Scrodzilla

It may be but that doesn't matter. Operator said it.

Scrodzilla

Oh shut up. Your insightful post wasn't chock full of facts either. You've most likely never even ridden on a Chen Shin, yet you feel you're doing this forum a favor by spouting off some half-cocked "opinion" based on other things you've read on the internet and declaring it law.

dayvan cowboy

you could always just go in an ask them, i bet they'd sell you take off's for cheap.

adriano 

i vote for fat randonneurs.

das_pyrate

vittoria zaffiros can be had for around $12 per just fyi.


about to try a 28c randonneur rear

mrvile

I ride Panaracer Ribmo's that I got for pretty cheap...like $30 each. They're beasts. Heavy, but I don't care since I ride 32s anyway.

Nuggetross

why?

dbgray21

i love my armadillo 25c's. but i'm biased because that is all i've ever ran ss or fg.

veganwar

Mavic Refuse.

I started riding a pair about 13 months ago. One flat in the front (huge piece of glass); replaced the rear after about 6 months when the tire was pretty squared off, felt crappy, and I had burned down to threads over most of the tire; my second rear tire is at like 5 or 6 months (the bike swent a few months off the road). I'm about 4 months into a set of these tires on another bike with no flats and not much visible wear.

The only tires I have ridden that were comparatively a good ride, didn't get flats, AND lasted a while were a pair of Schwable tires. That model was discontinued I think. Specialized Armadillos last a long time and don't get flats but they are a terrible ride.

Once you ride a nicer quality tire, you won't want to ride just any old tire. And stop skidding or skipping to slow as your only method of slowing down. I keep seeing racing from intersection to intersection and leaning way into skids as they hit a red light and have to stop again and again.

dbgray21

everyone says the ride on armadillos is horrible but i like it. just like the suspension i had on my civic. people complain but i like knowing whats going on under me. i can't roll over a dime without noticing it.

armadillos+alu frame= instant feedback

JacoKierkegaard

I got some Conti GP4k's that I'm going to throw on after roller season.

Fugazi Dave

FWIW, I've been riding the same CST Compressor Comp on my rear wheel for about six months. I don't skid a ton, but definitely do some, and it's held up very well. Only a few flats in that time, too. Grip has always been good enough, even in the rain.

When considering how long a tire lasts under regular skidding, people also need to consider the number of skid patches. I run 47x18, which effectively gives me 36 skid patches (I skid both ways). People who are consistently putting wear in the same places on their tires are going to wear out any tire a lot faster than people with more skid patches to allow for more even wear.

No.

LoRoK

I second the vote for the GP4000. They are the best tires I've owned. I had a pair of Michelin Pro Race 3 on for a couple months, and while the ride was great, they flatted about every week. My GP4000s lasted almost as long as a set of gatorskins. Since gatorskins have gotten more expensive recently, I think my next set will be GP4000s again, unless I can find a good deal on these schwalbes that I keep hearing about (the Ultremos or something like that I think).

helloamerican

Can i just say for the 'which cheap tire is best' arguement... If you plan ahead and keep an eye out for deals i've gotten continental ultra sport's for less than $20 on multiple occasions, and those tires usually last me 2+ months of of frequent skidding. I understand going for the budget option but the price difference between continental (a well reputed brand) and the discount bottom of the barrel tire (cst) seems so small i don't know why you'd try to save in that area of your bike. Not to mention the quality of the rubber on the ultrasport is undoubtedly far superior to the chen shins.

If you've got the cash to skid through gp4000's... well i'm jealous. i personally like to run a gp4000 on the front with a size smaller ultrasport on the rear. Reasonably cost effective, with great performance.

Scrodzilla

Just a reminder: CST makes a lot of other tires (besides Super HPs) and they're not all of "dollar store" quality. I was simply saying that I had a set of Super HPs and they weren't the most terrible tire I've ever ridden on. In fact, they were pretty good and very durable for a low-priced tire. However, I'm not saying that everyone should roll on them because they're the best tire ever (or even the best "cheap" tire).

Not all of us are wannabe professional, die hard cyclists who spend multi-thousands of dollars on their bikes. Some people here just like to ride bikes and for these folks, Super HPs are perfectly acceptable.

Brian

Personally, arguing that a tire is crap because it doesn't hold up to a lot of skidding has to be one of the dumber arguments around.

helloamerican

every thread ends in a sigh.

Scrodzilla

True.

Scrodzilla

Also true.

veganwar

I felt that armadillos rode well until I rode a nice tire. now I can't imagine going back to them and Ive been trying to find a use or give away a pretty good condition one I only used as a front tire.

I also didn't understand why people said they felt tacky and almost too grippy. Then I figured it out after moving to NYC. People here apparently used to love Armadillos and then moved onto Rubinos (I only had bad luck with them) and now I seem to know a lot of people riding the Refuse - sorry, I think my earlier post called them Mavic instead of Maxxis.

I only rode Armadillos on a Renyolds 531 frame so I can't comment on how the tires feel on an aluminum frame. I've riden the Refuses on the same 531 frame and a Columbus SLX frame.

dbgray21

i'm biased to armadillos because thats all i've ever ran ss or fg. they've served me well and i'm a student of the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' school. i've thought about changing tires but they've never slipped out from under me and i love the harsh ride. and i don't skid for the hell of it so i'm getting great wear from them. the only drawback in my eyes is getting the bead onto the rim. but i've only had one flat in a year from a nail so that is really a non issue...

adriano 

you replace perfectly fine components of your civic.

dbgray21

i actually bought a theft recovery with cut springs and busted shocks. but thats neither here nor there.

elTwitcho

I remain a big fan of rubinos. IMO best compromise between ride quality, puncture resistance and cost. Love the tires.


As for CST, I thought I remembered seeing they had a TPI count of 15. If that's the case then yes, that is a pretty lousy tire