Good tires, that wont break my bank?
Thread started by
davethomas at 03.5.09 - 8:57 pm
Hi, I'm fairly new to riding. I get about two flats a week. My current tires suck dick. I've been told Armadillo's are a great investment. Too bad I don't have the money to invest in them. Whats the BEST tire for $30 a piece or less?
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maybe its your rim that keeps giving your tube a flat?
jabier03.5.09 - 8:59 pm
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"maybe its your rim that keeps giving your tube a flat?" Maybe. But I don't get flats often enough on one specific wheel often enough. My rims are fairly decent, however I am coping a velocity off a friend tomorrow.
davethomas03.5.09 - 9:02 pm
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you can order soma everwears online for less than $30. if you know a store that carries them, they usually charge $40, but you can ask them to match the price. they did it for me at palms cycle.
from what i understand armadillos and gatorskins are denser, and everwears are thicker, so each has its advantages. i like the everwears myself. i have a nice big slice from glass on the front tire, but it's stayed the same size for about six months.
tortuga_veloce03.5.09 - 9:03 pm
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Great tires Robert, but not $30 each. I have a set though and love them.
First off Dave, what are you riding and where?
Drew03.5.09 - 9:04 pm
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Armadillos can be had for $35, but my philosophy is Armadillos or the cheapest shite you can find, nothing in between and do a good job putting it on. Try MR TUFFY strips that go between the tire and tube. Junky Rusty Bikes had tires for not $10 bucks I think and they're damn good. Gatorskins are ok too. Oh and SOMA Everwears have weak-ass sidewalls.
tallcans4tallbikes03.5.09 - 9:07 pm
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"you can order soma everwears online for less than $30. if you know a store that carries them, they usually charge $40, but you can ask them to match the price. they did it for me at palms cycle. "
I like those tires, but my bike isn't really set up for skidding.
davethomas03.5.09 - 9:07 pm
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2 flats a week? What hell are you doing when you ride?
Gav03.5.09 - 9:08 pm
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that's true about the rims. the nipples can poke through if you have old rim tape or one of those rim strips. if you get mysterious flats first thing in the morning, it's probably the glue from your rims expanding and shrinking overnight. if you ever do get this problem, remove the rim tape, clean it with rubbing alcohol and a clean rag, then put on some new tape.
tortuga_veloce03.5.09 - 9:09 pm
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you dont need to skid to use everwears. they're thicker, which is good for skidding, but its also good because they spread out the shock when you hit a bump or pothole.
i'd recommend them for any bike you ride around town.
tortuga_veloce03.5.09 - 9:12 pm
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I'll suggest maxxis re-fuse. 40 dollars for a nice folding bead tire. thick enough for commuting yet light and supple enough to not weigh you down. ask kims1 about 'em!
mmaceda03.5.09 - 9:13 pm
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If your getting snakebites (hit crack, rim pinches tube, tire goes flat), then you might wanna get a tire you can pump to 120+ PSI. Get a nice pump too, cheap pumps usually won't go higher than 30-40 PSI.
I have a vittoria Rubino in the front and a Vredestien Ricorso in the back. Both are 700x23.
Oh, and get ready to have a wrestling match when you try to mount that new tire on that rim...it gets TIGHT.
I bought both tires for about 20-30 bucks.
el_spaniard03.5.09 - 9:13 pm
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"First off Dave, what are you riding and where?"
A franken-fixie: 53cm fuji frame, weird italian front wheel with a shimano hub, and an Alex r400 rear rim with a pretty good hub (not sure on the make).
I ride on pavement (the road), skid from time to time, encounter dirt occasionally. I always get flats on even the smallest patches of semi-loose gravel, there is a lot of road construction around where I live, but I try avoiding it as much as possible. The friends I ride with have no problems with flats, but I do. They all have nice tires though.
davethomas03.5.09 - 9:14 pm
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"Oh, and get ready to have a wrestling match when you try to mount that new tire on that rim...it gets TIGHT."
Believe me, I've done plenty of that with my spiff CST Compressors.
davethomas03.5.09 - 9:16 pm
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unfortunately no tire is completely flat proof.
you'll see a lot of puncture resistant ones but as you may have guessed they are a bit pricey
personally i rock armadillos on my touring bike (but still have gotten flats) and whatever else is around for the rest of my bikes- mostly stuff with a kevlar weave.
whats going to make the biggest difference (and fortunately what is the cheapest solution) is modifying your riding style. meaning be more aware of not only what is in front of you but also where you ride in relation to the street.
most debris collect at far edge of the road and therefore that is the most likely place to get a puncture. unfortunately however that is usually the safest place as it gives you the most distance from passing cars.
being that you are a new cyclist im going to assume that you ride really hard to right?
again this is usually the safest place (or rather it usually feels like the safest place) but as you have found out it is not always the right place.
im not saying ride in the middle of the road (although its certainly lawful to do so when it is in your best interest: ie safe) but dont be afraid to come out of the "gutter" a bit and assert your right to the road and avoid all that crap. youll find that at most you will get less flats and at least your tires will be subjected to less gashes and therefore last longer
with that being said...if you still find yourself getting flats you may try a tire sealant or tire liners (there are a bunch at the bicycle kitchen) as a cheap alternative.
bicioso03.5.09 - 9:19 pm
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"being that you are a new cyclist im going to assume that you ride really hard to right?"
Not usually, I'm not a super experienced rider, but I do have my sea legs.
All the flats I have encountered have been while riding right at the edge of the road however.
That tube slime stuff looks pretty enticing, how do I install it though?
davethomas03.5.09 - 9:24 pm
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"Junky Rusty Bikes had tires for not $10 bucks I think and they're damn good."
+1
I got a set of no name tires from them for $20 a pair, and I've had a max of two or three flats the entire time. They're great!
imachynna03.5.09 - 9:26 pm
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Shit Performance has these slicks for $10. The last pair I road I had maybe two flats total before they wore out. They are rated at 85 psi and I always ran them at 100. Those suckas had all kinds of little cuts on them from riding the mean streets of LA too.
I'm going back to get me a new pair tomorrow. Can't be beat for the price.
User103.5.09 - 9:39 pm
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Debris, like tiny rocks and pieces of glass can get embedded in a tire without actually puncturing the tube. If you ride around like this, that debris may eventually work it's way deeper into the tire and give you a flat.
wiz_vanmeter03.5.09 - 9:41 pm
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that thing about tire pressure is so true.you might be getting pinch flats from low air pressure.
and let me be thi first to say-----how nice to have a thread about bike things
robert stanfield03.5.09 - 9:52 pm
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putting tire sealant is a fairly simply process and the packaging walks you through it. they even sell tubes with the sealant already in it.
i however (and others might argue otherwise) would use a tire-liner before a sealant and this is why.
if you get a puncture that is too big it is almost impossible to patch up the tube as you will have to clean all the slime off so that the rubber cement will work (it can be done but is a labor intensive process). on top of that you will also have a big mess all over your tire as well.
tire liners are basically a thick rubber strip that go on the inside of your tire (between your tube and tire) and prevent most road hazards you may come across (to a reasonable extent)
the bad thing about them is that they add weight to your wheelset and they have been known (although this is debatable) to cause flats where the rubber overlaps (through friction)
the weight they add however is only a little bit and nothing that you will notice or would bother you unless you are racing.
as for it causing flats...most of it has to deal with not having enough air pressure in the tire and the slack allowing the liners to move around.
hope this helps
bicioso03.5.09 - 9:53 pm
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+ million on the biking thread!
bicioso03.5.09 - 9:54 pm
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I love both my armadillos and gatorskins. I cant even remember the last time I had a flat.... really.... must have been at least 9 months ago? but then again, I cant remember last week so... huh?
Roadblock03.5.09 - 9:56 pm
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Did anyone watch the grammies? USA didn't do too hot huh? I didn't watch, I just saw the news.
User103.5.09 - 9:57 pm
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Paselas. Simple. Got my last ones for $11.99 ea from Nashbar.
toweliesbong03.5.09 - 9:59 pm
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Dude, I know it seems like spending more than $30 for a tire is reeedickulous... but it's well worth the money. well worth the money....
Roadblock03.5.09 - 10:00 pm
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i ride armadillos on my bikes.
the fixed gear over 1 year on one pair and only one flat. [thorn]
some times the value is not up front but in the long run.
robert stanfield03.5.09 - 10:00 pm
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"I got a set of no name tires from them for $20 a pair, and I've had a max of two or three flats the entire time. They're great!"
You are leaving out a variable of time. How long have you had them?
davethomas03.5.09 - 10:00 pm
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OOPs sorry. In 1 week! Just kidding... Let's see... it's been about seven months. One flat was caused by a pothole, and another was caused most recently by the patched up tube glue getting old from that pothole. I think.
imachynna03.5.09 - 10:06 pm
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It was well over a year, probably two years. The casing finally started going out on one of them. Neither one is worn through and maybe a 3,000 or more miles on it.
User103.5.09 - 10:07 pm
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oops thought it was my post.
User103.5.09 - 10:08 pm
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Good tires are an investment.
They cost money.
They cost money because they SAVE money.
(Like copper pipes).
ephemerae03.5.09 - 10:18 pm
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You get what you pay for. Save your pennies and by the good stuff.
Graham03.5.09 - 10:26 pm
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yeah tires are definitely not an area where you want to skimp.
la duderina03.5.09 - 10:30 pm
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It's true, buy the good stuff. Until you have the money for it, buy the cheapies that will work.
imachynna03.5.09 - 10:30 pm
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do what I did and buy them one at a time. ha
la duderina03.5.09 - 10:32 pm
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good rim strips keeps spokes from poking holes, tire liners keep shit on the road from geting through to the tube and slime in the tube helps to seal it up if either of the two i mentioned dont do there job- adds some weight to your wheels though- i havent had a flat in a year---
ghostcat7703.5.09 - 10:46 pm
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Paselas.
Great tires!
Simple. Got my last ones for $11.99 ea from Nashbar.
hahahahahaha
toweliesbong03.5.09 - 11:01 pm
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"Dude, I know it seems like spending more than $30 for a tire is reeedickulous... but it's well worth the money. well worth the money...."
Minimum wage is a motherfucker.
davethomas03.5.09 - 11:04 pm
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I have a spare tire you can have. Its 700x25. It was my front tire, its well used but still has life in it. I have never gotten a flat on it so it might be the solution youre looking for.
d1nonlysergio03.6.09 - 7:12 pm
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let me know if you or anyone is interested for that matter. D1NONLYSERGIO@AOL.COM
d1nonlysergio03.6.09 - 7:23 pm
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$35 is not unreasonable at all for good tires.
If you're riding brakeless and skidding a lot, get Vittoria Randonneurs, Schwalbe Marathons, or Panaracer T-Servs. Insist on Velox rim tape and top off your tires with a good pump EVERY TIME before you go out.
If you're not Skiddy McSkidderson use Paselas on your slower bikes and Michelin Pro2 Race on your go-faster bikes.
cabhauler03.6.09 - 7:39 pm
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Like was stated before, stay out of the fucking gutter.
that's # 1
two, decent tires help, keeping them inflated is more important.
thirdly, fuck slime that shit is useless over 60 psi anyway, the pressure pushes too much of it out and it just makes a mess.
It was invented for mtb tires, leave it there.
fouthly, if you're still getting flats, even with better tires or rim tape or whatever (although i'd say at that point riding style is a factor), try thicker tubes. they sell "thorn resistant" tubes which are basically a double thick tube, those fuckers CANNOT pinch flat, they're too thick, and it takes a pretty gnarly sharp object to get through em. These also work as well, if not better than a Mr. Tuffy.
If you cannot afford decent tires, try getting these tubes, they'll probably solve the problem.
lastly, when you get a flat, check to make sure whatever gave youthe flat is not still sitting in the tire.
FuzzBeast03.6.09 - 8:01 pm
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"lastly, when you get a flat, check to make sure whatever gave youthe flat is not still sitting in the tire."
thats a good one! i almost forgot
jabier03.6.09 - 8:36 pm
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I've been riding on Forte GT2 kevlar belted 700C x 28's for about two years with no flats since I put them on. I got them on sale at Performance Bike for under $10 each and they were normally around $12-14 at the time when not on sale. Recommended pressure is 105psi but I usually pump them up to 120 and check them about every third ride. They come in 700 x 23 and 700 x 25 also but I opted for the higher profile 28's to prevent rim pinches.
McFool03.6.09 - 10:13 pm
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I took a look at Performance's webstore and the GT2's are now on sale for $8.99 but not in stock until 3/20. Local stores may have stock.
McFool03.6.09 - 10:22 pm
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I used to slime my mountain bike tires but still got flats. It was a royal pain to fix a flat on a trail and swapping out the tube on a ride meant you had to carry this slimed tube around.
mk452403.7.09 - 8:22 am
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