Specialized Armadillos

joker77

Ok I'll start from the top - bought a Dawes Giro 200 last January, overall I'm very happy with the bike so far, but am still suffering a bit with punctures on the skinny tyres.

During the summer, after getting numerous punctures, I changed the tyres to Specialized Armadillos, and also got a foot pump. I check the pressure of the tyres weekly, keeping them up to around 110-115.

I've read stories of people doing thousands of miles on these tyres puncture-free, maybe it's just that my cycle is mainly through town and the roads are constantly being dug up here, there and everywhere, and there's always glass + nail around.

In the last 5 months since getting the Specialized Armadillos, the punctures have definitely reduced significantly, but I've still had on average of 1 a month. This is with me doing a commute of 6 miles each way to work, about 3/4 times a week, so in total I'm only cycling about 40-45 miles a week....

Anyone having similar issues???

Ghost Rider

I cycle through town every morning and every evening (about 3 miles each way, 5-6 times a week) and I only get a puncture once every 3-6 months, I'd say. Even allowing for the fact that I cycle less than you, it seems odd that you should get so many punctures. Do you keep an eye out for broken glass? I do find myself steering around it quite a lot.

joker77 wrote:

Ok I'll start from the top - bought a Dawes Giro 200 last January, overall I'm very happy with the bike so far, but am still suffering a bit with punctures on the skinny tyres.

During the summer, after getting numerous punctures, I changed the tyres to Specialized Armadillos, and also got a foot pump. I check the pressure of the tyres weekly, keeping them up to around 110-115.

I've read stories of people doing thousands of miles on these tyres puncture-free, maybe it's just that my cycle is mainly through town and the roads are constantly being dug up here, there and everywhere, and there's always glass + nail around.

In the last 5 months since getting the Specialized Armadillos, the punctures have definitely reduced significantly, but I've still had on average of 1 a month. This is with me doing a commute of 6 miles each way to work, about 3/4 times a week, so in total I'm only cycling about 40-45 miles a week....

Anyone having similar issues???

joker77

I watch the road as much as I can, in fairness 1 of the punctures recently was a huge nail that no tyre would have stopped.

I'm ranting a bit because when I went to cycle home yesterday my back wheel was flat, took out the tube and there was a sizable hole in it, don't know from what though, didn't find anything in the tyre

junii

joker77 wrote:

I watch the road as much as I can, in fairness 1 of the punctures recently was a huge nail that no tyre would have stopped.

I'm ranting a bit because when I went to cycle home yesterday my back wheel was flat, took out the tube and there was a sizable hole in it, don't know from what though, didn't find anything in the tyre

Yuck! People should cut their nails at home. Out of sight!

joker77

junii wrote:

Yuck! People should cut their nails at home. Out of sight!

You just can't see them in time to swerve!

daymobrew

joker77 wrote:

I've read stories of people doing thousands of miles on these tyres puncture-free, maybe it's just that my cycle is mainly through town and the roads are constantly being dug up here, there and everywhere, and there's always glass + nail around.

Get onto the city/county council to clean up glass.

blorg

1 a month on that schedule does sound like quite a lot. I have been getting one a month myself since I got my current tyres, but that is on 300-700k/week. I have been cycling more since the start of the summer but I would still have thought the Armadillos a lot better (and will be switching back to them very soon.)

Most recent was Tuesday on the roadworks along the Rock Road (grr.)

Civilian_Target

I cycle about 50 miles a week around London, and previously did about the same around Dublin and have yet to puncture a set of Armidillos, and in fact I've only had 3 punctures in 2 years - once from hitting the kerb too fast, one from broken glass and one from a rose bush (I didn't have armadillos then, they appear to be rose-bush proof OK).

Blorg: 700k a week?! You doing Maynooth to Bray on a bike every day or something?

hunnymonster

I've done even better than Civilian Target. I've had mine on, doing 150 miles a week for 18 months and haven't had a flat yet. They are close to wearing out though.

blorg

Civilian_Target wrote:

Blorg: 700k a week?! You doing Maynooth to Bray on a bike every day or something?

Ha, not right now, it's too dark, 700k was the absolute single week max in any case, average since the summer would be around 400k. Mainly out to Malahide/Howth before and after work and Enniskerry/mountains at lunchtime (work in Sandyford, very convenient), with the occasional jaunt out to my parents in Trim at the weekend. Was trying to lose weight, and it certainly was effective! Not doing half as much now that is cold/dark/wet and my god was it windy today.

joker77

Civilian_Target and hunnymonster - congratulations, I'm jealous!

Membrane

joker77 wrote:

Ok I'll start from the top - bought a Dawes Giro 200 last January, overall I'm very happy with the bike so far, but am still suffering a bit with punctures on the skinny tyres.

[...]

In the last 5 months since getting the Specialized Armadillos, the punctures have definitely reduced significantly, but I've still had on average of 1 a month. This is with me doing a commute of 6 miles each way to work, about 3/4 times a week, so in total I'm only cycling about 40-45 miles a week....

Anyone having similar issues???

In the ~20000Km that I've done on the 2 bikes that I own I've had 2 punctures, both occured shortly after I bought the bikes and both were due to sharp crap inside the tyres. On my city classic roadster bike with steel rims there was sharp grit (apparently used to gridblast the rims) left in the tyre. Yesterday I mended a flat on my other bike with alu rims, it was caused by a sharp edge on the inside the rim where it had been damaged apparrently from a tool used to tighten the spoke nuts.

Titiritero

I think the number of punctures also depends on the type of riding/care of the individual. I also use Specialized Armadillos, and I rarely get punctures, but when my girlfriend takes the bike, she's specially prone to them (she doesn't care to go over massive potholes, or stand up when going through cobblestones, etc)

The tyres are ok for punctures, but the sides are too weak, and when used for touring or carrying loaded panniers, they fail quite quickly...

Pamwam

I changed to the Specialized Armadillos about 6 months ago and haven't had a puncture since.
I always avoid glass where possible but can't avoid all the pot holes that there are.

have you checked that your rims aren't causing the punctures?