Compass Tires
I will chime in on the compass tires as I just bought the 8th set for the family fleet. (Went on a new to me Rivendell Quickbeam) Thus, you can guess my thoughts.
Do I think these are the greatest possible tire in the world? For the riding I do here in Seattle via commute, sscx, and fire roads, YES!
Are they puncture resistant? Nope. But, I kinda hefty weighing in at 285# and I ride the 700x44 Snoqualmie Pass EL tires. I have gotten one flat and one slow leak in about 800 miles of riding. Both times I ran over a pile of glass from a shattered car window...go figure.
My wife has gone thru a pair of Barlow Pass ELs without a flat and is on her second set with about 500 miles of no flats. She has the Stampede Pass tires on her Black Mtn Cycles Road bike. Zero flats in about 500 miles of riding.
I rode the 700x38c Steilacoom EL tires for half the CX season. Best tire I have used for the mud.
Are these as durable as a Conti tire? Hell no. 2000 miles out of a pair is really good for these.
Are these faster than my former Schwalbe Marathon Supremes and Maxxis DTH tires? Yes. Shaved about 5 min off of a 45 min commute. So not faster by a HUGE margin.
I love compass tires and choose to live with the rare flats that arise due to the improved ride quality. Also, I have ridden with Jan Heine on some SIR rides here in Seattle and he is downright pleasant. I am happy to support his business.