Road Cycling - Replacing slicks with more durable clincher tires?

Background: My Klein came with Bontrager Race Lites. They are slicks, no tread. I have had no complaints with speed or traction, but yesterday I noticed a cut on the rear tire and these are going to have to be replaced.

I want a more puncture resistant and durable tire, because although I like speed, I typically do about 100km (sounds better than 62 miles) rides on the weekend over country roads. The roads are pretty good, but with a fair share of pebbles and glass, and holes that you often don't see in a group until too late.

I have perused about 10 tire-related threads in this forum, and no definitive tire emerges as a favorite replacement/upgrade. The Conti-3000s are marketed as puncture resistant and popular, but they don't seem to be a favorite here, nor high rated on roadbikereviews.com. The Michelin Pro Race got several votes here, but marginal reviews on opinion sites.

The Continental Grand Prix 4-season, however, have many excellent reviews online. They are particularly acclaimed for puncture and cut resistance. I am persuaded to order one for my rear wheel. However, I want to check here first to make sure I am not making a mistake or a huge sacrifice in speed/resistance as compared with the slicks I am accustomed to. Am I going to be horribly slowed down by this purchase, or does it sound like a good trade-off?

Also, am I correct to assume that a slick, by its very nature, is going to get cut up? Perhaps I should ride some 4-seasons and when I am ready to race, buy a set of slicks to swap out for races?

Background: My Klein came with Bontrager Race Lites. They are slicks, no tread. I have had no complaints with speed or traction, but yesterday I noticed a cut on the rear tire and these are going to have to be replaced.

I want a more puncture resistant and durable tire, because although I like speed, I typically do about 100km (sounds better than 62 miles) rides on the weekend over country roads. The roads are pretty good, but with a fair share of pebbles and glass, and holes that you often don't see in a group until too late.

I have perused about 10 tire-related threads in this forum, and no definitive tire emerges as a favorite replacement/upgrade. The Conti-3000s are marketed as puncture resistant and popular, but they don't seem to be a favorite here, nor high rated on roadbikereviews.com. The Michelin Pro Race got several votes here, but marginal reviews on opinion sites.

The Continental Grand Prix 4-season, however, have many excellent reviews online. They are particularly acclaimed for puncture and cut resistance. I am persuaded to order one for my rear wheel. However, I want to check here first to make sure I am not making a mistake or a huge sacrifice in speed/resistance as compared with the slicks I am accustomed to. Am I going to be horribly slowed down by this purchase, or does it sound like a good trade-off?

Also, am I correct to assume that a slick, by its very nature, is going to get cut up? Perhaps I should ride some 4-seasons and when I am ready to race, buy a set of slicks to swap out for races?

For training, NOTHING beats Specialized Armadillos for longevity and puncture resistance, although you can spli the difference with some of the Michelin models...

zensuit is right the Armadillos are a great tire, I ride the 700 25 for training have not problems, and ride a 700 28 for commuting the past year.

Hi,
each region challenges a tire in very different ways. The Armadillo
is very, very tough. But it has to be to survive in Texas. For New England it is massive overkill. They weigh a lot and ride kinda hard.

A tire has to strike a balance between several competing demands. Tough and durable is good, but so is a smooth ride. Cornering is great, but soften up the rubber so the tire will be stickier and durability plummets. Fortunately technology allows us
to have our cake and eat it.....up to a point. I have heard horror stories about guys going through tire after tire in Texas, trying to find something that could survive. These stories usually end up with the guy buying Armadillos. I'd say give those Conti tires a try. But if they don't work out for you, you've got a fallback plan.

My experience is that slicks (or relatively treadless tires) are actually MORE puncture resistant. My tires catch more stuff in grooves in the tread, which then works its way in and causes a puncture.

It seems to me that slicks start with full tread thickness everywhere, and treaded tires are actually like slicks that have been relieved to have tread.

For the last four years or so, my favorite tire has been the mid/low price Michelins sold by Performance. They have high thread counts per inch, and I believe very tough rubber. The rears eventually wear through in the typical flattened-high-spot pattern, but the fronts may very well make it for six months or so. I ride about 6700 miles a year. The current Perforated catalog shows Michelin Hi-Lite Prestiges for $22.99. The Michelins seem to be very puncture resistant, and will often accumulate a lot of tread cuts without ever getting a cut through the carcass that will puncture the tube. If I need 50 mph downhill tires (Colorado), the Michelins are my choice.

I am hesitant to say the Michelins have a traction deficit in corners compared with other high performance criterium tires, owing to the hard rubber. I don't feel qualified to judge, in part because I weigh 190 lbs (hey, I'm 6'2", okay?) , and I can't hope to go around corners like those 155 lb rocket racers. If somebody else says they are hard and not the best criterium tire, though, I will agree. Great for those multi-hundred mile brevets, though.

Twenty years ago I liked the Specialized Turbo/Ss, and I REALLY liked the Turbo Rs. Marvelously light, puncture resistant, low rolling resistance tires. Great company, I thought. But: about four years ago Specialized produced a run of Armadillos that were catastrophically defective. The sidewall would fail circumferentially right above the bead, and the tire would blowout. A number of people using them on tandems were injured. Specialized never admitted that anything was wrong with their tires. These events were covered on tandem@hobbes. I have been uncomfortable with using or recommending Specialized tires ever since. Even supposing that all current tires are exemplary, in the absence of an announced recall, there could be an old stock Armadillo sitting on a shelf in a bike shop somewhere, and a general recommendation of "Armadillo" could get somebody hurt badly. If you are SURE the Armadillo you are looking at is new, you are probably safer than with an average tire. If you are not sure of the age of the tire, I would feed it into a shredder somewhere.

My experience is that slicks (or relatively treadless tires) are actually MORE puncture resistant. My tires catch more stuff in grooves in the tread, which then works its way in and causes a puncture.

It seems to me that slicks start with full tread thickness everywhere, and treaded tires are actually like slicks that have been relieved to have tread.

For the last four years or so, my favorite tire has been the mid/low price Michelins sold by Performance. They have high thread counts per inch, and I believe very tough rubber. The rears eventually wear through in the typical flattened-high-spot pattern, but the fronts may very well make it for six months or so. I ride about 6700 miles a year. The current Perforated catalog shows Michelin Hi-Lite Prestiges for $22.99. The Michelins seem to be very puncture resistant, and will often accumulate a lot of tread cuts without ever getting a cut through the carcass that will puncture the tube. If I need 50 mph downhill tires (Colorado), the Michelins are my choice.

I am hesitant to say the Michelins have a traction deficit in corners compared with other high performance criterium tires, owing to the hard rubber. I don't feel qualified to judge, in part because I weigh 190 lbs (hey, I'm 6'2", okay?) , and I can't hope to go around corners like those 155 lb rocket racers. If somebody else says they are hard and not the best criterium tire, though, I will agree. Great for those multi-hundred mile brevets, though.

Twenty years ago I liked the Specialized Turbo/Ss, and I REALLY liked the Turbo Rs. Marvelously light, puncture resistant, low rolling resistance tires. Great company, I thought. But: about four years ago Specialized produced a run of Armadillos that were catastrophically defective. The sidewall would fail circumferentially right above the bead, and the tire would blowout. A number of people using them on tandems were injured. Specialized never admitted that anything was wrong with their tires. These events were covered on tandem@hobbes. I have been uncomfortable with using or recommending Specialized tires ever since. Even supposing that all current tires are exemplary, in the absence of an announced recall, there could be an old stock Armadillo sitting on a shelf in a bike shop somewhere, and a general recommendation of "Armadillo" could get somebody hurt badly. If you are SURE the Armadillo you are looking at is new, you are probably safer than with an average tire. If you are not sure of the age of the tire, I would feed it into a shredder somewhere.

With all due respect, the Armadillo recommendation recommendation was made without knowledge of any catastrophic issues. I would hope an LBS would be aware of these things. I have two sets of armadillos, used Armadillos at that, that I STILL ride on my get around bike, so, assuming that Specialized DID make bad tires (and it's not just internet gossip), I'd hope that it was a small run. Interestingly, almost every major tire manufacturer, Michelin included, has produced tires with dangerous defects...it happens when you work with plastics and rubber...so I wouldn't paint Specialized as somehow less trustworthy than anybody else. JMHO.

Be careful with Armadillos, I have one that's an anchor.

Man, you are worrying about this way too much! It's not like you're getting married, you're just buying tires for your bicycle. They're going to wear out in a year or so and, if you decide you don't like them, you can get something different.

Ever wonder why there are so many tires and the internet sites can't come up with a clear favorite? It's because somebody just LOVES every single model of tire that's produced and somebody else HATES that same tire. You've considered several of the most common ones. Just pick one out and decide what you think for yourself.

My experience is that slicks (or relatively treadless tires) are actually MORE puncture resistant....
For the last four years or so, my favorite tire has been the mid/low price Michelins sold by Performance.


Thanks -- after 4 hours of internet research and a trip to a few local bike shops today, I ordered Michelin Carbons -- even advertised as a training/racing tire, being that they are slicks with heavier duty construction than most racing tires. And they are at the price point I like - on sale, a modest $30/ea. at biketiresdirect.com. Just what I was looking for.

I figure I will be perfectly happy on my weekend rides with the compromise of heavier/tougher training tires. If/when I decide to race, I will buy a set of race tires to swap out.

If these don't cut it, I will try 'Dillos, but they are HEAvy.



Man, you are worrying about this way too much! It's not like you're getting married, you're just buying tires for your bicycle. They're

Thanks for the spine stiffening. You are absolutely correct. And for $30/each, I can afford to experiment a little.

A message from Santana tandems, posted to tandem@hobbes on September 6, 2000:

Sam Jones, Asks "Bill, do you have any updated information yet?"

We have called Specialized every working day since I posted the letter about
Specialized tires blowing off.

They have no update for us at this time (9 am 9/6/00)

Since I posted the letter we have been shipping our 700c wheeled tandems with
Conti Ultra 2000 700x28c tires.

Sincerely,

Steve Lesse
Sales Manager
Santana Cycles, Inc.
909-596-7570 ext. 13

Posts on various kinds of Armadillo failures can be found at tandem@hobbes as early as the beginning of July of 2000. Jim and Celeste Parsons' post on July 10 makes me shudder. One broken elbow, one broken collarbone. Facts spoken here....no gossip today.