Tyre help needed please. ....

Why only one pair of tyres?

I use Vittoria Zaffiro Pro at about £15 (£10 on Planet-X) and easily get 3000 miles off them. Not as puncture proof as Gatorskins but damn good for the money and rarely get an undeserved puncture. I use a 25 for training rather than a 23. There is a non Pro version for even less but doesn't have the same puncture resistance.

Then for racing a set of Conti GP4000s that can be saved for best.

I like racing on the Contis but the Vittorias are a very good training tyre.

i use vittoria rubino - never had a puncture in over a year and its the only set of tyres i have ever had - i dont mean the brand, i literally mean, i have only ever bought this set of tyres. they get used for everything including turbo, maybe i would be faster if i had something a bit lighter though, maybe not

I have the conti GP4000, very good tyre, haven't had a "p" yet but had loads with the cheaper tyres I had on before, don't like the conti on the turbo

Cost: Get the Zaffiro Pro - I use the 25 and it is great for general riding. Should be fine on the C2C. Plus if you have a terminal tyre failure it is cheap to replace the tyre.

But for racing I would definitely think it is worth dropping to a 23 and if funds allow then the GP4000s are great. Plus if you only use them for racing they will last ages. They will age before they wear out.

Slicks arent usually a problem. I've taken my Gp4000S down canal paths and country park trails. 

If the C2C is proper offroad I'd want a wider tyre than 23mm. 

I use the gatorskins.  Got 5000 mile out of the last ones.  I do switch the back wheel for the turbo though.  In the past I got a flat spot on the tyre with the turbo so have used another tyre ever since.

C2C - is not for a road bike imho.  There is a proper off road bit near Allenheads on Day 2 of 3 (which you can go round on the road) but a lot of it is trails or clinker paths(Keswick/ AllenheadsConsett to Newcastle).  Look at photos of it and you'll see most people are on bomb proof bikes. I did see a bloke do it on a Dawes Tourer type of thing which is sturdy in the wheel!   Last thing you want is to be stopping for punctures and stuff.

I did it on a crap mountain bike but my ideal weapon of choice for it would be a cross bike.  Preferably with disc brakes as fully loaded with panniers destroyed a few sets of brake blocks and nearly caused my death on a steep hill near Tynemouth. I did um and ah about my training bike for it but the MTB was the best I had at the time for it. 

A group of 13-15 year olds in our club did c2c on road bikes - maybe there are different routes but I'd check out the route you are taking before getting tyres with that in mind. 

I reckon if you get something advertised as both fast and puncture resistant you'll be fine - 4 seasons, the new Pro endurance, Schwalbe durano etc - it's not like fixing the occasional puncture is a big deal and any of them punctures should only be occasional.   You don't want to start fitting bombproof tyres as they just wont be as fast or corner as well unless they are fat and have a bigger contact patch - I'd rather fix a puncture than slide off.   

there are both road and MTB C2C routes - the MTB one is the "classic"

If its a road ride and you're on a cross bike then I'd deffo go with GP 400s. You should have no problems with those. 

I cant tell you how good they are !  I've been using them since I got a free pair of them (courtesy of neutral service and a German pothole) in 2006. 

I cant honestly recall having had a 'p' on those tyres since then. There was one time that my tube exploded - but thats cos the bloody thing had perished !

Their tubs are sh** though. 

I know the Consett to Tynemouth/South Sheilds part well as my Dad used to live about 400yards from the route in Washington and I went to school in Tynemouth. Mix of small cinder and tarmac. I wouldn't have a major issue using road bike on that part although may not use the drops and go flat out o nthe worst bits. Cross bike would be great.

My dad did the whole route on a cheapy hybrid and was fine on that although there was one short steep section he pushed but only a few minutes and he is no great shakes on a bike.

I quite fancy but haven't so far found the time/permission. May see if I can do it this year. I reckon it may be doable in one very long day or two days at most.