Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Durable rear tire? (newbie alert)

I'm sure this has been discussed a million times, but I'm looking for a cheap tire that will last decently long under the abuse I give it. I've been playing around with stupid tricks like no handed skids, and will continue to misuse and abuse the rear tire, so I just want the hardest compound and thickest tread out there...

Thanks! Sorry for the newbie question

Soma Everwears last forever! no joke.

I'll have to check them out. I have a strong preference for tires that are available to my LBS, though...

gatorskins (http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/tires/race/ultra_gatorskin/ultra_gatorskin_en.html) have a long life.

i really like gatorskins. they're far superior to armadillos and last longer than rubino pros. i'm trying a bontrager racelite hardcase right now, on one bike.

Unless you're rich, just throw on any cheapass tires your LBS has.

Continental Gatorskins, Specialized Armadillos, Michelin Krylion Carbons, and Schwalbe Marathons are all among the longer lasting (and very puncture resistant) tires out there.

But if you check Nashbar or Performance, Michelin Speedium tires may still be avalible for $10 each. You can get 4-5 of those for the price of one of the aforementioned heavy duty tires. :)

My friends and I all get great life out of Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case tires or Continental Gatorskins.

Also note that you need to think about how many skid patches you have based on your chainring/cog setup.

Do they still sell those solid rubber tires at wal mart? ;)

Solid rubber tires, eh? Sounds like a good plan to me. I'll probably pick up gatorskin next - I have a wire bead rubino on there now, and it's about do die a heroic death after just a few hundred miles... Thanks for all the great suggestions!

Ordering a gatorskin (ultra). I'm looking into availablility of the Soma tires. I figure I'll be back in the market in a few weeks anyway :P

vittoria randonneurs.

gators are excellent.

ive had good luck with kenda contenders. very good for the price.

i've had nothing but trouble with the bontrager racelite hard cases. a little piece of road medal sliced all the way through the kevlar and tube on one and the other had a defect in the wire bead. yet another fine product made in taiwan.

Unless you're rich, just throw on any cheapass tires your LBS has.

+1 any tire can get a flat, so spending 3x the $$ for one that will wear out in the same amount of time, and maybe have one or 2 less flats in that period doesn't make much sense. ride enough and you'll have to patch tires sooner or later anyways.

No flats yet in about 1800 kms on my racelite hard cases. Note that they are not the same as racelites. I really like that they are armored but have no tread and dual compound for better grip + longer wear. My Marathons are great too and a bit knobby, I have em on my tourer and they havent flatted either.

i've had nothing but trouble with the bontrager racelite hard cases. a little piece of road medal sliced all the way through the kevlar and tube on one and the other had a defect in the wire bead. yet another fine product made in taiwan.

yeah, hardcases didn't last too long for me, I skidded through them pretty fast. Too bad because they rode really nicely. I never got a puncture though.

gatorstinks ride much better than armadillos and have lasted longer for me, and randonneurs last longer, skid easily, are cheap, but have a worse ride on smooth pavement.

I use both.

I've been riding gatorskins for over a year now and got my first ever flat with them today, though it wasn't because of a puncture (I checked both the tire and the rim thoroughly before putting the new tube in). The cheap, generic tube simply decided to blow out while I was riding.

Concerning wear: I don't skid, but I've put at least several hundred miles (I don't really keep track of my mileage) on each pair (I have them on two bikes) and they still look practically brand new; the "tread" is worn down very little compared to the new set hanging in my garage.