Tire comparison question
 

I turned my front suspension mountain bike into a commuter a couple of years ago and have been using Continental Top Touring tires. They have been fine for the most part (I have nothing to compare them to other than my knobbies) and I have only had three flats- two from construction staples in my rear tire and the most recent was a pinched tube. I think the pinched tube came about because these tires are the hardest thing to get on and off that I have ever seen and the rim tape seemed to be pushed out of position in a small section and about ten miles after removing the staple I hear a nice loud bang. I am guessing the rim tape moved from me using a tire lever to remove the thing. Also, there is now a bulge in the side of the tire (about the width of a tire lever- oops) and I think it is time for something new (or is there some good way to repair a tire side wall?).

I have been using the search feature and looking at recommendations for tires on the forums and have seen some rather popular ones like the Conti Town and Country, Geax Street Runner, Specialized Armadillo line, and the Schwalbe Marathon. Reading about them in the forum seems that they will work for what I need. (I am using 26" tires and want something that can go to at least 55 psi (preferably more, which I believe is not a problem with any of those) as most of my commuting is on pavement and some very well maintained dirt path. I weigh about 220 and will often have about 10 pounds worth of books/bike gear in my pannier.) But, are any of those going to be a big pain to get on and off? That seems to be the one thing that is not mentioned anywhere and something I hate about the Top Touring.

I've got nothing but good to say about Specialized Armadillo tires. I run those on my old Trek 820 commuter. Nice rise, very flat resistant, easy enough to get on/off the rim. Excellent all around.

Of course, I've yet to try any of the other brands you listed. Why mess with something that works?

boog

Marathon Plus is the most "bomb-proof" tire I've seen (I have some experience with the 700 x 28 and the 700 x 25) but it is also one of the heaviest tires and notorious for being harder to mount (especially when new) than other tires...there is a thread (started maybe three months ago) about mounting/dismounting issues with the Marathon Plus.

I may have an entirely different approach. If a less expensive brand of tire lasts only half as long as the pricey brand yet only costs one quarter as much it is more cost-effective to use the cheaper brand. As in Kenda at $6.00 vs Schwalbe at $49.00

A tire, any tire, is a compromise between several opposing qualities. Grip and durability, quality and price, ruggedness and ride quality... and more.

So we all look for something that fits the way we live.

I hate flats. With a passion. I don't want to be late for work, stuck in the rain, or dark, etc. So I am more than willing to spend a few bucks to get a tire that is well made.

I also value ride quality, and have to balance those two things off each other.
Last year I tried the Schwalbe Marathon Racers. Very, very, good tire. Somewhat rough ride, so this year I am trying Pasela TG folding.

But it sounds like reliability is tops with you; and if you lived with the TT you would have no problems with the Schwalbe. Take a look at their website. It gives
weights for their tires, and they are accurate. The size they tell you may not be accurate, but the weight will be.

I'd like to try the Marathon Supremes. Of course, they aren't exactly cheap... but
they are cheaper than the equivalent tire from Continental...


http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires

Kenda are horrible tires. Virtually no flat resistance with the semi-slicks I tried compared with the Geax Evolutions. Why save money if you spend half your time on your hands and knees repairing flats?

I recently had trouble mounting tires and destroyed many tire levers particularly with getting rid of the little bulge that sometimes appears with tight tire fit. Many guys here told me of the trick to over-inflate a little the tube which pops the tube into a better position.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=421604

Also the windex/glass cleaner on the rims seems to help also.

The Supremes rock. I've got a set of 26x2.0" on my daily commuter. Easy to mount,roll well,excellent cornering,bounce over everything,and reflective sidewalls to boot. I replaced a set of Spec Crosstrails that were my winter tires,and dumped like a pound and a quarter of weight off my wheels with the swap. Really noticable when pulling away from a light or climbing a hill. Expensive,but worth every penny.