yep, Specialized Armadillos. Ride quality is pretty poor and their grip is awful in the wet. But you won't puncture and even with a lot of skidding a rear can last up to three months. My LBS carries them pretty cheap too.

Best I've found, would love to have an alternative but nothing much else I've tried lasts anywhere near as long or gives good flat protection. Given up looking for now.


As for this thread I ride 700x23c. Most of the belted 23c come up more like 25c so seem to be a good compromise of speed vs abuse taking vs weight, although they're still skinny to get caught up in all the light rail/trolly tracks here.

23

Depends on where your planning to ride?

One thing is to check what size tyres are recommended for your rims by the manufacturer, not as important on clinchers but has proven to make a difference on singles or tubulars as some call them.

Does anyone ride fixed 20c? I have a chance to get two free, nice 700x20c rims, tires and tubes and I wanted to know if it was worth throwing a track hub on the rear and riding those. I ride 27 1/4" on my fixed and 700x23c on my road bike with no problems at all. Also keep in mind that I'm 5'6 135-40 lbs, if that changes anything.

specialized "all condition" armadillos 700X23 front and rear for me...

Tony

35s for the moment. very. heavy. 35s. but theyll never flat and I can skid all day if I want. that said Ive got some 28c gatorskins I can put on if I want to feel all fast and quick like.

I ride 23mm Armadillos on my Pista, and I like them most of the time except when the roads get dirty or wet.
I feel safer on the 35mm Panaracer T-Servs on my old geared commuter on dirty or wet roads.
I would like to build a Steamroller specifically to take advantage of 35mm tires.
I like 'em.

Another old thread of mine resurrected? ...strange

I've been on 23c michelin pro lights for a month or so now, with several flats. *sigh* so i guess its back the boring black armadillos (32c also) for now.

For my wife's pending IRO, however, I may give 25c's or even 28c's a try

28s but I'm big (220lb) and the roads in Cleveland are horrible. The disadvantage to 28s is that it reduces the available adjustment on my track ends (Mercier Kilo TT).
Craig

27 x 1 1/8
700 x 28
700 x 37

one bike.

I have an Armadillo 23 on back and a hutchison flash 28 on front. it works swell, but looks a little funny. i just feel like i need something softer on the front, to make up for the lack of traction from those armadillos.

On the fixies with tubulars they are all in the 20-22cm range.
The ones running Tufos are 21cn for the Giro Twix and 23cm for the Elite.
The Van Dessel runs 32cm cyclocross tires.

have always used 23s

im a lightweight and i did not feel that there was discomfort on the 23s, but since i now have to spin & ride over bad surfaces instead of coasting out the saddle through them, i will switch to 25s or 28s

23 fortezzas front and rear, they stand up to brooklyn streets just fine.

"On a related note - how many people use mismatched tires "

all my tires are mismatched. no rationale other than they wear out at different paces, and I have no overbearing need for them to match when I buy a replacement....whatever's available.