bmw_maniac

OK! thats it, i've had enough of the tyres i have. 5 flats in 2 days of riding is a bit de-moralising.

The tyres (which came with the bike) are Michelin Axial Kevlar, 700x23C. Not only do they keep getting punctures more often then anyone else's tyres, but they are soooo hard to get on and off the rim, because of the tight bead on them. Even with 3 tyre levers it is a case of muscle vs tyre bead. I even broke one of my "unbreakable" michelin tyre levers in the process yesterday.

The question is, what sort of tyre to choose?

The current ones retail at around NZ$50 each, so I'm looking for something around that price if possible. Also I want something with similar grip and handling. I also want something thats real easy to get on and off, especially in a race where time is everything.

These are the brands I can easily get a hold of in the local LBS's:
- Continental
- Michelin
- Vittoria

Thanks heaps.

Rev.Chuck

My best luck has been with Vredestein Fortezzas. Light and tough. Continental makes a Kevlar cased tire called Gatorskin and Specialized Armadillos are the toughest tires I have ever seen. They are not light or supple but ,man, are they hard to puncture or pinch flat

roadbuzz

I'm gonna risk a dumb question here...

Five flats in two days is pretty amazing, no matter what tire. What caused the flats? Did you check the tire casing and rim to ensure there was nothing causing the problem (hold the tire against the rim oriented the same way it was mounted and match the leak to the location). I'm assuming none were pinch flats... that's not a tire problem. What were you riding through... lots of glass? Goathead thorns?

Rev.Chuck

I had a flat repair in the other day,four large punctures in the tube and tire(Had to replace the tire) Turned out the kids "friend" had shot the wheel with a twentytwo rifle.

Prosody

Hope the kid wasn't on the bike when his friend shot at it.

bmw_maniac

well one of the flats was a pinch flat, caused when i was putting the useless tyre back on. my fault on that one. three of them i pulled something out of the tyre each time, and havnt fixed it since no. 5, still sitting in the garage waiting for me to do something about it.

as for the gatorskin and armadillos we cant actually get those ones here, only the road race type from continental.

I also dnt want something heavy. just when it comes down to it, just something like what i've got, except a heck of a lot easier to take on and off..........

froze

You can order the Turbo Armadillo directly from Specialize's website for the same price that my LBS sells them for: $29 US currency. The Conti Gatorskin as good flat protection in the tread BUT the sidewalls are paper thin with no protection, whereas the Armadillo extends the protection into the sidewall.

roadbuzz

You might try some Vittoria Rubino Pros. Decent ride, reasonably light, kevlar belt (I think they call it aramid... go figure), and seem to be a reasonably high mileage tire. They aren't particularly hard to get on, at least on my Mavic OPs.

Check the Vittoria web-site for more info.

mrfix

Contiental top touring 2000 or conti. ultra 2000, both nice riding high milage tires that give me no flat problems.

BikerRyan

I recommend the Vittoria Open Corsa as it is their best tire in the lineup. I have ridden the rubino pros and they are great tires but if you want a super smooth ride then go for the Open Corsas. They have 290 tpi compared to Axials and Rubino Pros having around 120 tpi. The ride is great and they have the smooth outer surface like the Axials have. They are extremely supple tires which makes them a snap to get on and off the rim.

-Ryan

jcivic00

do they make tuffy liners in your size, you might want to invest in some if you had picked up somethings in your tire.

Captain Crunch

I am using Michelin Megamiums and have had no problems with them whatsoever. I have some of the roughest and toughest roads to ride anywhere and these have been bombproof. (I hope I have not jinxed myself....knock on wood and all that other stuff)

LaFlore

Not tires, but worth consideration.. Slime Tubes.

I know that road slime tubes get a bad rap from some folks, but I'm quickly becoming a huge fan. Since I've put them in my tires (specialized cipo's, atm) I've had *zero* flats in over two months. Now that can either be due to just plain luck or the tubes are working as advertised. However, before using these tubes I'd say I averaged a flat every other week or so with the specialized cipo's or vredestien fortenzas (sp?), with normal tubes in them. I live in goathead country.

IMO, stay away, no make that far away, from the specialized armadillos. Sure, they may be absolutely bomb-proof, but.. they are also slow as all hell. I swear my MTB is faster than my road bike with the armadillos on. Okay that's an exaggeration, but I've never experienced such slow, hard, dead-feeling tires as the armadillos. You'll feel like you're dragging something behind you, I swear. They do make good cold-climate winter training tires, though, where going slower isn't necessarily a bad thing.

One more comment on the road slime tubes.. I have them in both race wheelsets (RR/Crit, TT tri-spokes) and they feel just as fast as normal tubes, IMO. They must use very little slime.

G'luck in whatever you choose.

-Ron in Boise

chainreka

I'm with MrFix...In OZ, Continental rule for quality, value and range for roadies on a budget (& who isn't?). The wire bead, rubber shod Grand Prix model is fast enough for club racing (and more really) and tough enough for training on any road you'll want to spend much time on. The kevlar belted, silicon tread model is smoother, quieter, grippier, faster....but twice as expensive and lasts only 1/2 as long.

As for punctures, I've "been there done that" with the Tuffy tire liner, and thrown them away. They add a lot of weight (and I'm not generally a weight weany), and make for a harsher ride. AND sometimes the overlap of the Tuffy liner ends will wear through a tube all on their own, causing a puncture!!!

My Solution: Watch where you're going and ride around glass unless heavy/aggressive traffic prevents a detour. Brush the edge of your thumb over the tyres whilst riding if you think you've just gone through a patch of glass. If doing this hurts, you're using too much pressure with your thumb. The tiny prick you feel if you do knock a piece of glass out is worth it, IMHO.

hockey

Hutchinson Excel kevlar, wire or not. Excellent, compliant tires and cheap. $24 Canadian at MEC.ca. Try them. You will be impressed.
Hockey

froze

Slime tubes do not work on sealing holes in road tires IF you want more than 70psi in your tires. I tried the road slime tube and as soon as the pressure got into the 70psi range the higher pressure would just blow even the tiniest hole open again. PLUS their valves are very cheap and only lasted about 10 airings and they were broken.

I hear that the Specialize Airlock tube is far better than the Slime tube. But I no longer need either, with the Armadillo there are no more flats, and if by chance I do get one I've got patches, a spare tube and even a spare tire if I need them.

LaFlore

I guess my experience differs on the road slime tubes, as I routinely run 120+ psi in them. I do agree that you must exercise caution with the valve stems, as the rubber can be cut very easily on the rim. I've never tried the airlock tubes, perhaps they are better yet.

I would still avoid the armadillo tires like the plague. They have got to be the harshest, slowest, most dead feeling road tires in existence. Who cares if they never flat. I'd use the spinskin or tuffy liners well before resorting to the armadillos, but that's just me.

I definitely need a supple feeling, responsive tire. Out of all the clinchers I've used, I'd rate the vredesteins tops in terms of feel. Plus, they are very easy to mount on the rim.

mnppunky

I have been using gommitalia clinchers in 700x23 this season,and really like the smoothness of these tires. So far I have not had any flats in about 600 miles since changing to them. Just like everybody else this is my opinion only.I run my pressure at 115psi and I have only had 1 flat in 6 years since starting up road cycling, I am very careful about running over pot holes, cracks etc.