Specialized Armadillo Vs. Armadillo Elite



P

PeterCruzer

Guest
I'm currently running a pair of 700x28 Specialized All-Condition
Armadillos on my ride. Given that they come it at a whopping 460g
apiece, I was thinking of switching over to the All-Condition
Armadillo Elites, at 340g apiece.

Can anyone comment on the diffferences between the two? The Conti
Ultra Gatorskin is another contender. Thanks. Peter.

Links: All-Condition Armadillo: http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=35658
All-Condition Armadill Elite: http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=35656
[You'll need to select a country, then should be taken to the tire
page]
 
On May 13, 4:25 pm, PeterCruzer <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'm currently running a pair of 700x28 Specialized All-Condition
> Armadillos on my ride. Given that they come it at a whopping 460g
> apiece, I was thinking of switching over to the All-Condition
> Armadillo Elites, at 340g apiece.
>
> Can anyone comment on the diffferences between the two? The Conti
> Ultra Gatorskin is another contender. Thanks. Peter.


No experience with either, but a question: for the width, those are
very very heavy tires. I expect they both ride like ****. Does your
route demand such a miserable hose of a tire?
 
"landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:7b11fd3f-47e4-445a-bdaf-58c85784b04b@e53g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> On May 13, 4:25 pm, PeterCruzer <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I'm currently running a pair of 700x28 Specialized All-Condition
>> Armadillos on my ride. Given that they come it at a whopping 460g
>> apiece, I was thinking of switching over to the All-Condition
>> Armadillo Elites, at 340g apiece.
>>
>> Can anyone comment on the diffferences between the two? The Conti
>> Ultra Gatorskin is another contender. Thanks. Peter.

>
> No experience with either, but a question: for the width, those are
> very very heavy tires. I expect they both ride like ****. Does your
> route demand such a miserable hose of a tire?


A quick search yields these weights for 700x28c tires:
Continental Continental Ultra Sport Tire - 350 gm
Vittoria Randonneur Cross Tire - 500 gm
Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 320 gm
Michelin Dynamic - 320 gm
Michelin City - 560 gm
Nu-Teck Bike Touring Airless Tire - 680 gm
Schwalbe Stelvio HS 376 - 350 gm
Schwalbe Marathon Plus - 740 gm
Michelin Pro2 Light - "Our lighest tire" 700 x 23c - 190 gm

What 700c x 28 tire would you suggest that is dramatically lighter than
these "very very heavy tires"?

BobT
 
On May 14, 5:30 pm, "BobT" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:7b11fd3f-47e4-445a-bdaf-58c85784b04b@e53g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
>
> > On May 13, 4:25 pm, PeterCruzer <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> I'm currently running a pair of 700x28 Specialized All-Condition
> >> Armadillos on my ride. Given that they come it at a whopping 460g
> >> apiece, I was thinking of switching over to the All-Condition
> >> Armadillo Elites, at 340g apiece.

>
> >> Can anyone comment on the diffferences between the two? The Conti
> >> Ultra Gatorskin is another contender. Thanks. Peter.

>
> > No experience with either, but a question: for the width, those are
> > very very heavy tires. I expect they both ride like ****. Does your
> > route demand such a miserable hose of a tire?

>
> A quick search yields these weights for 700x28c tires:
> Continental Continental Ultra Sport Tire - 350 gm
> Vittoria Randonneur Cross Tire - 500 gm
> Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 320 gm
> Michelin Dynamic - 320 gm
> Michelin City - 560 gm
> Nu-Teck Bike Touring Airless Tire - 680 gm
> Schwalbe Stelvio HS 376 - 350 gm
> Schwalbe Marathon Plus - 740 gm
> Michelin Pro2 Light - "Our lighest tire" 700 x 23c - 190 gm
>
> What 700c x 28 tire would you suggest that is dramatically lighter than
> these "very very heavy tires"?
>

It's a casing thing, not really a weight thing, FWIW. A 28mm wire
bead tire that weighs more than 300g probably has reinforced sidewalls
and will ride like ****. Great if you need it in really rough
conditions, but at the expense of a nice ride. If I *needed* the heavy
tire for road issues--I"d just get the cheaper one.
 
On May 14, 3:44 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> On May 14, 5:30 pm, "BobT" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> > "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message

>
> >news:7b11fd3f-47e4-445a-bdaf-58c85784b04b@e53g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...

>
> > > On May 13, 4:25 pm, PeterCruzer <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >> I'm currently running a pair of 700x28 Specialized All-Condition
> > >> Armadillos on my ride. Given that they come it at a whopping 460g
> > >> apiece, I was thinking of switching over to the All-Condition
> > >> Armadillo Elites, at 340g apiece.

>
> > >> Can anyone comment on the diffferences between the two? The Conti
> > >> Ultra Gatorskin is another contender. Thanks. Peter.

>
> > > No experience with either, but a question: for the width, those are
> > > very very heavy tires. I expect they both ride like ****. Does your
> > > route demand such a miserable hose of a tire?

>
> > A quick search yields these weights for 700x28c tires:
> > Continental Continental Ultra Sport Tire - 350 gm
> > Vittoria Randonneur Cross Tire - 500 gm
> > Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 320 gm
> > Michelin Dynamic - 320 gm
> > Michelin City - 560 gm
> > Nu-Teck Bike Touring Airless Tire - 680 gm
> > Schwalbe Stelvio HS 376 - 350 gm
> > Schwalbe Marathon Plus - 740 gm
> > Michelin Pro2 Light - "Our lighest tire" 700 x 23c - 190 gm

>
> > What 700c x 28 tire would you suggest that is dramatically lighter than
> > these "very very heavy tires"?

>
> It's a casing thing, not really a weight thing, FWIW. A 28mm wire
> bead tire that weighs more than 300g probably has reinforced sidewalls
> and will ride like ****. Great if you need it in really rough
> conditions, but at the expense of a nice ride. If I *needed* the heavy
> tire for road issues--I"d just get the cheaper one.


I'm running the Armadillos on a Silvio Cruzbike recumbent; hence the
preference for a bit more width. I am not a racer. Re "ride like
****", yah you betcha. Why do I need 'em? Good question. My daily
workout route goes through about an aggregate half mile of broken
glass (along a two lane state highway famed for its high accident
rate). I have a pair of Vredestein Fortezza Tricomp 700x25's I could
slap on, but I'm pretty sure those would be meat in no time. In
short, I want *some* degree of flat protection, but am willing to give
up the bomb-proofness of the 460g armadillos for the better ride and
lower weight of the 340g Armadillos. An e-mail to the manufacturer
brought this response about the two:

Peter,

The Armadillo Elite will of course be lighter and will have a much
better ride quality to them but I have noticed that the standard
armadillo actually have better flat protection and that is because in
the Elite model they thinned out the Kevlar lining a small amount and
added aramid bead to make it more of a race ready flat protection
tire. If you are looking for the best all round flat protection I say
stick with the ones you have but if you want a nicer ride and a
lighter tire check out the Elites.

-Zane


Specialized Customer Service/Online Store
1137 South 3800 West
Salt Lake City UT 84104
877-808-8154

So I reckon there you have it. Thanks. Peter
 
You also might want to take a look at the Schwalble Marathon Plus
tire. Instead of a tough plastic layer, they just add a thick rubber
layer under the tread. It's heavier than the Armadillo, but you might
find it rolls better once you get up to speed.

On May 15, 7:59 am, PeterCruzer <[email protected]> wrote:
> On May 14, 3:44 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On May 14, 5:30 pm, "BobT" <[email protected]>
> > wrote:

>
> > > "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message

>
> > >news:7b11fd3f-47e4-445a-bdaf-58c85784b04b@e53g2000hsa.googlegroups.com....

>
> > > > On May 13, 4:25 pm, PeterCruzer <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > >> I'm currently running a pair of 700x28 Specialized All-Condition
> > > >> Armadillos on my ride.  Given that they come it at a whopping 460g
> > > >> apiece, I was thinking of switching over to the All-Condition
> > > >> Armadillo Elites, at 340g apiece.

>
> > > >> Can anyone comment on the diffferences between the two?  The Conti
> > > >> Ultra Gatorskin is another contender.  Thanks.  Peter.

>
> > > > No experience with either, but a question: for the width, those are
> > > > very very heavy tires. I expect they both ride like ****. Does your
> > > > route demand such a miserable hose of a tire?

>
> > > A quick search yields these weights for 700x28c tires:
> > > Continental Continental Ultra Sport Tire - 350 gm
> > > Vittoria Randonneur Cross Tire - 500 gm
> > > Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 320 gm
> > > Michelin Dynamic - 320 gm
> > > Michelin City - 560 gm
> > > Nu-Teck Bike Touring Airless Tire - 680 gm
> > > Schwalbe Stelvio HS 376 - 350 gm
> > > Schwalbe Marathon Plus - 740 gm
> > > Michelin Pro2 Light - "Our lighest tire" 700 x 23c - 190 gm

>
> > > What 700c x 28 tire would you suggest that is dramatically lighter than
> > > these "very very heavy tires"?

>
> > It's a casing thing, not really a weight thing, FWIW.  A 28mm wire
> > bead tire that weighs more than 300g probably has reinforced sidewalls
> > and will ride like ****. Great if you need it in really rough
> > conditions, but at the expense of a nice ride. If I *needed* the heavy
> > tire for road issues--I"d just get the cheaper one.

>
> I'm running the Armadillos on a Silvio Cruzbike recumbent; hence the
> preference for a bit more width. I am not a racer.  Re "ride like
> ****", yah you betcha.  Why do I need 'em?  Good question.  My daily
> workout route goes through about an aggregate half mile of broken
> glass (along a two lane state highway famed for its high accident
> rate).  I have a pair of Vredestein Fortezza Tricomp 700x25's I could
> slap on, but I'm pretty sure those would be meat in no time.  In
> short, I want *some* degree of flat protection, but am willing to give
> up the bomb-proofness of the 460g armadillos for the better ride and
> lower weight of the 340g Armadillos.  An e-mail to the manufacturer
> brought this response about the two:
>
> Peter,
>
> The Armadillo Elite will of course be lighter and will have a much
> better ride quality to them but I have noticed that the standard
> armadillo actually have better flat protection and that is because in
> the Elite model they thinned out the Kevlar lining a small amount and
> added aramid bead to make it more of a race ready flat protection
> tire. If you are looking for the best all round flat protection I say
> stick with the ones you have but if you want a nicer ride and a
> lighter tire check out the Elites.
>
> -Zane
>
> Specialized Customer Service/Online Store
> 1137 South 3800 West
> Salt Lake City UT 84104
> 877-808-8154
>
> So I reckon there you have it.  Thanks.  Peter