Dark Side tyres

[Charlotte]

What's the current preferred tyre choice for silly-fast recumbents on the road?  I need a 20/26 set and I want to go like a greased weasel with a rocket in its bottom up a Teflon drainpipe.  Prefarably faster, in fact.

I'm replacing Stelvios and can't seem to find them any more.  Schwalbe now seem to do some tyres called Kojak and Durano.  Are they any good?  Which do you prefer?  What about Continental Sport Contacts?  They appear to do two kinds with the "Reflex" flavour being a tad more expensive in some places.

Do I get folding or wire-bead?  Presumably folding tyres are lighter, right?

If you've got a recommendation, where are they available to order on line?

TIA, chaps  

[orienteer]

Durano has replaced Stelvio, reported by small wheelers as being good. Aren't the Kojaks a larger section?

Folders lighter but twice the price. I carry a folder as a spare but haven't had to use it so far.

[cycleman]

schwalbe big apples are surprisingly fast and very comfortable     .  pretty puncture proof too 

[mrcharly-YHT]

I've worn out 3 pairs of sport contacts in 1.3"x26". Fast, yes. Sidewalls made of paper - don't over inflate.  Fatter versions are heavy. For comparison, I found Paselas to be very similar speedwise, more durable and puncture-resistant.

[Tim]

Given the lack of suspension would you be faster over a day with a slightly fatter tyre that will take some of the buzz out and stop the road from beating you up so quickly?

Anyhow, I remember seeing some very positive reviews of Greenspeed's Scorchers when they came out a few years ago. Don't know whether this helps you at all...

[Tim]

Otherwise have a scan down the pictures here and try to identify the logos on the sidewalls:
The Recumbent Bicycle and Human Powered Vehicle Information Center

[Tigerrr]

Depends a bit on the bike and the type of riding you want to do.  Stelvio/duranos are good for racing & smoother surfaces, or if one has suspension.
I was pleased with a stelvio front and a moiree rear for audaxes - a little more air in the rear makes up for lack of suspension on less than perfect roads. 

[Charlotte]

Given the lack of suspension would you be faster over a day with a slightly fatter tyre that will take some of the buzz out and stop the road from beating you up so quickly?

Possibly.  But right now, I'm after fast first and comfortable second.

If I'm ever going to do any longer rides, I'll probably whack some bigger tyres on, though.

[arvid]

As said: Durano replaces Stelvio.

I have a pair of Durano's but wasn't impressed. I didn't notice them being faster than my regular Marathon Racers (40-559). Most recumbent riders I know go for Kojaks, and the fatter the better. You will have some extra weight that's bad uphill and for acceleration, but they are more comfortable and the rolling resistance is lower.

There's a Dutch guy doing rolling resistance tests(these are 406 tests) in his Quest Velomobile, I think the tyre with the lowest rolling resistance he tested was a fat Vredestein Perfect Moiree.
That's not true, a 10bar Stelvio was better, but that's over pressure and uncomfortable. The other tyres are not available anymore iirc.

[Von Broad]

Given the lack of suspension would you be faster over a day with a slightly fatter tyre that will take some of the buzz out and stop the road from beating you up so quickly?

Possibly.  But right now, I'm after fast first and comfortable second.

If I'm ever going to do any longer rides, I'll probably whack some bigger tyres on, though.

You might still be able to get Stelvios. Possibly. Bit expensive

Just remember there are two 20" wheel sizes - the 406[bmx] and the slightly larger 451 [used on the Kingcycle] - and it can be confusing because they can sometimes both be expressed as 20 x 1 1/8 - watch that if you're ordering online. I'm not sure what bike you have but the 406 is the more common front wheel size for a recumbent.

[Charlotte]

Hmmm.  I've just bought some Duranos for teh upcoming summertime lols. 

I'll report back on what I think they're like, but if I'm going audaxing, I think I'll pop some marathons or some Kojaks on instead.

[arallsopp]

You should get on fine. I took a pair of Duranos up to Edinburgh and back, and they coped with it all beautifully.

...and that was with baggage, on 'a variety of surfaces' using skinny rims, and an unsuspended front.

[Arno]

I've tried the following tyres on my bike, here is what I think of them

26'' Tyres
  - Conti Grand Prix
     very fast, good grip dry and wet. Seems a bit puncture-prone in wet weather. Not super comfi as transmits a lot of road vibrations to the frame (might rattle your spine and teeth, that's where a silent-block under the seat can come in handy). Have not found a foldable version in 26''.

  - Schwalbe Stelvio
     a tiny bit slower than above. not grippy on wet  tarmac.

  - Schwalbe Durano maybe a tiny weeny bit slower than stelvio? (not sure). Good grip in all conditions. Absorbs road vibrations better than Conti GP.

   - Contin Sport Contact. quite slow, but sturdy and good grip. I recon slower than Durano

  - Swhalbe Kojak noticably slower than Durano in my opinion good grip good puncture resistance.

20'' Tyres:
  - Shwalbe Stelvios fast. No grip in the wet.
  - Schwalbe marathon racers: almost as fast as the Stelvios, I think more resistant to punctures. I feel their stronger construction and volume make them more appropriate than a stelvio to carry the high weight put on a bent's frong wheel.
  - Conti Sport Contact. significantly slower than marathon racer in my opinion, maybe better grip in the wet.

[arallsopp]

What's the current preferred tyre choice for silly-fast recumbents on the road?  I need a 20/26 set

20/26? Not to imply that you have only one 20/26 recumbent Charlotte (I'm not that daft) but is this for your SMGT? If so, the suspension will take a lot of the pressure away from the front tyre and you may get away with something lighter than would be otherwise expected. I've burst tubes on the front of the Furai attempting to climb out of potholes that my Panzerfiets has just rolled over.

[Charlotte]

Not for the SMGT, no.  I managed to acquire something a little... sportier last weekend...

[arallsopp]

Oh goodness.

That's quite a healthy chunk of loveliness, neh?

Am quite jealous. Scrap everything I said about suspension, the main requirement here will be a blue-tinted rear view mirror. You'll want to colour correct the traffic as it drops into redshift.

Congrats!

[mrcharly-YHT]

You do realise that if you store that in the same area as the penny, a bike-bike interaction similar to matter-anti-matter will take place and annihilate the entire planet?

[clarion]

oo-err.  That does things

[Mr Larrington]

Cosimo the Stealth Baron still has Stelvios, but that's because even a full race season is less than 500 km.  I think most racers are using either the Stelvios they laid down in the cellar or Duranos.

[Charlotte]

Yeah, it's hanging from the ceiling of the SEEKRIT BUNKER at the moment, after having just been licked clean and fettled to within an inch of it's life.

I've established an exclusion zone around the penny^* and the rear-view mirrors are on order.  You could tell that the last time it got ridden in anger was in FOREIGN because not only is the odo in Km, but the current mirror is on the LHS.

As if taking it round Hyde Park Corner for a first ride wasn't interesting enough already.

Oh - I've laundered the seat now, too...





_{^*alright, a chalk circle...}

[Tim]

Is the map holder still in place?

[Charlotte]

Nope.  It's gone the way of the idiosyncratic lighting and the bald front tyre.

To be replaced with an IQ Cyo, Duranos and a GPS like wot's right and proper.

[arallsopp]

You are sure that's a penny, and not a prototype Baron facing the wrong way?

[Mr Larrington]

Schwalbe Stelvio Folding Orange Tyre Dahon 20" 28-406.  Held to be slightly faster than the standard Stelvio if you don't mind the colour clash, dahling.

[jellied]

Very interested on how the Durano perform, not for my darkside but for the commuter. I've had marthon plus for years and it was a real shock to go to skinny slicks - one shock being how quick they other, and other shock how many punctures i've had. Duranos seem like an ideal compromise.