transposon

I have never bought tires before and want to avoid the inevitable flats that will come with my cheapo stock tires. I want something that has good flat protection since I depend on my bike to get to work. I am ~220lbs.

I am limited to these tires as I have a REI gift certificate to use up. What are your picks (i am assuming its better to stick to the wider tires for commuting as the roads are not in the best condition)?

Vittoria Randonneur Cross Pro Reflective Tire - 700 x 32
Continental Ultra Gator Skin Tire - 700 x 28
Panaracer RibMo Commuting Foldable Tire - 700 x 32
bontrager hardcase race light 700x32

sstorkel

Wider tires add comfort, but aren't necessarily more puncture-proof than narrower tires. Keep in mind that you need to buy a tire that will fit your bike. My road bikes, for example, can't handle anything wider than 700x28 because the tire won't squeeze past the brake pads.

If you're only going to ride on paved roads, look for a slick tire. I've had good luck with Continental Ultra Gatorskins. Didn't have good luck with Vittoria Randonneur Hyper tires, but the Pro version is supposed to have better flat protection.

CACycling

I'm running Gatorskins on my road bike and my wife's road bike. I do put mine through a bit of abuse as I ride some rough roads and am a bit heavier than you. They are holding up well, ride decent and are pretty flat-resistant.

froggmann

^ These!

I'm on my 3rd set and I love these tires.

hammond9705

+1 Just make sure that 28 will fit the bike. Some road bikes won't fit more the 25.

nymtber

Gator skins. They have a good reputation for a reason, and are also built to ride nice.

Dont forget about schwable marathon plus and Specialized Armadillo tires. Both have a real good reputation for being durable and highly puncture resistant.

late

You have to decide between weight and performance, comfort and protection.

A belted sidewall won't stretch, reducing the comfort.

A lot of rubber adds longevity and puncture resistance, but slows the thing down and it will
reduce comfort.

Let me suggest some other tires.

Vittoria Randonneur Pro (it's new this year and looks great)

Pasela TG folding 32c (I have these on my bike. They are a good midprice choice. Traction in the wet is not great.)

Schwalbe marathon Supreme 32c (extremely expensive)

I am going to try the Vittoria Randonneur Hyper 32c this year. I see it as a fancier version of the Pasela TG. Both are good, reasonably durable tires with a supple ride quality.

Going up a step in durability is the Vittoria rando Pro

Even more durable is the Marathon Supreme.

sstorkel

These will be the next tires on my touring bike...

If I were you, I'd pass on the Hyper. I'm using them now. They're light, have a relatively supple ride and roll well, but seem to puncture easily.

transposon

ok so ive narrowed it down to these two.

Continental Ultra Gator Skin Tire - 700 x 28
Panaracer RibMo Commuting Foldable Tire - 700 x 32

tallmantim

Hi

Any of the tyres will allow you to operate effectively - no problem with the weight at all. A big thing though is to ensure you keep the pressure in the tyres when you get them at a high level. If you let them run down to a low level, it will make cycling harder and open you up to pinch flats.

Cheers