Schwalbe Stelvio Plus

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Airboure Zepp, Dura Ace 9 speed, Hope hubber wheels on Open pro

Summary:
Just the best. Put the tyres on 5 months ago and covered 3,00 miles so far. Bomb proof. Have taken, and still take, shards of glass out of the tyre! No punctures. Rode Paris Roubaix on them and no punctures - thats a testimony to how good they are. They are not suitable for racing, but fantastic training and poor road riding. Tried them all - these tyres are simply the best.

Strengths:
exceptional puncture resistance.

Weaknesses:
prone to tread tear and after 3,000 miles top tread starts to seperate from side wall.However, despite that I've saved a fortune in inner tubes!

Similar Products Used:
Michie Pro 2, Conti ultra gators

Price Paid:  $20.00 at Wizz Bikes of Brentf

Favorite Ride:
Holland

Bike Setup:
Simoncini Columbus Cromor Audax/Light tourer. 32H Open Pro rims, 25/28 Marothon Plus tyres, 8 Speed Record/Chorus drive train, brakes FB Centaur 53mm, RB SuperRecord 57mm, Cinelli 1A/Criterium, SLR saddle, Look pedals, rear rack and mudgaurds.

Summary:
Great puncture resistance, mine got a big cut by a piece of glass though. It did not puncture even though a little bit of inner tube became visible. Used on a lightwieght tourer for commute and going to jobs. Rode about 1300 miles on this tire through a Central London winter and did not get a single puncture. Felt a lot quicker than the 25mm marathon plus I now ride. Much better than the specialised armadilo's with there not very grippy tread and conti gator skins that acted like sticky rubber to flint and were always puncturing.

Strengths:
Good compramise between speed and puncture resistance with an emphasis on the puncture resistance. Comfortable ride and felt gripy and responsive in the corners.

Weaknesses:
Susesptable to cutting. Heavier compared to its rivals. RRP £34, expensive but I got it on sale.

Similar Products Used:
Continental Gator Skin, Specialised Armadilo, Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

Price Paid:  $40.00 at biketiresdirect.com

Bike Setup:
6/4 titanium frame, Easton90 SL carbon fork, Dura-ace group, custom wheels (Mavic OpenPro w/ Chris King hubs), Leopard carbon bar, Thompson seat post and stem

Summary:
This is the best training tire ever! I've used Continental, Vredstein and Michelin in the past and nothing compares. This tire paired with Michelin Airstop tubes are extremely flat resistant! I used to get flats regularly when I ran on Continentals or Michelins. I ride the same routes regularly so the road conditions are the same but these tires stand up to road debris better than anything else I've ever used.

Strengths:
Smooth ride. Great puncture resistance.

Weaknesses:
Not the fastest tire on the market.

Similar Products Used:
Continental, Vredstein, Panaracer, Michelin

Price Paid:  $68.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Hilly roads, long climbs through forested areas

Bike Setup:
Trek 2100 with Shimano Ultegra/105

Summary:
Best training tire I've ever used. Its best feature is resistance to punctures. It has a thick layer of "highly elastic special rubber" which makes the tire almost impenetrable. I've ridden over glass and what not worry-free for 6 months now, and I've had only 1 flat.
It's also very durable: there are no signs of significant wear on them yet, after 3000+ miles.
They're easy to mount on your rims too, and it takes relatively high pressure too (up to 145psi). And, yes, I do inflate them up to 140 psi.
BUT: Don't be fooled by the manufacturer's website: this is NOT a racing tire. It's heavy (320g) and closer to 25mm than to the claimed 23mm. I'd use it for races with unpaved road sections only. Otherwise it's too heavy and clunky.
They're a bit pricey, for a training tire. Although, if you consider than you could go through an entire season of training with them, they're a good deal.

Strengths:
Resistant to puncture

Weaknesses:
Heavy, wide, pricey (for a training tire)

Similar Products Used:
Vredestein Fortezza, Bontrager Lite