What's the best touring tire?!

[Lizbids]

Hi, planning a cross-country tour this summer. My tires on the 2006 Bianchi Volpe are:
WTB All Terrainasaurus, 700x32C

But, I'd like to know if there are any tires out there that I can research. I'm interested in that bullet-proof Kevlar material...anyone want to share their experiences with different tires? It would be a good help!

 

[Retro Grouch]

Hi, planning a cross-country tour this summer. My tires on the 2006 Bianchi Volpe are:
WTB All Terrainasaurus, 700x32C

But, I'd like to know if there are any tires out there that I can research. I'm interested in that bullet-proof Kevlar material...anyone want to share their experiences with different tires? It would be a good help!

It's all a matter of degree. Specialized Armadillo tires have been touted as the most puncture resistant tires for about a decade. Their downside is that they tend to be very heavy and very stiff so they don't ride particularly well and they have relatively high rolling resistance. I think that Specialized has changed their design in the past year or so to minimize these drawbacks but I don't know what that may have done to the puncture resistance.

The kevlar belts that make tires puncture resistant are what also makes them heavier and stiffer. If you use a lighter belt, you're also losing some degree of puncture resistance. The trick is to find a tire that matches your geographic area and usage. If I lived in an area that was subject to goat head thorns, for example, I'd surely ride on heavier tires.

I switched from Armadillos to Continental Gatorbacks on my tandem a couple of years ago and I've been satisfied enough to buy a second pair for one of my road bikes. I'm still running Armadillos on my fixed gear but that's because I don't carry a spare tube or any kind of pump with me when I ride that bike. I use some thin skinned Michelin tires on my go-fast bike but I avoid riding that one anywhere that I expect to find broken glass on the road.

There's lots of different tires and somebody is in love with every blessed one of them. That's part of what makes this bicycling thing fun.