tire recommendation
 

hi

i could use some advice/experience regarding kevlar belted tires for my gary fisher nirvana s.

the bike came stock with a 700x42mm knobby tire. it seems like every time i ride lately i get a flat - thorns, glass, etc.

while i have become quite proficient at fixing flats and have gained a wealth of experience in that regard, i now wish to find a thinner (35mm) kevlar belted tire which would kill two birds with one stone. to wit: decrease rolling resistance and give me more puncture protection.

can anyone recommend a tire that might meet those criteria?

thanks in advance.

*sdr*

sdr....describe your riding style and surfaces you mostly ride on.

i ride my bike to work everyday but it's a very short commute - street/sidewalk. on my days off i'll ride between 20 and 30 miles an outting - primarily streets and rail trails.

unless i buy new wheels i have been told that a 35c width is about the thinnest i can go on my present rims. i'm fine with that. my main concern, since i've located some bontrager kevlar belted 700x35's already is really how they will ride?

i think i'm more curious if anyone has experience that they could lend with the feel and performance of these type of tires. also, any thoughts on using mr. tuffy liners in addition to puncture resistant tires?

thanks!

Tuffy liners are a pain in the rear when you get a flat. I've put them in centered behind the tread, and when taking the tube out to fix a flat found them moved all over inside my tire.
You might try the Infinity Armadillo or Nimbus Armadillo tires from Specialized.

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=13248

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=13251

The Armadillos ride a bit rougher in 700X23/25 sizes at full pressure, but I kept my pressure at 100 with 25's and it was a smooth ride.

Another option would be Panaracer Pasela tires...especially if price is important.

At Nashbar: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

Also check out Rivendell Bicycles for Paselas: http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/tires_tubes/10011.html

A call to Rivendell is easy and they'll tell you what you need to know for your wheels.. Ask which Paselas are in stock...older Paselas measure narrower than labeled, newer Paselas are more accurately labeled.

I've used their older 35's that measure closer to 32's for urban wasteland riding and dirt roads-- and they did well.

Before hassling with Tuffys, try your new tires by themselves. Flats are common to cycling...the more you fix, the easier and quicker fixing becomes.

Schwalbe Marathons are another option: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=
A bit heavy and wire bead however.
Steve

thanks for all the suggestions!

i haven't heard any positive comments about the mr. tuffy liners, so i think i'll take the advice just to ride the kevlar tires by themselves for a while. i'll probably go with the bontrager's from my LBS if for no other reason than the convenience of being able to get them tomorrow. color me impulsive!

thanks again - i'll let y'all know how they work out.

*sdr*

p.s. ~ i looked at some armadillo's about a week ago. they seemed a little extreme. flats are part of the deal and, as i've said, i have become quite proficient at fixing flats.

i always carry at least one extra tube, patches & plenty of Co2 cartridges - a must!

a post scriptus to my p.s. ~ i just came across this link and thought i'd pass it along:

http://www.ehow.com/how_14084_buy-bike-tire.html

cheers!

I hope you don't think kevlar belted tires are going to stop flats. I ran Panaracer Pasela TG tires for a while, was averaging about 1 flat a month. Kevlar belts provide *some* protection, but sharp stuff still penetrates them.

If you want flatproof, try the Schwalbe Marathon PLUS tires.

Perhaps you could help me out.

"Extreme?"

I have used Armadillos for years and never found them "extreme." What about them struck you as extreme?

Also, while flats may be a part of bicycle riding, fixing them is never fun, takes time, and at times where you need to fix them may be dangerous or uncomfortable. I prefer to avoid them rather than anticipate them.

However, as others have advised, except for a solid rubber wheel or riding on steel, there are never totally unpreventable.

Michael, I am reading really good things abut these tires.

I also read that you have to be a magician to mount and dismount them. True?

How would they be for trails of which the primary flat-causing activity is goatheads and very occasionally a thin sliver of steel wire?

I use 700x25's on a road bike.

Appreciate your comments.

My 700x28s were very very tough to mount on my Mavic T519 rims. I used a mixture of dishwashing liquid and water brushed on the bead and the rim to help, but it was still tough.

I'm sure it depends on the specific rim though. Schwalbe also sells some tire mounting fluid, which I have not tried.

The upside is that if they are as flat-resistant and long wearing as they are reputed to be, mounting and dismounting should be something you hardly ever have to do.

Schwalbe info on Marathon Plus


I'm sure they'd be far better than normal kevlar-belted tires. However, Schwalbe makes the Marathon XR tire specifically for those road hazards you mentioned. I have not tried the XR, but you might consider it.

Thanks, Michael.

Currently, I have SA's mounted on my main roadie, and I actually have another new set ready to go when these wear out.

After I go through both of those, I will take another look at the Marathon XR's.

They sound great.

if at first you don't succeed...

i only 'handled' one tire that was taken down from a ceiling rack at a bike shop. the feel of that tire in my hand was reminescent of holding a hula-hoop. it felt terribly ridgid, lacking any flexibilty and very hard. i believe the particular tire i held was a 700x28? the employee who 'hooked' the tire down for me advised that they can be very difficult to mount/dismount and that they rode like rocks.

hence my quip of seeming "extreme," re:armadillos. perhaps my judgment was impulsive and premature?

i'm not looking for bulletproof just a little more protection and a little less rolling resistance than my current 42c quasi-knobby.

glad to hear you love your armadillios, fox.

ride on!

*sdr*