Seeking Tire advice...
 

I have nearly 2,400 miles on a set of Vittoria Randonneurs 700x32 that came stock on an Orbea Carpe.

The rear is wearing very thin, looking for replacements. Fairly happy with the Vittorias. They have worn pretty well and only flatted once.

1. Must have reflective sidewall.
2. Good flat protection.

My commute is 100% pavement, some of that on a very wide shoulder littered with a lot of debris, pebbles, misc "FOD" junk. I do like to get out on a converted railroad bed "greenway" trail occasionally and there are miles of fine gravel. I use this bike for commuting and "sport" riding, I will ride at least one century this year on it.

Ideas? Suggestions? Will consider dropping to 700x28's to perk up performance, but at what cost to flat protection?

Thanks folks!

Michelin City.

I commute on Schwalbe Marathon Plus - routinely get over 8000 miles on a tire, often with no flats. Reflective sidewall.

I love my 700x32 Continental Touring Plus tires. After 6500km the front tire looks like new, while the rear one is starting to develop a flat thread. I'm still waiting for my first flat to swap the tires between back and front.

Not really a good idea to rotate tires like that.

Sheldon sez: "Well-meaning cyclists, even some mechanics who don't know any better, sometimes try to deal with this [uneven tire wear] by swapping tires, putting the less worn front tire on the back wheel, and moving the worn-but-usable rear tire to the front. The idea is to equalize the wear on the two tires, but this is a serious mistake, don't do it!

The only time tire rotation is appropriate on a bicycle is when you are replacing the rear tire. If you feel like taking the trouble, and use the same type of tire front and rear, you should move the front tire to the rear wheel, and install the new tire in front.

The reason for this is that the front tire is much more critical for safety than the rear, so you should have the more reliable tire on the front. If you have a blowout, if it is on the rear tire, you have a very good chance of bringing the bike to a controlled stop. If your front tire blows, you can lose steering control, and a crash is a real possibility."


http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html

As a tire wears it's ability to properly retain its pressure is diminished as is its ability to resist ripping and tearing. What might have been a small puncture and slow leak on a tire with good tread might become a sudden blowout from the same puncture-causing thing. I just had a rear tire explode recently because it was too worn (my fault for letting it get worn for sure but I had a new set of tires literally sitting in the UPS facility awaiting delivery), had it been the front tire I might have been fricasseed.

Why reflective sidewall? You can put reflectors or reflective tape many places on the bike and you could have a wider choice of tires to choose from.
Just saying.

I've always liked Rando's;if you're happy with yours I'd get another pair. If you're willing to spend the money,Schwalbe Marathon Supremes are some of the best tires out there. Grippy even in the rain,good ride,excellent puncture protection,light,and reflective sidewalls.

I've had great luck with Specialized Armadillos. They make several models with reflective sidewalls.

The bike I just got came with Vittoria Randonneur Pros. They have reflective sidewalls and I have no complaints, (I've only put several hundred miles on them, though).

Thank you for that.

Its more eye catching as it moves with the wheels.

If you are looking for a tire that is a little lighter and faster rolling, try the Vittoria Randonneur Hypers, which are now called Voyager Hypers. I've got Hyper 32s on my touring bike and they are very, very nice tires. Very comfy riding and fast rolling, with reflective sidewalls. Mine actually measure 34 mm wide on Velocity Dyad rims. They don't have much if any tread if that's important to you, but that's part of the reason why they roll so nice.

That's a very good reason.

I already red reflective tape strips on about a 20% arc on one side of my rims. It's catches the eye. Drivers see a blazing ring of white with a red chaser spinning around it.

I use "lightweights for wheels" on my Troll, seen here: http://i1035.photobucket.com/albums/...5DEA8782B8.jpg Very bright and it expands tire choices as it applies to the spokes.

I disagree with Sheldon's rotation theory. I rotate tires. You tend to pay more attention to the front tire, so you'll notice wear and tire issues quicker. Especially important when running fenders and the rear tire tread is hidden.

I commute on Schwalbe Marathon Plus, they are bullet proof and the reflective wall is nice.
They do have somewhat of a harsh ride but they are the best, I have heard they are the choice for
cyclist that tour the world.

Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz8fT13rtlk

Wat? The sidewall doesn't really 'move';yes it does spin,but you can't really tell since the reflective strip is a constant band.

I actually like them because they have a large reflective area,and since tire sidewalls are slightly concave,you can see them from a very wide angle.