NameTaken

So I picked up my Contend 1 about 2 months ago and have racked up about 700 miles. Seems like the last 200-300 miles or so I was getting punctures every other ride so I picked up these Armadillos. I researched before hand so I was expecting a rough ride, lower speed, tougher hill climbs and a struggle to get them mounted, all of which I decided was acceptable if I could quit spending 20 minutes of my already limited ride time changing tubes every 40 miles or so.


I have to say, it's really not all that bad. I got them mounted without using any tools and was up and ready to ride in about 15 minutes. I live in a fairly hilly area and really didn't feel like I was struggling any more than normal. I easily hit 21 mph (fast for me) on a straight away and maintained it for the full 3 miles breaking my own PR. I immediately noticed how grippy they were in comparison to the stock tires I replaced. If anything, these give me a smoother ride than what I had before.


In conclusion, These are the best tires I have ever had - and I've had 2. I've never rode on a good racing tire but I'm sure they are smoother and faster because the internet told me so but for my needs these are everything I was asking for. If they live up to the hype and don't flat once a week they will have paid for themselves in 2 months. The Giant SR-2 tires that came with my bike must be absolute crap though because the bike as a whole just feels better now.

Bob Ross

I rode with Armadillo Elites on my commuter/foul weather bike for 11 years. I put probably 30,000 miles on the bike...and only got two flats in all that time. (One time was because some vandals had scattered nails & tacks across the bike lane right where it makes a sharp turn, so I was leaning into the curve and managed to miss the tread and puncture the sidewall! The other time was when I rode over a hacksaw blade.) I changed the Armadillos Elites twice in that time, so I was getting close to 10k miles on a set before they'd wear out (usually the bead would start to separate from the sidewall around that time.

In retrospect, they really did ride like garden hoses...but on a commuter/foul weather bike, that's such an acceptable compromise it was a total no-brainer. I never regretted having those tires on that bike.

Baldy1953

I have them on my Roubaix elite. Approx 2500 miles on them with no flats. They ride as well as the original tires that came on the bike. I ride a lot by myself and do not like to walk or repair a flat on the side of the road. I also ran armadillos on my previous bike for about 10,000 miles. Same results.