whats a good tire for a beginner

Check out www.nashbar.com They have some tires down into the $10 range if you're not too concerned about performance.

You know, if your talking about performance and a tire that will not go flat that easy...then you are not going to find that in a 10 dollar tire! I remember my first road bike in 1986, the stock tires got me around a parking lot and after not even one block I got a flat. You have to shell out at least 30 dollars a tire to get 110 psi with some strong kevlar or carbon in the liner. In the process, the tires will last a lot longer than a cheaper version. Even if your not competitive, the bike will be alot more enjoyable to ride. Dont be afraid to spend money for quality, especially on wheels and tires. Finally, stay away from tires with tread...they attract more glass and rocks. Go with the slick tire for better traction and less flats!
The fortezza seems like a good tire, your on the right track.

Go here:

www.coloradocyclist.com

Look into the Vittorio Rubino Pro's. They are on sale now for I think 24 bucks. This is a **great*** tire because it has the Kevlar lining which greatly reduces punctures.

meltdown said:

I had my stock tire slashed (by glass) and ended up getting Vredestien Fortazza tires... I want something that rolles good but dont want or need some 80 dollar tires yet. Is that a good buy or is there a different brand or tire i shoudl go with. 😕

Also check some of the closeout sections of the web stores.

Check out Serfas. They make an excelent tire for training at 20 bucks. It goes up to 120 psi, and its guarenteed for a month. I usually put ~ 1200 miles on a tire, and it has FPS, flat prevention technology. This includes some kind of kevlar strip built into the tire. Their good enough tires that I've done several crits on them. their the absolute best bang for your buck.

Here it is here: http://serfas.com/tires/tires_03.html

I have the fortezzas. I am a beginner; only been an avid cyclist for 16 months. I've managed over 2500 miles on my set and haven't noticed any problems during that time. I've had only one flat, and it was a sidewall cut from a large piece of glass. the tire is starting to show the distress from the cut and so it may be time to replace. I'd consider replacing with the same for how well these have behaved.