Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
I bought some "low end", cheapo Continental 28mm tires last year. They are the most "flat proof" tires I have used. No "high tech" solution. Just lots of rubber where the rubber meets the road. A 300 gram 28mm tire has a LOT of rubber between the road and the inner tube. Ultra-expensive 23mm tires weighing 220 grams or 240 grams have a tiny, thin layer of rubber, and then try to use devices such as Kevlar belts to prevent flats...not a good solution.
And, quess which tire lasts more miles, the one with a thick layer of rubber, or the one with the paper-thin layer of rubber?
Mate, your sort of missing the point of the high end tyre market. Performance is the goal here and durability and wear rate a distant second and third place respectively.
Having said that I just bought a pair of Ultra gatorskins and some GP 4000s to do a little back to back comparison of my own. One of the Gatorskins came in at 220g and one 216g. While the GP4000s came in at 216 for one and 211 for the other. I thought that was rather curious. After being all amped to try the Gatorskins due to a rather glowing reference from many a rider, I pulled a staple out of the rear this morning?? A staple?? Nothing would have stopped it. It was half way in.
Still the performance of the continentals is great in all weather I actually trust them more than any other tyre i've used in the wet. My last tyres were Michelin Pro2 race, and whilst they are a fantastic dry tyre for cornering at speed as soon as it gets the slightest bit damp they are terrifying. Also once I removed them, I have never seen so many cuts in a tyre, it was amazing I didn't more flats than I did. Which was about 4 in 3500k. Yet to try the GP4000s but if they are as good or better than their predecessor I won't be dissapointed.