Mr Tuffys vs Armadillos

[saab2000]

Hi Folks,

Since I got my new Crosscheck for such a great deal ($50 for frame, fork and headset) I would like to continue to save some dough.

I could used some tires I already have and line them, or at least the rear, with Mr. Tuffys. I know that these ruin the ride and make a bike slow. Or I could get some Specialized Armadillos. I do not know how these ride.

I am looking for maximum durability and puncture resistance since I will be riding on very gritty and sandy roads.

Anyone try either or both of these options?

[csb]

saab,
I wore down a set of specialized armadillos last winter
here in jersey. They functioned as advertised. No flats,
who wants one in freezing temps?

Heavy? yes (wire beaded),

Round? no (rather a truncated
V cross section),
not drbk/bigmac approved

Long-lasting tread? yes

Correctly named? yes

Buy them again? nah

Ride quality? none




csb

[Marron]

I just fataly cut my second Armadillo in the last 6 months. The good news is that my LBS treats any cut to an Armadilla as a warrenty issue and replaces them, the bad news is that it always happens in the pissing down rain on my morning commute.

In fairness, the damage has come from truely monstrous shards of glass that would probably penetrate anything and aside from these two instances I've had no other flats.

[Kurt]

and when I race I still use one up front, lots of the guys do. They add about 50gm per wheel and not in a place where you want it, but zero flats unless you get a dead on puncture, which means to me not ever getting dropped for a tire issue. In a race and sometimes on the road, a front blow can have bad consequences. They do mold to the tires shape, if you use a more rounded tire to begin with, like a pro-race you will never notice it. If you use a tire that has more on top and flattens over time you will, like a 3000. There overall weight is on a par with other protection available. You can use a lighter tube to offset the weight if that issue bothers you and you can also run the tires much longer with greater confidence, I run mine on the road until I see the casing.

[Matt Barkley]

Armadillos don't grip well for me and I crash. They also feel like plastic to me. I love Mr. Tuffys - 'use em all the time now on any clincher application - which is now pretty much all Veloflex Paves. I don't have flats anymore - ride through glass and gravel and off road all the time - the tires feel great - and only on the rollers do I notice a small "bump"from the Mr Tuffy overlap. Weight Shmeight!! The Mr Tuffys are not the reason I get dropped on a climb. - Matt

[froze]

The Armadillos are the best flat protection tire currently on the market; with these tires you can use Specialize Ultralight 65grm tube and not have too much to worry about. Yes. their heavy around 380 grams plus the tube and your at 445 total. If you go with a different tire with an average weight of 280 grams plus a Mr Tuffy at 90 grams Plus you have to use a thicker tube due to liners tend to rub thinner tubes to leak so get a normal 120 gram tube, that's a total of 490 grams...hmm. And after you did all of that your still going to flats due to the unprotected sidewalls of your lighter tire. I use the Armadillo's now and have had only 2 flats in 14,000 miles, first one caused by a faulty tube and second one caused by me running the tire to where cord showed in some small spots and something on the road pentrated one of those spots.

And don't even bother with Slime Tubes-they don't work on road bikes due to the higher pressure.

[csb]

I was confused_I read Mr. Tuffy but thought (Mr) Rolly Polly,
hence my comment that dbrk would respond to the
question...

pardon,
csb

[Kurt]

pro race 23 220
orange tuffy 48
mich tube 67
335

dillo's ride like crap, eveyone know this. I have logged over 20k with tuffy's and only have flatted from direct nail hits, never a tube issue. even guy's on the tour use them in front.




Originally posted by froze
The Armadillos are the best flat protection tire currently on the market; with these tires you can use Specialize Ultralight 65grm tube and not have too much to worry about. Yes. their heavy around 380 grams plus the tube and your at 445 total. If you go with a different tire with an average weight of 280 grams plus a Mr Tuffy at 90 grams Plus you have to use a thicker tube due to liners tend to rub thinner tubes to leak so get a normal 120 gram tube, that's a total of 490 grams...hmm. And after you did all of that your still going to flats due to the unprotected sidewalls of your lighter tire. I use the Armadillo's now and have had only 2 flats in 14,000 miles, first one caused by a faulty tube and second one caused by me running the tire to where cord showed in some small spots and something on the road pentrated one of those spots.

And don't even bother with Slime Tubes-they don't work on road bikes due to the higher pressure.

[froze]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kurt
[B]pro race 23 220
orange tuffy 48
mich tube 67
335

My weight for the Mr Tuffy came from Mr Tuffy themselves. They quoted me that the narrow road version weighs 90 grams. A Mich ultralight tube is 70 grams according to Performance Bike.com (2 grams-big deal!). But a Mich Pro Race tire is not a average road tire that most people use, its a race tire!

[Kurt]

I weight things, just me

A stock orange tuffy full length is 52, trimmed where it should be is 48, tube, short valve mich tube sans nut or cap is 67 and a pro race is a run of the mill high-performance training tire that can be used for racing, but there are lighter options. Out of a 400+ person club I do not know a sole that uses a dillo and they are not in any local stores. That is LA, maybe it’s different in other parts of the world. I think the reality is that a nail is going to go through either solution, so I go with the lighter option that still offers decent handling.

pro race 23 220
orange tuffy 48
mich tube 67
335

My weight for the Mr Tuffy came from Mr Tuffy themselves. They quoted me that the narrow road version weighs 90 grams. A Mich ultralight tube is 70 grams according to Performance Bike.com (2 grams-big deal!). But a Mich Pro Race tire is not a average road tire that most people use, its a race tire!

[froze]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kurt
[B]I weight things, just me

That is LA, maybe it’s different in other parts of the world. I think the reality is that a nail is going to go through either solution, so I go with the lighter option that still offers decent handling.

I agree with you fullheartly about the lighter tires. I use to live in Los Angeles (lived in La Cresenta and Glendale) for about 4 years, and I did not have much in the way of flat problems there, about 2 or so a month with light tires. But the question from the original poster (SAAB2000)was about "Maximum durability and puncture resistance", thus the reason for the Armadillos. When I moved from LA to Palmdale/Lancaster area (lived in Quartz Hill) then later on to Bakersfield, I ran into thorns and trashy streets and actually averaged 2 to 5 flats a WEEK plus destroyed within 700 miles 12 sets of tires trying to find a suitable tire that could take the crap. Finally I tried the Armadillos and in a 4 year period had 2 flats and only 1 was caused by road debris but that flat was due to almost bald tire (cord showing in small spot).

I don't know how bad of a situation that Saab was experencing, but he asked for the most durable and flat resistent tire...that is without question the Armadillo.