I bought my Pilot City tires because they were cheaper than other tires that I was considering (ie. Schwalbe Marathon) and because my LBS had them in stock. So far I have no regrets or complaints other than the aforementioned difficulty with their installation. I am, however, very impressed with Schwalbe's products (I have the Winter Marathons) but at twice the price my choice was a no-brainer. If price were no object I would have chosen the Schwalbes.