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Help with tires? (Vittoria, Michelin, Panaracer)

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Help with tires? (Vittoria, Michelin, Panaracer)

Old 07-14-12, 01:05 AM
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Help with tires? (Vittoria, Michelin, Panaracer)

Sorry for yet another tire thread, but I'm new to commuting and will soon buy some puncture-resistant 700x28 clinchers. Have been going insane researching budget-priced tires and have narrowed the field to these:

Vittoria Zaffiro II 26 TPI about $16

Michelin City Tire (with reflective stripe) 33 TPI about $24

Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Wire Bead 26 TPI about $18

Panaracer Pasela 66 TPi about $18

Panaracer Pasela Tourguard 66TPI about $25

Vittoria Rubino Tech 60 TPI about $25

Vittoria Rubino III 60 TPI about $25

If you've ridden any of these tires, please chime in. I, like everyone else, would like a puncture-resistant tire that feels at least somewhat supple and comfortable and quick. BTW, does a higher TPI number always make a given tire "better" than one with a lower TPI?
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Old 07-14-12, 06:13 AM
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I'm going to let the late, great Sheldon Brown explain TPI:

Some tires use thick thread, some use thin thread for the fabric. With thin thread, there are more threads per inch ("TPI") and this number is often considered an important indication of tire performance.

The higher the TPI number, the thinner and more flexible the tire fabric is. Thin-wall (high TPI) tires tend to be lighter and have lower rolling resistance, but they're more easily damaged by road hazards.
Now as for a tire recommendation, I have used Vittoria Rubino Pros, which is 120 tpi but also has puncture guards in the tire. I loved this tire. I used these tires in many a road ride in NYC and didn't get one flat. Of course, YMMV.

Last edited by flipped4bikes; 07-14-12 at 06:17 AM.
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Old 07-14-12, 06:23 AM
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I have a couple hundred miles on a set of Michelin City Tires and am very happy with the performance and feel. They deal with water and sand very well
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Old 07-14-12, 07:42 AM
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I use 120tpi Vittoria Rubino Pro tires on my road bike. They have a great ride and corner well. The only thing to flat them in the year I've used them is a sand burr thorn.

On my commuter bike, I run a set of Vittoria Randonneur Pro tires, at 700x32. They ride great, and even do a good job at withstanding sand burr thorns. I've pulled many out, and have had no flats. I have two bikes with Randos, and find them to be my go-to tires.
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Old 07-14-12, 09:15 AM
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I bought four Panaracer Pasela TGs a few years ago, and three of them had to be taken out of service long before the tread wore down. Two were for sidewall damage (which I've heard elsewhere is a weakness of these tires), and one was for a cut deep into the tread. I'm not sure what I rode over to cause that cut, so to be fair, it's possible that any tire would have been messed up. The cut stayed stable for quite a while (maybe a few hundred miles), so I rode it until I noticed it enlarging. I got a number of flats with these tires while they lasted.

For flat resistance, I've had very good luck with Specialized Armadilos. I've had a Schwalbe Marathon and a Marathon Plus on one bike for maybe 200-300 miles and no flats so far, although that isn't much time to really evaluate that. The ride is fine and I don't find that the rolling resistance is any worse than other tires I have used.

Last edited by Spld cyclist; 07-14-12 at 06:55 PM.
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Old 07-14-12, 11:34 AM
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Of the tires you listed I have run the Panaracers for awhile and like them a lot. Decent rolling resistance with excellent corning and traction. No flats yet but I generally don't get flats very often.

Just installed a set of the Zaffiros and rode them once a couple of days ago. My first impression was that traction and cornering was good but they rolled like a dead baby. Then I discovered that the gauge on my pump was malfunctioning and they were grossly under inflated.
Got a new pump yesterday and air them up properly. I may be able to ride them tonight. If so I'll post my impressions.
I hope they are decent because if so they are a bargain.

Last edited by Ira B; 07-14-12 at 01:14 PM.
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Old 07-14-12, 01:10 PM
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I've been riding a set of 32mm Pasela TG for ~2 years now. This is only my experience, but within 6 months they developed sidewall cracks so I emailed Panaracer and they assured me that it was cosmetic but they would send me a free set of tires for my trouble. I ended up getting a set of 28mm Ribmos which I rode for a while but eventually put them on my Bianchi San Jose and went back to the 32mm Paselas.

The Paselas still ride really nice and at ~165lbs I run them 60psi & 70psi front back respectively. In terms of flatting, the Ribmos seem to have an edge up on the Paselas, at least in my experience, but the Paselas are pretty flat resistant.

For what it's worth, the Ribmos have also developed sidewall cracks. I check both sets periodically to see if the cracks have gone through the sidewall casing and so far so good.
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Old 07-14-12, 02:23 PM
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Originally Posted by megalowmatt
For what it's worth, the Ribmos have also developed sidewall cracks. I check both sets periodically to see if the cracks have gone through the sidewall casing and so far so good.
I ran into this issue with both sets of the 28c Rando's I had not to mention Rando's seem to run small and have an unpleasant ride at pressures over 65-70psi
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Old 07-14-12, 03:24 PM
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I just put some Michelin city tires on my 29er in the 47mm width and they roll really nicely and I like the reflective stripe since I commute at night on them.
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Old 07-14-12, 11:51 PM
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Properly inflated the Zaffiro's to 140 psi with the new pump.
I amend my opinion of them. While not the fastest tire they seem just fine.
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Old 07-15-12, 01:25 AM
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Amazon has the Rubino Pro 3 tires for 35 if your willing to up the cost a little. From what I read about them they seem to be excelent tires both in terms of performance, wear, and puncture resistance. I think I am going to order a set myself. Good luck finding your new tires.
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Old 07-17-12, 02:51 PM
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Thanks, everybody, for your input. Mondo: How does the Rubino Pro III (3) differ from the Rubino III? (Is "Pro" just another word for folding?)
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Old 07-19-12, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by ElliotSF
Thanks, everybody, for your input. Mondo: How does the Rubino Pro III (3) differ from the Rubino III? (Is "Pro" just another word for folding?)
The Rubino Pro III is a folding tire and it has 150tpi instead of 60tpi. Aside from that I am not sure if there are any other differences. I do know that the Rubino Pro III has excellent customer reviews.
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