I am considering buying the Michelin Axial Bi-Sport tire for commuting to work. I commute a little over 100 miles a week to an from work. The reason I am considering these tires is because of the tread and in some instances, I have gotten caught in rain and these are considered all weather tires.

To be truthful, I would prefer the axial performance, or the axial carbon.

What do you all use and prefer?

Thx.

See Sheldon Brown's article on tires at https://www.sheldonbrown.com . Basically, there is no use for tread on bike tires if you use them on pavement, even on wet pavement. Snow or mud are a different story, however.

On my commuter, I have IRC Tandem 700x30. Cheap, durable, but a little bit slippery (could be a problem if you like really fast cornering), and noisy (a problem on a quiet road, not on city commutes. Indeed, one of the tires had first been bought for the tourer, but the road noise drove me mad. Still much less noisy than a knobby tire.

On my tourer, I have 2 Conti Top Touring 2000 (700x32 front and 700x37 rear). Great tires, really durable, fairly silent and not slippery. If you ride on glass or nails, you will tear spendy tires, however.

Regards,

I recommend Specialized Armadillos in whatever style and width you prefer. The Armadillos are very resistant to flats. Forget about the tread. Less is better.

I agree with Supcom. With the Specialize Turbo Armadillo's you will rarely ever have to repair a flat ever again; and when your commuting this is very important.

Mag is entirely correct. You'd have to be going 200 MPH+ before a bicycle tire will hydroplane. The grooves are there mainly to placate the uneducated masses who equate no tread as "bald". This is a carry-over from car-culture that doesn't apply to bikes. That said I personally use a set of Specialized Nimbus EX's in all weather conditions and haven't had a problem with them. I will caution you though: stay away from their Hemisphere line. One of the regulars had a problem with it constantlt flatting (not a good thing on a Kevlar tire) that when added to the poor reviews make it an unwise choice.

My touring bike has 35 mm tires.. Armadillos, which are on my other bikes won't fit on my touring rims.. I have bought Performance St. Cross, Kevlar.. If Armadillo made 35's, I would have that..

I tried the michelins, they were a good tire, they wore well, i got 3000 mile out of them, i then tried conti ultra 2000's, they stuck to the road better, had less rolling resistance and lasted 5000 miles, then i got a deal on panaracer pasela's, they were the worst tire i've ever ridden, they flatted almost daily and wore off the bike in 750 miles. I just ordered a set of conti top touring 2000's, i haven't recieved them yet but i'm hoping they are at least as good as the ultra 2000. the michelin's were a good tire, i feel that if the deal is good enough, buy them, it's not worth paying full retail for the conti's if you can get a deal. The conti's are around 35.00 each.

I have two identical mountain bikes I use for commuting. One has Metro IRCs, the other Michelin Wild Grippers. The IRCs roll better (lower resistence), but I have had lots of flats with the Metros and not a single flat with the Wild Grippers. I run 1.25s in the front and 1.5s in the rear.

Another vote for the Amaradillos. I am now currently running the Performance brand, Fortec Pros on my commuter. Good results so far. The only thing to go threw them so far is a pair 9/16" staple on night.

I think I might stick with the Fortec since I have been having good luck (so far).

Great infobit!

On my hybrid, I went from the OEM tires to thinner and "balder" tires. The difference was noticeable. I was concerned about "traction" but never felt a difference.

Now, on my new road bike, I have "baldies". This thread and your further explanation will keep me from bringing up that concern again.

Thanks,
Rob

So, to extend the question a bit based on the idea that "bald is best"...

After a (very) quick survey of the Continental website, it looks like they're offering their slick (racing) tires up to a 700c x 25 ish size, but no higher really. What good tires could a now informed (bald is best!) commuter find that are wider than racing slicks? The popular top touring 2000 model, as well as the panaracer pasela and other traditional "commuting" tires seem to have their fair share of tread.

Thanks!
Josh

The tread on Pasela is pretty minimal and they make good fast, reliable commuting tyres. Their sizing is a bit off, the 28mm is more like a conventional 25mm.

soylentjosh, Sometimes ya gotta take a little tread to get the size that works for your ride. That's just how it is. My Nimbus EX's have some siping on them but such is the market. Remember not everyone understands the "bald is better" idea so they put "little lines" on them.

You didn't say what kind of bike you're riding. I have an older steel roadie I use for commuting, and 700 x 23's are big enough for the job. I have some Michelin Axial Kevlars I'm going to try, but they have a bit of tread. Since organized rides out here like to do a lot of climbing, I figure my commute will just be training if the tires roll a little harder. My favorites are Specialized Armadillos. They roll along smoothly and I haven't had a flat yet.

Why is this? I have Michelin Axial Kevlar Tyres........... :confused:

Thanks.

Well you yanked that quote completely out of context there sparky. I was referring to the Specialized Hemisphere tire which is a Kevlar belted tire that was prone to failure which is not a good thing for a kevlar tire to be prone to do! I was telling the thread starter to stay away from them. It had nothing to do with Michelin tires what-so-ever.

oh ok, thanks. I find my tyres fine apart from that they have an extremely tight bead which makes them hard to get over the rim when changing a flat.

700x23cc recommendations, do they follow similar?

What about hutchinson tires for commuting?

I use the Specialized Nimbus EX, which gets good reviews from being damn near bulletproof and fast with it.

I can tell you, it IS indeed fast, and VERY quiet.

Not a good thing because Kevlar tires should not go flat.

Another vote for Armadillos. Great tire if you don't mind the weight. I have never flatted on one. Am using the Armadillo Light as my training tire and the Performance Kevlar Pro as my climbing tire (somewhat less weight). I only tried the Performance tires as I got such a good deal on them while on sale. But in my first 1200 miles they have not flatted and they handle well. If I were commuting I would definitely use the Armadillo tires. The full Kevlar Armadillo tire is almost rock/cut-proof (notice I said "almost"). A very rugged tire. I finally wore out the first one I bought after using it for the winter on my trainer.

As of last week, I can now say that Armadillos are the ONLY tyre that I have never punctured. I finally ruined a tufo...waaaaahhhhh!!!!!

Continental Double Fighters

They have hardly any tread in the center but still have nobs on the side.