Are there any really good reasons to avoid puncture resistant tires ?
 

I am not a competitive cycler and after getting a flat today (one that put me in some jeopardy in a traffic situation) I'm thinking of going with puncture resistant tires.... feedback please ?.... Art in Maine

Downsides are that they are heavier, and less supple than more sporty tires (less supple can mean a harsher ride and more difficulty in maintaining speed). In some cases they are also harder to install.

Also, flat-resistant tires are not flat-proof. They still get flats. If you don't get many flats, they may not be worth the drawbacks. The best way to avoid flats is to not ride in the gutter or shoulder.

I've used some Kevlar belted tires that weren't horrible to ride on, but I prefer better rolling tires now.

Some flats will happen at random, and some are due to riding conditions and how you ride. I wouldn't switch to flat resistant tires after a random flat, but if they were happening frequently I'd do it without a second thought.

For the last 5 years I've been using "regular" tires with tire liners (Mr. Tuffy's). I commute 3-4 days a week with 1-2 weekend rides a month. I went from one flat every two weeks due to thorns and debris, to maybe a flat a year due to major nail and screw encounters.

If your not a competitive cyclist, the extra weight of a puncture resistant tire or the minimal amount of speed you may lose shouldn't make any difference. Like others have said, I wouldn't go out and buy new tires unless getting flats is starting to be a regular occurrence. That said, I have been riding on Conti Gatorskins exclusively for 4 years on my road bike. During that entire time, I've had one flat in 33,000 miles. I also ride on 25c tires which use lower tire pressures and give me a more comfortable ride than 23c tires.

If you ask in the commuting or utility cycling forums you'll get one answer, and if you ask in the road cycling forum you'll get a completely different answer. Which kind of riding is most similar to the kind of riding you do?

I think the main drawback for puncture resistant tires is the weight, but as a commuter I prefer the weight penalty to getting flats on my way to work. Last year I switched to Kenda Kwick Trax and I haven't had a flat ever since.

Completly agree with that ^^^
Also I use Schwalbe Marathon Mondials , in 12,000 miles I've had one flat . Yes they can be a pain to install, but you soon learn how to avoid the pain. They are heavy .

I have gatorskins and Mr Tuffys on my cumuter bike. I can't afford the time to repair a flat.

It all depends on the tire.

Gator Hardshell 23-700, 250g
Gator Hardshell 25-700, 270g
Gatorskin 23-700, 220g
Gatorskin 25-700, 240g

Schwalbe Marathon Plus 25mm, 595g

The only "drawback" is that they may be slightly more expensive than some of the non puncture resistant tires.

Rolling Resistance????

Lot of variety on the NJ roads (understatement).
Long distance bike I run Gatorskins. Flats are extremely rare, like zero in several hundred hours. 25mm, run about 85psi.
Fast bike I ride GP 4000 S II. Notably smoother ride. One flat in about 50 hours so far - pinch flat when I hit a baseball-sized rock. running about 85psi as well.

Other "fast" tires, on these roads, have generally lasted me around 10 hours before catching something that flats 'em out. Aggrevating.
Vittoria Diamente pro 220's. stock on the bike in 2014, sweeeet sweet ride, but punctured about every 6th ride. sad, loved the feel.

punture resistant tires are definitely a downgrade in ride quality, but not a bummer or anything, just notably "less lux." I would pass a "blind" test and be able to tell you which ones I was on, but it's not a factor when picking my bike for the day.

I use marathon plus on my winter commuter, and durano plus on my summer ride.
The marathon pluses average 1 puncture per 10k miles and last forever (15k front, 6k back).
The durano pluses average 1 puncture per 5k miles and have a shorter life (4k front, 2k back).

From bitter experience the reduction in ride quality from the marathon plus is better than trying to change tyres in February in the dark.
The durano pluses have a pretty nice ride, and unless racing I would highly recommend them.

+1. My circumstances are such that flats are pretty rare, so I get to enjoy nice-rolling tires.

It's not exactly a black-and-white discussion when comparing tires with puncture resistance to those without. Not all puncture-resistant tires are heavy and slow, nor are all tires without added puncture resistance light and fantastic. There's a lot of overlap -- there are some puncture-resistant tires that ride pretty nicely and there are some tires without puncture resistance that are pretty dreadful.

If you want a tire with puncture resistance, go for it. Just pick a good one and don't expect it to ride better than high-end tires that forego puncture resistance for other qualities.

I prefer puncture resistant tires because I have no good reason not to use 'em. Lighter tires won't magically improve my loafing 12 mph average, at least not on my thirtysomething lb loafcycle. Better conditioning and a lighter overall bike would make more difference than somewhat lighter tires.

I liked the easier rolling midweight Specialized Hemispheres I used to have, but not the flats. My area has lots of broken glass, metal shards, goat head grass burrs, all kinds of sharp pokey stuff. Add to that lots of roofing nails after this spring's multiple hailstorms and heavy rains (for our area).

After four flats in one month last year I switched to Michelin Protek Cross Max 700x40. They're heavy, nearly 1,100 gr apiece. But while they feel subjectively slower, my actual speed doesn't show any difference. And they work well on everything except slimy black gumbo mud or steep climbs on loose dry dirt. So I avoid those two situations.

No flats so far to slow me down. Suits me. The only thing that could make my riding more enjoyable is not having to mess with cleaning and lubing the chain.

I'm surprised at some of the responses.

I only use flat resistant tires, and I would never ever go back to anything else. If you want the best performance go for a good pair like Continental gp4000's.

There are two categories of flat resistant tires.
1. Regular flat resistant like the gp4000's
2. Super flat resistant tires like the Schwalbe Marathon Winters, or Specialized Armadillo's.

Tires in the #1 category (which are most of them) - they're the only thing I'll buy. I don't think there are any significant differences in weight or rolling resistance.
Tires in the #2 category are super flat resistant, but are significantly heavier and slower rolling. I think it's interesting that they are available, but do not use them myself.

In my opinion, if you're not in a race, there's never a good reason to use anything other than flat resistant tires.

yet another vote for gatorskins. I don't use them because I've gone tubeless and even before that I used Conti 4000s tires because I'd rather have a soft light supple tire with an occasional flat than anything with added weight and a harder feel but I have used Gatorskins and other such tires and in that type of tire I think it has the best trade off for puncture resistance and decent rolling. Virtually all of my friends use Gatorskins.

That might be another choice for puncture resistance. Or, at least greater tolerance to punctures. At least so I understand. I'm getting ready for the switch shortly.

I've gone to flat-free Tannus tires on my winter commuter. At least they are still being evaluated. I think they have a bit higher rolling resistance than the average pneumatic tire, as well as somewhat lower wet traction. But it is nice to not worry about flats.

gatorskins. and if necessary a heavy walled tube.

As has been said, they are very hard to install. As such, if you do have a flat by the side of the road, it is going to be much harder to fix. Other issues relate to riding characteristics. they can roll a bit slower, that can also have poorer wet road performance.

The main issue is that they are hard to deal with by the side of the road. That being said, I use flat resistant tyres and tyre goop.

In addition to riding style and tire type, I also periodically look for and remove any debris found , every couple of weeks .

I did eventually realize that getting a small compressor made my tubeless world much easier. I bought a Bontrager pump that blasts all the pressure at one time but that wasn't always reliable with my combination of tires and rims. My small Dewalt pancake compressor, however, has been invaluable and just the ticket for my fatbike tires. I find all sorts of other small uses for it. One of the best decisions I've made.

Another thing to look at is how much glass, etc. the tread picks up. Vittoria Open Paves pick up everything. (They are also very grippy in the wet, my choice as a a winter tire on winding, fast descents.) Panaracer's Paselas pick up very little. Not especially tough, but still flats are not common. I use them for commuting year 'round except ice and snow.

Ben

That's not necessarily so. I've got Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks on my road bike. They have a puncture-resistant belt and I've found them to be very easy to install. I've also got Panaracer Paselas in the garage, in both the regular and PT (puncture-resistant) version, and I don't notice any appreciable difference between them when it comes to mounting.

Some puncture-resistant tires are difficult to mount, but some tires without additional puncture resistance are, too.