Best 23c city tire?
 

I like the Continental Gator Skins but the shop is out of them in the 700x23c

Any suggestions for around $40/tire or less?

I've always ridden the Conti's

I just picked up some FORTE's for $16 each on sale... Normally $35 and I love em!

I like the Michelin Speedium's but I think they're hard to find now.

i just put on some vittoria zaffiro pros in white and i am digging them so far...30 bucks a piece through benscycle.net

Because you mentioned Gator Skins, I'm assuming you want puncture resistance. IMO you can't beat the Armadillos (Specialized I think) for that. I hardly pay attention to what I run over when I am on them. The drawback? They roll like garden hose. So not a race/comfort tire but they have been bullet proof.

I have Hard Cases (Trek I think) on the geared roadie and they seem like a really good compromise. They are more supple but tough.

For what its worth I probably have 1000-1250 miles on the armadillos and 400-ish on the hard cases.

I heart Specialized Armadillos. I'm running a 25c on the rear, but they come in 23c too.

should i consider riding a larger tire in the rear? i ride 23s right now but what are some advantages to riding a 25 in the back?

thanks

If you were planning on running 23c front and rear, there's probably no advantage to running 25c in the rear. However, if you were planning on running 25c in the back for whatever reason, then going 23c front would drop the weight some.

Scroll down to "Mixing/Matching Tires": http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#width to see Sheldon's view.

cool, thanks a bunch

$25 folding Gatorskins with free, fast shipping and no tax

http://probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y1320

I picked up a set of the Botranger hard case tires in 23c but I haven't ridden on them yet. anyone run these before.

i like staggered setups with larger tires out back— you can run a slightly lower pressure for more comfort without worrying about pinch flats, more contact patch, and still keep the front agile feeling. i like gatorskins in 25-28.

Continental Grand Prix 4000S's. They are pretty sweet and grippy as FUDGE!

PF

Hmm, may gave to check this out..

Vittoria Rubino Techs are also good. I usually go with Conti's, but I have previously ran my bike with a Rando in the back, Rubino Tech 25c in the front, nice rolling tire, a little less grippy than a Gatorskin, but seemed to roll a little better!

You run the rear lower than the front?

Armadillos are worth whatever they cost.

that sounds risky... my rear pressure was low on my commute home this evening, and i felt that when i rode over any uneven pavement, the rear wheel was taking the brunt of the hit -- not quite hitting rim, but felt like it could.

he runs the rear lower than the front because he runs a wider tire with a lower max psi. perfectly safe.

rubino pro.
ridiculous to install but lasted 8 months before i spied canvas. then it went awry.

+1 on getting gatorskin tires or shall I say tyres from ProBikeKit. And yes, they ship fast even to California. They ship faster than most bike shops period. Blue Mailing Bag FTW.

Safe; fine. But what's the point? I prefer lower pressure in the front to dampen impact, but higher in the back for drive efficiency. To each his/her own.

sorry, that was unclear. i run a larger tire in the back with a lower pressure than i would otherwise have to run in a 23. i still run higher pressure in the back tire than in the front tire.

Michelin Krylion Carbons FTW. Only $25 and great puncture protection. I haven't had a flat all season.

Those Krylion Carbons are out of stock at PBK as of right now, just letting you guys know.

EDIT:
How long did it take for them to ship to you? I'm in CA and I just ordered today.