Bluebatmobile

Recommendations on a good puncture resistant road bike tire?

B@t

SkyDog75

Puncture resistance is part of the weight/performance/price balancing act, so what degree of puncture resistance do you need? And to what degree will you accept compromises in the tire's other qualities like weight, rolling resistance, wear, and traction?

If you're looking for heavy duty puncture resistance, you'll probably be checking out tires like the Continental Gatorskin, Specialized Armadillo, or Panaracer T-Serv.

If you don't mind sacrificing a little puncture resistance, you can get better performing tires. The Michelin Pro 4 Endurance V2 is a reasonably fast and light tire that still has very good puncture resistance.

Continuing that same puncture resistance versus performance curve, the Continental GP4000S II and Vittoria Rubino Pro III are some nice riding tires ...but not quite as puncture resistant as the tires listed above.

You can check out the web site bicyclerollingresistance.com for tests that compare these and other tires.

Elvo

Road Bike Tires Rolling Resistance Reviews

ClydeTim

I've never considered the Gatorskin a heavy duty tire. MOF I have had plenty of flats with them and they wear rather quickly.

But I have recently switched over to the Gatorskin Hardshell which is more like a heavy duty tire. So far it has performed much better than the original Gatorskin. Less cuts etc an no punctures.

Sy Reene

Great tire and value - Michelin Pro4 ENDURANCE V2 Black 25c + FREE Tube | Chain Reaction Cycles

Scarbo

+1

Thanks to these tires I spend my time riding instead of fixing flats.

Western Flyer 

Can we have a hint as to what size tires we're talking about, road conditions and expected (hoped for) performance?

Seems to me all road tires with the exception of the very cheapest and the very lightest (read most expensive) have some sort of puncture barrier.

Baldy1953

I have had Bontrager AW1's and am now running Specialized Armadillo's.. Both are puncture resistant for where I ride. (mostly road)
It is going to end up being a personal choice.

Steve B.

Conti Grand Prix 4 Season.

You have to hunt for a deal as they are often listed around $75 per tire. Nuts.

I wait till they are on sale at around $35 or so.

Reasonably puncture resistance, great longevity, roll OK though I'm not real in tune with differences in road tires and how they feel, so these are fine to me. I've gotten 2500 miles or so on a pair over a couple of years.

79pmooney

Two of the tradeoffs between flats and ride are 1) in general wider tires are heavier and not as fast (lots of controversy here on rolling resistance that I will not touch) but do better for flats and 2) the harder and therefore more slippery the tread, the fewer flats because those tires pick up far less sharp objects that then get drive in on subsequent wheel revolutions.

The old Rubinos had a hard thread that caused several crashes for me in the wet on leaves but I rode the 2010 CYcle Oregon though goathead country, spent no time inspecting tires and did not have any flats. (And there were hundreds.) I did back off on the screaming downhill bends that I would have taken a lot faster and with more confidence on grippier tires. (The new Rubinos strike me as far better grip-wise.)

I appear to get more flats/mile on 28s Panaracers than the 32s ans 35s I have on other bikes.

Ben

scott967

I was looking at the Conti Four Seasons which Merlin was showing at $35, but decided to go with the Mich Pro4 Endurance v2, which seems to be a bit sturdier than the newer Power Endurance -- the latter seems more like the Pro4 SC from what I've read. After 3 rear flats in 3 rides, I decided to retire my Conti 4000s II. I had some reward points at BTD so ordered from them, Chain Reaction Cycles was showing a bit better price.

scott s.
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jorglueke

Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case. 3000+ miles per tire and they withstand punctures

Jarrett2

I happen to live and ride with the roads are really bad and I've been through several different types of tires that are mentioned already in the thread. The one tire that has really held up for me is the Continental Gator Hardshell. I can get about 4000 miles out of them or so and then I just replace them. I can't remember the last time I've had a puncture flat with one of those tires. Maybe a couple of years ago. And I ride it over the worst stuff.

BobbyG

Buy any tire you like and use tire liners.

Flip Flop Rider

Continental Gatorskin Hardshells for me. 6k miles in 1 year no flats

Bluebatmobile

Daily training, 23c width is what I normally use, paved raods with a bit of debris( ie broken glass fragments) here and there.

B@t™

Jeremy_S

Latex tubes seemed to have killed my flats where I ride in DFW Tx and SE New Mexico. I used to get them constantly and someone suggested to me to switch from ultra lighy butyl tubes to latex just to give it a shot and i havent had a single flat since June when I switched. I ride on 25c gp4000's or Vittoria Open Corsa neither of which are known for flt resistence. The tubes worked great for me.

bmthom.gis

Clement Strada LGGs have been working quite well for me.

bikecrate

Continental Gatorskin Hardshells here too. They have even shed off nails on the really thick part of the tire.

fietsbob

My bike, ridden on the road~street , has Schwalbe marathon plus Tires on It, but they are Not 23's

look for the stiff tread of a belt of Kevlar within the tread.

Trek-Bontrager hard case, Specialized armadillo, Panasonic tour guard, etc, etc.

check your favorite LBS ..

1989Pre

Bontrager All Weather Hard Case (about 45g heavier than the Race Lite Hard Case)

Jeff Neese

"Puncture resistance" is relative, not some tires have it and others don't.

I really like Pasela Tourguard tires. Compared to other road and touring tires I've used, they are very reliable and I can't actually remember having a flat due to a puncture, with my kind of riding. And they're still light and smooth rolling. A very good balance.

On different terrain and if I wanted absolutely the most puncture-proof tire possible, I'd start by thinking Gatorskins, with an additional tire liner between the tube and the tread, and Schwalbe Superthick Self-Sealing tubes. Something like that. But I would not expect that setup to handle as nicely as the Paselas.

This site publishes measured rolling resistance for many tires, and along with their tests they also conduct tests of puncture resistance. Again, it's a range, not an either-or. Look at the balance between puncture resistance and rolling resistance, and make the choice that seems reasonable for your riding conditions.

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/

drlogik 

I've had really good results with my Challenge Strada Bianca tires. Made for gravel but are fast on smooth road to. They have a puncture resistant layer. Never had a flat because of road debris (including goatheads which are a PITA) when I lived out in Arizona for the first part of this year. Most of my other tires on other bikes did but not these, and I road over some pretty risky stuff to.

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Western Flyer 

Here’s a partial list of road tires I have experience with, Continental Grand Prix, Gatorskin and 4-Seasons, Panaracer Ribmo and T-Serve, Schwalbe Durano. The 4-Season is head and shoulders above the others in terms of puncture protection. I should say “tread and shoulders” above. Excellent ride quality with outstanding traction - wet and dry. They’re expensive but go on sale from time to time.

John_V 

Lots of good puncture resistant tires out there but my preference is Conti Gatorskins. I've been riding on them for the past 5 years, have gone through 5 sets and have put on nearly 38,000 miles between them with only 1 flat; and that was back in 2013.