newcommuter1234

I have a hybrid bike, and my commute is about 10 miles each way. I ride on a paved trail and a road. The road often has debris on the side, so I'm obviously concerned about getting a flat (it might take me some time to change tires, especially if I get a rear flat). I have a lot to do at work, so I would hate to be a half hour late because of a bike flat.

I explained this to the bike shop owner, and he suggested that I upgrade to a pair of Armadillo Infinity tires. He said that there still would be a chance of getting a flat, but the Armadillos dramatically reduce that risk. He said that Armadillos work much better than tire liners.

Has anyone used Armadillo Infinity tires? If so, have you found that they substantially reduce your risk of flats? Are they worth it?

RobertFrapples

I do not know about the Infinity specifically, but I use All Condition Armadillo tires and have had two flats in the past 3 years (~6000mi) compared to five or six flats in the three months before I got them. Absolutely worth it to me.

jolly_ross

Very few things come without compromise one way or another. I use Armadillos on my touring roadie and some of my mountain bikes. Very very few flats. The sidewalls are very stiff though - they are a wooden, slightly less grippy ride - some people hate them, but not me. It's not a race, it's about getting to work without the hassle of flats, right? I agree with your bikeshop owner.

newcommuter1234

Exactly - I don't care if the tires slow me down a little bit. I don't ride all that fast to begin with! I just want to minimize the chances of getting a flat. Is there a big difference between Armadillo Infinity and Schwalbe Marathon (I see that people on this forum like the Marathon tires).

SouthFLpix

If you don't want to spend a lot of money, just go with a rear tire. The front is less likely to puncture, and if it does it is easier to repair.

chas58

good advice!

JeffSG

If your not worried about speed or weight, then go with the Armadillos and tire liners. Guaranteed to not flat. I have been riding Armadillos for several years and have only had a couple flats in approx 25k miles. I dislike flat tires and will not fix a flat. My last flat I walked the bike to the bike shop which was 2 miles aways.

At one point I had Armadillos, tire liners and thorn resistant bicycle tubes...talking about overkill. But I didn't have a flat! I've always looked as extra weight as something that made me in better shape and that's why I ride.

Ride safe,

Jeff

El Gigante

Similar experience here. I've had All Condition Armadillos, (700 x 28), on my bike for the past eight months, and have had one flat. Strangely, it was a small thin wire that punctured the tire, when I had run over glass, nails, and screws with no problems at all. Armadillos are not puncture proof but they come pretty darn close.

BTW - a 20 mile round trip for a new commuter is pretty impressive. Are you riding in every day or just a few times a week?

tsl

I had a set of Armadillo Infinitys on a hybrid a few years ago. I remember them being very heavy and riding very hard. Never flatted one, but hated the ride.

AlmostGreenGuy

I've been riding 700 X 35 Armadillo Infinity tires for that last 500 miles or so. The ride is definitely not as smooth or cushy as with the stock tires that came on my Sirrus. The sidewalls are wickedly stiff. You'd think the tires wouldn't need air!!!! But no flats. If I run over something nasty, the debris makes this wickedly loud crunching noise as the tire forcefully ejects it to the side.

My average speed hasn't gone down much. So I'm happy. I wouldn't use them for pleasure riding, but they're perfect for commuting.

newcommuter1234

Thanks! I'm riding my bike into work Tuesday-Friday. On Mondays I drive in so I can drop off my work clothes for the week. The commute is almost entirely flat (in southern Cal. along the Pacific Ocean), so it's not bad at all.

rumrunn6

I have armadillos on 3 bikes. no flats in many years. not familiar with that model but I like the brand very much.

markus_mudd

Armadillos are tough! I had a set of Armadillo Hemispheres on my 26" wheeled commuter. Those tires lasted a lil' over 11,000 miles. I used them in the Northwest where they battled goatheads daily, used them in the Midwest, and finally in the Southeast.
The best thing about the Armadillos is that the sidewalls are so tough. They don't cut like most tires and this helped increase their life in my experience. I finally retired them when large chunks of tread had come off the casing. It took a couple of days to get new tires, since I had to mail order and so I still commuted on casing to see just how tough it is. It's much slicker than the tread so it was a more careful commute. I literally rode the tread off of them and they were still doing their thing when I retired them.