Commuting - Bulletproof tires...

Has anyone had the chance to check out the specialized armadillo nimbus? I'm wanting to try out the 38c's but I don't want to go dropping $60 before I get some opinions... They're pretty heavy at 1.5 lbs. each, but at 3.8 cm width with armadillo tech., I would think they would be superb for curb hopping, road debris, potholes etc.

it's what i'm gonna get unless there is anything better. i mean i'll be getting the hemishpere

I've got the hemisphere's with the flak jacket, which uses the same tough rubber compound as the armadillo without the kevlar belt.

Last week when I looked over my tires and there were about *50* little tears in the center thread about 1mm wide. I took a pocket knife to it and dug out 50 chunks of glass. It was pretty creepy, like digging out bugs that burrowed into my tires. Over a thousand miles and counting, not one flat tire when riding the same roads with my girlfriend gave her flats within a week each of having her new bikes before I got her armadillo's.

Sometimes, bombing around at 25-30mph, while people are swerving around, I just fly through patches of broken glass on the road, through huge potholes, everything. If I were shot at, I'm pretty sure they would survive too. Your mileage may vary.

I've got the Schwalbe Marathon Plus. At about 2 pounds per tire, they are certainly substantial, much more so than the Nimbus. Surprisingly, they roll very efficiently. I'll let you know how flat resistant they are when I get my first flat. Between the Schwalbes and my winter Nokians, I have managed to go for a record three months without a flat, although the jury is out on the Schwalbes (except for the great ride and rolling characteristics) since they have only been on for a few weeks of that.

Paul

Paul

OK, I'm convinced on the armadillos... Now I'm trying to decide on the 32c or the 38c. 1 1/4" or 1 1/2"? Hmmm... yes, go with the 38c's to fill out the S-works cyclocross frame and keep it from looking like a fluffy white cat with wet black legs:) (in addition to the nice kushy ride) Thanks for the input in helping me decide!

Have you ever gotten a flat before or is this just preemptive?
I've never gotten a flat but my girlfriend has with the tires that came with her bike, including the punchure proof tires that came with her Giant. Odd thing is, I've never gotten a flat riding my beater with the crap tires either. She hasn't gotten any since she put on the armadillo's. Your mileage may vary, do a search on bike forums for other people's experiences before dropping $60+ on a set of tires that may or may not make a difference. They definitely are heavy and harder to put on.

I rode about 2,500 miles last summer... 25 miles round trip per day 5 days a week... 23c's would last about a week before a pinch. 25c's would go about 2 weeks without a puncture. Finally started riding the mountain bike with Town and country 2.5 lb tank treads that managed about a month between flats. This season, I've ridden about 5 times on the 32c twister pros that came stock on the cyclocross. But they are already showing significant wear on the knobs and I don't really want to use them up on the pavement. I've searched the forum and havn't really found anything current enough to give me additional info. I think I'm going to get them from the LBS and see what they have to say about the issue as well?

I flatted about once a week (one day I flatted four times) before I bought armidillos. Since then flats are a rarity. I have done 1500 mile stints without flats. I use the armidillos and get extra light tubes for them. If it gets through the kevlar tire it surely going to go through the rubber tube no matter how thick I figure. I am going much faster now since I don't have to repair my tires. My back armidillo seems to be finally wearing out after 3000 miles as it has flatted a little more as of late (it is up to 2 in the last 2 months) so I may replace it. I like the armadillo as opposed to other brands because the sidewalls are beefier than others I have seen and many of my flats happen in the sidewall here.

Ok, Paul L. rides armadillos, now I'm really sold :) What kind of dillos do you ride? And I don't remember your ride... is it a roady?

waht are the toughest irregardless of the ride?

Before I stated riding Armadillos (Hemispheres and Turbos) I got about 1 flat every two weeks. Since I put Armadillos on my bikes, smae roads, 4000+ miles, zero flats.

There may be other tires as good as Armadillos. There may be better. But Armadillos work.

They are worth the $30 apiece.

Here's what mine look like after I ran through a patch of glass and resorted to taking my pocket knife to it to scrape the glass out.

EDIT: They're still working.

32's are fine for potholes and hopping curbs.

AAAARGHH!!! Double post...see here also: http://64.191.20.129/showthread.php?p=429074#post429074

IMPORTANT NOTE: My LBS, a big-time Specialized shop, tells me that Specialized recently implemented a "no questions asked" money-back (or replacement) guarantee on Kevlar belted tires such as Nimbus and Infinity. As the owner put it, "If you decide you don't like the color, you get your money back." There must be some limitations because otherwise why not just go get new tires every year under the warranty? Ask your LBS.

I am running Infinity Armadillos on my heavy commuter, 32 mm on front and 35 on rear. I haven't been using them but a few hundred miles, but they seem pretty tough. I have no mercy on tires. Another thing I like about the Infinity is the pretty much continuous narrow tread down the center of the tire. This seem to make them roll as smoothly and easily as the 25 mm slicks on my road bikes. When you turn sharply you can hear and feel the more aggressive side tread contacting the road, but straight ahead is quiet and smooth. A pretty good combination for my daily 22 mile round trip commute. The extra width on the back, even at 100 psi, really smoothes out bumps and makes a very comfortable ride even on very rough streets.
FWIW,
Raymond

http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/bicycles/2000/9/Flatproof_Bicycle_Tires/

"While no pneumatic tire is 100 percent flatproof, the Armadillo flat-prevention technology has proven so effective that Specialized is now offering an unconditional guarantee on all 2000 model year tires. If any Armadillo tire ever flats in use, the company will replace the tube free. Consumers can write to Specialized describing how a puncture occurred along with tire size and tube type to receive a replacement tube at no charge. The best "How I flatted an Armadillo" stories will even be posted on the company's Web site at www.specialized.com. Specialized says its no-fault replacement offer is good through Sept. 1, 2001."

According to this, they're only good till 2001.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
I am running Infinity Armadillos on my heavy commuter, 32 mm on front and 35 on rear. The extra width on the back, even at 100 psi, really smoothes out bumps and makes a very comfortable ride even on very rough streets.
FWIW,
Raymond

Now there is a good idea. I could run a 32 up front and a 38 in the rear... I think I'll call up my LBS and have them ordered today. Thanks for all of the advice!

Here's what mine look like after I ran through a patch of glass and resorted to taking my pocket knife to it to scrape the glass out.

EDIT: They're still working.

I've dug lots and lots of glass chips out of my Armadillos. No flats, but lots of glass. I had a 1/4" piece of wire embed itself in a Turbo Armadillo tire and still no flat.

Ok, Paul L. rides armadillos, now I'm really sold :) What kind of dillos do you ride? And I don't remember your ride... is it a roady?


I ride a mercier corvus, road bike. I use the 23c armadillos. They are the only tire that has worked for me and I tried all the major brands before arriving at them. Anyway, I ride my roady on dirt roads next to canals, forest roads upon occasion (one really rough one that I had no business being on with carbon forks and roady brakes but it completed a loop around some mountains I was riding, made me realize why mountain bikes have such beefy brakes!), and numerous other areas that purests probably avoid like the plague because of flats and wimpy tires. Anyway, they hold up for me and I won't use anything else.

I've ordered my tires... 700x38c Nimbus 2004 armadillos. I decided to go with a cyclocross for commuting so that I could run the bigger tires, so I'm going all out with the experiment. I've also got my bike set up with a single 42 tooth gear in the front, so the extra 5" in circumference should give me a little more top end so that I don't run out of gear at 20 mph when riding with the wind. Enough with the excuses, and thanks everyone again for helping me make up my mind!

I have slicks now, they have a little tread though. I had another thread about armadillos-would the hemisphere's tread create a lot of resistance and slow me down??

gracias

I have slicks now, they have a little tread though. I had another thread about armadillos-would the hemisphere's tread create a lot of resistance and slow me down??

gracias

I don't think it would make an earthshattering difference, but when you think about why a tire has tread, it can give you some insight. Tread is to create more friction between the tire and the surface. So slicks have less rolling resistance, but also have less traction? Just my opinion...

Zaphod,
You are headed right where I am with my primary commuter. It is a good old steel Schwinn Voyageur touring frame, long and limber. With the wider tires it is still fast but very comfortable for commuting on rough streets, especially since my morning ride is 40 minutes in the dark, year round. Even with my powerful home brewed light system I can't always see every bump. With the limber frame and wide tires I can ride through anything in comfort while thumbing my nose at broken glass and other debris. Someone started a thread about the perfect commuting bike. I can't imagine one better than this. My drive train is a single 39 up front with a 13-23 9sp in back. I basically use one gear though. In fact I had it set up single speed until a few months ago. It might go back now that summer is here. I expect all of my bikes, especially my commuters, to take me through or over anything and ask for more. No prisoners. :D

With regard to aggressive tread for the street, I've done a little online research and come up with:

Patterned treads measurably increase rolling resistance over slicks, because the rubber bulges and deforms into tread voids when pressed against the road. This effect, tread squirm, is mostly absent with smooth tires because it cannot be bulged laterally by road contact because rubber, although elastic, is incompressible.

If you're commuting in the city, I'd definitely want some traction in my tires, especially when wet or cornering when wet.

If you're commuting in the city, I'd definitely want some traction in my tires, especially when wet or cornering when wet.


Way back when (in the 80s?) I think it was Avocet that introduced a slick clincher. The idea was this: car tires need tread for riding on smooth, solid roads to overcome possible hydroplaning. A car tire is wide and flat enough that hydroplaning can occur at normal travelling speeds, so the tread allows the water to work out from under the tire, allow the tire to maintain contact with the road. Bike tires have such a narrow contact patch that hydroplaning could not occur except at unrealistic speeds (over 100mph IIRC).

AND, the larger the contact patch the better the traction. Tread actually reduces the contact patch by lifting parts of the tire off the road. No tread = larger contact patch = better traction. Especially in the wet.

This all applies to a solid riding surface. Ice, sand, mud, etc. changes things.

I'm sure someone else can explaing this better than I can.

I seem to recall Avocet having ads with Jobst Brandt leaning a bike way over while descending a steep road.

I use Continental Top touring tires for my tourer (700x32) and commuter (26x1.75). They have a low-profile tread. I'm not an aggressive rider and there are short stretches of grass and dirt on my commute, so I don't think I'm losing anything by having some tread. The tires are really tough. I used to have flats anywhere from 1 to 8 times a month (I'm guessing), I haven't had any with the Conti's. And I'm digging chunks of glass out of the tread.

I'd seconf Bradw's comments on tread. Having just switched back to my semislick summer tirers from my heavily treaded and carbide-studded winter ones, I am reminded of how much better slicks are on surfaces free of snow and ice. One negative of treads/studs is that they kind of "nibble" when riding over grates. On the other hand, I would expect that a thick tread provides some puncture resistance.

Paul

Does anyone have experience with IRC Metro kevlar belted tires? How do they stack up to the 'Dillos? They don't seem to have the rep and coverage the Specialized tires have. They are half the price, though. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

i can't decide on the crossroads or the hemishperes. i will be doing half on and half off road. another problem is that dern pic on the specialized site is all blurred.

Does anyone have experience with IRC Metro kevlar belted tires? How do they stack up to the 'Dillos? They don't seem to have the rep and coverage the Specialized tires have. They are half the price, though. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

I had some metro's on my MTB for a while... Fresh asphalt, 100 deg weather, higher pressure or something blew out the sidewall? Really freaky having a tire go like that. Got them from a friend, maybe they had a slice or something in the sidewall from brake rub or something? Didn't buy a replacement, just switched back to the town and countries. They really felt like fast tires while they lasted tho...

I think there is a difference in what "some" tread means to everyone.

First, here is a slick...

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2004/equip/04TireAllConditionArmadillo_d.jpg

Here is what I call "some" tread...

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2004/equip/04TireNimbusArmadillo_d.jpg

and I'd say this is medium tread...

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2004/equip/04TireInfinityArmadillo_d.jpg

and this would be the most tread I would consider...

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2004/equip/04TireHemisphereArmadillo_d.jpg

and finally, this is definitely street performance hampering tread...

http://www.panaracer.com/05lineup/mtb/fmp.jpg

Armadillo's are great for no flats though I have had some problems with the tread seperating from the casing . Anyone else had this happen? or am I too rough on them ?

OK, not to be pesky but how about another quick question? Has anyone used the Specialized Airlock tubes or the Airliner thing?
http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2004/equip/TubeAirLinersMTBROAD_d.jpg

The fuzzy picture's the same picture I posted, the hemisphere's. The threading's relatively smooth rolling plus it's over 3/16th's thick, plenty thick enough to stop most things while a smooth tire's bound to be thinner.

I ride around city parks sometimes where it's not paved and the semi-slick has enough thread for me to horse around without slipping.

Armadillo's are great for no flats though I have had some problems with the tread seperating from the casing . Anyone else had this happen? or am I too rough on them ?

Do you accelerate or brake hard? Could be it's just getting sheared off...

Do you accelerate or brake hard? Could be it's just getting sheared off...
I think they dumped a bung batch of tyres here as I've had two go the same ! the rubber just seems to come away clean from the casing ( lift off in about 1in sections starting at the edge ),like it is'nt stuck correctly to-gether . The 1st one the LBS changed 'no problems' , then the one on the front started to go the same but I spotted it when it started ,I did'nt take it back to the LBS as it was at about its 1/2 life & I did'nt want him to think I was hitting on him for new tyres ! so anyway I stuck the offending portion down with Loktite 601 & it seems to have halted its spread .The one I got in exchange has been fine & I will replace them again with Armadillo's when thay're worn as they are the best tyres Ive had! I had a Continentle Gatorskin on the rear before & it only lasted 8weeks before all the casing threads started to break & it went all 'snakey' + I had neary as many flat as a conventunal tyre ! My commute route is quite harsh as part is through the port area & there is all sorts of junk on the side of the road ( the only flat I've had with the Armadillo's was from a discarded hypo. needle ! )

so for me it looks like hemishperes and these http://www.specialized.com/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=5649&JServSessionIdroot=rzfnwkwqx9.j27004 ... i will be very pleased when i buy them i think.

i can't decide on the crossroads or the hemishperes. i will be doing half on and half off road. another problem is that dern pic on the specialized site is all blurred.

I have a pair of Hemisphere EX 26 x 1.95 tires. They work very well. Before i had specialized crossroads that last for 2 years without getting a flat. I would have gotten the newer crossroads ex but my bike shop didn't have them (I like the center ridge and the semi-knobbies on the size), but the hemispheres work fine.
I don't ride a whole heck of a lot, but when i do i usually ride through some glass (I once rode over a bottle and broke it with my previous pair and didn't get a flat) and puncturevine (or goatheads, same thing), where with other tires i would get a lot of flats. I think these tires are great. I also use them in conjunction with tire liners which probably help a lot too.
I hear is a closeup of my hemisphere ex tires because i heard that merton was looking for some less fuzzy pictures.

-cycleapp

I think they dumped a bung batch of tyres here

Congratulations, you've got a pair of Specialized Firestone's!

I'd go talk to the LBS about it and email specialized to see if it's a wide spread problem, I'm sure they won't think you're just trying to get a new tire at their expense.

yeah. we don't wanna buy **** tires. and thanks for the pic cycleapp. if you don't e-mail them, i wil.

oh. my bike shop uses serfas.

I've been riding the Armadillos Nimbus 700x28C on my Volpe 2003 for four months now, and I don't even think or worry abhout flats anymore, it's 'almost' not an option. You should see the **** I ride on, all kinds of stuff.
Corsaire

http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/bicycles/2000/9/Flatproof_Bicycle_Tires/

"While no pneumatic tire is 100 percent flatproof, the Armadillo flat-prevention technology has proven so effective that Specialized is now offering an unconditional guarantee on all 2000 model year tires. If any Armadillo tire ever flats in use, the company will replace the tube free. Consumers can write to Specialized describing how a puncture occurred along with tire size and tube type to receive a replacement tube at no charge. The best "How I flatted an Armadillo" stories will even be posted on the company's Web site at www.specialized.com. Specialized says its no-fault replacement offer is good through Sept. 1, 2001."

According to this, they're only good till 2001.

2001 ay? Great I knew there had to be a catch

I've ridden my Armadillo Nimbus 700x38c's for a while now and they are "THE" tire to commute with as far as my ride is concerned. 38c's are a little wide, but I have a good deal of gravel road to ride. And I don't even try to avoid potholes or road debris. It just isn't a worry anymore. Wet traction is great, rolling resistance is minimal, and the weight really isn't that bad for a bead to bead Kevlar 38c tire...

Armadillo's are great for no flats though I have had some problems with the tread seperating from the casing . Anyone else had this happen? or am I too rough on them ?

The earlier Armadillos had a problem like you describe. They had to engineer tham again. This year's model is a totally different tire. My older ones show cracks along the side of the tread, while the new ones have no problems.

The earlier Armadillos had a problem like you describe. They had to engineer tham again. This year's model is a totally different tire. My older ones show cracks along the side of the tread, while the new ones have no problems.

How do we make sure we're getting the newer batch?

tia,
bkr

Armadillo's are great for no flats though I have had some problems with the tread seperating from the casing . Anyone else had this happen? or am I too rough on them ?

They had a problem with a batch of their tires about 3 or 4 years ago! You must have somehow bought and older set of tires, because the newer ones have had that problem addressed and thus fixed.

Thoughts (wow, I haven't visited here since last August). The tires on my
commuter are Specialized Nimbus EX with "Flak Jacket" protection. So far
about 600 commuting miles and no problems so far. They were about $20
each USD here in Minnesota at the local Erik's bike store chain.

IMPORTANT NOTE: My LBS, a big-time Specialized shop, tells me that Specialized recently implemented a "no questions asked" money-back (or replacement) guarantee on Kevlar belted tires such as Nimbus and Infinity. As the owner put it, "If you decide you don't like the color, you get your money back." There must be some limitations because otherwise why not just go get new tires every year under the warranty? Ask your LBS.

I am running Infinity Armadillos on my heavy commuter, 32 mm on front and 35 on rear. I haven't been using them but a few hundred miles, but they seem pretty tough. I have no mercy on tires. Another thing I like about the Infinity is the pretty much continuous narrow tread down the center of the tire. This seem to make them roll as smoothly and easily as the 25 mm slicks on my road bikes. When you turn sharply you can hear and feel the more aggressive side tread contacting the road, but straight ahead is quiet and smooth. A pretty good combination for my daily 22 mile round trip commute. The extra width on the back, even at 100 psi, really smoothes out bumps and makes a very comfortable ride even on very rough streets.
FWIW,
Raymond
Cost, cost, cost.. what's the cost of these tires? Do you recommend them on a fixie?

Cost, cost, cost.. what's the cost of these tires? Do you recommend them on a fixie?

Basic pricing is at www.specialized.com. I run 28mm Armadillos on my fixie. They have 3000-3500 commute miles on them, with one flat. A wood screw. I also have Mr Tuffy liners in there too, because I want no flats on my commute because I don't carry tubes/pump, etc. The wood screw missed the Mr Tuffy liner.