My current setup has the Soma Everwears on them. I got them not really thinking about what I wanted this bike for - riding, not skidding. I'm thinking about getting different ones (once the sidewalls go on these as I hear they will). 2 questions:

What are the advantages to a higher quality tire with greater TPI? Less rolling resistance? Puncture resistant? Anything else?

If I decide to use these tires for their intended purpose, will the skid patches affect the quality of the ride?

Harder Better Faster Stronger.

more comfortable ride. i dont know real world how much youll notice rolling resistance, ive never had anything but crappy tires on my old bike and my new bike has only had nice tires on it. i do feel confident they will be more comfortable though as my new bike ought to be less comfortable than the old one, but it definitly isnt (old -lugged steel with touring geo, slack angles long chain stays vs new -lugged steel with steep geo short chainstays).

less rolling resistance (noticable.), plusher ride, lower weight (translating to less rotational mass to fight when sprinting, accelerating, climbing). usually higher end tires are a little more delicate, as the tread is thinner.

Puncture resistance for sure. Bontrager race lite hardcases on my road bike have lasted me for miles without any problems whatsoever. No more pinch flats, lower rolling resistance, hard, and relatively light. Get em, theyre awesome

get some cheaper tires for the front, then run an everwear on the rear. Everyone in my town runs them and I have never heard of the sidewalls going out. Not that it doesn't happen.... I've read about it on here. When the rear goes slap on the other one. They are great for not getting flats.

Thanks for the replies. Anyone have any opinions about skid patches affecting ride quality?

skid patches has nothing to do with ride quality, and only with tire life.

the sidewalls do go pretty often. Between me and the friends I have riding, probably lost 3 or 4 outta 15-20. That's not horrible, but it also isn't very good. Keep em since you have em, but if you don't skid a lot then don't buy em again

+1, just something cheap and basic on the front should be straight.

there really isn't a disadvantage to using nicer tires, other than cost. buy the best ones you can afford, and don't skid. run a brake if you have to. conti's GP4000 or 4-season for winter are nice, some prefer the regular gatorskin in rear, which comes in sizes up to 28 but doesn't have the new black chili compound, nor come in colours. i'm using a vittoria diamante pro light up front, which is soft and light and likely will be replaced by a schwalbe ultremo or a prorace3 when it wears out.

ah-hah, thanks. I was worrying that it would cause flat spots, deround the tire and cause it to ride less smoothly.

If you only have a small amount of skid patches, say 1, and you like to skid/skip a lot then yes, you will wear out the tire in that one spot quickly. Which WILL affect ride quality.

The more skid patches you have, the better. Although that has NOTHING to do with "nicer tires", completely seperate issue.

Good, I've got 34 patches. I was thinking about switching from tires that are nice for skidding to tires that are nicer for riding. Thanks for the info on the patch number/ride quality

When a tire gets worn down from skidding it 'squares off', which can effect handling quite dramatically. The rolling resistance becomes much higher and hard cornering can become quite sketchy and unpredictable. Some tires square off a lot worse than others. Vittoria Randonneurs are shockers, for example, as they have a very thick tread and become crazily square as they wear down.

Nice for skidding in reality means - cheap as possible. Expensive tires aren't going to last any longer than cheap ones. Usually the opposite.

+1. If you're too cheap to run brakes, you're in for a world of hurt replacing tires.

everwears

I don't do many skids because at $40.00 plus Schwalbe tyres are too pricey to burn up like that.

But they do ride beautifully, last a hellish long time, and have never flatted on me.

One day I will probably have Schwalbes in every bike I own and Schwalbe will the number one tyre I carry in my soon to be opened shop.

I log insane miles as a courier and utilitarian rider and commuter and for the dollar, better tyres are definitely worth it.