On Jun 4, 8:10 am, Art Harris <
[email protected]> wrote:
> Dave Stallard wrote:
> > It's past time for a new pair of Conti Gatorskins. I have had the same
> > 700x25C pair (with wire bead) for almost 4 years now. I was thinking
> > about trying Kevlar bead, but they don't seem to have one except for the
> > folding variant. I've heard that the Kevlar bead ones are much harder
> > to get on. True?
>
> Depends on the tire. The kevlar bead is lighter and also tends to
> stretch a bit while wire beads don't. I think all kevlar bead tires
> are foldable. Did you mean kevlar belt?
>
> > I'm also wondering about trying some other brand/model altogether, since
> > the Gators haven't been *that* invincible. Any ideas? I don't like
> > Spec Armadillos, BTW - I got a through-and-through holes in one that
> > let in debris in that caused flats.
>
> > I'm not a commuter rider, and try to avoid rough and bad roads. I just
> > hate flats!
>
> I've gotten great mileage and no flats with IRC Road Winner II Duro.
> Nashbar used to sell them real cheap. They were originally made in
> Japan, but now are made in Korea. All of mine have the tan sidewalls
> (even though some were made in Korea). The 700 x 28 size measures 25
> mm wide on my rims. Weight is about 280 g.
>
> I've heard some complaints about the newer black sidewall version, and
> I understand the widths now run true to size. BTW, IRC made the Avocet
> brand of tires. Both IRC and Avocet tires are getting hard to find.
>
> http://www.amazon.com/IRC-Road-Winner-Duro-Aramid/dp/B000C12D4I
>
IRCs are great. Very nice casings. Supple, good ride. Quite flat
resistant without being "hosey". True to size and mount to most rims
with thumbs or maybe a single lever. I've retired my IRC Tandems with
the same casing to my city scoot with a good 5K on them. Never a flat,
but it wouldn't stress me much if I got one.
What stresses me are tires that are hard to get on/off, not fixing
flats. I zipped down to the shop last Saturday to grab some fresh
tubes, as I'd been running skinnies in 32mm tires and that's just
asking for trouble (sure enough, both valve stems just about fell out
of the old tubes when removed). Swapped them really quick my self, and
D---, the front of the house guy, was impressed at how quickly my
tires just popped open and shut with the new tubes and commented how
much of a PITA much of their stock is, most of it Conti wire bead--
especially the stock combo on the Kona Paddywagon. We pulled a PW off
the shelf, being bored, unnutted the front wheel, and neither of us
felt that we could get the front tire off w/o breaking one of the two
nylon levers I had handy or fubaring the tube. Surely we could have
grabbed a nicer lever from K--- back in the bay, but the point was
made.
Fixing a flat on the side of the road on a dry day should be an
uneventful activity--provided you can get the damn tire off the rim...
