aloof

Hello,

I am going to start commuting (app. 25 miles/day) and I am going to use my Cannondale roadbike. I would like to get the best puncture-resistant tires that I can as my schedule does not tolerate lateness to work. Although this is certainly a realistic concern for any commuter, I'd like to minimize my chances of flats in the future. I have heard that Specialized Armadillos are good. My LBS is recommending Bontrager Hard Case tires, which everyone who uses commends for their puncture-resistance, but say the tire is super-heavy and bad in inclement weather. Which of the tires do you recommend, and can you recommend others?

JeffS

Specialized Armadillos and Continental Gatorskins would be the favorites of most for a road bike.

I've only ever used the Armadillos, but will be trying the gatorskins next time. Neither are flat-proof though, so leave enough time to fix a flat.

ilmooz

+1 for Continental Gatorskins.

Cyclist0383

I've had excellent luck with T-Servs. Great flat protection, good rolling, and much better in the wet than GatorSkins.

theetruscan

I've found the Continental Grand Prix 4 Season to be incredibly durable. Mine lasted 8 months of daily riding in Nashville, where roads are always strewn with scary crap. Finally succumbed to a piece of jagged scrap metal painted black and laying in the bike lane.

https://www.conti-online.com/generato...season_en.html

Apparently they now make an even sturdier version.

https://www.westernbikeworks.com/prod...il.asp?p=CO4SV

They're marketed as a higher performance gatorskin. I've never ridden gatorskins, but these blew away the T-servs I rode for durability, and the specialized armadillos for not riding like a dead fish.

Psydotek

Schwalbe Marathons?

In addition to carrying a pump, spare tubes, and a patch kit, i'm now packing a Vittoria Pit Stop just in case i need to fix a flat in a hurry.

https://trisports.com/vipitst.html

HardyWeinberg

I've had great results w/ Big Apples. Only 2 punctures* in ~8k miles of roads/trails that previously ate up 3 pairs of michelin transworld cities.




* 4 flats, one of the punctures has been reused 3 times now!!! It's a pretty big gash actually. Hit a drywall screw my first week on these tires.

climbhoser

I would look at Armadillos, Gatorskins and Hardcases.

I am running Hardcases right now and they're great, but yeah they're heavy. I don't notice much loaded with 40 lbs. in panniers on my steel 'cross bike, though.

I'm building a new, lightweight, carbon fork 'cross bike for commuting and other duties and putting Gatorskins on.

The way I see it is Gatorskins are the fastest and lightest, Armadillos are the heaviest and slowest, and Hardcases are in between. Hardcases work well enough in wet if you're careful.

I also use Panaracer Urban Max for the winter (basically a T-Serv) and they're great in larger sizes, but I feel like the rubber wore down too quickly. Nice tires, but I won't go that road again.

vaticdart

Vittoria Randonneurs get my vote. I've not used Gatorskins, Armadillos or Marathons, but I'm sure any of those are fine (and Marathons are in a league of their own).

unixpro

I've used Armadillos, Hardcases, and Marathon Plus tires. As far as I'm concerned, they're all about the same, because my bike is so loaded down with my commuting gear that I don't notice a few ounces here or there. As far as speed is concerned, the last set of Armadillos I got were almost slicks, so they were pretty fast, IMHO.

RazorWind

I've had good luck with the Michelin Krylion Carbons. Had my first flat on one yesterday after better than 1600 miles.

modernjess

Punctures are as much a function of luck as the tires. My approach is: have good tires, keep them inflated properly, and always carry a tube pump and patch kit, and keep your fingers crossed.

With that said. My current favorites are Conti Ultra Gatorskins. I've had better luck with these than any other tire I've ever tried. Also, they roll really really well, which I love. I do not use them in snow, they are 3 season.

atombob

I personally ran the armadillos all last winter and spring and can say they seem to be bullet proof. No flats but the one downer is they ride like crap. I mean they are horrid so be warned that your bike will ride completely different.

cheers!

Enthusiast

I vote for Continental Contacts. I used a couple pairs of those but still got flats every 400 miles or so. Putting tuffy strips in helped a lot but I've still had a nail go through my tube in 3 places. (not fun) I switched to Gatorskins because of all the good reviews on this site. I've been very disappointed. I'm getting flats every 200 miles probably. The rubber is much thinner than with my contacts and the kevlar doesn't seem to do much at all. Just yesterday I had a shard of metal cut a half inch gash through the tread and kevlar weave. The sidewalls get punctures often as well. Thats not to mention the pinch flats from terrible new orleans roads. And yes, I do have them inflated to the proper psi.

teacherbill

I use a set of tires from Nu-Teck in Colorado on my commutes to school. I leave when it is dark and have not a worry about what I run over. I will be changing to Touring 28s with a 120 psi rating. After that I will be ready for the crushed lime trails.

Airless Bill

nashcommguy

Man after my own heart. 130 psi rated 700x28mm touring tires. Am running 25mm Nashbar Kevlar @ 110 psi, but realize I'm on borrowed time. Got the new hub today and will buld up the rear wheel w/a cr-18 rim and Sora 8/9 cassette. The fronts are already done. I'm, also building up a single speed w/46x16 gearing w/150 psi rated Nu-tecks. 700x28mm, too. CR-18 rims. The rear rim on the SS will be a 36h to match the hub. A set of Tektro levers, calipers, pads, cables and housings for 40.00 from bikeisland.com. Airless is the only way to guarantee no flats, ever.

Cyclist0383

I can honestly say the Grand Prix 4 Season is the worst tire I've ever ridden in terms of puncture resistance. In two weeks of commuting I had three flats and a ruined tires with a 2cm gash in it. In over a year with GatorSkins I never had a flat.

Some people have had great luck with these tires, and some have had horrible luck as I have, which makes me wonder if it isn't a quality control issue at the factory.

theetruscan

I couldn't say. I've only had one pair, and they were wonderful. Since one got eaten by a giant piece of scrap metal, and I sold that bike, I've a second pair on the way. If they perform differently, I will post.

fatigoworld

continental 4 season

Andy_K 

I've been riding Gatorskins for about four months with no troubles. Last week I was looking them over the night before a 55-mile ride, and I found a slash in the surface of the front tire, but I didn't have a replacement, so I did the 55-mile ride with the tire as it was. I didn't have a problem, so I just left it and I've been commuting with it like that. Whatever made the cut seems not to have penetrated the pucture-resistance layer.

pinkpowa

I just installed a pair of Hutchinson Top Speed 2 with Protect'air last nite (700x32c). We'll see how they last long term but they're supposedly good...

mhifoe

Schwalbe Marathon Plus are the best tyres for puncture protection.

However, they are very heavy.

Barrettscv 

Does anyone use liners?

Michael

scube

I'm going on one year, about 2,000 miles, on Bontrager Racelite Hardcases on my single. I've not had a single flat. My commute is on a berm that has considerable glass and junk. On our tandem, we have had similar results with Gatorskins.

climbhoser

I've used the Slime brand before. They work. They're not that heavy, either. I had 'em in WAY too old MTB tires, though, so not the best gauge.

Just mounted Gatorskins. the 25s are a touch narrower than 25s in the Hardcases, but I don't mind. Man, they ride AWESOME compared to the Hardcases. Ride faster, lighter, stickier! We'll see how they stack up flat protection-wise.

I'm SERIOUSLY thinking about some Nu-Tecks for the winter, so I don't ever have to deal with flat changes in the cold!