bluehurry

Specialized All Condition Armadillo Elite
https://tinyurl.com/rrjop

or

Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tire
https://tinyurl.com/abzk7

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Has anyone had experience with these 2 tires? I need to replace my back tire (currently I... well the previous owner... has Specialized Mondo Pro on front and rear) and I really hate getting flats. There are a ton of these thorny plant things in Colorado that I always seem to go over, plus I'm going to be riding on the streets where there are broken glass and such.

Anyhow, I know these tires are expensive but if it saves me the headache of constantly getting flats then I feel like I should cough up the $$ and get them. But, it never hurts to get a 2nd or 3rd opinions.

Thank you!

Nermal

I feel exactly the same way, bluehurry. Maybe you've saved me the trouble of posting the same question. Uh, do either, or any, work with goatheads and Russian olive thorns?

Rev.Chuck

The Armadillo is about the toughest tire you can get. The Continental is pretty tough and rides WAY better than the Armadillo. If my priority was not getting flats or tire damage i would get the Armadillo. If I wanted to shift the no flat odds in my favor and still wanted the bike to ride smooth, I would get the Contis.

Nermal

Thanks, Rev. I guess it's the Armadillo for me, then. This past week, I've spent more time patching and changing tubes than I've spent riding. The upside, of course, is that I'm getting much better at it.

bluehurry

i ended up going with the armadillo... not the all condition elite, but just the standard all condition. and, i've just spent an hour trying to get it on. one word... ouch. my thumbs hurt typing right now. i guess i'll be bringing it in tomorrow to have it installed. that tire is freakin' tough.

MrZhuKeeper

First thing, I am a newbie in road bicycling -- started mid-Feb 2008.

The All Condition Elites (700x23c) was easy to put on, it took about 20-30 mins; and i am terrible at changing tires. LoL, it took me almost 2 hours to take my old tires off.

I don't know how well do these tires perform when compared to other tires, but they are durable according to what I've read. Some guy in the Specialized magazine claim to have ridden over 11,000 miles with no flats. Some other guy in the bikeforums claim to have ridden a little over 3,000 miles and then got a flat. So, I am expecting my Elites to last me 3,000-11,000 miles.

Some people say that these tires slow them down, but I don't notice any difference between my Elites and my old tires (except that it hasn't popped). I am guessing that I'll get 24.5 mi/h with the Elites instead of 25.0 mi/h with a racing tire -- but that's all good for me. Not having to change tubes everyday will definitely make up this little problem.

markhr

+1

Rev.Chuck

This is a two year old thread, BUT, there is a new light/durable tire in town. The Serfas Seca. They are proving to be puncture resistant. Haven't used any long enough to wear them out, but one local hipster finds them skid resistant. They also now have a folder that is 100grams lighter than a Michelin Pro Race(ONE HUNDRED GRAMS) for about ten-fifteen bucks less.

Whatsisname

I have been told over and over again that the Grand Prix 4k's are for lightness and are terrible with puncture resistance.

With that said, I think they are full of **** because I only had 2 flats in about 3500 miles of riding on my pair of GP4000's

Rev.Chuck

And I had an Armadillo flat with in fifteen miles of its maiden voyage. Half inch staple, I still think someone snuck up and put it in with a staple gun because it was straight in and brand new. Still a tough tire, but not impregnable.

Bike Gremlin

I have been riding on All condition Elites, not Armadilo Elites. Local LBS that has helped me with my first ever road bike got those. I asked him for good tyres that can take our bad roads, he said he's got a good pair. Can't compare them to other road bike tyres. They are a lot quicker and better rolling than my hybrid 37 mm Marathon tyres. Ride is harsh when they're at 120 PSI, but I inflate them to around 100 PSI and ride no problems. Glass and road debris don't stick to them and don't puncture them. Also, after some 1500 kilometres, no signs of wear. Happy so far.

Next tyres I get will be some sticky racing ones for even faster cornering, but I'm building strength and experience on these, definitely!

Mobile 155

I have tried almost oll of the Tires mentioned. One that wasn't tossed in was the Conti Gatorskin and Hardshell. But the Armadillomay be the champ when it comes to puncture "resistance" it will not stop a Goathead. Pretty good for glass however. The gatorskin is almost as good but rolls better than the Armadillo. The Seca rolls better than both and seems to be close in puncture resistance. Still nothing seems to help with goatheads unless you are talking tubeless with a load of Stans in them. So looking for the plant that deposites goatheads and giving it a wide birth is always a good idea. So if I had to rate them for puncture resistance I would go with 1. Armadillos 2. Gatorskins, 3. Surfas Seca,s, 4. Conti Grand Prix 4 seasons.

If we are talking about how they feel and roll I would say the would be almost reverse. 1. Seca, 2. Grand Prix 4s (because they ride smoother) 3. Gatorskins and lastly Armadillos. To be fair I have only used Armadillos once about a year and a half ago. I got a second set for free but gave them to a young rider for his bike he rode to School. To me they felt like I was on solid tires.

lopek77

From my experience, Armadillo tires are the least flat and cut resistant brand name tires. Most of them, especially commuter and hybrid type are constructed with a lot of thick and soft rubber that is very easily cut. I got flat every few rides (around every 100 miles or so) , riding on the paved railtrails. Today my wife got another flat... My cheap Vittoria Zaffiro and Rubino road tires size 28 with very little rubber on it and feeling little flimsy, they are absolutely flat proof so far, and I rode them on everything...
My advice is to stay away from Specialized Armadillo tires...

ben4345

Great necro post!