Tandem Cycling - Tire wear

Returning from our 'cool' (40 degrees) tandem toot this afternoon, noticed front tire looked 'wavey'. Checked our log and this tire lasted us 3,559 miles. It was a Maxxis Detonator, 700x25c folding tire.
That's about 400 miles more than the last same brand/size tire that suffered the same 'wavey' fate.
How does your tire wear compare, or don't you keep statistics?

Pedal on TWOgethert!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

I had maxxis detonator's on my road tandem, 700 x 28. I don't know if it was a folding bead or not.

I got about 1100 miles out of them, before the rear tire developed a "wave" suddenly on the MS-Tour, 60 mile ride in NYC. We managed to get through the ride, but the "wave" developed into kind of a blistor or bubble, and in the last 1/2 mile it started to lose air. We made it to the finish line on the bike, but just barely. The front tire still seems to have a lot of life left, but I've put a totally new set of shoes on this horse, leaving the front tire as a backup for my commuter bike.

Rich

How does your tire wear compare, or don't you keep statistics?

I no longer keep track. It was "interesting" when I was searching for the right tires but having settled on Vredestein Fortezza's some 8 years ago, I'm no longer keeping notes. However, what I did learn when I did keep notes is that our tire wear was highly variable depending on how hard we push it, how much climbing we do, how much urban riding with heavy braking we do, etc... Team weight and loading also play into the equation (well, duh), as do road surfaces, tire pressure, and of course the environmental conditions that tires are subjected to, both for storage and while in use. Of course the biggest variable is road hazards and the captain's ability to steer clear of them.

So, as always, it's good to check with folks who have similar team characteristics / riding habits and who ride in your area when trying to figure out which tire will work best for you. When you find a good one, stick with it unless two or more of your preferred tire's durability or performance fall off unexpectedly. I've had a few bad Vredesteins, but have sent them back to Velotec for replacements. I have never paid retail for a set and, instead, have been able to find them for about 33% below MSRP at BikeTiresDirect.com.

I think I've got Michelin Pros on my single bikes.

Through the years we've run the gamut on tire brands; some were better performers than others. Some suddenly developed problems that we did not experience before. There can always be a bad batch of anything, but found that tire manufacturers will switch the country where they are being produced and quality control can also become an issue.
Some of the less expensive tires will ride better, and last longer, than some pricey ones.
Just nice to find out what kind of rubber folks are putting on their tandems.

Just nice to find out what kind of rubber folks are putting on their tandems.
I've got about 1200 miles on a set of Serfas Secas with the wire bead in 700x28. Just replaced the front due to cuts, but the back is still ok. At $20 a pop I'm not complaining.

Just nice to find out what kind of rubber folks are putting on their tandems.

Vredestein 700x23 & 700x25 since 1998

~1,800 - ~2,500 miles on a new tire when first installed on the front and then rotated to the rear when the last installed rear wears through. Tread life on the rear only is about 900 - 1,500 miles. Last 3 out of 4 tires made it to wear-through-to-casing vs. being trashed by a cut; pure luck of the draw.

MSRP: $45, but available for about $29/ea off the web.

Bontrager's Racelite Hardcase is a perfect choice for tandeming. I run 23s, but they come in 25 and 28. Have had poor luck with Michelins, Vredesteins, and Vittorias on a single - won't run them on a tandem. Continentals have always been the best performers I've tried for racing. The Bontrager has a great puncture-proof liner that has been a revelation.

Conti's Gatorskin Ultra (Duraskin K - made in Germany) 23 and 25. Mileage depends on terrain but at least 30% longer on front tire. We get them at biketiresdirect.com

Performance has the Vredesteins at half price . . . time to stock up Mark!
Most puncture proof liners don't seem to make a hoot's worth of difference out here in the desert . . . too many thorns!

Performance has the Vredesteins at half price . . . time to stock up

Thanks Rudy, but at last count I still have 7 new Vreds on hand...

Well, that and there's the other issue: while I think "Smurf Turf" installed on the Boise State football field looks pretty cool, I'm not a fan of the Tri-Comp compounds and don't have tandems with paint jobs that would be complimented by the $21.95 Vredestein Fortezza "SE" (Smurf Edition?) that Performance Bike's been unloading for what seems like 2 years now.
http://www.performancebike.com/product_images/500/50-2729-BLU-SIDE.jpg