Price Paid:  $50.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Mt. Tam

Summary:
These came in the normal tread with my bike, a Lemond Victoire. The rear tire lasted only about 1,500 miles, but that was a bike problem not a tire problem. (Chainstay rubbed off one side of the tire over time; the other side had plenty of miles left when I had to replace it.) I ride rough roads, and have a pretty typical number of puncture flats -- maybe one every 750 miles or so, even with keeping the pressure at 120. I've now replaced the front tire after 2,500 miles(preventive replacement after a small bulge emerged from a sidecut) with a hardcase version of the same tire. I'll track which tire gets how many flats! These are incredibly easy to remove and install, by the way, at least on my Bontrager rims.

Strengths:
Durable, good rolling resistance, easy to take off and put back on

Price Paid:  $0.00 at LBS

Bike Setup:
madone

Summary:
Got these tires with my new bike. Less than 200 miles later something sliced my tire right open down to the tube. I'm not sure what I ran over but it didnt leave a good impression. I bought a new set of tires after this experience that were in a similiar price range.

Strengths:
predictable handling.. good traction.. good ride..

Weaknesses:
easily damaged.

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $50.00

Favorite Ride:
Along the Clarion River

Bike Setup:
OCLV full carbon frame, Bontrager Race Lite Wheels

Summary:
I have owned 3 sets of these tires but can't decide if I will own any more. My first set came with my Trek 5200 and began cracking & splitting after less than 100 miles. Trek replaced them with my second set. Second set lasted a few thousand miles, very few flats, good rolling resistance. When the back tire wore flat, I replaced them with my third pair. With about 1000 miles the third pair has very fine hair line cracks. I feel that this is a manufacturing defect, but I have gotten no support from Trek. They haven't answered my emails. My dealer is about 150 miles away (live in rural area, no bike shops)so I haven't been able to have dealer look at the tires. Although they perform well as a race tire, I'm gun shy to buy another pair to have them split like 2 out of the last three pairs.

Strengths:
good rolling resistance

Weaknesses:
Hairline cracking, sometimes only vsible when pumped up. Back tire wears flat rather quickly. Maybe this is to be expected, but cracking???

Similar Products Used:
I used Specialized Armadillos. Heavy and roll like a tank. I will try the GP 4000's next.

Price Paid:  $30.00 at Paul's BWOL

Favorite Ride:
Who Cares

Bike Setup:
Custom Norco Commuter w/ Granny Fenders... and a specialized allez for speed.

Summary:
Have to put in a good word for the Bontrager Race X Lite Hardcase tire. This tire is foldable, light-ish, and reasonably durable. I am choosing my words carefully here: I say reasonably durable because I am sure if I run over a pile of broken glass I will get a flat.

The price of this tire is quite good as well, so consider this version if you can get your hands on it.

For those of you searching for the dream tire, it probably doesn't exist: There is always a trade-off. This is a jack-of-all trades probably designed to commute on a beater-bike. If you are riding something faster than that, go buy some Micheline Pro-Racers or some Conti 4000 GP. They are more expensive, but you often get what you pay for.

Strengths:
- Good tire with moderate rolling resistance
- Seems to handle well in the rain, but come on now... don't fly into a corner during a downpour and most tires will do well.
- So far, so good for durability

Weaknesses:
- This seems to be a jack-of-all trades, so don't buy this tire expecting anything beyond a compromise between many things.

Similar Products Used:
Michelin, Conti, Hutchinson, mystery-tires...

Price Paid:  $15.00

Bike Setup:
Cannondale R800 CAAD3

Summary:
I'm still new at this, so I don't have anything to compare against. However, I've had these tires no more than 500 miles, and they're already splitting on me. I've had three flats since I bought them about six months ago. The bike shop says I'll keep having flats because of the splitting.

I got them on clearance, so I suppose I got what I paid for.