so the tires that came on my new bike are Continental Ultra RAce... 700x23.

I got a hole in the front sidewall already! ... I was on mile 25 of a ride and noticed a bubble on the front tire..it actually wasn't a bubble but it turns out it was the tube sticking out of the sidewall... not long later it popped...luckily I had made it almost all the way home by the time it went....


I'm a newbie ot the biking world.. my current Scott Foil is the first "real" bike I've ever owned. my previosu bike had larger / fatter tires and I didn't ride it as far or as often so I think in 5 years on that bike I had maybe one flat ever?

is this something I should fix? the tire is practically new, I have only put maybe 250 miles on it. I've only had the bike 2 months and these were the tires it came with. from some quick google searches i'm seing most people say do not try to fix tires just replace them. but I thought i'd double check what you all say here?

if I do replace the tire - any recommendations? I can hit the LBS, but they'll just want to sell me whatever they have on the shelf. i'd ideally like a high quality tire - something that handles well, and goes fast.... I don't have to have a totally top of the line tire as I'm not racing... but I would like to put something nice on my bike. i'd be willing to pay a little more for a tire that grips better or goes faster... as with many things in life - i'm sure there is a price point at which you get an "ok" tire, add a bit more money and you get a "GREAT" tire.. and then to go to the "BEST" tire you have to shell out twice as much as the great one... diminishing returns....

Is there any issue with having a different tire on the front vs the back or is that not a problem?

thanks for any suggestions on either whether I fix it or not and what kind of tire I should replace it with.