Are Winter Tyres Really Necessary For Road Bikes?

When the clocks go back and your favourite summer routes or the daily commute turn damp, gritty and unpredictable, the question comes up every year; are winter tyres really necessary for my road bike?

If you’re planning to ride through autumn and winter — training, commuting, or keeping fitness up until spring — the answer is almost certainly yes. While not every cyclist needs them, winter tyres can massively improve your safety, grip, and reliability (and ultimately your riding enjoyment) in poor conditions.

Let’s look at why they’re worth fitting, what benefits they bring, and explore some of the best options from Continental, Pirelli, and Vittoria.

So Why Fit Winter Tyres on a Road Bike?

1. Better grip in cold conditions

Rubber behaves differently in the cold. Standard ‘summer’ race tyres harden up below around 7 °C, losing traction — especially in the wet.

Winter tyres use a softer compound that can better key into the colder road surface. It will stay supple at lower temperatures, giving you noticeably better grip when cornering, braking or descending on cold tarmac.

2. Puncture protection

Winter roads are generally rougher and tend to be covered in grit, flint, glass, salt and general debris. Good winter tyres come with reinforced casings or breaker belts and often carry a bit more rubber, protecting against cuts and punctures. You’ll spend less time fixing flats in the cold and more time riding.

3. Durability for wet, dirty roads

Race tyres are fast, but their lightweight carcasses wear quickly when grit and grime grind away at the tread. Winter tyres use tougher compounds and thicker tread layers that stand up to months of harsh conditions — perfect for off-season training.

4. More stability and comfort

Winter tyres are usually slightly wider and that extra air volume helps absorb road chatter, improves traction, and makes descending on damp roads far more predictable.

What about the trade-offs?

If there was a tyre that was perfect in every condition we would all be using it, so there are of course some small compromises to be made when switching to winter tyres.

Winter tyres are usually a bit heavier and slightly slower-rolling than their summer siblings. There’s not a lot in it, but you’ll definitely notice a touch more drag when accelerating or climbing.

The thicker carcass and additional rubber can also rob the winter version of a little road feel – but in isolation, the ride quality of modern winter tyres is superb (particularly combined with that extra width and lower pressures in winter).

If you’re not chasing KOMs in December, it’s a fair trade. Most riders find the added control, confidence and puncture resistance are well worth it — especially on wet training rides or early-morning commutes.

How To Maximise Those Benefits?

Go at least 28 mm tyre width if your frame allows. It offers more comfort, grip and stability on rough winter roads (go up to a 30 or 32mm if you can). If you run tubes, you’ll also reduce the risk of pinch flats at lower pressures.

Speaking of lower pressures – go slightly lower compared to summer pressures, particularly if running tubeless. This will increase the contact patch on the road, giving improved grip and ride quality.

BTW tubeless is a no-brainer for winter. Tubeless setups with sealant can reduce flats even further — ideal if the idea of fixing a puncture on a cold, wet day puts you off riding all together.

Final tip, clean your bike and tyres regularly! Rinse off salt and grit immediately after wet rides; it prolongs tyre and wheel life dramatically.

But Which Tyres Are Best?

It seems like the answer is generally ‘yes’, you do need winter tyres for your road bike – but which ones? Here are Bike Hero’s top 3 recommendations covering a range of price-points:

Pirelli P‑Zero Road TLR – RRP £79.99 – sizes: 28 – 32c

The blurb: EVO/TechLINER 120 TPI casing delivers a great balance of low rolling resistance, wet-grip and durability. Tubeless-ready construction (TLR) with a rubber liner for better pressure retention and comfort. Reality: At the premium end of things, but a superb all-rounder with great grip and ride quality, but still fairly lightweight (so ideal for winter training/racing).

Vittoria RideArmor – RRP £59.99 – sizes: 26 – 38c

The blurb: Reinforced multi-layer casing (100 TPI nylon + Kevlar® bead-to‐bead) and ArmorSkin sidewalls give strong cut and puncture protection. Graphene + Silica compound offers high grip in both wet & dry conditions, plus good durability and comfort. Reality: Designed for the harshest road conditions – these tyres are pretty bomb-proof, great value and tubeless-ready.

Continental Grand Prix 4 Season – RRP £70.99 – sizes: 25 – 32c

The blurb: Double Vectran breaker and DuraSkin sidewalls offer exceptional puncture/cut resistance and durability for rough roads. Rubber compound optimised for wet/cold conditions. Reality: The OG and a great option if you run tubes. Ideal for riders who want one tyre they can rely on in all conditions.

Which ever you choose, you can be sure they will enhance your enjoyment on those long, cold winter rides. Give us a call at Bike Hero and we’ll help you find exactly the right winter tyre for your bike and riding – we even offer a Winter Tyre Upgrade on every service with free fitting and 10% off RRP on the winter tyres of your choice – let’s talk!