What's your favourite road tyre of all time?

[velomaniac]

I am on a journey from the dark side to yours ie mtb to road. My off roading days are diminishing excepting gravel which I am starting to get into. My favourite types of road bikes are old lugged steel machines and this brings me to tyres. I have always liked Michelin World Tours which as a design are at least as old as me, 50plus. They are available in so many sizes and have a lovely compliant round profile and high rubber content. Work great on road and gravel and are cheap. Also easy enough to get on and off rims as puncture proof they have never been. Never thought my favourite tyre would follow me from my childhood until now

What's your favourite road tyre and why

 

[Nob]

My fav I’d say as had a few but the Clement Seta No.3 Silk - raced on this & great tub during the early 80’s

 

[Russell]

My road bikes are all modern, but I have never been let down by Continental tyres. The Grand Prix 4 season is such a great tyre that I end up leaving it in on all year round. I have never, ever punctured a GP4S!

The move to running softer, wider tyres on the road has been a game changer in recent years and no matter what tyre you use, I would highly recommend getting the widest possible, even for a full on road bike.

 

[Takingabreak]

Vittoria Open Pave 27mm for me, but as per @Russell I'm gravitating towards bikes with fatter tyres due to the state of the roads near me

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pave-cg-open-clincher-road-tyre

 

[jim haseltine]

I've got to go with Nob - Clement Seta. A combination of passing time and a bit of brain damage from bouncing off the road means that I can't remember all the numbers of the types I used. Certainly had a set of Seta No.3 which I used for flat time trials then a selection of others that I just remember as Criterium, which was a wide range of tyre available in both silk and cotton and with various tread patterns. I remember my 3s lasting for multiple seasons - I eventually had to replace them when I found that I'd finished an evening 25 on the Boro with the tread worn through to the casing on the back tyre. I'm pretty certain that I replaced them with Clement silks that had pale orange or gum coloured tread.

 

[Old Ned]

Wolber 18mm tubulars fitted to Assos aero rims, inflated to somewhere around 150psi! Really 'sang' on smooth tarmac on an early summer morning on the 'Boro.

I also liked Barum tubulars which seemed to go on and on and very rarely punctured.

 

[pigman]

Vittoria corsa tubulars were a great road race tyre back in the 80s

 

[vcballbat]

For a modern lightweight folding tyre with a vintage style I would say the Continental Grand Prix Classic, basically the same as the GP500 but different tread pattern. Paired up with a 50g latex tube they give your reto ride wings

 

[dbwheels]

Veloflex Master 25 with a latex tube. Just feels great. I also like Challenge Strada Bianca 30mm. Feels super floaty on crap surfaces.
I used to really like Michelin Pro Race 3 25mm, but they wore out so fast that it was always a short affair.
Absolute worst tires I ever had were Soviet tubulars. Total nightmare.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Back in the 80's I rode panaracer paselas and was happy enough with them. Now that I'm back to road bikes I've ridden some continental products (gatorskins, GP4000) and Vittoria (Zafiro & Rubino Pro). I've also ridden pacenti pari motos, and soma grand randonneur tires on my gravel bike in 650bx38 or 42. I loved the pacenti pari motos - so much fun. Definitely not puncture resistent. The Somas very very nice too. I've moved to Panaracer gravel king slicks on that bike and they're ok. My go to tire for 700c has been the Vittoria Rubinos. Good value, good puncture resistance and decent ride.