Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - street tuff tires?

I was looking at specialized Armadillos?

any good/bad things?

any other suggestions for 25 - 28 wide 700c tires that will handle street abuse?

Schwalbe Marathon are great armored commuter tires... get the non slick option for even more toughness. I run the 28s on my geared bike and haven't flatted yet in over 1000 km of riding. *knocks wood, turns around three times, throws salt over left shoulder*

amardillos:
+ super tough
- handling

i've heard good things about soma everwears though

I'm running a set of Continental Ultrasports that I've had good luck with so far-- came with the bike so I'm just waiting until they wear down to throw some Gatorskins on. Anyhow, I've run over plenty of glass, found a shard or two in the tire after a ride and no problems. They're pretty cheap, too.

amardillos:
+ super tough
- handling

i've heard good things about soma everwears though


very true on the armadillos, I've been rocking them for 4 or 5 months now, so probably about a 1000 miles on them, and they're still going strong. However, I definately don't feel as comfortable cornering hard on them as I have on other tires. I've heard they wear super-fast on skids though (I run a brake and use it, so I have no idea).

Gatorskins are tough as hell and have great traction, even in the rain.

Vittoria Randonneur
http://bicycleplanet.net/merchant/461/images/site/randonneur.jpg

I've been using armadillos since about June. They take skipping and skidding well. I skip a lot and I am happy with their performance. I don't have a problem cornering at all, but I also don't lean into turns too much because of massive pedal scraping with my awesomely low bottom bracket.

conti gp 4 seasons. Near invincible.

I've had gatorskins on my winter bike (not fixed) for 2000 miles.
very hardwearing and cheap.

I like vittoria evo cx's as a day to day/ race type tyre but they wear way too fast for serious winter useage.

I've heard very good things about the rubino's but i've never used them myself.

gators are recommended though, dead tough, but they grip too

Soma (Panaracer) Everwear
Rivendell (panaracer) Ruffy-Tuffy
Pretty much anything Continental, though Gatorskins don't get very good traction.

I've been riding on Gatorskins for two years now without
a single flat.

I really like my Everwears, although they don't have a kevlar band and only go up to 26mm. They ride really nicely and go up to 140 psi, though. No flats thus far (5 months).

Ive been looking into specialized flak-jackets. they seem like a decent cheaper alternative to armadillos.

Vittoria Randonneur
http://bicycleplanet.net/merchant/461/images/site/randonneur.jpg


took the words right out of my mouth. i thought armadillos were bombproof, then i found these. these define "bombproof".

randonneur in back, racelite hardcase in front...flat-free for a looooong time.

The Randonneur doesn't come any narrower than 27?

I ride with an Armadillo in back and a Conti 4 Seasons GP in front.

This combo handles beautifully.

The Conti grips wet and dry surfaces and has enough armor for a front tire.

The Armadillo takes a beating and keeps on rolling.

I weigh 235 all up and run into a lot of glass.

very true on the armadillos, I've been rocking them for 4 or 5 months now, so probably about a 1000 miles on them, and they're still going strong. However, I definately don't feel as comfortable cornering hard on them as I have on other tires. I've heard they wear super-fast on skids though (I run a brake and use it, so I have no idea).

Nah. I've been skidding my heart away on some Armadillos in the back for 6 months now, they've handled very well until the last 3 or so weeks. Now there's definitely a strange sound if/when I skid them as opposed to before it sounded normal, but I've checked numerous times and they're still not worn down to the threads. People say they don't handle as well but for me I don't know the difference yet, I haven't exactly ridden anything else regularly except stock oldschool Schwinn tires (Varisty and Le Tour) and MTB tires (snow eaters :)). But I'll be switching to Gatorskins after they're completely dead.

I've also never suffered a flat and I ride through plenty of glass and pebbles, and I'm running a Vittoria Zaffino up front which also hasn't popped out yet.

Does anyone run Michelin Pro2's? Any good?

Does anyone make a Baltimore proof tire, that will withstand needles, broken crack viles, crab shell fragments, and gunshots?

Does anyone run Michelin Pro2's? Any good?

I ran them for three weeks. I was skidding a lot and caught a piece of glass. It took a chunk out that went down to the threads.

I gave up on michelin after that.

--Aaron

I was looking at specialized Armadillos?

any good/bad things?

any other suggestions for 25 - 28 wide 700c tires that will handle street abuse?

Schwalbe Marathon Plus - indestructible. They have 700Cx25, 700Cx28, 700Cx32, 700Cx35, 700Cx47 and maybe other! Knock yourself off. Roll well on road and dirt, and since they will last forever, they are good value for money, regardless of how much you pay for them. Still, in the US you should be able to get them for around $30.

Did I mention they are indestructible?

Does anyone make a Baltimore proof tire, that will withstand needles, broken crack viles, crab shell fragments, and gunshots?

Jeah. Gatorskins. I always tell people you can ride over razor blades with them.

They are practical in the B-More City, too. I think mine have taken about 30 Tec-9 rounds on Charles Street. No North Avenue yet, though. I don't have a death wish.

baltimore is hard shizi. I was there for less than an hour and a half for lunch on a road trip and saw tons of crackheads yelling at anyone and everyone.

But yea, gatorskins are good stuff. I wouldn't put an armadillo in the front, but I seem to get more flats in the rear tire than the front.

ive been running armadillos regularly for about 3 years (not the same set obviously) and they are pretty great in regards to flat protection. they dont grip all that well, but just keep it in mind and you are golden.

specialized also makes the armadillo elite, which is folding bead instead of wire and gives much better grip. the rolling area offers just as much protection but the sidewalls are thinner. i rode these for a few months but a sharp rock got the best of the flexible sidewall.

i vote for the 'dillos

Schwalbe Stelvio plus if you don't skid.
Grippy as hell.

Jeah. Gatorskins. I always tell people you can ride over razor blades with them.

They are practical in the B-More City, too. I think mine have taken about 30 Tec-9 rounds on Charles Street. No North Avenue yet, though. I don't have a death wish.

Word, I think that's what my girl rides. I live in reservoir hill, whitelock and madison, so mine definitely need to be armor plated or something.

I run a belted gatorskin in the back and schwalbe stelvio in the front.


Hold up pretty well and corner better than armadillos.

Schwalbe Blizzards - have a kevlar band for puncture resistance. Got em 1/2 price on ebay.

Vredstein Ricorso MK2 700x23 / 125 psi?

Schwalbe Stelvio plus if you don't skid.
Grippy as hell.

Yeah my friend has some and they feel super nice and smooth, but man, they don't handle skids well at all.

Vredstein Ricorso MK2 700x23 / 125 psi?

these didn't hold up very well for me.

32c Continental Contacts on my Steamroller.

Run the with the pressure somewhere between 55 and 70 and the snow ain't sh*t.

Armadillos are great pretty much all the time. I never get flats with them and there is tons of glass and other **** on the streets. The other night, I was taking a turn in the rain and ran over what must have been a rather large chicken bone and I just crushed the thing and kept riding. The tires are grippy and sometimes that is problematic, like after the rain or riding on wet streets, you can start to feel that they are almost sticking to the pavement. Some people don't like the stiffness of them as they sidwalls are pretty hard.

I had ****tly luck with a pair of Rubinos I bought but am willing to give them a second chance. They got slits across the tread or from the sidewall onto the tread. I actually had a small bone fragment pierce the tire and go through the tube in two spots.They are popular in NYC so I assume everyone else doesnt' have the same problems.

My next set of tires are going to be Schwable Stevlios. Keblar belt and supposed to be a nice ride. Not really sure how skipping and skidding on them will be. I don't wear through tires that fast despite a good amount of skipping and skidding. A friend rides them and says he gets about 6 weeks out of a rear tire.

i liked a schwalbe marathon i had once.
i was unimpressed by aradillos. felt flatproof in exchange for barely feeling like i was riding on a tire. plus, i skidded through it way too fast. admittedly, i was under the impression that it would hold up, and it didn't.
riding vittoria rubino pro's right now. they feel great but they wear a lot from skidding; i try not to do it too much. the tires have very good flat protection. i get lots of glass imbedded, and no puncture flats.

a dude (eddiebrannan) who rides michelin pro race 2s swears by them, and it caught my attention. he said he rode on a set for over a year, maybe close to two, with very good flat protection, and really significant durability. maybe i'll keep my eyes peeled for a set on sale and go for them next.

Can we close this thread out when 25 different tire types are mentioned? I think we're at about 18 now.

I don't think I'd call Armadillos grippy. Or sticky. I feel like I'm gonna slip out when I ride them, they feel like they are made of plastic.

I ride Rubino Pros. I've hit glass and haven't had it puncture (there is a puncture resistant belt). Sometimes I get pinch flats, but when I get them, its usually a pinch flat that I think would happen regardless of what tire I was riding. (ie- missing a hop up a curb to hitting really hard on the corner with my rear wheel.)

edit: its all personal preferance. don't take my word for the plastic feeling of armadillos, try it out for yourself.

Can we close this thread out when 25 different tire types are mentioned? I think we're at about 18 now.
I'll add Serfas Secas. They're were about 20 bucks each and haven't had any major issues. Only one flat but it was a roofing tack, so I'm pretty sure it was inevitable.

I also think Pananracer stradius sucked.

i liked a schwalbe marathon i had once.
i was unimpressed by aradillos. felt flatproof in exchange for barely feeling like i was riding on a tire. plus, i skidded through it way too fast. admittedly, i was under the impression that it would hold up, and it didn't.
riding vittoria rubino pro's right now. they feel great but they wear a lot from skidding; i try not to do it too much. the tires have very good flat protection. i get lots of glass imbedded, and no puncture flats.

a dude (eddiebrannan) who rides michelin pro race 2s swears by them, and it caught my attention. he said he rode on a set for over a year, maybe close to two, with very good flat protection, and really significant durability. maybe i'll keep my eyes peeled for a set on sale and go for them next.

Im in the same boat, i hated the feel of the armadillo's, and needed a cheap set to get off of the specialized as soon as possible, and ended up with a pair of rubino's. They have fair protection, i've had a flat or two on them, but have put a good amount of miles on them. However, I've since upgrade to the pro races, and they feel nice. The lack a heavy Kevlar bead, yet still have not yet been punctured. So far, quite impressed with them, but it's too soon to know if I'll swear by 'em.

Also, i forgot about one more tire, strangely enough, i had a pair of race tires, vreadstein's fortezza tricomps, in a cool orange color nonetheless, and despite putting a few thousands of miles, not a single flat, strangely i ran them low as 80 at times, others as high as 145-150psi. So that goes to show, not everyone needs a heavy, clunky, harsh-riding tire to stay on top of the crap in the streets.

And a little disclaimer that might have an impact on my tire's results, i weight in at a mere 145lbs, which I suppose classifies me as a lightweight rider.

Im in the same boat, i hated the feel of the armadillo's, and needed a cheap set to get off of the specialized as soon as possible, and ended up with a pair of rubino's. They have fair protection, i've had a flat or two on them, but have put a good amount of miles on them. However, I've since upgrade to the pro races, and they feel nice. The lack a heavy Kevlar bead, yet still have not yet been punctured. So far, quite impressed with them, but it's too soon to know if I'll swear by 'em.



Maybe it's my poor english again, but what does the bead material have to do with puncture resistance? I though having kevlar/aramid beads actually makes the tire lighter - compared to the traditional steel bead. Neither has any function in protecting the tire itself.

Am I missunderstanding something here? I am never 100% sure, not being a native english speaker.

Any Specialized tire is going to be decent, at least in my exp.

I ride the "All-Conditions" non armadilo.. decent tire. decent flat protection.

Armadilo's are a bit heavier.

Any Specialized tire is going to be decent, at least in my exp.



I really liked the 1.25X26" slicks that specialized sells, but i've had some flat problems with their flack jacket road tires- i don't thing the belt extends far enough up the tire, where they have some tread which picks up glass & other sharp stuff. I kept getting punctures on the margin of the tread.

I cheered when i finally wore out a pair of amadillos and could take them off my bike. They rode that badly. No punctures though.

i think the michelin pro2's are great tires; but not for fixed gear rear wheels.

they are so freakin thin... after about 1.5 months i replaced mine cause i got the second piece of glass in it and i just couldn't understand how a tire that thin should hold up.

still have one on the front though, they roll like magic.

i am in the market for one of them everwears in back when i wear out my current gatorskin. my last gatorskin died prematurely due to an ugly cut. we'll see how dis one does.

Maybe it's my poor english again, but what does the bead material have to do with puncture resistance? I though having kevlar/aramid beads actually makes the tire lighter - compared to the traditional steel bead. Neither has any function in protecting the tire itself.

Am I missunderstanding something here? I am never 100% sure, not being a native english speaker.

I think he was using "bead" and "heavy" very loosely. "bead" in this case means "protective belt", and "heavy" means "resistant to puncture".

I think he was using "bead" and "heavy" very loosely. "bead" in this case means "protective belt",
You're right about this one, he must have meant the kevlar belt.



and "heavy" means "resistant to puncture".
I don't think jimbo had this in mind. I think he deliberately used "heavy" to mean "heavy", because he gives it a negative connotation.

Man... You guys kill me and you all must watch too much of The Wire because the streets I ride are not nearly as bad as you make them out to be. I also stay out of alleys so that could be it too. I live in Charles Village and ride to Catonsville (through West Bmore) via N. Ave to Fulton and yeah I see the crack viles and needles, but I also see hookers. I am not trying to ride over them so why would I want to ride over the other crap in the street? I am rolling on Panaracers with great luck. Maybe it is just me.

My experience: +1 for the 'dillos. -1 for the Conti products.

For commuting, love the reflective sidewalls on the dillos.

ffff

I'm running Randonneurs AND Mr. Tuffy liners on my commuter right now. Mr. Tuffys are the ****. Run dem tires until they're bald (and then some) and throw the liners in a new set. I'll gladly sacifice a little suppleness for reliability, at least for getting to work.

The Everwears are nice - pretty supple for such a thick tire. All that rubber makes em' pretty tall so be careful if your bike has tight clearances.

Does anyone run Michelin Pro2's? Any good?

Great for traction and lightweight and they ride great too. They SUCK at being tough though since they are straight up race tires.

Armadillo all the way for city riding. I dont care as much for the way the new style ones ride and corner but they are indestructable.
I used them for years and thousands of miles and never got one flat.
The old style armadillos were much better for ride and handling but you can't find them anywhere anymore.

I had a nasty flat once with gatorskins (big ole piece of glass) so I beefed up the rear wheel with some Mr Tuffies.

Mr Tuffies + ultra gatorskins = armored personal carrier of bicycles

Maybe it's my poor english again, but what does the bead material have to do with puncture resistance? I though having kevlar/aramid beads actually makes the tire lighter - compared to the traditional steel bead. Neither has any function in protecting the tire itself.

Am I missunderstanding something here? I am never 100% sure, not being a native english speaker.

Yes, you're right. People often get mixed up between "kevlar bead", which generally just means "folding tire", and "kevlar belt", which indicates a layer of kevlar under the contact area, which is supposed to reduce punctures.

Er. Just like everyone else has already said. Oh well.