Anyone riding Specialized Armadillo's?
 

I am looking at the All Condition Armadillo Tire for a 700c X 25c fit. Anybody have ridden these tires? Love to hear about it.:roflmao2:

Had them. Road them forever. Never had a flat. I think youtube has a video on them.

I have had two sets on two bikes. I think they are great and worth every penny I paid for them. No flats in four years.

Very good. I had two flats only. One was my fault for too high psi, the other was an industrial staple - that would have gone through a bullet-proof vest!

I have them on 2 bikes as well, no flats.

I had a set. Never had a flat while riding them. Which was good cause they were the hardest to mount tires I have ever used.

-D

I have these, they provide tremendous flat resistance. They are also very well made & stand up to potholes and other urban abuse. The compound is very hard and can slide on wet pavement, however.

Michael

I've ridden them in 25 and 23 sizes. After trying the Continental Gatorskin I wouldn't think of going back to the All Condition. I had multiple flats and the ride of the 25's was bad. The 23's actually rode better.

I'm not saying they're flat-prone, just that they've proven to be no better than the other tires i've tried.

I 'upgraded' my new bike to armadillo nimbus 35's from vittoria 32's. On the very first ride I thought the armadillos were both much harsher riding and noticeably slower than the tires I test rode. The second or third ride they seemed fine. I don't know if they 'broke in' somehow or I just got used to them.

I didnt like the ride. I now use Panaracer TG foldable, which have none of the sidewall protection. This risk of punctures is worth paying to get the better handling and the increased enjoyment.

Here's a link to my experience on them.

With that said, if you're looking for a bomb-proof tire, the 'dillos are probably what you're looking for if you don't mind the trade-offs.

I have 2000 miles on this set. Some of the outside rubber is missing so you can see the Kevlar. And I can see some metal slivers in the tire that I am scared to take out. Never had a flat with them though.

I've put 3000+ kms on 26" x 1.5 dillo's with only one flat. I've pulled large nails out without a flat. Great puncture resistance and slow wearing but they do ride slow and harsh and can be slippery in the wet.

I have 23's on one of my roadies with 1.5" on two other roadified MTB's. I swear by 'em, but they do ride harsher than the tissue tires usually found on road bikes. But, even with the 23's, I can deflate to 70psi in front to dampen things if I want to. This is because they are so strong. I'm 250lbs, so sidewalls are an issue for me. I've never flatted with 23's yet. Very easy on and off, too.

The 1.5's have a combined 9000+ miles on them with six flats. A sheetrock screw, a joist-hanger nail, and two instances of ultra thin wire from a car tire that went through like a hypo needle. The other two were from the rim tape slipping aside to allow contact with the inside of the rim against the tube, so that really doesn't count.

They will slip a bit easier in the wet, so just don't be an idiot.

Get 'em.

27x1 1/4 Armadillos on my Trek 610. No flats yet, insanely difficult to mount, but totally worth it. I avoid rain with them, but they may not be that bad in the rain, I'm just scared to find out. When I get a 700c wheelset for this bike I'll be moving to something else, maybe Conti Gatorskins.

Yo, I click the link and see A&B cycle! Howdy from Nixa!

I've used them for commuting an average of 3 days per week for 3 years. 3 flats in that time. It's nice riding on debris-strewn shoulders and not having to worry about picking up anything.

they rarely flat, but they feel harsh and have poor rolling resistance, even for a 25mm wide tyre.

I second that! My hands almost needed hospital treatment after a long afternoon getting to grips the tires!

Agreed . Hardest to mount. I liked them for having so few flats over a year's time. But, change them on the road. The rigid sidewalls... Nearly impossible... They would take skin off of your knuckles. What was equally frustrating, the difficulty of inserting the bead under the rim.. Sometimes, that resulted in pinch flats. Even tho I liked them once i got them on. Still, I switched to Continentals. Repairing them out on the road was just too frustrating.

hmmm... just can't understand the difficulty some of you report in mounting the Army's. Both my 26" and 700's are as easy as any tire I've ever used. Easier than some because they hold shape better while starting them on. You guys all just using your hands? What about tire spoons? Must be your rims. My road bike rims are old school Mavic on this '95 Scott.

I put them on my hybrid a couple of years ago and really like them. I do mostly urban riding and these tires handle glass, potholes etc very nicely..a bit harder ride but it is a tradeoff for faster speed.

I have the 28 version and they've been great so far. I've only had one flat and that was from a vicious pothole hiding in a puddle that no tire would have survived. I've picked some seriously large pieces of glass out of them that I couldn't believe did not result in a flat.

Last time I had to mount them I literally broke 2 tire levers.

-D

Is that a Mag-Lite you have the stem attached to? ;)