Puncture resistant tires

jag con

Hi all had two punctures in the last two days can you reccomend any good puncture resistant tires for me.

Heard about the Specialized tires are they any good and where csan i get them.

Con

Lumen

Continental Ultra Gator Skin From €21.03

tomasrojo

Specialized Armadillos are very puncture-resistant, but have a reputation for a harsh ride and being slippery in the wet. On the other hand, I use them all the time and find them fine. I've got them both in Cycleways on Parnell Street and online at
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=6805

ednwireland

i use maxxis re-fuse (only in 700x23/25c) but dont commute on them find them very good

fletch

Lumen wrote: »

Continental Ultra Gator Skin From €21.03

I've had 5+ punctures on them in the last 6-10months....not really convinced by them to be honest....next I think I will be trying Schwalbe Marathons, been hearing great things about them.

Lumen

fletch wrote: »

I've had 5+ punctures on them in the last 6-10months....not really convinced by them to be honest

What distance have you done on them? Mine have been fine for a couple of thousand km at least.

TheBandit

fletch wrote: »

I've had 5+ punctures on them in the last 6-10months....not really convinced by them to be honest....next I think I will be trying Schwalbe Marathons, been hearing great things about them.

I have to agree with Lumen here. I've done 1500k ish on these and not a single punture. A few cuts have apperared in the rubber but they're doing a grand job otherwise

Chips Lovell

I've never managed to puncture gatorskins myself.

polevault

Hi, i had kenda's on my bike for what seems like only days! And was plagued with punctures because of cycling on the hard shoulder of the dual carriageway (STONES-GLASS!). They only lasted a week, then i got the specialized tyres and they are very impressive. But it is true they seem to have a miuch harder rubber compound making them a bit sketchy at small roundabouts but i'm very happy with them. I think i payed 70 snots for a pair?

Can anyone recommmend a good set of wheels for about 600 euro? no TT stuff just as good as you can get for the dosh. Might just change the rear to a good wheel and leave it at that.

qbasic

I switched to gator skins, got my first puncture after 2 weeks.

My route is covered in glass though. I may move to armadillos and take my chances with the grip if the gatorskins can't do the job.

ROK ON

What do folks think of Conti GP4S as a raliable tyre? Saw some a few weeks ago and they seemed good value?

Chips Lovell

ROK ON wrote: »

What do folks think of Conti GP4S as a raliable tyre? Saw some a few weeks ago and they seemed good value?

I use them as my regular tyres. Fairly puncture resistant and fast, but they're softer than the Gatorskins, so will pick up nicks and cuts quicker.

fletch

Lumen wrote: »

What distance have you done on them? Mine have been fine for a couple of thousand km at least.

Not sure about total distance but I do 28km a day on them. Always keep pressures at 100psi at front and 110psi at rear. I ain't the heaviest chap either. Maybe I've just been unlucky

Trojan

I've been loving Vittoria Randonneurs recently.

The original from when I got my Crosscheck is still on the front, about 5000km later including 2 tours! No sidewall issues or cuts, and no punctures since then.

The rear went earlier, more power going through it and I tend to tour with rear load only, but got serious mileage out of it also and no punctures that I recall (sidewalls eventually went due to dodgy brake rubbing against it - amateur mistake).

I've got a Panaracer T-Serv on the rear now (no Vittoria Randonneurs in stock when I needed to replace the last piece of **** I installed). We'll see how that goes.

But the Randonneurs: highly recommended.

Ryaner

Have/had Kendas on my bike for 2000+km puncture free. Back tyre go two in 50km and then the sidewall stopping clinching. Replaced it with a gatorskin. Front Kenda went 3500+km without a puncture although it has a fair share of cuts in the rubber.

qbasic

Ryaner wrote: »

Have/had Kendas on my bike for 2000+km puncture free. Back tyre go two in 50km and then the sidewall stopping clinching. Replaced it with a gatorskin. Front Kenda went 3500+km without a puncture although it has a fair share of cuts in the rubber.

Which kenda were you using?

I guess its all down to everyone own route, kendas kontenders didn't work on my route I was averaging a puncture every two weeks.

Suppose all you can do is test each tyre yourself until you find one that it suitable.

Trojan

qbasic wrote: »

Which kenda were you using?

I guess its all down to everyone own route, kendas didn't work on my route I was averaging a puncture every two weeks.

Different tyres from the same manufacturer have vastly differing properties. I found that out last week when my Vittoria Zaphiros fell apart like wet tissue paper. Massive difference compared to the Randonneur. Be careful not to write off an entire brand by the performance of one tyre or another.

Ryaner

qbasic wrote: »

Which kenda were you using?

I guess its all down to everyone own route, kendas kontenders didn't work on my route I was averaging a puncture every two weeks.

Suppose all you can do is test each tyre yourself until you find one that it suitable.

Whatever came standard with the bike. Its a Giant SCR1. A lot of it is down to luck. I know my mate got a puncture on the first night out with Gatorskins and then stays puncture free for quite a while after.

DualFrontDiscs

Schwalbe Marathon Plus FTW

dave2pvd

Trojan wrote: »

Different tyres from the same manufacturer have vastly differing properties. I found that out last week when my Vittoria Zaphiros fell apart like wet tissue paper. Massive difference compared to the Randonneur. Be careful not to write off an entire brand by the performance of one tyre or another.

I've had exceptionally good performance from the Zapphiro Pros. Definitely not race tyres, but great training/commuting tyres (IMO). Oh - they're cheap, very cheap.

petethedrummer

I have Panaracer Ribmos on my bicycle. They seem tough so far but awful slow.

LastGasp

+1 for Gatorskins. Over 1500kms with no punctures, including front wheel slamming into a big unseen pothole at about 60 kph going down into Enniskerry. Thought the wheel was about to collapse, but tyre, tube and wheel all survived intact. Dont forget that tyre pressure is critical too. To minimise punctures tyres need to be pumped up to their correct pressure (printed on sidewall) - usually about 110 to 120psi in most cases.

TheBandit wrote: »

I have to agree with Lumen here. I've done 1500k ish on these and not a single punture. A few cuts have apperared in the rubber but they're doing a grand job otherwise

DirkVoodoo

+1 on tyre pressure. Ever since getting a track pump and keeping my tyres at the right pressure, I have not punctured on my commuter since November (Vittoria Rubinos) and since April on my road bike.

jag con

Cheers guys got me a pair of schwalbe puncture resistant tires thanks for your help and will keep an eye on the pressures

Con

Diarmuid

Punctured once in 4000km on the Ultra Gator Skins. Haven't punctured in 3200km on Bontrager Race Lites that came with my new bike. Changing next (this week) to Vittorio Rubino Pro Tech as I have a set of them laying around. Hope they will be as good.

Zorba

What about the Michelin Pro Race 3, anyone use them and how do u find them ?

zzzzzzzz

Zorba wrote: »

What about the Michelin Pro Race 3, anyone use them and how do u find them ?

I have a pair of these. Great tyres for racing on - really great cornering.

From what I hear, they're absolutely terrible in the way of puncture resistance. That said, I've yet to puncture or notice any damage to the tyres (as others on here have) and I've been using them since around March.

Edit: I should clarify that I only use these for racing on. I have different tyres on my training wheels. I'd say I've probably done an average of 50km per week on the Pro Race 3s since March.

Civilian_Target

Schwalbe Maraton Plus.

They're as hard as the armadillos, but they last longer and corner better.
The rest (Gatorskins, Michelins and some no-name puncture-proofs) have all punctured within the first 2 months...

Canis Lupus

Im forever getting punctures on my gatorskins. However the tyre is just marked to **** with **** that never made it through and I pick glass out once a week or so.

I bought inside puncture tape and will put it on when I get new gators. My old pair are a bit roughed up at this stage

**Timbuk2**

Have had the Continental Gator Skins for about a month, and I think they're great (although a month isn't much to judge puncture-resistance-abilities by)

I have both front and rear pumped up to 95 psi (that's the recommended, the max is 102). I have 27x1 1/4 tyres

pburns

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Schwalbe Maraton Plus.

They're as hard as the armadillos, but they last longer and corner better.
The rest (Gatorskins, Michelins and some no-name puncture-proofs) have all punctured within the first 2 months...

Yep, that's the impression I get from online research (and a friend who has run Scwelbes puncture free for a couple of thousand miles).

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Im forever getting punctures on my gatorskins. However the tyre is just marked to **** with **** that never made it through and I pick glass out once a week or so.

I bought inside puncture tape and will put it on when I get new gators. My old pair are a bit roughed up at this stage

That inside pucture tape caused problems for me - 3 punctures in 25 miles - fromt and rear. Took it out and *touch wood* no problems last couple of months.

Kevlar tyres at a high pressure is a good place to start. I have Bontrager Race lites which seem OK at the moment.

jag con

well guess what got the tyres fitted on Monday went out Yesterday morning and after 2 KM got a puncture.

Im meeting Mr Skevington later to look at a few things on the bike and this is def one of them im hoping its the rim tape or loose spokes or something. I do hope this is not the way its going to be maybe im unlucky

Con

Wez

I've got the Gskins on front and rear, while my back tire is getting topped (flat spot in the centre, mostly all the way around) from skidding, they're the longest I've ever gone without a puncture in my whole cycling life!

I'm going to throw the swap the front to rear, and get a new front tire when the back starts to show threads (and hopefully not get a nasty rip/puncture)!

yop

So its thumbs up for the gators? Out doing the Gaelforce West cycle on Monday and got 2 punctures.
It could be luck or POSSIBLY that I had just over 100 psi in the Kendas which state 125 psi.

Repaired both and then did same route with 125 psi in both. But I weight 14 st 4, so dont want to blow them up

I see the Continental Ultra Gator Duraskin Tyre are 20 euro on wiggle, seems a good price.

DJsail

Gators are great value and fairly puncture resisant but with the weather getting wetter and wetter have changed to 'Vittoria Open Pave' on both front and rear.

Incredible speed with amazing grip nomatter how wet it gets and are also as tough as f**k, cycled through some glass debris kindly left by Fingal county council with not a mark left in the thread, had them on or about a month now and done about 800-900k and still look like new!

Ryaner

I take back my thumbs up for the gatorskins. I only have one on my bike as back tyre and had bought a second for the front but I won't be putting it on there. Had a few occasions were the back tyre has slipped in the wet, something I never had with the kenda back tyre.

blorg

yop wrote: »

It could be luck or POSSIBLY that I had just over 100 psi in the Kendas which state 125 psi.

Repaired both and then did same route with 125 psi in both. But I weight 14 st 4, so dont want to blow them up

The heavier you are, the higher the pressure you need in your tyres. 125 PSI would be the MAX pressure, doesn't mean you have to go there. I'm 12st and run 110 back / 100 front on 700x23 and 100 back / 90 front on 700x25.

Stark

I've had a load of punctures with Gatorskins

DJSail wrote:

Incredible speed with amazing grip nomatter how wet it gets and are also as tough as f**k, cycled through some glass debris kindly left by Fingal county council with not a mark left in the thread, had them on or about a month now and done about 800-900k and still look like new!

What kind of glass was it? Most tyres will handle the glass left over from car crashes ("fender bender" if you're a safe lady driver) as it's designed to crumble into blunt edged pieces rather than shatter into sharp pieces.

petethedrummer

Stark wrote: »

I've had a load of punctures with Gatorskins

Me too, I wouldn't get them again.

DJsail

Stark wrote: »

I've had a load of punctures with Gatorskins



What kind of glass was it? Most tyres will handle the glass left over from car crashes ("fender bender" if you're a safe lady driver) as it's designed to crumble into blunt edged pieces rather than shatter into sharp pieces.

To be honest could'nt really tell as was travelling at speed, could have been a pint glass for all I know but was chuffed to bits when I found it did'nt leave a scrath. For an all weather fast tyre go for the Vittoria's but they can be a tad pricey, I do know those crafty Germans at Schwalbe have produced a similiar tyre at a fraction of the price but haven't tried it myself so can't comment!

Kinetic^

Another +1 for armadillos. Have done about 2500k on mine and only 1 puncture.