Which puncture protection tires?

Hey there, i was wondering if anyone can reccomend a set of good puncture protected tires...
Gatorskins are what i'm running on pretty good tires but not sure if they're bulletproof as they say I've punctured about 4 times in 6 months
...does it get better than that?

I hope so, I run those ultra gatorskins

fucking rubbish, appaling.

try bontrager hardcase racelite for absolute puncture resistence, they look ok in 23c

probably heavy and hard, but there's the tradeoff.

as you say, I don't find those contis to be all they are cracked up to be, stones just eat into the case too easily.
2 punctures in 4 months

compared to two years without, on some cheapo geax things that eventually got cracked sidewalls, but they never punctured!

currently deciding between the bontragers and some rubinos, but it looks like the ugly and boring bontragers will win on function

people also go on about specialized tyres being good for resisting the shit

Spesh Armadillos are probably the toughest, although some shops won't stock them saying that they can cause spoke breakages or wheels to buckle. I'm running Bontrager racelite hardcases at the moment and have had no punctures since I switched from armadillos six months ago (I do 100+ miles a week). They roll a bit better then armadillos as well.

4 punctures in 6 months sounds a bit crap to me (unless you are doing huge mileage). Keeping them pumped up helps prevent punctures, and its also worth inspecting them every so often for nicks and tread damage - if they are looking tatty then replace, its better than roadside repairs.

The best tyres for puncture protection I ever ran were Specialized All-Season S-Works Pro's. They were awesome for puncture protection and handling in the wet.

However, they sucked big time for handling in the dry. They were just this hard rubber compound, really noisy (as in, bone-shaking). I never felt comfortable getting them past 100psi either.

So yeah, puncture protection was great, but do you want to compromise the riding experience for it?

for sure, as i punctured about 23 hours after purchasung my bike...and then again then again then...so i got gatorskins but...i think i'm gonna go look for the bontragers but i might keep the gatorskins on as i had to fork out £££ for my wheels

i commuted (100+/week) on my old claud butler 3 years on spesh armadillos - ZERO PUNCTURES.
when i got my langster last June i put ultra gator skins on and was very disappointed - they now hang in my garage and i run on spesh armadillos - ZERO PUNCTURES in 10.5months.

(I'm always a little nervous in the wet on them though)

2 best tires I've found are Specialized Armadillos and Bontrager Hardcases.

Had two punctures in about five years of using Armadillos (one due to a massive screw through the tire, one cause I was too lazy to pump my tire up). However, the Armadillos' handling really sucks when its wet, you'll feel yer backend slidding around a lot. Part of this poor handling is that they are especially prone to squaring off their profile (but all kevelar belted tires suffer from this to some degree) but part of this is just their design. Never heard of them causing spoke breaks or buckling wheels, sounds like a bunch of rubbish if you ask me.

The Hardcases have a little more grip to them and have a decent life span.

Also found Rubbino Pros are pretty grippy and offer a decent level of flat protection (but generally switch to a belted tire for the worst part of winter).

But as previously mentioned, even a good tire will do you no good if you don't keep it properly inflated.

I generally run something grippier up front like a Rubino Pro or GP4 to compensate for the poor grip of the Armadillo. It really helps and lightens the load considerably. I wouldn't advise running a pair of them, its just overkill and your bike is more likely to whip out from under you.

fixedpip 2 best tires I've found are Specialized Armadillos and Bontrager Hardcases.

Never heard of them causing spoke breaks or buckling wheels, sounds like a bunch of rubbish if you ask me.

Never happened to me, but Eduardes in Camberwell and Luciano Cycles in Battersea rise don't sell armadillos for these reasons.

big up [as i believe the youngsters say today] to Michelin krylions - they're folders and feels more like a road tyre than the armadillo and gatorskin and not even a nick on the casing - i love 'em! you can pick up a pair on some of the ebay shops for about 25 notes

Also respect to Conti GP4000, rode through winter on one pair with minimal punctures. I think they're a lot better than gatorskins which I had before. Grip is good in the dry, so-so in wet, but the new GP4000S are supposed to be grippier(£22 from Ribble, less 10% discount at the moment).

I ran Specialized Armadillos on my road bike and didn't get a puncture in two years. Not bad for 25 miles daily riding in all weathers. They do feel a bit heavy though.

Stef_82 Hey there, i was wondering if anyone can reccomend a set of good puncture protected tires...
Gatorskins are what i'm running on pretty good tires but not sure if they're bulletproof as they say I've punctured about 4 times in 6 months

I've never like the Conti's. They get lots of flack on forums and even my LBS warned me off them!

In London I've been using the cheap (steel bead I think) Vittorias Rubinos and I skidded through one, no punctures. I've also had the ultra-light and grippy Bontrager Race-X-Lites. These puncture a couple of times in a few months but they were pretty cut up when I got them (used). Got some new ones waiting to go on at home but can't remember what they are... from the cheap bin at Condor. Michelin ProRace would always do me for 4000k commuting/training/racing before they started getting cut up and puncturing. They are expensive though - well, they were, anyway.

been using armadillo's for a while no problems so far, also heard maxxis re-fuse tyres are supposed to be good.

what annoyed me about the contis is they have all the bull about being p-resistant, then they take stones up the arse like a bitch.

particularly crap when I always run good pressures, checked every couple of days and "ride light" over rough bits and potholes. I'm not the sort of fucker who runs 40psi then rides up a sharp kerb sat down on the saddle.

rubino pros or bonty hardcase? it's a toss up. I'm still tossin'

hardcase man here. Only had three punctures I think in the last year, one was from a BIG peace of glass I heard cracking under me as I cycled through a flood and another was when I rode over a bear bottle I did not see in the dark, heard another big crack and a bump as I rode over it. I do 130 ish mile a week commuting plus any extra.

Armadillos have sucky handling but amazing skid and puncture resistanmce.

I ran a Hardcase and wore a hole through it really quickly from skipping and skidding, so i won't get another. I don't ride like a nutter either.

Rubinos and Rubino Pros are cheap and hard wearing with very minimal punctures. Plus lots of colours.

Specialized tyres of various kinds seem good.

Contis Gatroskins have been fine for punctures but the sidewalls are pretty fragile.

I think that puncture resistance is as much down to the rider as the tyre. If you keep them pumped up, avoid road debris and ride light then you shouldn't get loads of punctures. I haven't found many great differences in puncture resistance among all the tyres I have tried, but ride quality and weight varies a lot.

Hmm. I used to run Armadillos all winter & Continental 3000’s in the summer. Armadillos don’t puncture, when they do it’s time to chuck them. They ride like shit and hurt your arse like they is made from wood, scarier than a bathtub full of spiders when you hit the chicane of manholes that is Trafalgar Square in the wet..

So I switched to Vittoria Rubionos, cheap as chips, brought in bulk from Wiggle or the like. Then come the summer I stick a posh arse Continental GP 4000 on the front, sticks to the road like shit to mohair, in fact it melts and you become at one with the tarmac. My Arse. Cost a fair bit, aint puncture proof but a sweet ride. They fold up to bugger all so you can carry a spare. Yeah and if your a total candy arse show of you can get them yellow or whatever..¬

armadillos are like car tyres with all the grip of a nonogenarian's handshake. they don't pucnture though.

i use gator skins. they do puncture, on average once every 4 months. that may be because i can't stop showing off my amazing skip/skid stops. too many more unscheduled repairs at bethnal green at 630am and may change my mind.

My order of preference...

Bontrager Hardcase - I've never punctured one that wasn't showing thread and cheap.
Vittoria Rubino - Few punctures - mostly showing thread, don't last as long as hardcases but love the colors and cheap. I use one on the front most times.
Specialized Armadillo - Only owned three, punctured once but hard and slippy, not as cheap.

Any tyre is allright (go for the non-foldable ones instead of something fancy like Michelin Pro-Race) just pump your wheels once a week using a good track pump. Tyre liners like Mr. Tuffy are quite good as well.

no competition....armadillos, ask any courier, slow, rough ride, but bombproof, I've even ridden them after the outer has started to fall off in strips....without punctures!

Currently trying out the Michelin Krylion Carbon's. I hope they last longer than the Pro 2's, I've been through 4 in as many weeks.

I have it on good authority that they are the nuts

fuckin expensive too!

+1 for the armadillos. I keep them pumped up high and havn't had a puncture in over 2 years! (touch wood)