Originally Posted by
Hiro11
I'm looking for feedback on:
Maxxis Padrone
Panaracer Race A Evo3
Schwalbe One
The various Bontrager offerings
...any other suggestions people have.
I'd love to fit something like a Compass but as I said, no room in the frame.
All of these options are fairly expensive so I don't want to experiment too much. I'm not racing and I prioritize puncture/cut resistance over a few grams of weight. This will be for 100% pavement riding. I weigh about 150 lbs and want to run around 75-80 psi. I have a compressor and I've done this before a few times so no issues with mounting.
I have run Bontrager R2 tubeless, R3 tubeless, and Scwalbe Pro One tubeless in 23 & 25.
The R3s were an improvement in ride quality over the R2s. I did have one R3 that punctured, and somehow the sealant sealed the puncture at the tread, but didn't seal the puncture at the tire lining, so I ended up with a massive sealant bubble -- Trek replaced this tire under warranty. Eventually I punctured and lost so much air I had to pull over to inflate . . . when I did, the CO2 froze the valve stem and the valve stem sheared off. The tire was near the end of its life anyways, so that's when I switched to Pro One's.
Pro One's in 23 were a noticeable improvement in ride quality over the R3s. I'd have to say they're more puncture resistant as well; I never once had to pull over an add air (still running Bontrager TLR sealant). I got about 2500 miles out of my rear tire. I decided to move to 25s and replaced both tires even though the front showed little to no wear, even after 2500 miles. I'm ~190, and I rode these at 85F/90R.
Pro Ones in 25 are awesome. Only slightly wider and ever-so-slightly taller than the 23s. I've ridden these down to 70F/75R in testing . . . I think that was a bit low for my weight as I could feel they weren't rolling as fast vs. 80F/85R.
Comparing R3s vs. Pro One's, it's a no-brainer: Pro One's all the way. Faster tire, more supple, better puncture resistance, and MUCH lower cost:
Schwalbe Pro One $38.99
I just purchased 3 of these to qualify for free shipping. Got them to my door in a week for less than what I paid for two Pro One's from Amazon.