Armadillo vs. Gatorskin?

Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city streets?

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 14:49:21 -0700, MeditationMan wrote:
> Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
> streets?

I believe both of these materials are used in a variety of tires.

I personally use the Specialized Armadillo Turbo and Turbo Lite tires. No flats in about six months
of daily city riding.

Another friend uses Continental Gator-Skins on her fixie and she seems very happy with them. I've
ridden them and they have a bit softer walls than the Armadillos (thus providing better cornering, I
would think), but are of a softer rubber and wear faster.

That's my opinion. Elmo King

"MeditationMan" <bicycleinsights@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5a603bed.0310081349.3ec61912@posting.google.com...
> Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
> streets?

I've used both on my touring bike. I've have many Gaterskins split on the sidewalls with very low
mileages. The sidewalls seem to be very susceptible to damage from rocks and other debris on the
roads and streets in my experience. I switched to Armadillos and have had very good service from
them. They seem to be much tougher.

bicycleinsights@yahoo.com (MeditationMan) wrote:

>Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city streets?

The Gatorskins, hands down (IMHO). They ride like "normal tires", while the Armadillos feel really,
really dead (due to the thick sidewalls I suppose). The Armadillos also have a reputation for
blowing off at the rated pressure (it's happened to me). The Contis have been flawless - I went from
having an average of 2-3 flats per week to one every four months.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

MM

I've used both on my Specialised Sirrus Elite. It had 28mm Armadillo's as standard. Got about 3000
km of life from the rear without a flat. The front did over 6000. Since then I've used a 23mm
Gatorskin on the rear and coincidently got another 3000 km of life, and again no flats. Ride on
local streets and bike paths, regularly through glass and other bits and pieces - so I guess I've
had some luck also.

The Gatorskins seem to ride better and are significantly lighter - if this is important to you.

Regards Jason

"MeditationMan" <bicycleinsights@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5a603bed.0310081349.3ec61912@posting.google.com...
> Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
> streets?

"Mark Hickey" <mark@habcycles.com> wrote in message
news:0ss9ovc2nhtlohbvnom44umsulfn2mkq6m@4ax.com...
> bicycleinsights@yahoo.com (MeditationMan) wrote:
>
> >Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
> >streets?
>
> The Gatorskins, hands down (IMHO). They ride like "normal tires", while the Armadillos feel
> really, really dead (due to the thick sidewalls I suppose). The Armadillos also have a reputation
> for blowing off at the rated pressure (it's happened to me). The Contis have been flawless - I
> went from having an average of 2-3 flats per week to one every four months.

Holy crap -- 2 or 3 flats a week?!? I've only had one (on my road bike, that is) in ~3 months --
stock Bonty Race tires (~120 psi) on Race Lite wheels. Of course, I only get out on the roads 2-3
times per week; average maybe 35 miles a pop (er, pssss!).

Bill "charmed, so far" S.

> Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
> streets?

neither. have tried both.

get better protection, ride, price with all vredestein tires.

"Sorni" <sorni@bite-me.san.rr.com> wrote:

>"Mark Hickey" <mark@habcycles.com> wrote in message
>news:0ss9ovc2nhtlohbvnom44umsulfn2mkq6m@4ax.com...
>> bicycleinsights@yahoo.com (MeditationMan) wrote:
>>
>> >Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
>> >streets?
>>
>> The Gatorskins, hands down (IMHO). They ride like "normal tires", while the Armadillos feel
>> really, really dead (due to the thick sidewalls I suppose). The Armadillos also have a reputation
>> for blowing off at the rated pressure (it's happened to me). The Contis have been flawless - I
>> went from having an average of 2-3 flats per week to one every four months.
>
>Holy crap -- 2 or 3 flats a week?!? I've only had one (on my road bike, that is) in ~3 months --
>stock Bonty Race tires (~120 psi) on Race Lite wheels. Of course, I only get out on the roads 2-3
>times per week; average maybe 35 miles a pop (er, pssss!).

If you lived in Arizona, you'd understand... :-( We have some nasty thorns that seem to have a
life's ambition to work their way onto the road. Even a Gatorskin / Armadillo isn't going to stop a
thick, perfectly aligned thorn... but it sure helps.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

On 8 Oct 2003 14:49:21 -0700, bicycleinsights@yahoo.com (MeditationMan) wrote:
>Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city streets?

I didn't know that streets could be flat-free. That must be a tough city, always up or down hill...
--
Rick Onanian

bicycleinsights@yahoo.com (MeditationMan) wrote in message
news:<5a603bed.0310081349.3ec61912@posting.google.com>...
> Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
> streets?

I've used the Continental Gatorskin 23mm width tires for a couple years. Maybe 3,000 miles on them,
give or take. They show very little wear. But then me and my bike only weigh about 210 to 220
pounds. I've had maybe one or two flats on these tires due to normal debris punctures such as glass
or rocks or thorns. I've had plenty of flats due to defective tubes and worn out rim strips. Almost
all of my flats happen on the underside of the tube next to the rim strip. The side wall of the
Gatorskin tire does not unravel like the Grand Prix 3000 side wall. Its only available in wire bead
so those who think of weight first, second, and last, will have to look elsewhere. If I had to pay
full retail price for tires, I'd probably get these again. But I have run across plenty of mail
order sales over the past years to stock up on supposedly good quality tires at very low prices. I
now have enough tires to last for a decade or two.

Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net> wrote:
>(MeditationMan) wrote:
>>Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
>>streets?
>I didn't know that streets could be flat-free. That must be a tough city, always up or down hill...

Edinburgh, then.
--
David Damerell <damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk> Kill the tomato!

Mark Hickey wrote:

> The Gatorskins, hands down (IMHO). They ride like "normal tires", while the Armadillos feel
> really, really dead (due to the thick sidewalls I suppose).

The 2004 Armadillos use a new casing and reportedly have a better ride.

> The Armadillos also have a reputation for blowing off at the rated pressure (it's happened to me).

There was one bad production run of Armadillos. The factory had left out a band of tape that ran
around the bead. In high load applications, like tandems, this could cause the tire to become
unseated or the bead to separate. This happened several years ago, and Specialized replaced those
tires without charge. We've had no problems with Armadillos since.

Todd Kuzma Heron Bicycles Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery LaSalle, Il 815-223-1776
http://www.heronbicycles.com http://www.tullios.com

Apples and oranges. Conti's Gatorskin tires provide a kevlar belt under the tread. Specialized's
Armadillo tires provide kevlar protection from bead to bead. Additionally, the Armadillo casing is
manufactured with a unique process intended to seal the holes in the kevlar fabric. Without this
process, the tire will be well-protected from cuts, but not punctures which can work through the
weave of the fabric.

The Armadillo tires are pretty unique. I'm not aware of any other tires that offer the same level of
flat protection. There are tires that are lighter or ride better, but they don't protect better.

Todd Kuzma Heron Bicycles Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery LaSalle, IL 815-223-1776
http://www.heronbicycles.com http://www.tullios.com

"Mark Hickey" <mark@habcycles.com> wrote in message
news:b4paovk7o0hfk2gasavk6va5vi2ugnmevt@4ax.com...
> "Sorni" <sorni@bite-me.san.rr.com> wrote:
>
> >"Mark Hickey" <mark@habcycles.com> wrote in message
> >news:0ss9ovc2nhtlohbvnom44umsulfn2mkq6m@4ax.com...
> >> bicycleinsights@yahoo.com (MeditationMan) wrote:
> >>
> >> >Which is better, the Specialized Armadillo or the Continental Gatorskin for flat-free city
> >> >streets?
> >>
> >> The Gatorskins, hands down (IMHO). They ride like "normal tires", while the Armadillos feel
> >> really, really dead (due to the thick sidewalls I suppose). The Armadillos also have a
> >> reputation for blowing off at the rated pressure (it's happened to me). The Contis have been
> >> flawless - I went from having an average of 2-3 flats per week to one every four months.
> >
> >Holy crap -- 2 or 3 flats a week?!? I've only had one (on my road bike, that is) in ~3 months --
> >stock Bonty Race tires (~120 psi) on Race Lite wheels. Of course, I only get out on the roads 2-3
> >times per week;
average
> >maybe 35 miles a pop (er, pssss!).
>
> If you lived in Arizona, you'd understand... :-( We have some nasty thorns that seem to have a
> life's ambition to work their way onto the road. Even a Gatorskin / Armadillo isn't going to stop
> a thick, perfectly aligned thorn... but it sure helps.

Doh! You're right, of course. I always think you're from "back east" (as I call it) for
some reason...

Bill "even MY one flat (in San Diego) was a thorn" S.

"Sorni" <sorni@bite-me.san.rr.com> wrote:

>"Mark Hickey" <mark@habcycles.com> wrote..
>> "Sorni" <sorni@bite-me.san.rr.com> wrote:

>> >Holy crap -- 2 or 3 flats a week?!? I've only had one (on my road bike, that is) in ~3 months --
>> >stock Bonty Race tires (~120 psi) on Race Lite wheels. Of course, I only get out on the roads
>> >2-3 times per week;
>average
>> >maybe 35 miles a pop (er, pssss!).
>>
>> If you lived in Arizona, you'd understand... :-( We have some nasty thorns that seem to have a
>> life's ambition to work their way onto the road. Even a Gatorskin / Armadillo isn't going to stop
>> a thick, perfectly aligned thorn... but it sure helps.
>
>Doh! You're right, of course. I always think you're from "back east" (as I call it) for some
>reason...

I used to have a lot of flats in Florida too (but not THAT many...), also due to a different
kind of thorn.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame