Tire recommendations
 

I currently have Continental Gatorskins and they're the worst tire I've ever used in my entire life. I can't believe how difficult they are to put on and take off. Had to deal with that crap a few times this week changing flats commuting and I'm done.

So I'm looking for recommendations for decent 700x28 - 32 tires for commuting. I live in Vancouver so snow and ice are rare, basically I'd just like a tire that's two things:

- Easy to put on/take off with cold, dirty, wet hands
- Tough enough that it can take a few cuts without flatting instantly, so "flat resistant" as a lot of manufacturers like to call them, basically not thin race tires.

Suggestions?

I've never gotten a flat with a Gatorskin, nor have I ever had difficulty installing them on any wheel. Maybe your rims/rim tape/wheels are the problem rather than the tires.

If you can find them, I'd recommend Schwalbe Marathon Supreme. This is a totally different tire than the Marathon Plus that a lot of other people are going to recommend. The Plus is heavy but extremely puncture resistant. The Supreme is much lighter and still puncture resistant, just not as thick as the Plus. It's also a lot more expensive. The reason I'm suggesting the Supreme for you is that it has excellent grip on wet roads. It's also has a very good road feel.

I've got the 700x50 version of the Marathon Supremes. In about 1500 miles (almost exclusively on messy bike lanes in rainy weather) I've gotten only one flat and that came from a screw that completely embedded itself in the tire. I still managed to finish my commute to the Park and Ride and didn't find the screw until I got home and was surprised to see that my tire had gone flat. I'd also like to say that after 1500 miles, the tire shows almost no signs of wear.

Yeah that is surprising. Gators have a superb reputation.

Bigger tire generally = more rubber and therefore less likely to flat. Is this for a road bike, cross bike, or...? Do 35's if your bike will allow. I've had just two sets of 35's on my cross bike in the last 15 (not a typo) years. And that bike has seen more miles than my other bikes.

Thanks for posting OP, I will be tagging along on this thread for the same advice.

I currently have some worn down Maxxis Columbiere (700x32) that act like a sieve for sharp objects, and I am spending too much effort/money on patches and tubes.

My coworkers recommended the Specialized Armadillo (sp?) and the Hutchinson brand tires because of the Kevlar layer, but paying $40/$50 per tire seems pricey. But like they say, you get what you pay for, so I guess this decision is going to hurt the wallet or the fingers (from all the tube changes).

~Mike

First to recommend the Marathon Plus. Have no experience w/t Supremes so I can't really comment on them. However, all my bikes have Marathon Plus' in different sizes. Over 16.000 combined mileage in 2.5 years w/one slow leak and one flat. It was a 2" self starting screw that nothing short of airless would've stopped. They are difficult to mount initially, but once they seat they're easy to get on and off w/good tire levers.

Continental Contacts are a really good all round tire for commuting in my humble opinion :)

I am another big fan of the Marathon Plus, but since the OP judges his tire by how easy it is to put on, he is not going to like the SMP.

I guess you ride in the land of safety with marshmallow roads and nothing is sharp, and you probably have grizzly bear hands.

I pulled a piece of wire out of my tire this morning, and two pieces of glass out yesterday. My Continental trainer tire is just as infuriatingly frustrating to put on as my Gatorskins and it's on a completely different wheel, so I doubt it's my wheels.

I've got an MEC 1971, it's kind of a road/touring bike I guess.

I do admit, I have **** tire levers, but I've used tires in the past (Specialized Mondo's) that I could finish putting back on with my hands no problem; only needing a tire lever to get started. I just can't do that with the Gatorskins at all.

Can you get these online anywhere?

I should say, when I was setting up my wife's bike she wanted to never ever under any circumstances get a flat tire, so I got Marathon Plus for her. They were quite hard to put on the rim the first time. I can't say how they would be to put on the second time, because they haven't been off.

I haven't had any problems with mounting my Marathon Supremes.

My cold weather tires are Vittoria Randonneur Cross. Not too heavy, great traction, great flat protection and decent rolling resistance. I use the 26" version, but they also come in 700c in a variety of widths. When the weather gets bad, I swap out with studded tires on the 26" wheels. My warm weather 26" tires are Conti Sport Contacts (slicks).

I use Gatorskins/4 Seasons year round on the 700c wheels. Never had any issues as you describe.

I just bought a set of Panaracer Paselas and am really liking them so far, and the price was great.

Holy **** this man is a genius.

http://wallbike.com/blog/2010/05/24/...marathon-plus/

No matter what new tires I decide on, I'm getting some god damned toe straps to carry in my bag with me.

I bought this: Kool-Stop Tire Bead Jack for those difficult tires, so far haven't needed it though, go figure.

I have Panaracer RiBMo's on my bike that I like. Can't say they are easy on or off since I haven't had to do it yet and I've had them for about a year.

I can't speak for mihlbach but it sounds like he was suggesting that you check over everything (tire, rim, tape, tubes, etc.) to make sure there are no other factors contributing to flats.

None of the above. Plenty of opportunities to get flats here, and I'm not exactly a featherweight either. Gatorskins hold up when installed properly. Its a very tough tire. If these are the worst tires you've ever used, then you must not have tried very many. I still think you should consider that your problem has little to do with your tires and more to do with something else. Many of the above recomendations aren't any more puncture resistant, except for the Marathon Plus, which is going to feel like riding through molasses compared to a Gatorskin. A new tire isn't necessarily going to solve your problem..you may just end up with a more sluggish tire that is just as flat prone.

Its also worth noting that I used to get flats all the time, regardless of tire. Then I learned to avoid debris and stay out of the gutter and I have less than 1 puncture flat per year now.

Around here the bike lanes that we have are all full of broken glass, sheetrock screws and other crap that falls from vehicles...I guess the dam road sweeper fell under the city budget crunch. I'm always dodging debris, keeps the ol' eyeballs active.

I had a set of Armadillos once. They are very harsh at full inflation and very slow if you let some air out, and extremely difficult to mount. They are now resting in a landfill somewhere.

Man eagle eyes too?! What kind of super human are you?

I totally didn't see that 3mm strand of wire coming, nor did I see the pebble sized pieces of glass, but those things must stick out like sore thumbs to someone with vision like yours.

They're the worst as far as installation goes; otherwise they ride fine, and I wouldn't say they're "flat prone" or anything silly. I don't mind getting flats that much, it happens, I carry stuff so I'm prepared. What I can't handle is how putting the tire back on the rim is so hard.

I think that's pretty universal for bike lanes, at least the ones here have their fair share.

That looks amazing.

Those objects tend to accumulate in certain areas, such as on shoulders and in gutters. You don't have to see them to know how to avoid them. I have to deal with as much debris as you do...but have developed that habit of avoiding the parts of the bikepath/road where they tend to accumulate.

Look, I'm not trying to be a jerk...all I'm saying is that Gatorskins are damn good tires based on the experience of lots and lots of people. There is probably nothing special about the conditions that your ride in. Lots of people ride in conditions that are just as bad or worse with lesser tires and they get by with few flats. I have found that I get fewer and fewer flats (regardless of tire brand) the more and more I ride..because I have learned how to avoid the crap. If you are getting tons of flats, don't automatically think that a new set of tires is the solution. I suggest you get a better set of tire levers and be more careful where you point your front wheel.

I really like the Michelin City and City Pilot for a poorman's Schwalbe Marathon. Similar hard rubber strip and less than half the price. The City has a thinner hardrubber strip and probably rolls a little better than the City Pilot, but I haven't compared them. I have been commuting on the Citys for over 5000 mi. in suburban/country roads and have not gotten a single flat. Prior to that I was getting one every 1000 mi. on a pair of Performance city type tires.

This is the crux of the matter for me. Bike lanes are, near as I can tell, shoulders and gutters in the minds of those responsible for keeping streets clean, and the regular auto traffic that kicks stuff out of the auto lanes between cleanings breaks it up and kicks it into bike lanes. If you ride on roads with no bike lanes, it's not hard to avoid the slop. If you ride on roads with bike lanes, it's impossible. Constant seasonal rain, such as we have in the Pacific Northwest seems to increase this effect exponentially.

I suggest you read what I'm actually complaining about.

Me: Gatorskins suck, they're way too hard to put on a rim and I really struggle to do it. Is there a decent tire that's easier to put on/take off?

You: Just don't get flats.

But thanks for playing!

I can get Gatorskins (23, 25, 28) on my rims without any tools. It must be something with your technique or wheels or a combination of the two. However, without actually seeing you install tires or looking at your wheels, it is impossible to help. Go to your LBS and they should be able to give you some suggestions.

Every batch of tires is different, some smaller than others. On a big rim with a smaller made tire, you get the problem you're facing. I've had the opposite, a slightly over sized tire on a somewhat smaller rim. The tire just blew off with any sort of pressure in the tube.

Technique is a big help on tight fits.

If it's absolutely a no-go, I recommend Vittoria Rando tires, if you're not overly heavy. I'm 225 and ride at the max PSI for 32's.
They're a great compromise between Marathon Plus, which are a ridiculous tire, and something more performance oriented, like gatorskins. The Pro version are lighter, but have a lower max PSI still, which is an issue if you're over 200lbs or like over-inflated tires.

Sounds more like you're not interested in hearing anything other than what you want to hear.

Hello fellow Raincouverite!

I have good experience with Specialized All Condition. They are tough and are easy to put on (at initial use anyways). Haven't had a flat with them. Rolls real nice.
Also another good one for the money is Kenda Kwest. It has a aramid layer. Dupont calls it Kevlar and charge you $$ for the use of that name. ;) Having said that, they aren't the friendliest to put on. But tough as heck. I ride on the CVG and cross through Burnaby's industrial roads. Still hold up fine.

Now i'm using Kenda Kwick Trax(700x32c), It's very good tires beside pebbles' problem.It flat only once by a long sharp steel wire(which most tires will flatted against it.)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/...68d51ec23e.jpg
Kenda Kwick Trax by Madanial, on Flickr

Anyone who's been riding for more than a few years has run into a tire that is extremely tight going on. For me it was Michelin Carbons. Oh Lord those were absolutely in-freaking-sane. I swore off Michelins for many years. But as others have stated, it was likely a "bad batch" that just fit tighter than usual. I also had a set of Conti 3000's that wore very poorly, <800 miles and threads were showing through all around on both tires. I didn't quit all Conti's. I was pissed cuz those were expensive. But I've been on Conti 4-Seasons for a few years now and have had good experiences.

BTW, the Spec Armadillos fall into the same category as Gatorskins. Both are built to stand up to many miles and are more resistant to puncture, hence their catchy names. I would agree that Marathons would be a good candidate for your needs too. They are heavier tires for a reason.