Need rec's for flat proof tires

[dyerwolf]

Just wanted to get some forumites opinions on flat proof tires. I have a pair of continental gator skins now and am relatively satisfied. I do need another pair for my other bike(s) and am looking at either the specialized armadillo elites or the roubaix 23/25's. Am thinking about continentals, too. What are your houghts? Opinions? I really appreciate any of your feedback or experiences with these or any others. Thanks!

[dave thompson]

Bontrager Hardcase and the Specialized Armadillos are probably the best but they ride like rocks, quite harsh.

[Bob Loblaw]

I have a lot of miles in Conti tires. They are excellent and very flat resistant.

Vittoira Zaffiros are the most flat resistant tire I have ridden. I ride them on my winter/rain bike, and in four years I have had one flat, a nail bent into a u-shape that somehow skewered the tire through the side wall. I changed it and got another flat-free 1000 miles out of that tire.

YMMV.

BL

Just wanted to get some forumites opinions on flat proof tires. I have a pair of continental gator skins now and am relatively satisfied. I do need another pair for my other bike(s) and am looking at either the specialized armadillo elites or the roubaix 23/25's. Am thinking about continentals, too. What are your houghts? Opinions? I really appreciate any of your feedback or experiences with these or any others. Thanks!

[MattTuck]

I'm riding gatorskins now also. I've suffered several punctures over the years while riding them. Of the 'flat proof' tires, I think they probably ride the best compared to the bont's and specialized armadillos. That's not saying much though.

Is this for a commute bike? or just really value your ride time and don't want the hassle of flats?

[christian]

Specialized Armadillos. As far as ride quality and resistance is concerned, I have in the past likened them (I believe on this forum) to hobbyhorsing a moped. This is a disservice to mopeds, draisines, and their respective and cross-over enthusiasts. They are much worse than that.

That said, they don't flat. Like ever.

My wife had them on her NYC commuter. I used to giver her grief about the ride quality. She said, "Nothing sucks worse than changing a flat in the rain when you have to be in for an 8 o'clock meeting with the Mayor." So if those types of situations enter into your criteria, apparently, these are the tires to get. Me personally, I'd rather change a flat every single ride than ride Armadillos.

PS: Armadillos carry leprosy. Never handle them in the wild.

[dyerwolf]

Thanks guys! All excellent points. Much appreciated. These tire changes are mostly becuase I really value my (limited) ride time and don't want the hassle of flats. In fact recently I had three in one day on my michelin race tires. Not fun.:crap:

[fiamme red]

In my limited experience with them (just put them on a few weeks ago), Maxxis Re-Fuse are flat-resistant, and don't ride too badly.

[William]

I've flatted a Dillo and rode home on it with no issues. Sure they are tough, but they ride like a wet carpet.

I have no experience with these but they are gar-on-teed not to go flat ever...per your request.

http://www.airfreetires.com/shopping/c-16-700c.aspx







William

[cycle_chic]

Michelin Krylions have served me well over the past 1.5 years. I log about 6,000 miles/year and I can count on one hand the times I've flatted over the last year.

[Ken Robb]

Paselas w/belts are pretty flat-resistant and I like the ride better than Armadillos. Having said that I dumped my 'dillos without trying them at greatly reduced pressure which might have worked because their carcasses are so stiff they might have resisted pinch flats at very low pressure. Maybe I gave up too soon?

[fiamme red]

Paselas w/belts are pretty flat-resistant and I like the ride better than Armadillos. Having said that I dumped my 'dillos without trying them at greatly reduced pressure which might have worked because their carcasses are so stiff they might have resisted pinch flats at very low pressure. Maybe I gave up too soon?Maybe you did. I always ran the Armadillos soft (45-60 psi for 27 x 1 1/4 tires) and only once got a pinch flat in thousands of miles, when I hit a crater of a pothole. Still not a great ride, but definitely much more tolerable than when I ran them at 75-80 psi.

[bikerboy337]

+1 to this... they are great training tires for me... have a few thousand miles on the latest set, no flats... they've been great, and ride pretty well, plus you can grab em from the overseas mail order places pretty cheap...

Michelin Krylions have served me well over the past 1.5 years. I log about 6,000 miles/year and I can count on one hand the times I've flatted over the last year.

[biker72]

Bontrager Hardcase tires are bomb proof but ride like a tank.
I presently have Conti GP 4 Season tires on two of my bikes and have had no flats or problems.

[MattTuck]

Bontrager Hardcase tires are bomb proof but ride like a tank.
I presently have Conti GP 4 Season tires on two of my bikes and have had no flats or problems.

That is kind of the problem with talking about flats in general. They are such rare events to begin with, think of a small shard of glass, that it is not uncommon for even very thin tires to go many miles without a flat. And then you get a pair of "flat resistant" tires, and the first ride out, you hit a freak piece of glass shard and you flat...


It's so hard to get a true apples to apples comparison, because you never hit the same glass shard the same way, at the same angle with the same pressure on two different tires... and that would be the true test of a flat resistant tire.

[CNY rider]

I'm commuting on Conti GP 4 seasons for the last 3 years.
They offer a decent ride and I have not had problems with flats.
The Gator Skins are awful ride quality so I'm willing to take a little more risk to have some ride quality.
I will add that I only weigh 150 and ride "lightly" on my tires.

[FGC]

If you don't care about ride quality that much, get thorn-resistant tubes. They'll turn junk tires into a superheroes. I've found them far more effective than any aggressive tire.

[Bob Ross]

I've been using Specialized Armadillo Elites on my commuter/foul-weather bike for about 5 years now. I get at least 5,000 miles per set, and, except for one time when I took a tight corner right where some vandals had scattered carpet tacks and so wound up puncturing a sidewall, I have never had a flat in those 5 years.

I'm not sure if the folks who say "Armadillos ride like garden hoses!" are referring to the original Armadillos or the Armadillo Elites; these Elites ostensibly have a more supple sidewall. Since it's my commuter/foul-weather bike (a 24lb Bridgestone from 1986) I'm not sure whether it's fair to ascribe any of the less-than-wonderful ride characteristics I experience to the tires alone. Suffice to say I've dragged that bike on some fast training rides with racer boys, and the 'dillos didn't hold me back

...much.

[54ny77]

GP 4-season good enough for Zabel.

http://nyvelocity.com/gallery/image/7180?page=22

http://nyvelocity.com/files/imagecache/gal_thumb/gallery/1602/zabel%20023.JPG

;)

[martinrjensen]

These could truly be called "flat proof" as they are solid rubber. There are several brands like this I believe. Never rode them but I did talk to a guy at work who had mounted them and I went over and bounced his bike a couple time. Hard as hell I thought. I asked him about the ride quality and he said it was quite jarring. I am skeptical that they would provide a decent ride but maybe they do, I understand you can get them in different grades of hardness. His may have been the wrong hardness.
Assuming that they can give a ride similar to pneumatic tires, there is still no way that they could give as nice a ride as My Vittoria Open CG's, and I value ride quality higher than flat protection. I just don't mind, and don't get that many flats enough to sacrifice the quality of the ride that much.

http://www.airfreetires.com/

Just wanted to get some forumites opinions on flat proof tires. I have a pair of continental gator skins now and am relatively satisfied. I do need another pair for my other bike(s) and am looking at either the specialized armadillo elites or the roubaix 23/25's. Am thinking about continentals, too. What are your houghts? Opinions? I really appreciate any of your feedback or experiences with these or any others. Thanks!

[54ny77]

Comparing GP 4 seasons or Ultra Gatorskins to Open CG's is like, well, it's not even apples to oranges. It's more like panna cotta to beef jerky. :)

(I happen to ride all 3 tires, each has their virtues. That said, 99% of time on bike is spent riding the former 2 models, and they work just fine, for me.)

These could truly be called "flat proof" as they are solid rubber. There are several brands like this I believe. Never rode them but I did talk to a guy at work who had mounted them and I went over and bounced his bike a couple time. Hard as hell I thought. I asked him about the ride quality and he said it was quite jarring. I am skeptical that they would provide a decent ride but maybe they do, I understand you can get them in different grades of hardness. His may have been the wrong hardness.
Assuming that they can give a ride similar to pneumatic tires, there is still no way that they could give as nice a ride as My Vittoria Open CG's, and I value ride quality higher than flat protection. I just don't mind, and don't get that many flats enough to sacrifice the quality of the ride that much.

http://www.airfreetires.com/

[ahmose]

+1 on the Conti 4K wth black chilli compound. Great tires, very flat resistant.
I usually wait for them to go on sale on one of the Euro bike shops and stock up.

[giverdada]

continental gp4000. awesome. still running a 28c on the rear of my fixie and have been commuting on it for the past 6 years. same tire. woah. gatorskin has been alright, but the 4000 with vectran beats all. still rides nice with 95psi too.

[93legendti]

Stan's tubeless conversion bundle

[tannhauser]

Michelin Krylions have served me well over the past 1.5 years. I log about 6,000 miles/year and I can count on one hand the times I've flatted over the last year.

I have a drawer full of these and have gone through many, many of them. Great tire but...

They are not nearly in the same class as the butt-hard riding Armadillos and old Gatorskins.

[dana_e]

marathons

[Johnny P]

I tried airless tires for my wife's bike. They would never flat, but they were too uncomfortable to ride. She got back pain. I've gone from them to Schwalbe Marathons and she hasn't had a flat yet.

[martinrjensen]

Please double check my original post. I am very sorry if you thought I was comparing Open CG's to Gatorskins. I must have written that wrong. That was not my implication at all. As you imply there is absolutely no comparison. I was trying to say that flat resistance was not very high up on my priorities and that I was more concerned with ride quality, which the Open CG's gave me. The solid tires which I suggested may be something that the OP want's to check into though, as stated I feel no need to do so.Comparing GP 4 seasons or Ultra Gatorskins to Open CG's is like, well, it's not even apples to oranges. It's more like panna cotta to beef jerky. :)

(I happen to ride all 3 tires, each has their virtues. That said, 99% of time on bike is spent riding the former 2 models, and they work just fine, for me.)

[lhuerta]

I really value my (limited) ride time and don't want the hassle of flats. In fact recently I had three in one day on my michelin race tires. Not fun.:crap:

If you are getting three flats on one ride the cause may not have anything to do with the type of tires you are using, but instead be linked to a mechanical or installation issue. Also, if your really value your ride time don't you want to enjoy the feel of actually being on a bike and the feel of riding a top line machine (lots of nice bikes in your stable), instead of the feel of riding the equivalent of solid tricycle wheels? Specifically, most of the so-called "flatproof" tires mentioned above will provide a riding experience equivalent to strapping frozen water hoses to your rims. It just seems to me that if you wanted to enjoy your limited riding time you would actually want to feel your riding experience, your connection with your bike and its connection to the road.

Get some nice Vittoria Paves and match them with properly installed latex tubes (the best riding , flat resistant, lightweight tube/tire combo you could find), then get out and feel and enjoy your riding experience.

Happy riding,
Lou

[martinrjensen]

+1 that's pretty much my feeling too. (that's how I run my CG's)If you are getting three flats on one ride the cause may not have anything to do with the type of tires you are using, but instead be linked to a mechanical or installation issue. Also, if your really value your ride time don't you want to enjoy the feel of actually being on a bike and the feel of riding a top line machine (lots of nice bikes in your stable), instead of the feel of riding the equivalent of solid tricycle wheels? Specifically, most of the so-called "flatproof" tires mentioned above will provide a riding experience equivalent to strapping frozen water hoses to your rims. It just seems to me that if you wanted to enjoy your limited riding time you would actually want to feel your riding experience, your connection with your bike and its connection to the road.

Get some nice Vittoria Paves and match them with properly installed latex tubes (the best riding , flat resistant, lightweight tube/tire combo you could find), then get out and feel and enjoy your riding experience.

Happy riding,
Lou

[HenryA]

Panaracer Race Type D

Great riding tire, bullet proof and not expensive.
Excellent Japanese quality.

You'll throw rocks at Contis after riding these.

http://www.panaracer.com/road.php

third one down the page

[benitosan1972]

just ride with your favorite tire, put a liner/Tuffy strip in it if getting flats worry you so much, or just get faster at changing flats ideally it should only take a few minutes. use a good tire to get a quality ride, most flatproof/commuter tires are gonna feel like crap, enjoy the ride and deal with the flat or pray to the thorn gods.

[GuyGadois]

+1 on the Conti 4K wth black chilli compound. Great tires, very flat resistant.
I usually wait for them to go on sale on one of the Euro bike shops and stock up.

+1. Same experience. I use 4000s on my fast bike and I can go 3000 miles without a flat. On my commuter I use GP 4 without ever getting a flat

I bet I'll get a flat tomorrow now that I said that.

GG

[azrider]

http://www.airfreetires.com/shopping/c-16-700c.aspx

Seriously contemplating buying some of these for my beater SS / canal bike but found tons of complaints on them. Just a heads up.

http://gregg.berkholtz.net/blog/archives/51-Experiences-with-Airless-Bike-Tires-www.airfreetires.com-is-just-a-scam-site-now.html

[forrestw]

Best - Schwalbe Ultremo R1.1 or DD, I have high expectations for the new ZX, or in tubular the HT

Second - Conti GP4k or in tubular Competiton

None of these are cheap tires, if you can live without the handling of a top end tire then Bontrager hard case or similar are far cheaper and work well however they handle like crap.

There are better handling tires than Schwalbe but none with significant flat protection. Contis imx handle OK but not great for the price. Also when they begin to fail I've found the sidewalls of Contis go downhill in a matter of a couple of weeks.

[cnighbor1]

all tires do great till tire wears and you has less rubber than flats start to happen a lot So ride new tires when flats not a great opion
Kevlar Belted way to go with any tire
Can be harser riding So a bit less tire pressure helps
I always carry a spare new tube with me. I take out old flat tube find what caused flat remove it than put new tube in Next flat same day repair that tube and reinstall You will find just taking flat tire out of were you put it and fixing it 1st more relaxing than getting it out of wheel 1st

[toosahn]

I don't think there is a more flat proof tire than the Schwalbe Marathon series. However, the weight penalty is pretty significant.

The Ultremo ZX 28c tires I've got are holding up pretty well to city life.