[bonkmiester]

Continental Ultra GatorSkin 700 x 28C Wire Tire

Fast, puncture resistant. Expensive.

...ditto, 'cept 27 x 1 3/8 ...

might add that they work fine in teh wet stuff too

 

[brownbear]

Panaracer Urban Max 700X32 on my Surly Cross Check I usde for commuting. Bulletproof so far wih no flats in over 3000 miles I have on them. Those miles are on some very rough roads including some construction zones. Not worrying about getting a flat especially on a cold winter night riding home from work is worth the extra weight. They work great on trails as well.
Dependable, good ride, and low cost ($15.00 @ Perfromanmce on sale.)

 

[ksjack]

Schwalbe Marathon Slicks

Last about half as long as the Contis I used to ride, but cost about one-quarter. Comes in bright colors for the goofy epoxied velocity rim lovers out there.

 

[fbagatelleblack]

Panaracer Pasela TG

Wide sizes, ride nice, bulletproof, no pinch flats with wider sizes, inexpensive.

What he said, and I like 'em in 32mm. Plus they last a long time, and Paselas did really well in some recent rolling resistance tests in Bicycle Quarterly (...like that matters to my fat, slow self).

- FBB
(Another Big Rider)

 

[tarwheel2]

Paselas ride report 2

After my second day of riding my new Panaracer Pasela TGs, I am having second thoughts about these tires. They are very comfy and look nice with the natural sidewalls. However, they are SLOW! I don't know if it's the additional weight or the rolling resistance or both, but I really feel it. I'm having to shift down to lower gears on the hills, don't reach my typical top speeds on downhills, and rarely get going fast enough to use my big ring. I didn't expect such a change because their advertised weight (280g) is not much more than the Michelin Axial Pros (predecessor to ProRace2) that I had been using. The average speed for my commute is about 1 mph slower compared to my previous tires with the same perceived level of effort.

I generally treat my commutes as recovery rides, so going slower isn't that big a deal. However, part of the reason why I like road bikes is the speed. I like the sensation of going faster, and I don't like slogging up hills. There are basically no flat roads where I live, so you're always going uphill or downhill.

 

[Sledgehammer03]

Specialized Armadillo's

I have been usingthe Specialized Armadillosfor over a year, and I have to sy, I have no complaints. Most imposrtantly, they are flat resistant. My commute takes me through lots of broken glass and goat's head thistles, over rail road tracks and broken pavement, even soem crushed gravel. I started out with 700C X 25's on both tires. Wehn the back tire wore out (1900 miles), I replaced it with a 23. When the 23 wears out, I will replace it with a 25. I'm not so worried about how fast the bike goes, but rather that I don't have to stop to change or patch a tube. If I could go 1 mph fast, that would save me maybe 5 minutes. to fix a f%*t, I lose 10.

Sledge

 

[Gregory Taylor]

What are your preferred 700c tires for riding in the city? Specifically for daily commutes or even training rides—not racing.

Vredstein Fortezza - I've got these on my main commuter bike. A little pricey, but they feel great and are holding up well.

I used to like the Vittoria Courier - cheap, decently grippy, decent tire life.

• What's the main feature you look for in said tire? (Flat resistance, price, weight, etc.)

I'm looking for a balance of price, longevity, and performance. The one "flat resistent" tire that I've tried rode horribly and was expensive. I'd rather have somthing that makes the bike feel fun to ride.

• Have you ever had a particularly good or bad experience with a certain type of tire? If so, what happened?

Continental Ultra Gatorskins - bad. They are decently flat resistent, but they are also expensive and made the bike feel dead. I also find that they are treacherous in the rain -- I think that the hard rubber that they use to resist road debris doesn't grip all that well in slick situations.

 

[RotatingShifts]

Bontrager Select; Michelin Transworld Sprint

• What are your preferred 700c tires for riding in the city? Specifically for daily commutes or even training rides—not racing.

I've been commuting with a pair of 28c Bontager Selects for two years now with excellent results. Very efficient and only one flat for ~2000 quasi-urban miles. (New Hampshire cities are definitely NOT New York boroughs!) I use studded Nokians in the winter.

I've recently changed to 35c Michelin Transworld Sprints. Because I frequently commute at night, I liked their reflective sidewalls. They can go off-road without a thought, and I won't chip any teeth if I hit larger debris after dark (and yes, I do use a headlight). Plus, they were on sale for $14.99 per. I feel as if I'm riding through mud with these, but they eat up the potholes, railroad crossings, construction zones, etc. much better than the Bontragers.

• What's the main feature you look for in said tire? (Flat resistance, price, weight, etc.)

Reliability, and some dirt-road capability.

 

[Chris H]

My favorite commuter tire were the Conti Top Touring 2000's (700x28). Alas they have been discontinued.

I then went to the Maxxis ReFuse in 700x25. I run a set of those on both my Cross Check and my fixed gear. When they wear out I'd like to try the T-Serv in 700x28, but those tires just don't seem to wear out. If they were available in sizes larger than 700x25 they'd be perfect.

 

[SoCalAl]

T-Serv in 700x32. I wanted 32 to keep me from slipping through the sewer grates here. I've flatted only once with the tires with about 1100 miles on them. Shopping for them I looked at
1. Flat resistance
2. Rolling resistance
3. Price
4. Weight
in that order. These are my first 700c commuter tires, before this I had 26" Tom Slicks. They rolled fast but I got more flats and they were horrible in wet weather.