AdrianL

OH boy - I am certainly sure this is going to elicit some interesting responses but inquiring minds need to know.

I did a search on tires here which produced thousands of responses, none of which were especially helpful on what I am searching for.

I am looking to buy some replacement tires for our road bikes (wife and I) - 700 x 23 or possible 25's. I am looking for a tire that has a good record for being puncture resistant and that gives good traction on the road in varying conditions.

From research on various forums, I thought the Continental GatorSkin appeared to be a good tire but a friend of mine who has been using them has had bad luck with ruptures and flats with them. I know this is only one person but not knowing a whole lot of people who ride, one is a lot.

What tire do you recommend for a person who rides MUP's and back roads, not a racer, but likes efficiency, and does not require an FHA mortgage to buy them?

TIA to everyone.

Lonewolf48

I have had nothing but good luck with the Conti ultra-gatorskins, thousands of miles on three bikes with no flats. I use the 25 mm and keep them properly inflated for my weight, 105 rear and 95 front. I try to avoid glass and med. to large potholes, slow down for RR tracks, etc. I have also used Bontrager Hard Case tires and had only one flat, a piece of wire that stabbed the side-wall.
Good luck

maddmaxx 

I favor the Kenda Kaliente Iron Cloak in a 23mm size but I believe that this is not a common choice around here. If I rode more in the rain, I might switch over to the Kenda Kriterium Iron Cloak. Either can be bought for about $30

Retro Grouch 

Chain lubes and tire choices are topics that probably should be brought up in "Religion and Politics".

I've got Gatorskins on 3 bikes so I guess I must like them but, to be utterly honest, I think that I picked them because I like the name. If I lived in Louisiana it would be an automatic choice.

Robert Foster

Gatorskins or Armadillos have good reputations for being puncture resistance. I got the Armadillo tires because one of my cycling buddies didn’t like the way the tires felt. But they have an interesting guarantee. Get a flat and they will replace the tube. At least I have read but haven’t had to use yet.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/adventures/1276791.html

But to be fair the guy I got the Armadillos from switched to Gatorskins and he loves them. Either of these I would consider training tires or touring tires. There are a lot of tires I believe that have less rolling resistance and would make better racing tires. But I would replace my tires with either Armadillos or Gatorskins once the tires I now have wear out. Even if I might not like the $55.00 a piece I would have to pay for a new tire. It beats the $100 or more for sew up clinchers.

stapfam

Have to admit that the choice on tyres is not that great if you want performance. 700x23 and the two favourites are the Continental 4000s (And the "s" is important) And Michelin Pro Race 3's. I use the Michelins-but in PR2's- and have yet to wear them out on one set of wheels that have done around 4,000 miles. Ok -I am a lightweight- but punctures are not that common on them either. They can be had in 25 size aswell but yet to require comfort so I haven't tried them

There are plenty of "Race" quality tyres out there that will perform better than the conti's and the PR3's and some of them do offer long life and Puncture resistance. And if looking for lighter tyres (Less rotational weight)- then go for folding tyres.

And with the £ doing so badly- a store that gets a lot of US customers is linked below.

https://www.probikekit.com/display.ph...%20%26%20Tubes

WillisB

I have both Bontrager Hardcase and Armadillo tires. I have had no punctures with either. The Armadillos give a softer, more comfortable ride with the negative of higher rolling resistance compared to the Hardcase tires.

billydonn

I've used both Armadillo wire beads and folding Gatorskins and the latter feel like racing tires compared to the Armys. Both have been relatively flat free, but I would use the Armys if I were riding alone in dead of winter and might freeze if I had to fix a flat. Otherwise, for performance there is no comparison... IMO of course.

Edit: I would suggest 25s over 23s. I've used both sizes of Gatorskins and the 25s are less prone to pinchies and just as comfy and fast IMO.

rck

I also have been using Bontrager race-lite hardcase tires without problems. I know that Skipper uses them as well.

NOS88

No tire is flat proof, and every tire has it's detractors and those that love 'em. I think you'll find however, that Gatorskins and Armadillos get a great deal of support. I rather like the Continental 4000S, but have also ridden the Gatorskins with little problem. The 4000s were more responsive, cornered better, and felt faster (don't know if they really were, but they felt that way). Keep in mind that if you put in enough miles, you'll wear out tires quickly enough to be able to try lots of different brands. My approach when first starting was to ride the tires that came on the bike until they were shot, and pay attention to what other riders (my size and similar ability) were riding. I tired those next while continuing to read.

AdrianL

Thanks everyone for the really good comments. This has been very helpful.

As I thought when I posted this thread, this is pretty much a religious thing, but I think I have had some excellently helpful answers.

Thanks

europa

On the other hand, I found them prone to cuts, prone to punctures and were taken off when the rear threw a chunk the size of my thumb nail.

I'm currently riding Maxxis Detonators - a cheap tyre that seems to work pretty well. You wouldn't call them 'puncture resistant' though they don't seem prone to picking up glass (I have to ride through enough of the stuff ). I did get a rash of mystery flats on one horrid day in January, never did find the cause and the replacement tube did nearly 600km before succumbing to a staple so I'm blaming the tubes for that incident.

Tyre choice - what a lottery ... and it often depends on what's available in the shops when you need them.

Richard

buelito

I have used most of the tires mentioned-- and Vredesteins (Dutch-sold by Performance)-- Now I use whatever is on sale, as the performance and quality of the tires seems to be about the same... On the fixed gear I need to change the rear tire about every 2500-3000 miles or so... Cheap tires last about 1000 miles, Michelins, Continentals (Armadillos), Vredesteins, Vittorias (have never tried Maxxis-- because they're never on sale) -- all seem to last around 3000 miles... I try to spend maximum of $20 per tire when purchasing, so I look for sales and buy appropriately...

train safe--

zonatandem

Use the 25mm Maxxis Re-Fuse folding tire on our tandem; found them to be more puncture resistant than the above mentioned Maxxis Detonnators.

BluesDawg

I've had good luck buying the cheapest tires I could find. I don't always do that, especially for my good bike, but that is as much about vanity and prestige as about quality and performance. For most of my bikes, I spend between $8 and $20 per tire.

crazyb

Another vote for Bontrager Hardcase. 3000 miles on a set and no flats

gear

I like Michelin Pro Race 3 but no matter what tire you get, pump them up to 110lbs before every ride and get into the habit of scanning the road surface to avoid pot holes, rocks and glass.

Kotts

I ahve always wondered why a company woudl nam a product intended to be placed under high pressure a "Detonator". Just sounds like a bad idea, you know?

Cone Wrench

So much depends on where and how you ride. The roads I ride on my road bike are all pretty decent and I don't ride on busy roads with shoulders that are filled with old truck tire debris. Nor do we have the thorns on the road that I keep hearing about from riders in the south. So I rarely have a problem with flats - one or two a year. My recommendations to someone riding in different conditions would be not very useful.
Now that you've filtered through some basic research, it may be a matter of trial and error.

The Weak Link

I've had good luck (ie, no flats or mechanicals) with the Conti UltraGators and they're the most common tire I've seen on the local club rides.

reverborama

I like Panaracer T-Serv's.

Rick@OCRR

I use Conti Gatorskins and would recommend them, esp. in the 700 x 23 size, with which I am familiar. Very resistant to flats, very resistant to side-wall cuts.

My wife has used Bontrager tires (TREK's brand) with good results, but now she uses Conti's the same as me.

I've had very bad results with the few Maxxis I've tried, esp. bead separation (from the sidewall of the tire) on a Maxxis Corcheval (sp?).

Rick / OCRR

Terrierman

I ride Ultra Gatorskins and have good luck with them, much better than the Vittorio's that came on the bike.

Randochap

Gatorskins are good. For a more performance-oriented tyre, try Schwalbe Ultremo.

67walkon

Gatorskins get my vote. They're good for about 5,000 miles. Flats are rare. You almost forget how to change a tire on the road!