Road Cycling - Need Some Tire Advice

I need some advice on what tires to get. I have been riding the Continental 1000's that came with my bike, but recently have started to ride a lot faster and keeping getting flats. Last night I was riding about 25mph around a corner and my rear tire blew and almost killed me. I am a big guy at 6'4" and 235 pounds and was wondering if anybody has any good suggestions. I ride four times a week usually around 25 miles at a time and have done three centuries so far this year. I usually average around 22mph when I ride. Hopefully that is enough information.

Thanks for the help and advice!

The specialized armadillo have a good reputation for not going flat. Although I found a way to flatten my new armadillos twice in the past month... argh

I've have good luck with the GP2000 and specialized tires.

I doubt your weight had much to do with it.

maxxis fuse have never flatted on me

just make sure you have it at the proper pressure

I recently got Rivendell Rufy Tuffy tires. Granted they have a goofy name, but they're a great tire.

I recently got Rivendell Rufy Tuffy tires. Granted they have a goofy name, but they're a great tire.


Lol I might try those when I need tires next. ALso make sure you are being decent tubes, I had 2 flats this weekend. The first was because my pump got stuck and I pulled the stem out of the tube. The second one seemed to just be a bead tube. I could not find any reason in the tire or tube for it to go flat but it would just not hold air.

The 3rd tube has been fine and held its presurre for a few days now

When I first started riding I too had Conti 1000s and had flats all the time. I decided to move up to Conti 2000s and still had flats, just less often (once a month vs. once a week). That wasn't good enough so I move up to Conti Grand Prix 3000s. Now I average ~1500 miles between flats. I'm happy. :)

I switched to Conti Ultra Gatorskins. They are almost identifcal to the GP2000's (same tpi/material) but with additional kevlar tread for flat protection. They ride nice and so far (knock on wood) no flats.

Conti's 4-season 3200 miles and zero flats

Bontrager has a nice tire which I personally own and seems would meet what you demand. http://www.bontrager.com/roadtires/detail.asp?id=176&pt=9
check it out and good luck and BTW it rides nice and still no flats..

I use Tufo tubular clincers and I am big too (200 lb) They are kind of pricey, but really tough. I have been riding my set on a fixed gear for over year on the rough LA city streets with no problems. If you get these, buy the sealent that goes inside the tube. I think the max psi is 140 or something.

I need some advice on what tires to get. I have been riding the Continental 1000's that came with my bike, but recently have started to ride a lot faster and keeping getting flats. Last night I was riding about 25mph around a corner and my rear tire blew and almost killed me. I am a big guy at 6'4" and 235 pounds and was wondering if anybody has any good suggestions. I ride four times a week usually around 25 miles at a time and have done three centuries so far this year. I usually average around 22mph when I ride. Hopefully that is enough information.

Thanks for the help and advice!

What kind of roads are they? Dirty, smooth, potholes, etc?
Armadillos are generally regarded as one of the toughest tires out there. However, getting a flat has a lot to do with chance too, you can have a completely smooth clean road and the best, toughest tires in the world and hit one 2" nail and it'll slice right through no matter what.

If you ride in an area where you're statistically more likely to get a flat due to trashy roads, you might want to combine armadillos with liners, that should keep most things out. Your tires might also be getting old. I find when rubber is really old, it gets a little more brittle and things tend to get through easier, even if it doesn't get any significantly thinner.

What do you want? A light tire for faster training and perhaps racing or a heavier tire for flat resistence? Are you commuting or touring? Or just riding around?

If you want a flat resistent tire the best one on the market is the Specialize Armadillo hands down. You do not need to put a liner in these tires. In fact I run 65grm ultralight tubes in them with no flats in 14,000 miles...well I did have a faulty tube flat and a flat from wearing a Armadillo down to the cords and a pebble (of all things) got thru. But this tire is also one of the heaviest road tires on the market, so you pay for that flat protection. I use them though and even used them on 158 mile rides into mountains and I didn't wish for a lighter tire...but I had to deal with goatheads, thistles and other crud and did not want to worry about flats.

If you want a lighter tire because maybe the Armadillo is an overkill for you then Continental makes the 4 Seasons tire that weighs about 150grms less then the Armadillo and has decent flat protection-better than the Gatorskin or the 1000 or 2000 or 3000 series, plus these last 4 have paper thin sidewalls that are easily destroyed on city and urban streets. The Armadillo has superb sidewall protection and the 4 Seasons has the 2nd best sidewall protection.

I switched to Conti Ultra Gatorskins. They are almost identifcal to the GP2000's (same tpi/material) but with additional kevlar tread for flat protection. They ride nice and so far (knock on wood) no flats.
IM ride'n on them too and are happy with them, i was putting 130-140psi now that its winter here iv been pumping up to 120psi and they are more stable in wet conditions.{no flats touch wood**

I am also looking into getting new tires, any opinions on Vredestein Fortezza Tricomp?

I switched to Michelin Axial Carbons last spring and haven't looked back. I've put 1000 miles on them and they have been infinitely more durable than any of the other tires I've used. I couldn't compare their durability to Armadillo's, but they've held up on crappy New England roads just fine under my 190 lbs and are significantly lighter than Armadillo's. Just another option for you to consider.

The roads where I ride are pretty clean, mostly free of gravel, smooth paved roads. My current route is on one of the main three lane roads that has a good bike lane. My last flat was on Monday and I had an inch long stick go through the tire. Usually I just find really small rocks that go through the tires. There have been a couple flats where I haven't been able to find anything at all. I am trying to find a tire that is really fast and durable for fast training / racing, but still able to withstand these little punctures and be somewhat light. Has anyone used a Vredestein Fortezza or Tri-Compe?

I switched to Michelin Axial Carbons last spring and haven't looked back. I've put 1000 miles on them and they have been infinitely more durable than any of the other tires I've used. I couldn't compare their durability to Armadillo's, but they've held up on crappy New England roads just fine under my 190 lbs and are significantly lighter than Armadillo's. Just another option for you to consider.


Apart from road hazards causing flats, check your rim strips to make sure a protruding spoke hole or a sharp edge of a rim strip isn't causing flats. Replac with Velox rim strips if in doubt. Also in rare cases, you might have a sharp edge of the rim (usually where it's put together) that's causing problems.

As mentioned in previous posts, Armadillos are good, Specialized also guarantees them if you're not happy with them...

I bought the armadillos, but, when I got them, i realized how damn heavy they are...or, at least seem. I also really did not dig the weird brown sidewall on it. Anyway, all vanity aside, I found a compromise in the Specialized All Conditions Pro. Foldable, light-enought, and all black on the sidewall. I have been very pleased with them to say the least. I have just over 400miles on them, no flats. And several times I have run through glass...you know, when you see it sparkling just as it rolls under your bike. Anyway, no issues yet. $30 per tire, hard to beat.

Hi,
my wife uses the Fortezza. It's a great tire, but they come in 23c. A little wider is nicer for gravel. There are a lot of good 25c tires. I use the Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy which is 27c, and a very nice tire.