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Tires, Tires, Tires

Old 02-02-11, 06:09 PM
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Tires, Tires, Tires

I know this topic has been beaten to death but after some thorough searching I have yet to come up with a decent conclusion for myself, so here we go...again

Between these three tires which is better/do you prefer?

Conti Gator Hardshell
https://www.conti-online.com/generato...dshell_en.html
or

Specialized All Condition Armadillo Elite
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...jsp?spid=57076

or

Panaracer RiBMo PT
https://www.panaracer.com/urban.php

I have been getting quite a few flats lately and wanted to get some opinions before I pulled the trigger on a pair. I am currently running the All Condition Sport from Specialized in a 700x 25 @ 120 psi f/r and I weigh 250ish
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Old 02-02-11, 06:19 PM
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None of the above:
I ride on these.

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...Road+Tire.aspx
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Old 02-02-11, 06:21 PM
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Of those three, I like the Conti Gator.

Front or rear flats? Do you know what's causing them?

Also, can you fit a 28 on your bike's rear wheel? You could run a lower pressure and still avoid pinch flats, and you'd be less susceptible to cuts and punctures because of the lower pressure.
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Old 02-02-11, 07:27 PM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
None of the above:
I ride on these.

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...Road+Tire.aspx
10 wheels that link is only in pink. the OP a woman?
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Old 02-02-11, 07:33 PM
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I like Gatorskins, but have yet to use the hardshells.
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Old 02-02-11, 08:16 PM
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achoo - flats are on both front and rear, so far mostly thorns and one pinch flat. I just moved into a new area, but I didn't expect to get thorns on the road that gets swept pretty regularly. I ride a 09 Jamis Nova Pro so I can fit about any size 700c tire

tortugaflats - nope, I am a man

10 Wheels - I am all about saving the tatas but pink really doesn't go with jalapeno green, I know they come in other colors but how do they stack up against the others mentioned
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Old 02-02-11, 09:30 PM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
None of the above:
I ride on these.

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...Road+Tire.aspx
I can't get myself to ride pink but I do get the same tires at EI for $24 wire beads. Not the lightest tires but heck, I'm a clyde.

I myself have tried several tires and don't feel a darn difference in GP4000's and the Serfas Secas to warrant a $40 difference. Other than the GP's flat far more often than the Secas.

But the Serfas Seca 23 is a little more narrow than a GP so I use 25's in a Seca which is about equal to the GP 23's.

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Old 02-02-11, 10:06 PM
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Originally Posted by tortugaflats
10 wheels that link is only in pink. the OP a woman?
My new CX kit is pink and grey/black. I'm building a bike with pink wheels, cables and bartape on a black frame. If I can find pink CX tires, I might use those, too.
It's not just the chicks who are allowed to rock the pink equipment.
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Old 02-02-11, 10:10 PM
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[QUOTE=JWHenry;
10 Wheels - I am all about saving the tatas but pink really doesn't go with jalapeno green, I know they come in other colors but how do they stack up against the others mentioned[/QUOTE]

I have blue ones. The color is difficult to see after a few miles.
Good tire, present set 5,000 miles no flats.

The blue tires





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Last edited by 10 Wheels; 02-02-11 at 10:19 PM.
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Old 02-02-11, 10:34 PM
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They are similar.

The Ribmo is a new design. I'd try that.

I am running Vittoria Rando Hypers. The Randonneur tires are quite good,
but the smallest size is 32c, and it's a real 32c.

On their line the Rando Pro is similar to the others on your list.

The Schwalbe Marathon Racer is also similar, as is the Marathon Supreme.
I used the Racer one year, very tough but like the other tires in this group,
the stiffness slows you down a bit.
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Old 02-02-11, 11:03 PM
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late - I have thought about the Ribmo I used them briefly on a MTB setup and never flatted, I do have them in 28 on my SS but I have yet to ride due to the weather. So far they are the cheapest and heaviest of the group, not that weight really matters for a guy my size.

Thanks everyone for the input, I might pull the trigger on those Serfas. To those that ride the Serfas, what size would you recommend for a ~250lb rider
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Old 02-02-11, 11:14 PM
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Originally Posted by JWHenry
I might pull the trigger on those Serfas. To those that ride the Serfas, what size would you recommend for a ~250lb rider
Same weight here, I use the 25's as they are about the same width as the GP4000's 23's.
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Old 02-02-11, 11:53 PM
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I have the gators on my road bike, I use the 25's. I will probably switch to something else next time, they collect a lot of road debris, that has to get cleaned off.
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Old 02-03-11, 06:37 AM
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So far I really like my Ultra Gatorskins, they've been good to me so far, although it really seems to be hit and miss with these lately. I will say this, buy them one size bigger than the tire size you actually want. If you usually run 25s, buy the gatorskins in a 28. They run small.
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Old 02-03-11, 06:57 AM
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I used to like the 28c size, actually it was the Ruffy Tuffy 27c.
They aren'[t tough enough for your locale, but they were quick and had a nice ride.

Now that I am retired, I want comfy, so next year I will be on 40c tires on my 650b.
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Old 02-03-11, 08:31 AM
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I know exactly what your going through. if you are looking for a great road tire with lots of performance and will take a bullet, look into the serfas seca RS tire. very strong
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Old 02-03-11, 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
...Good tire, present set 5,000 miles no flats.
How do you get so many miles out of a tire? I don't think I've gotten more than about 1500miles out of any tire I've ever had...
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Old 02-03-11, 08:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Homeyba
How do you get so many miles out of a tire? I don't think I've gotten more than about 1500miles out of any tire I've ever had...
I air them up before every ride.
They are $25 tires bought on sale for $10.
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Old 02-03-11, 07:06 PM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
I air them up before every ride.
They are $25 tires bought on sale for $10.
That's my problem!!!!! My tires cost too much!!!

It's gotto be...I air them up before each ride too.
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Old 02-03-11, 07:36 PM
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I'm spending way too much on 28mm tandem tires. I air them up before every wide and I don't think the rear does better than 1500 miles. Mileage did improve when I lowered the pressure. I must be spending the extra $40/tire for something?
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Old 02-03-11, 08:53 PM
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From the book of Sheldon -

Tire Wear-When should you replace your tires?
Many cyclists waste money replacing perfectly functional tires simply because they're old, or may have discolored sidewalls. If you just want new tires because the old ones look grotty, it's your money, but if you are mainly concerned with safety/function, there are only two reasons for replacing old tires:
  1. When the tread is worn so thin that you start getting a lot of flats from small pieces of glass and the like, or the fabric shows through the rubber.
  2. When the tire's fabric has been damaged, so that the tire has a lumpy, irregular appearance somewhere, or the tube bulges through the tire.
Cracks in the tread are harmless. Small punctures in the tire such as are typically caused by nails, tacks, thorns or glass slivers are also harmless to the tire, since the tire doesn't need to be air-tight. Gumwall tires sometimes get unsightly blistering on the sidewalls from ozone damage. (This is frequently caused by storing the bike near a furnace--the powerful electric motors in typical furnaces can put a fair amount of ozone into the air.) This blistering is ugly, but doesn't actually compromise the safety/reliability of the tire in the least.
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Old 02-03-11, 10:33 PM
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Thanks Jw but I ride my bike a lot. I think in the same range per year as my friend 10wheels. I go through about 8-10 pairs of tires a year. They don't have time to get cracked or faded... I usually toss them when they start showing some cord.
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Old 02-03-11, 11:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Homeyba
Thanks Jw but I ride my bike a lot. I think in the same range per year as my friend 10wheels. I go through about 8-10 pairs of tires a year. They don't have time to get cracked or faded... I usually toss them when they start showing some cord.
I know you're too cool for this but I used a 700X25 Specialized Armadillo big fat heavy tire for training one year. 5,000 miles with not a single flat. That included a ton of rides up into the mountains and roadrides, lots of rocks and fast switchback descents while training for Ride Around the Bear. I replaced it cause it was W-O-R-N!! ...............But still no flat!

Tires are heavy, just about stand in the center of a room alone they are so stiff. But heck, it was all training and what do I care if I got dropped on a training ride, it's training. Honestly, with the training and even the big heavy tires, I wasn't the one getting dropped (shame on those guys with light tires and wheels, bunch of weightweenie preachers.).

But for event day, I slapped on some GP4000's.

I won't hesitate to throw on another except that the Secas are half the cost and have been wearing well.
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Old 02-03-11, 11:48 PM
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I suppose if I had to buy all my tires I'd worry about it more. I was just looking at it and 16-20 tires at $50 a pop is a lot of money! I just may have to go on the Beanz plan.
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Old 02-04-11, 12:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Homeyba
I suppose if I had to buy all my tires I'd worry about it more. I was just looking at it and 16-20 tires at $50 a pop is a lot of money! I just may have to go on the Beanz plan.
So why don't you have to buy your own tires? Are you heir to the Continental throne?
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