Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Armadillo: all condition, elite, or nimbus

I'm really interested in picking up an armadillo for a rear tire for gemeral mayhem in the city, but I was surprised to see how many different tires incorporate armadillo protection. Any insight on the different models, especially on how they compare to one another would be most appreciated. Please direct comments about gatorskins, vittorias, and schwalbes elsewhere.

i skidded through my armadillo elite in a week with ease... not a satisfied customer.

i normally run an armadillo all-condition on one of my bikes, with no real problems. thumbs up for puncture resistance, and when i start to wear through the tread, a red stripe appears to let me know:rolleyes:

my armadillos are amazing... i skid all the time w/ no probs. just got a pair of the nimbus... will try them because i got such a good deal

all condition rear has worked out pretty well for me, although I am not doing tons of skids.

all condition armadillos front and rear, as a messenger here in nyc u cant beat them, i cant tell u the last time i had a flat

i normally run an armadillo all-condition on one of my bikes, with no real problems. thumbs up for puncture resistance, and when i start to wear through the tread, a red stripe appears to let me know:rolleyes:


I keep my armadillo in my trousers.:D

they're great for skidding because they're sh*t for traction. beware the armadillo rider cornering in the rain, or stopping on a wet metal plate.

i use the AC's and love them. aside from the weight, they're the best tires i've used. though, we've gotten some defective ones at the store i work at, so be careful. get a good look before you buy them

Vittoria Rubino Pro's have been very swee to me.

I ride with an Armadillo All Conditions in back and a Conti 4 Season or Conti GP 4000 in front.
Any other tire in back lasts me about a week.

yeah I had an armadillo all condition last 17 months with no flats before it finally blew out. And I did plenty of skidding/skipping. the other one bought with it has been moved to rear tire duty and is on month 20 now.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but it seemed an appropriate place...

For you guys skidding a lot and running the Armadillo ACs: What's your gear ratio?

I'm not certain if I'm burning through tires 'cause I'm not using the right tires, or because of my gear ratio. I'm running a 42x16 on my commute bike (got a couple good climbs going to work) which, if I can remember from the "skid spots" threads, is supposed to give me 8 skid spots (If I'm skidding with alternate feet, which I do, but I favor the right.). However, it seems that I always wear through at one or two spots.

I'm considering gearing down to a 15 to give me that magical, mutually-prime combo which is supposed to provide me with mutliple, random skid spots.

Which would increase my rear tire life more, Armadillos, or a gear change?

-Trevor

42x15 gives you 5

42x15 gives you 5

Oops. I'm mistaken in that 42 and 15 are not mutually prime (duh!), but I'm not sure how a common factor of 3 equates to 5 skid-spots.

Have to go read the explanation again.

Edit:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=166218

On review, it appears the combo I'm looking for is 44x17. Same ratio, 17 skid patches vs. 5.

That's going to require a new cog *and* a new chainring though. Wonder if I'd recoup the expense, in savings on tires?

Or I could just use the brake, but what fun would that be?

-Trevor

divide the cog # by the greatest common factor (right?). thus, 5

All condition, 11 months, no flats. We sell the ***** outta them in my shop. Kevlar weave, literally bulletproof, no?

Only been skippin and skiddin for 5 or so of them months, but no red coming through yet

fedex just delivered the all condition armadillo i ordered from specialized. i have to say that it rolls so much nicer than I expected. after hearing about how badly they roll compared to a decent road tire i expected it to be sluggish as hell. for my rear tire, it's pretty much ideal as far as i'm concerned.

afaik:
the conti gatorskin and vittoria zaffrio offer arguably enough puncture protection to make up for the ride.
the schwalbe marathons are significantly heavier and slower rolling than a 'dillo
the bontrager hardcases possibly have better skid durability.

i skidded through my armadillo elite in a week with ease... not a satisfied customer.

i killed one in a month. those tires are the most over-hyped crap ever.

all condition elite != all condition

I saw an absolutely destroyed pair that were only about a month and a half old. I'm not sure I'll ever ride on them.

I saw an absolutely destroyed pair that were only about a month and a half old. I'm not sure I'll ever ride on them.

so what's the alternative?

i mean, i've never heard of a tire that has lasted much longer than a month of hard skidding. that doesn't mean there isn't one. you also have to figure in how many skid patches someone has - if it's low, then of course the tires are going to get beat to **** in a short amount of time.

i skid and skip a moderate amount, and for flat protection I fail to see a better alternative.

i skidded through my armadillo elite in a week with ease... not a satisfied customer.

i think that has more to do with moronic behavior than bad product. if you skid excessively like an 8 year old, guess what, your tires aren't going to last very long. learn how to ride smoother and slow yourself with your legs, or *gasp* use a brake rather than skidding for 50 feet every time there's a red light.

that's like saying "i put a dura ace rear derailleur on my freeride bike and it broke on the frist ride. that stuff is utter crap."

i wouldn't say it's moronic. i just would rather not have to replace my rear tire every month. it's a lot of fun skidding around. $30-$50 isn't a ton of money, but i'd rather spend it otherwise.

The dumpster is your best friend. That's where my rear tires come from.

i wouldn't say it's moronic. i just would rather not have to replace my rear tire every month. it's a lot of fun skidding around. $30-$50 isn't a ton of money, but i'd rather spend it otherwise.

what else would you call it when a person spends $50 on a tire, then proceeds to shred it on the pavement, then complains about it not lasting long enough? i'll agree, it is a lot of fun skidding around, but it's a lot more fun to not have to buy new tires every month and save up some old tires for the skid comps.

I also purposefully run 48-17 to have 17 skid patches. My tires last me a while.

so what's the alternative?

i mean, i've never heard of a tire that has lasted much longer than a month of hard skidding. that doesn't mean there isn't one. you also have to figure in how many skid patches someone has - if it's low, then of course the tires are going to get beat to **** in a short amount of time.

i skid and skip a moderate amount, and for flat protection I fail to see a better alternative.
These armadillos were on a 21-speed hybrid, so there really shouldn't have been that much wear. Personally, I opt for really cheap/free tires, which I guess doesn't make me a prime Armadillo candidate anyway.

ive found the armadillos to be pretty decent and last a good while.
although, i reccommend "the soma experimental" tire for those looking for a tire to last a bit longer than usual. its made to be thicker than normal at the crest of the tire, 5mm of thickness, so theres plenty to skid away at.

okay, something is not right about that story. either the wheels were so out of true that they rubbed constantly, the brakes were mal-adjusted so they worn through the sidewall, or the person riding it was skidding all over the place on it. or the person was flat out lying, or not aware of the passage of time.

armadillos simply do not wear out after a month, no tire does, unless it's been ridden 10,000 miles, and even then, it's not completely thrashed. hell, i had a pair on my fixie for two years before the sidewall finally blew out, and that was just a tiny hole from an uneven spot in the pavement. the tread was still good!

Most likely a lie. You can't believe everything you hear, so if it doesn't sound plausible; it's most likely not.
Skidding through a tire in 1 week is absolutely ridiculous anyways. You'd have to be skidding 24/7 to kill it, I would think... I think it depends in what manner you skid also. If you put a lot of weight forwards your rear wheel and the ground really doesn't cause as much friction as they would if you were sitting in your seat and trying to skid from that position. (Good luck on that though..)

ive never run through armadillos that fast, maybe in 4-6 weeks or so.

i killed a rubino in one night once, doing skids the entire way down russian hill during a critical mass back in sf. the crowd was too close together and going too slow to do anything other than block long skids all the way down.



oh and i just looked on SOMA's site and they are now calling the experimental tire "Everwear 5mm", comes in 23 and 26c

i think that has more to do with moronic behavior than bad product. if you skid excessively like an 8 year old, guess what, your tires aren't going to last very long. learn how to ride smoother and slow yourself with your legs, or *gasp* use a brake rather than skidding for 50 feet every time there's a red light.

that's like saying "i put a dura ace rear derailleur on my freeride bike and it broke on the frist ride. that stuff is utter crap."

Wow so much hostility . I very rarely do long skids, mostly in the seat powerslide type things IF that. I do wear out tires fairly fast (usually take a couple months) but a week is just bad. I was only commenting on my personal experience with them, no reason to take up arms.....

what else would you call it when a person spends $50 on a tire, then proceeds to shred it on the pavement, then complains about it not lasting long enough?

i call it riding your bike in traffic on poorly maintained road surfaces. tires wear out when you ride your bike and use your tires as brakepads. i'm personally not complaining. i couldn't care less. tires wear out, you buy new tires. big deal.

i've found the solution to be fortezza tricomps. armadillos are not the end all be all. they're just tires. any premium racing tire with some modicum of puncture resistance will afford you a good ride and a relatively durable tire--possibly, yes... even moreso than an armadillo.

there are also countless ways to destroy a tire. skidding's only one of them. tire longevity on the street is more or less a pointless conversation to have unless you live in a blacktop utopia without sharp, unmaintained and damaged steel curbs, manhole inverts, utility vaults, road spikes, glass, steel detritus and recently saw-cut, stripped and gravel and metal-strewn streets where friction is the only wearing variable on your tires.

so what's the alternative?

i mean, i've never heard of a tire that has lasted much longer than a month of hard skidding.

i rode on a schwalbe blizzard (w/ kevlar belt) for 5 months (about 1000 miles), brakeless (when i relied on skipping and skidding to stop, instead of resisting), before i noticed that i wore through the tread. and i got it for twenty bucks. not bad.

i call it riding your bike in traffic on poorly maintained road surfaces. tires wear out when you ride your bike and use your tires as brakepads. i'm personally not complaining. i couldn't care less. tires wear out, you buy new tires. big deal.

i've found the solution to be fortezza tricomps. armadillos are not the end all be all. they're just tires. any premium racing tire with some modicum of puncture resistance will afford you a good ride and a relatively durable tire--possibly, yes... even moreso than an armadillo.

there are also countless ways to destroy a tire. skidding's only one of them. tire longevity on the street is more or less a pointless conversation to have unless you live in a blacktop utopia without sharp, unmaintained and damaged steel curbs, manhole inverts, utility vaults, road spikes, glass, steel detritus and recently saw-cut, stripped and gravel and metal-strewn streets where friction is the only wearing variable on your tires.

i dunno man, i live in oakland, ride around here and in SF all the time and my tires last me a lot longer than a month. more like 6 or so. before i lived here, i rode in boston, year-round and could hang onto tires just as long. if you're gonna ride like an idiot, your parts aren't going to last.

Armadillo AC for 3 years in NYC now with no flats. I have pulled out huge jagged pieces of glass and metal and they will still be fine. I swap out the rear when I start to get red spots, which is generally not that often as I only skid when I have to.

i dunno man, i live in oakland, ride around here and in SF all the time and my tires last me a lot longer than a month. more like 6 or so. before i lived here, i rode in boston, year-round and could hang onto tires just as long. if you're gonna ride like an idiot, your parts aren't going to last.

not sure what part of riding/racing thru 4 boros of bad streets is riding like an idiot, but, um... sure.

most likely the part controlling the bike.

this is a bit late, and i havnt read the thread thoroughly. so this may be a repeat.

i rode some all condition armadillos for a while and hated them. good part of them was not getting flats. but harsh ride and in the rain always felt like i was going to slip out - hitting manhole covers felt like riding on ice.

i switched to michelin spediums (est$30) on one bike, on the other riding the performance special Vredestein Fortezza SE (on sale for est.$25)

also, i dont skid so that may or maynot help you.

You'd have to be skidding 24/7 to kill it, I would think...

that's an intense ratio

i think that has more to do with moronic behavior than bad product. if you skid excessively like an 8 year old, guess what, your tires aren't going to last very long. learn how to ride smoother and slow yourself with your legs, or *gasp* use a brake rather than skidding for 50 feet every time there's a red light.

+1

most likely the part controlling the bike.

you're cute--with a large penis, an infinite IQ and wealth beyond imagination. my hero!

you're cute--with a large penis, an infinite IQ and wealth beyond imagination. my hero!

*chortle chortle*

nice argument, mr. anarchisto/hipster/tough guy. you sure showed me... i'll be sure to skid through all my tires today, just so i can be exactly like you, with your small penis, IQ of a toddler, and debt for the next 100 years...or something. *****in' avatar, by the way. i bet your tats are as FIERCE as your track skillz!

if you have to dress me up as something i'm most assuredly not to argue with me about tire longevity and the effect that riding like an idiot has on it, then by all means. whether you're aware of it or not, you can ride and race all over the 4 boroughs without wasting a tire in a month/riding like an idiot.

Does noone else ride on regular rubinos?
-Cheap
-Kevlar belt
-relatively sticky edges for good cornering
-tough center for long life

Why would anyone use $50 tires for every day use especially if they are going to misuse them?

Does noone else ride on regular rubinos?
-Cheap
-Kevlar belt
-relatively sticky edges for good cornering
-tough center for long life

Why would anyone use $50 tires for every day use especially if they are going to misuse them?

EXACTLY! i get most of my tires (for commuting purposes) from customers who've just replaced their's either that, or i buy the cheapies. if they're going on my road or MTB, i buy good quality, new tires. it's not so much the mis-use, it's the complaining about the tires not lasting AFTER thr misuse that bothers me. that's where the idiocy comes in. don't expect something to last if you're not going to take care of it.

coincidentally glass sliced the casing on my rear axial pro this weekend. I managed to ghetto patch it and run 20psi over to the nearest shop, where I got a 23c Amadillo All-condition and threw it on. Initially it felt slippery, and I thought it would get better after some riding/skidding. Now i've been running on it all this week (~100miles) with no improvement. Today was rainy, and damn, it was fun but I wouldn't run one of these in the front. They my be puncture resistant, but I wouldn't call this an "all condition" tire.

you're cute--with a large penis, an infinite IQ and wealth beyond imagination. my hero!

That counter point sort of missed the target, no?

I believe if you chew through a tire that fast.. you are on the extreme side of use. I won't call you a liar because I destroyed a Armadillo in 4 months.. mostly from screwing and round skidding and then hitting some sheet metal. But in your case, nothing would suit your purposes, really.

i wouldn't run an all-condition armadillo on the front either. it's a very stiff tire out of the box. it also has a small contact patch with the road.

Hi

I commute 21 miles per day on London roads and I have been using 700x23C armadillo a/c's for four year now and find that they give me about 2500 miles before my first puncture (at which point I simply replace them). However I find these tyres are really uncomfortable. I have recently heard about the elites. Does anyone know how the a/c's compare to the elites in terms of weight and durability. Also with the a/c's I find that if I get a puncture they are slow meaning that at least I can leave the bike at home or at work and catch the train. Is this the same for the elites ?


thanks.