kyselad

+1. There's a reason every reasonable tire has air in it.
The man provides a rant here.

awer1

bontrager race lites are really good, i have a set of them on a wheelset but armadillos have been super doody. they only come in red it seem - correct me if im wrong on that.

Ken Cox

I ride a Conti 4 Seasons in front and a Specialized Armadillo All Condition in back.

I don't intentionally skid.

No flats, nice handling.

jdiamond

i ride a 26c soma everwear on the rear and i've been on it for 9 months, and i ride brakeless and skid/skip as much as the as the normal brakeless rider. i just blew the tire after 9 months on it from the weak sidewall, but id recommend it to anyone! the only bad thing i have to say about the tire is the thin sidewall contruction and they tend to get flat (the tread i mean) when you skid alot. but like i said 9 months, case closed

plus they are about to start making them in a 28c =), and they redid the whole sidewall thing

hairnet

RiBMOs are also tough as nails, but their rolling resistance is a bit icky.

AModernDrunkard

I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires here in Berlin. Lots of broken glass, cobblestones, the works. They ride really nice, have excellent grip and are kevlar reinforced. I dont do lots of skids, unless its on gravel or wet outside, so i cant say how they hold up in that department.

Noobert

Do you skid to stop or skid cuz its cool?

Nuggetross

i've been using conti ultra sports. they come in cool colors and have lasted me since i built my bike in the summer. i don't always skid stop, so i can't vouch for how long my rear tire will hold up. i only had one flat since june, though. and i do lots and lots of riding in boston: pot holes, beer bottle glass, etc.

dbgray21

i love my 25c armadillos, no flats in 200+ miles so far...

Leukybear 

I skid a lot; I usually use rubinos (just rubinos) and gatorbacks

dcdude

ive had these maxxis detonators for almost a year now and have never gotten a flat due to a worn out skid spot and I skid all the time, short skids or skips mainly.

i also have 17 skid patches and only weigh 150 pounds if that makes a difference.

brandonspeck

Ritchey Speedmax Cross Tires on my Steamroller right now. They make an awesome noise when I skid because of the tread.

ichitz

I did this search a few months ago and every single tire out there seems to be controversial.. all except the
vredestein fortezza tricomp. I now run a pair and it is great. The really bad Kenda tires that comes stock with the kilo tt I have gave me 3 flats in two monthes. Now I haven't had a flat since and I rode over a pile of broken glass accidentally becoz someone smashed them on the bike lane and there was too much traffic and the speed was too fast to switch lanes. It held up. No flats. Fast too.

jpdesjar

Rando in front and a Ribmo in the rear
The Ribmo is a little sluggish, but I prefer toughness over speedy.
I did however get a flat last week riding home in the rain, I think the little piece of glass stuck to the tire and round and round it went until it cut through.

theooriginal

totally agree with you about the Kenda tires, they're crap. I've had just about 4 flats in 2 months also. now looking for a replacement.

so here's what i got with prices, and im just seeing what's worth it or what's not: and these are just average low prices i see on google, don't quote me on it.

soma everwear ~30
armadilo ~40
gatorskin ~35
conti ultra sports ~20
maxxis detonators ~29
Vredestein fortezza ~35
tricomp ~50
rubinos ~25

just about how much should i spend on these tires anyways. im leaning towards the soma's haven't heard much bad about it. Plus supporting the local SF company. shrugs.

Squirrelli

My vote goes to Michelin Krylion Carbon.

CharneK

Randos. And I've been riding my Ultra Sports since march without any problems.

But if you're skidding a lot its just the cheapest tire worth anything that will be best. Skidding kills tires. Fact.

I wouldn't buy the somas. They have very weak sidewalls. Mine had maybe 3 months on it SS and the sidewall just blew... the tire, not the tube.

Tomo_Ishi

I was getting nice results from Kenda tires. I had Kontender on my rear this lasted me nearly half a year (w/ skids) with some rubber to spare (no flats). I could have rode some more months riding it, but I decommissioned it for wear study. Dude it's got 1-2 mm left to wear through. I think it's one of the best cheapo tire options along with rando and discounted everwear. (Don't ride smooth tho. ...)

Kaliente I had for 3-4 months on front with no flats; and keeping it as my spare. Kaliente got a bit flimsy hook region and fabric get separated from rubber. I think adhesive isn't very good. But that doesn't seem to effect its performance. Another cheap solution. (only for front tho, I gotta see how long it takes to bust it on rear.)

seau grateau

Panaracer T-Serv. For real, people. Get on this.

ismellfish2

+1 everwear. I was going through tires 1/mo until I got one on the rear, and that's done it for the better part of a year. One flat b/c I let pressure get too low, no sidewall issues of any kind- they're totally square at this point across the tread, but they work great.

ichitz

I got the same thing before. With that said, I settled on a pair of Vredestein Fortezza Tricomps. The online reviews all seems to be pretty good on these tires. I have them on now. Really smooth rolling, fast, not bad with puncture resistance. I think I've got 1 glass thru my tires in the past year. I wouldn't skid on these tho, they are kinda pricey.

The other bike have Panaracer Paselas on it. Not bad too.

EDIT: just realized this thread was from almost a year ago. And I wrote pretty much the same response back then. This blows my mind...

mihlbach

Learn how to install a tube correctly, run the correct amount of pressure, quit skidding, and learn how to ride outside of the gutter. You will find than nearly all tires will hold up when ridden properly.

Sixty Fiver

Crack open a PBR and use the can for shim material.

xavier853

gatorskins have been the best tire for me.

streetslicks

I haven't heard anybody mention freedom thickslicks yet! they might be tanks, but their puncture protection is crazy good, and the 5mm rubber tread means tons of meat for skidding