I'm pretty new to cycling so I wonder if many can actually tell a difference among tires of the same width. I had stock cheap conti's on my bike and got $65 Bontrager AW3 HCL's and can't tell any difference. I just hope I don't flat often (I know any tire is succeptible to flats however). I decided to just go with what the LBS suggested. Although if I did it again, I'd prob go with GP4000s since it's highly recommended and a bit cheaper (online). I should note however I don't race... Maybe it's a bigger difference for that crew??