Road Cycling - Question 'bout flats

I've only had the bike since december, it's got michelin pro race tires on it (and stock 'whatever-they-put-in-there' tubes).
So I'm jammin up a hill this morning and *spewwww-da-bump-da-bump-grrrr* flat.
upon inspection of the tire, I found a lovely half spiral metal shard (like from drilled metal plate) sticking into the tire and tube.
fine, change the tube.
back on the road.
what I'm wondering is if there's a better tube out there or if they're all kinda similar?
and
are the michelin pro race going to keep blowin?
and
if there's not much in the way of noticable damage on the tire (small puncture/slice) is it cool to keep riding on it?
(rookie questions, thanks for bearing with me)

I've only had the bike since december, it's got michelin pro race tires on it (and stock 'whatever-they-put-in-there' tubes).
So I'm jammin up a hill this morning and *spewwww-da-bump-da-bump-grrrr* flat.
upon inspection of the tire, I found a lovely half spiral metal shard (like from drilled metal plate) sticking into the tire and tube.
fine, change the tube.
back on the road.
what I'm wondering is if there's a better tube out there or if they're all kinda similar?
and
are the michelin pro race going to keep blowin?
and
if there's not much in the way of noticable damage on the tire (small puncture/slice) is it cool to keep riding on it?
(rookie questions, thanks for bearing with me)

Get yourself some Ultra Gatorskins or Bontrager Hard Cases. They resist flats and both are darn good at it.

thanx
I'll check those out
are they heavier? (don't wanna be adding weight)
meanwhile tho, I've got the michelin set on still (still wondering if it's a hazard)
and anyone know about the tube question? (since I'm going to be buying new stuff anyhow)

You could get some Kevlar belts that go between the tube and the tire.

I ride Pro Race and do not have a problem. Just one pinch flat in the last four months.

Paul

I'm off to the lbs so I'll ask about the kevlar
thanks
yeah, I like the pro race...just wondering if they're suitable for the roads I'm riding (cursed hot desert with too much construction)

Pro Race are very good "performance" tires. But, they are not a durable "high mileage" tire. Generally, high mileage tires are heavier, and don't have quite as much "stick" as performance-oriented tires (it's the same thing with car tires).

You can expect to get around 2,000 miles out of the Pro Race, or a bit less if you get a bad sidewall cut (which is how mine seem to die).

Prices for Pro Race are high...expect to pay around $50 at the LBS, or around $35 at http://www.biketiresdirect.com (best site I've found for tires).

As for your tire - as long as it's not a cut where you can see a bulge from the tube, your tire should be OK.

thanks, there be no bulges so I'll ride the rest of its mileage out
I know they're expensive, don't mind throwing down the cash, I like the feel
thanks for the link, I'll be getting them there

Another vote for the Bontrager Hardcase tires. I think they will be lighter than adding the Kevlar tire liner to you current tire.

I'm using pro race and I notice they're prone to glass splinter sneaking into the tube, only way around this are check your tires everytime you stop, when you find a tiny split use your fingernail and dig into it you'll find unwanted object inside the tiny split. I've not tried other tires yet so any of you guys experience this?

My LBS explained that every ounce added to the wheels or tires feels like two ounces. It has something to do with centrifugal force. If you are a weight weenie, you may want to bear this in mind.

The blasphemer speeks!!

ARMADILLO!!! Yes they are hevier!! Yes, they are about the most flat resistant tire out there!! I have two seasons and winter use on the trainer (EVERY DAY) and they still are quite usable as training/trainer tires. I use them because I ride every morning I can between 5:00 &6:15 AM and it is usually DARK out for most of my ride.

Their selling point is that they have a kevlar layer from bead to bead!! Not just a strip under the main tread area. They come in a variety of sizes (or did). If you want, you can get some older 700x20 from the Specialized web site. I wouldn't, though because the rubber is getting old on them (the older the tire, the harder the rubber gets which results in loss of grip, less flexability etc.) BTW - if you look on the sidewall of your car tires you will see a series of numbers that look strangely like a date. That is the date the tire was built! They put it there for just the reason I mentioned above.

I have Bontreger RaceX Lite tires on the wheels I use for other rides and racing. They are surprisingly sticky for slicks!!

So that is MY opinion!

Wleavy is correct, the Armadillos is the most flat resistent tire currently available on the market. I use them because I commute to work on my bike and don't want to be bothered with a flat. You can hold down your total weight by using Specialize ultralight 65 gram tube or Mich ultralight 70grm tube and these tubes will not increase your chance of flats.

I have had only 2 flats in over 14,000 miles, the first was due to a faulty tube and the second was rider error when I allowed the tire to show cording in some small spots and something penetrated one of those corded areas and I got a flat.

Think of tire selection as a triangle. One corner can be labeled "high performance," one corner is labeled "durable," and one "low cost". Various bicycle tire characteristics can be plotted anywhere inside that triangle.

Specialized Armadillos would be properly plotted on the "durable" corner. There are some lightweight racing tires available that are only good for about 1,000 miles. Probably some Cheng Shin offering would fill the low price corner.

If avoiding flats is your only priority, by all means get the Armadillos. The aramid protective layer in Armadillos wraps all of the way around from bead to bead. That's still no guarantee, a metal shaving like you mentioned might find it's way through, but they are the closest thing to bullet proof. Unfortunately, they are also relatively heavy and they have super stiff sidewalls so the ride characteristics suffer.

The fastest raceing tires are more flat prone because they lack a kevlar belt under the tread. Kevlar belts have a negative effect on performance.

If I were buying one tire to use for everything today, I think that I would get something about halfway in between like maybe some Continental Gatorskins.

I have been using Bontrager Hard Case 700x23 all last fall and winter. I haven't had a flat on them yet. They are a little heavier than other tires, but like someone else said, you can't have it both ways, yet, anyway!

I have two sets of rims, one with the Hard case and the other with Fortezzas. I love the way the Fortezzas ride, but trust the Hard cases to always bring me home with no flats. My 2 cents.