Although riding an indoor trainer for most people can be a bit tedious, it can also add wear and tear to your bike. That’s especially true if you have an on-wheel style trainer that uses a magnetic or fluid roller that directly contacts your rear wheel. Even after a few minutes on a trainer, the friction and heat causes the tires to wear down and leave rubber flakes on the floor. Using a trainer-specific bike tire not only reduces the noise the wheels make but can also extend the life of the trainer and the tire. In this review, we’ll be looking at the Elite Coperton trainer tires. The Elite Coperton tires claim to have better grip, lower noise and are specifically formulated to put less strain on bike trainers. At $52.99 the tires aren’t cheap but are offered in either 700×23 or 700×25 tube variations.
The Elite Coperton tires are trainer-only tires designed to reduce noise and provide better grip.
| Category | Bicycle Tires |
| Rating | Grip: A Durability: A Grip: A Value: A– |
| Retail Price | $52.99 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 298 (700×23) |
| Likes | + Great grip + Quieter than standard tires + Bright colors make it easy to differentiate the tires |
| Dislikes | – Expensive – Lacks wear indicator – Installation takes some force |
| Where to Buy (US) | Todson |
UNBOXING
The tires come in a simple Elite branded cardboard box with a cutout to see and touch the tires. Instructions and information on the tire are directly printed onto the box.
FIT & FINISH
Right out of the box, the Elite Coperton tires have a distinct white sidewall and red tread design. This bright color scheme means there is little chance you’ll accidentally ride your trainer wheel/tire outdoors – something we’ve done a few times when using old road tires for the trainer. The tires are a non-directional design with pliable white sidewalls and thick grooves along the tread. Because the Coperton tire is only designed for indoor use, there is no need for anti-puncture belts or water diverting treads. Instead, the tires simply have a thick thread that is designed for the high heat generated from trainer use.
ON THE TRAINER
In order to see how well the tires held up on our trainer, we swapped out our used Continental tire for the Coperton on our trainer Mavic wheel. Installing the tire was relatively straight forward although the thick sidewall beads required a bit of patience and force to install. Once we had the tires installed, they seated quickly and easily without having to bring out the tire seater tool. On the trainer, the Elite Coperton provides excellent grip which prevents the tires from slipping during sprints or higher effort intervals. We also found that the tires are quieter than standard tires eliminating squeaks and higher pitched noise normal tires generate. That said, don’t expect a silent trainer as magnetic and fluid trainers generate quite a bit of noise from the roller mechanism themselves.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Elite Coperton trainer tires to be grippy and durable tires for trainer use. The bright red and white color scheme may look a bit goofy but ensures you won’t accidentally ride them outdoors. We found the non-directional thick thread worked well on the trainer and reduced the noise while providing more grip. Unlike standard road cycling tires which become squared off and start to slip with trainer use, the Coperton tires have held up well to the high heat generated by trainers. Installing the tires may take a bit of force though, and we found the white walls very difficult to keep clean. Even though the Elite Coperton tires cost nearly as much as premium road cycling tires, the quieter ride and improved grip makes using the trainer a more pleasant experience.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Elite. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.
A lot of people use older bikes with 27″ wheels. Would be great if someone made a trainer tire to fit those!
Good point, however with the move toward direct-drive trainers I don’t think companies will invest in trainer tires anymore. Before the Elite tire we were just using some cheap $12 tires from ProBikeKit. It won’t last as long or have as much grip but it’s a cheap alternative.