I am a long time user of Continental tyres. On the first of May this year I installed a new set of Continental Gatorskin Hardshells. I also went with the Continental tubes for the full brand effect.
Last year I won a set of Schwalbe Durano DD tyres from Ride with GPS. At first, I was pretty sceptical of running 35c tyres, but after adjusting my fenders to accommodate the wider circumference, I fell in love with them. And after getting over 7k miles on them, I'd use them again without question.
However, I thought the 35c's were just a tad too wide. They kicked up a lot of road splash, plus they barely fit within my fenders.
Well worn and loved. The Schwalbe Duranos have been the best tyre I've ever used. I didn't have a single puncture for nearly the entire year... (with the exception of the last two weeks; when I had multiple punctures on every ride... at least 10!) I hope the Continentals hold up as well. I'm looking to get 8,000 miles or one year out of them. That's the test.
On go the Continentals along with new tubes. (Yes, I love the yellow valve caps!)
Then not a week after installing the new tyres, my rear rim split! That was a shocker. I ended up walking the last seven miles home from my longest ride of the year too. Yeah, after I had ridden 107 miles, I walked another seven to get home... AND in the dark... AND in the RAIN! (But that's another story: Grosmont & Skenfrith Epic
Yup, that's what a split rim looks like. I just worn the sidewalls down. But with over 24,000 miles, I don't think I've anything to complain about. When did you last ride 24,000 miles? In three years? In all sorts of weather?
I can't say enough good things about Mavic A719's. They may be heavy, but they take a beating without flinching. I ordered these from Rose Bikes out of Germany, they were perfectly true straight out of the box, and I only tweaked them slightly over the course of three years.
Fortunately, I still have the Alex XT19 wheels that shipped with my bike originally. The rear rim has some life left in it, so I'm hoping it will last another few months til I can get a new set of rims. (Or as long as the front Mavic rim lasts!) More to come about shopping for new wheels in a coming issue...
