you are not sure what yours clears, bring it in to our shop on Main Road and we will measure it properly.
Common questions
Tubeless or clincher?
Tubeless seals small punctures as they happen and lets you run slightly lower pressure. Clinchers with inner tubes are simpler to live with and quicker to fix at the roadside. Both are legitimate; tubeless rewards riders who will maintain it.
How worn is too worn?
When the casing threads show through, when the tread is visibly squared off, or when you start getting punctures you did not used to get. Nicks in the tread are normal. Cuts you can see the casing through are not.
Riding dirt as well? The gravel tyres fit the same rims in much wider sizes, and every tyre we stock is in one place if you would rather browse the lot.
