I do not road race. I have a steel frame bike that I go out and do 24-40 miles per day. Presently I have Michelin Pro 2 race tires on it but a very small pebble in the sidewalls and its history. Tired of fixing flats. I like the ride. And the weight of the tire is around 220grams so it's light.

With everyone's experience can you comment on what would be a nice tire. Looking for a nice riding tire but no flats. Someone suggested Gator Skins but they are very weighty and a few people told me they don't ride well and when changing them they are tough to get on and off the rim.

I know there is some compromise between a good riding tire and puncture free but hopefully there is something out there that I am not aware of. Tire size would be 700-23.

Thanks

ted

If you're satisfied with the rolling resistance of Pro2Races, then a Conti 4000S (black chili) is a tough one to beat for a moderately more durable tire.

After experiencing the ride of Specialized Amadillos, I now use Panaracer Pasela TG 700X28 foldable. The kevlar belt gives reasonable flat protection, and the thin sidewalls and kevlar bead make them light and nice handling.

I like Vittoria Diamantes, but I also have only heard good things about Pro 2s.

i liked the pro2 ride but when i ride on bad road surfaces they get little cuts all over. michelin lithion was a bit better and vittoria rubino pro was better still on the durability.

Given your riding demands, I doubt you'd notice the difference between a 200gm versus 300gm tyre. However, adding kevlar belts and thicker treads will save you a tonne of time in fixing flats.

Folding Gatorskins weigh 230 grams and cost less then Michelin Pro Race or GP4000. The Gatorskins will give you much better puncture resistance than any of the tires mentioned here, but the ride will be slightly less supple than the PR or GP4000. Most of the time, I run Gatorskins all the way down to the cords without getting any flats.

Vredestein Fortezza Road/Race (not SE) tires are my favorite alround tires and they fit somewhere between Pro Race tires and Gatorskins. They look and feel more like Pro Race tires. They roll well, have good grip and have a protection layer of very high density rubber that works surprisingly well. While I wouldn't deliberately ride over every piece of glass on the road I hardly get any punctures at all riding around town.

Anthony

Re-entrant ride as of last June. Replaced decades-old 27x1-1/4 tires with same size Gatorskins. Rear took a rock flat at 1000 miles – my first rock flat ever. Until then, I had no idea how common they are. Put an Armadillo on back there. Through December, I put 5000 miles on the front Gatorskin and 4000 miles on the rear Armadillo with NO flats. Bought a new Specialized Roubaix on Jan 2, 2009; came with (light, paper-thin) Specialized All Condition Sport Pro tires. Rear has had 5 flats in 1600 miles so far – 3 rocks, tiny wire, and glass. Now have a Gatorskin front and Armadillo rear in the house waiting to be mounted. It’s too darn cold and dark this time of year for 5 flats! I don’t care how heavy the Gatorskin and Armadillo are – we’re talking basic survival here!

No more flats for you! Curious why you have two different tires for the front and back. Why not the same?

ted

Kevlar Gatorskins are only 230 grams or so. Armadillos are definitely better, but heavier.

I've recently switched to the Continental Attack/Force combination. So far, no flats at all. The casing seems MUCH more robust than the Vittoria Diamamtes that were on the bike.

I've heard lots of good things about the Conti 4000's...

Rear gets all the flats - the heavy armor goes there. I think I get more "bike-feel" through the front, so the lighter, more flexible Gatorskin goes there. From my own experience, a Gatorskin on the front is enough flat-protection.