Commuting - Couple basic questions before I purchase new tires/tubes

Hello,

To sum it up: I'm new to cycling; I bought a Felt SR91 3 weeks ago; and I got a flat tire on Saturday.

I want to be able to commute to work on my bike; its 7 miles and I'd mainly be riding on the sidewalk. On a test ride to my work on Saturday I must have hit a nice piece of beer bottle and put a nice gash in my tire and tube. The LBS said the tire is shot and I need a new one. I posted a message in the General Forums and they agreed. A couple people recommended just getting a set of Armadillos.

The LBS said they have the Armadillos for $30. and I have 2 spare tubes (just regular Specialized presta valves). Here are some of my questions...

1.) After looking on specialized.com, I found 2 Armadillo tires that are my size (700x28), the 04 Nimbus Armadillo Tire and the 04 All Condition Armadillo Tire. Which ones do I want?

2.) After doing a search for Armadillos on this site, it seems that they (Armadillo tires) are wider than 'normal' tires in any specified size... Well, the current tires came on the bike and they are 700x28... Should I get 700x28 then? Or should I go with a thinner tire because they are made wider?

3.) What kind of tubes should I use? When I searched above, I also read that alot of people use the Specialized Turbo tubes, which are lighter. Well, that tube isn't available in 700x28, however the 04 Thorn Resistant Racing Road Tube is. It says 700x20/28, should I exchange my current "standard" tubes for these? If they offer more protection and weigh less, I'm all about it. Not that money grows on trees, but, some people said they've been using Armadillos for like 3000 miles... and for the extra $2-3, I'll take the weight savings.

4.) Is there a webpage that has good instructions on how to change the tire/tube? And what tools should I get? Just a tire lever? I've seen these in both plastic and metal; which is better?

thanks!
-mike

PS. My riding will be commuting to work when the weather is nice, and probably some rain storms on the way back home (it rains like every afternoon in SWFL during the summer). Most of the commute will be sidewalks or paved roads and then some 'cruising' around the neighborhood with my girlfriend. No snow or ice. ;)

Personally I would go with the 04 All Condition Armadillo Tire in a 700 x 25 with any old tube say one from performance doesn't have to be anything special or light weight. The Armadillo is a heavy tire and a heavy tube isn't going to make much of a difference. The tires work pretty good in the rain also. I have gone through 3 sets and have no complaints.

I recently changed from nobs to the all condition Armadillo 28s on my cyclocross (for road riding purposes). Have no complaints at all. You will only notice a very slight difference in width. They are a well-designed tire, but a little heavier. I was concerned with punctures and protection, so it was worth a slight more weight--not noticeable, though. Go with the plastic tire levers. You will find that the Armadillos are a little tighter when putting them on the rim, but that's because they are a little stiffer than standard tires.

Cheers,

Urbanmonk

How to change a tire... (http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQtires.shtml)

I'd go with the All Condition Armadillo in 700x25, unless you don't feel particularly stable on a bike.

I'm pretty sure the turbo tube (.6mm thick) will be lighter than the racing thorn resistant tube (.8mm thick). Whatever the case, with an Armadillo tire it's not necessary to also have a thorn resistant tube - the tire will do that for you.

I agree with Urbanmonk - go with the plastic tire levers. The Park Tool ones have served me well (the TL-1s (http://www.parktool.com/tools/TL_1.shtml)).

I'm running a pair of 700X25 Armadillos on mine, and they are bigger than the 28s a guy had on his bike at our ride last Sunday. If you are thinking about the 700X28s, look at the Continental Top Touring 2000 also. I've heard that they have less rolling resistance than the 28 Armadillo(it was someone on here). The 23 and 25 Armadillos are the regular road tire tread. Remember that the Armadillo wire bead is fairly stiff, so when you are putting the tire on you'll need to take small "bites" with the tire lever as you put the last few inches of tire on the rim. I usually can do less than 2 inches each time. Sometimes I have to stick one lever in the other end of the section I'm working onto the rim, to keep it from coming out again. Don't forget to keep poking the tube up out of the way with the end of the tire lever to avoid pinches.
Use regular tubes. I get the Specialized long stems from the same shop I get the Armadillos at.
Plastic tire levers are the only way to go. I watch the sales at REI, and get a set of three for just over $2. I'd avoid the green ones from Performance right now. They have a mold problem that leaves a sharp ridge around the end that you put under the bead, which could cut the tube. I filed that off. The ones I usually carry in my saddle bag are some slightly curved ones from Trek.
Why are you riding on the sidewalk? Unless there's something special about your route, it should be easier in the street.
I've also found that I get a nice ride if I keep the rear tire inflated to 100-105 psi, and the front one about 90-95 psi. I weigh about 223, so this should be good for almost anyone.

Oh, congrats on the new bike!!!

hey guys,

once again, thanks for the feedback!

old and busted:
http://pages.sssnet.com/mikey/bike/armadillo/p2160011.jpg

new hottness:
http://pages.sssnet.com/mikey/bike/armadillo/p2160012.jpg

back in business:
http://pages.sssnet.com/mikey/bike/armadillo/P2160015.jpg

I picked up a set of 700x25 Armadillos and installed those with a new Specialized 'regular' 700x20/28 tube.

I think I did it right... guess I'll find out... ;)

What tire pressures should I run? I pumped them both to 100 at the moment... the new tires says minimum recommended 115, and maximum recommended is 125

thanks again,
-mike

Congrats on the new purchases! The Armadillos should be much more flat resistant than the originals. I'd be running them around the 115-120 mark, personally. Tire pressures are a very personal thing, but if you run them too low you'll risk pinch flatting (e.g. you hit a bump and the tire is allowed to compress enough to 'pinch' the tube against the rim - 2 holes in the tube and a very rapid deflation... not fun!)

If your using the Armadillos then use the lightest tube you can find because the flat protection in the Armadillo is the best you can get in a tire, if anything penetrates that tire the thorn resistent tire won't stop it either!