sers

I'm really interested in picking up an armadillo for a rear tire for gemeral mayhem in the city, but I was surprised to see how many different tires incorporate armadillo protection. Any insight on the different models, especially on how they compare to one another would be most appreciated. Please direct comments about gatorskins, vittorias, and schwalbes elsewhere.

newo

i skidded through my armadillo elite in a week with ease... not a satisfied customer.

trial-sin

i normally run an armadillo all-condition on one of my bikes, with no real problems. thumbs up for puncture resistance, and when i start to wear through the tread, a red stripe appears to let me know

Jimbobunyons

my armadillos are amazing... i skid all the time w/ no probs. just got a pair of the nimbus... will try them because i got such a good deal

shishi

all condition rear has worked out pretty well for me, although I am not doing tons of skids.

rattlecan

all condition armadillos front and rear, as a messenger here in nyc u cant beat them, i cant tell u the last time i had a flat

bbattle

I keep my armadillo in my trousers.

jhnmrk

they're great for skidding because they're sh*t for traction. beware the armadillo rider cornering in the rain, or stopping on a wet metal plate.

pancakeman157

i use the AC's and love them. aside from the weight, they're the best tires i've used. though, we've gotten some defective ones at the store i work at, so be careful. get a good look before you buy them

* * * * *

Vittoria Rubino Pro's have been very swee to me.

Ken Cox

I ride with an Armadillo All Conditions in back and a Conti 4 Season or Conti GP 4000 in front.
Any other tire in back lasts me about a week.

Robbykills

yeah I had an armadillo all condition last 17 months with no flats before it finally blew out. And I did plenty of skidding/skipping. the other one bought with it has been moved to rear tire duty and is on month 20 now.

TrevorInSoCal

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but it seemed an appropriate place...

For you guys skidding a lot and running the Armadillo ACs: What's your gear ratio?

I'm not certain if I'm burning through tires 'cause I'm not using the right tires, or because of my gear ratio. I'm running a 42x16 on my commute bike (got a couple good climbs going to work) which, if I can remember from the "skid spots" threads, is supposed to give me 8 skid spots (If I'm skidding with alternate feet, which I do, but I favor the right.). However, it seems that I always wear through at one or two spots.

I'm considering gearing down to a 15 to give me that magical, mutually-prime combo which is supposed to provide me with mutliple, random skid spots.

Which would increase my rear tire life more, Armadillos, or a gear change?

-Trevor

trons

42x15 gives you 5

TrevorInSoCal

Oops. I'm mistaken in that 42 and 15 are not mutually prime (duh!), but I'm not sure how a common factor of 3 equates to 5 skid-spots.

Have to go read the explanation again.

Edit:
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/166218-wtf-skidpatches.html

On review, it appears the combo I'm looking for is 44x17. Same ratio, 17 skid patches vs. 5.

That's going to require a new cog *and* a new chainring though. Wonder if I'd recoup the expense, in savings on tires?

Or I could just use the brake, but what fun would that be?

-Trevor

trons

divide the cog # by the greatest common factor (right?). thus, 5

somebodies

All condition, 11 months, no flats. We sell the ***** outta them in my shop. Kevlar weave, literally bulletproof, no?

Only been skippin and skiddin for 5 or so of them months, but no red coming through yet

sers

fedex just delivered the all condition armadillo i ordered from specialized. i have to say that it rolls so much nicer than I expected. after hearing about how badly they roll compared to a decent road tire i expected it to be sluggish as hell. for my rear tire, it's pretty much ideal as far as i'm concerned.

afaik:
the conti gatorskin and vittoria zaffrio offer arguably enough puncture protection to make up for the ride.
the schwalbe marathons are significantly heavier and slower rolling than a 'dillo
the bontrager hardcases possibly have better skid durability.

visitordesign

i killed one in a month. those tires are the most over-hyped crap ever.

sers

all condition elite != all condition

Toolshed

I saw an absolutely destroyed pair that were only about a month and a half old. I'm not sure I'll ever ride on them.

sers

so what's the alternative?

i mean, i've never heard of a tire that has lasted much longer than a month of hard skidding. that doesn't mean there isn't one. you also have to figure in how many skid patches someone has - if it's low, then of course the tires are going to get beat to **** in a short amount of time.

i skid and skip a moderate amount, and for flat protection I fail to see a better alternative.

OneTinSloth

i think that has more to do with moronic behavior than bad product. if you skid excessively like an 8 year old, guess what, your tires aren't going to last very long. learn how to ride smoother and slow yourself with your legs, or *gasp* use a brake rather than skidding for 50 feet every time there's a red light.

that's like saying "i put a dura ace rear derailleur on my freeride bike and it broke on the frist ride. that stuff is utter crap."

sers

i wouldn't say it's moronic. i just would rather not have to replace my rear tire every month. it's a lot of fun skidding around. $30-$50 isn't a ton of money, but i'd rather spend it otherwise.

ka12na

The dumpster is your best friend. That's where my rear tires come from.