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Reviews 1 - 12 (12 Reviews Total)
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Submitted by
Steve Walburn
a Cross Country Rider
from Findlay, Ohio USADate Reviewed: May 10, 2006
Strengths: DurabilityWeaknesses: Slightly heavier than other road tires and more difficult to get on and off the rim.Bottom Line: Just completed my 5th C2C. These tires are very durable and long wearing. 2600 miles and only 1 flat. The tires still have miles left on them. Other riders with much more expensive tires averaged 3-5 flats. I've gotten up to 5000 miles, with rotation, on a set. I'm 220 lbs.
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$29.00
Purchased At: Wandering Wheels
Similar Products Used: Specialized Pro
Bike Setup: Trek 5.2 Madone SL with Ultegra components.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tony
a
from EarthDate Reviewed: December 13, 2004
Strengths: Puncture resistant
Hight psi
Weaknesses: Jarring rideBottom Line: The bottom line is that I have not had a flat since - get this - 1996. And I'm not riding to the grocery store. I have toured over 20 countries using these tires. Sure they give a bone-jarring ride, but that's exactly why Armadillos are the most flat-resistant tires - you can't have a smooth cushy ride at the same time. Sorry, folks, but you can't have your cake and eat it too. There are ways around this: suspension fork and seatpost.
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Similar Products Used: Michelins, Continentals (terrible sidewalls)
Bike Setup: Too many over the years
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Phil
a Weekend Warrior
from Washington, DC, USADate Reviewed: October 6, 2003
Strengths: Very tough tire. Very difficult to get a flat.Weaknesses: Very rough ride. Can be difficult to put on wheel. Issues with sidewall?Bottom Line: This was the first road tire I have used (I previously owned a hybrid bike and MTB), and assumed that all road tires had a fairly jarring ride. The ride was so rough at times (at max pressure) that I was seriously thinking about getting a suspension seatpost. After a portion of the Turbo Armadillo's wire bead pulled away from the sidewall (defective tire?), I switched to the Vittoria Rubino. Wow, what a difference! I don't how long the new tire will last compared to the Turbo Armadillo. But I am more than willing to sacrifice a little durability and longevity in exchange for a much more comfortable ride. The Armadillo technology may be a great thing, but I think it doesn't work for road tires.
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At: DC Bikes
Similar Products Used: Vittoria Rubino
Bike Setup: Trek XO1 w/ 700 x 26c road tires
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Evan
a Weekend Warrior
from Los GatosDate Reviewed: April 3, 2003
Strengths: Bulletproof if they stay together.Weaknesses: See above!Bottom Line: This is a follow up to the review I made a while back. I did finally get a new tire to replace the one that blistered. I also set my wife's ride up with them. They had some odd lumps after 500 miles as well. The bike shop then told me that they had seen more recently that had the same issue and Specialized was working on the fix. So now I have a NEW Klein and guess what. I keep getting flats with the stock tires. So I am installing a set of Armadillos in the morning. I hope that after all this time they have figured out the bugs!
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At: LBS
Similar Products Used: Peformance Kevlar Pro Lite's- Flat city! Wimpy sidewalls.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bob Sakas
a Weekend Warrior
from Chandler, AZ USADate Reviewed: February 11, 2003
Strengths: Durability and performance on the road.Weaknesses: Weight?Bottom Line: I cannot believe the debris I've pulled out of these tires including glass chards, thorns, a piece of a metal strip and a tip of a copper wire.
I have put nearly 3,000 miles on the bike since last May and have yet to have a puncture flat. The ONLY flat tire I had was due to a failed rubber rim tape which I have since replaced with an upgrade.
There would be absolutely no hesitation to either recommend these tires to another rider or buy a replacement pair when I need them. Replacing them will likely be only to have a narrower (thus slightly lighter) tire.
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At: Supergo
Bike Setup: Specialize Sirrus w/ 700 X 26 Armadillo tires, aerobars, Shimano SPD pedals.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
TOM SHINE
a Weekend Warrior
from GARDEN CITY NEW YORKDate Reviewed: November 1, 2002
Strengths: DURABLE WORRY FREE TIREWeaknesses: THE ONLY DOWN SIDE IS A FEW EXTRA GRAMSBottom Line: THIS SEASON I HAVE RIDEN 1500 MILES ON THESE TIRES, FLAT
FREE. I WAS GETTING 700 TO 800 MILES OUT OF PREVIOUS TIRES I TRIED BEFORE A FLAT I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE ARMADILLO.
THE ONLY DOWN SIDE TO THE TIRE IS WEIGHT. BUT FOR THE
RECREATIONAL RIDER YOU CANT BEAT THESE TIRES. THE DURABILITY MAKES THEM A GREAT VALUE. BECAUSE I KNOW EVERY
TIME I CHANGE A FLAT I ALWAYS FIND A FEW CUTS IN A TIRE THAT
TELL ME ITS TIME FOR NEW ONES BEFORE MY NEXT RIDE. SO BESDIES THE PUNCTURE RESISTANCE THE TIRES HAVE PROVEN TO
BE VERY ROAD WORTHY. AFTER ALL THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THEN A FLAT ON A FAST DOWNHILL SECTION OF ROAD, THEY ADD TO
YOUR SAFTEY!
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$29.00
Purchased At: MINEOLA CYCLE
Similar Products Used: VARIOUS OTHER ROAD TIRES 700 X 23
Bike Setup: SPECIALIZED ALLEZ ROAD BIKE
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
leon darnell jr
a Cross Country Rider
from wichita, ks, USADate Reviewed: June 25, 2002
Strengths: The Armadillo tire is a great tire. I get no flats and am proud that I rode that bike to Hutchinson and Newton and back to Wichita in spite of the headwinds. Before I purchased these tires I was getting flats every week and I would have to take my bike to the shop to get new tubes. Now I worry less about the tire because of the Armadillo name.Weaknesses: The one thing I worry about is the weight of the tire. But all I need is to inflate to the maximum pressure.Bottom Line: Buy these tires if you are concerned about flats and inflate to max. pressure.
Favorite Trail: K96 expressway
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At: Continental Cyclery
Similar Products Used: none
Bike Setup: DiamondBack Expert 21 speed
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Evan
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Gatos, CA. USADate Reviewed: June 19, 2002
Strengths: Never had another pinch flat.Weaknesses: Damn tread started to separate.Bottom Line: I noticed a slight wobble at high? speed 35+. I got off and thought maybe my wheel had a ding or something. Turned out the tire was starting to bulge in the middle of the tread. I took them back and the guy at the LBS said he had never seem such a defect ever and was going to show it to the sales rep and get me a replacement. 3 months later I guess I'll stop waiting! I went ahead and bought another set since I was still impressed with the no flat thing. I'll watch this set though and if they fail for the same reason again....
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$29.00
Purchased At: LBS
Bike Setup: Touring bike with 225lb rider.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, ON, CanadaDate Reviewed: June 13, 2002
Strengths: No (NONE!) flats!Bottom Line: I've been using this tire for a cross-country biking trip, and I have had ZERO flats after 2,800 kilometers (1,700 miles). For a tire at 125psi, this was unbeliveable! If you are looking for a tire that will leave you with no worries - get this one. I even (accidently) rode though a 30ft long field of glass leftover from a car accident, and after picking out a few pieces from the tire, there was still no flats. With the bike being heavily weighted on the back, the tire has to be replaced every 3,000km, as the rubber tread starts to wear out, but I found this to be acceptable for the complete lack of flats.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Bike Setup: 2002 Specalized Sirrus Elite
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
mike Rannow
a Weekend Warrior
from Savanna ,lL, USADate Reviewed: June 9, 2002
Strengths: durabilityWeaknesses: a bit heavyBottom Line: Moved from San Diego to North western Illinois. San Diego is much more Bicyle friendly. roads and paths are great for skinny road tires. Here in North western Illinois, there are many gravel roads and paved roads with no shoulders and bicyle paths are few and far between. I initially puchased a mountain bike, which worked fine, but I missed my lighter more agile road bike. so I started using it with the same tires I used in San Diego, and found that they flated and or cut into the soft surfaces and made riding the area a pain. found a review of the armadillos' in some on-line site in which they were compared to several other tires. run through a trough filled with all sorts of broken glass nails and jagged metal. the Armadillo's were the only ones that did not flat. I puchased a set. found that their profile is larger than the old turbos of the same size. for me that is good as it gives a slightly larger footprint, the 700x23's just fit under my brake calipers. I have only about 1000 miles on the tires, but they show no sign wear so far. I am fanatic about checking tire pressure before riding and keep them at about 120. I weigh 220 so low presure equates to snake bite flats. don't know if the one review with the peeling tread might have been from low pressur and heavy load in extreme conditions, or if I just need another couple of thousand miles before I will experience the same thing. the casings are very stiff compared to non armadillo tech tires and heavier than them as well. for someone who is a racer concerned with light weight and slick tread, the tire is not the best choice, but for me the slightly larger footprint and durability make them great for me.
Favorite Trail: great river trail
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At: spoke and sprocket -
Similar Products Used: none
Bike Setup: 1987 Specialized Sirus, 105 grupo
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Alistair Niven
a Cross Country Rider
from Levenwick , Shetland Islands , Scotland , U.KDate Reviewed: May 21, 2002
Strengths: This tyre appears to be puncture proof, and looks good as wellWeaknesses: Rubber tread peels off in large strips entangling gears and brakesBottom Line: I purchased the Specialized turbo armadillo on a recent tour of New Zealands South island in January / February 2002 having been assured by the bike shop that this was an indestructable tyre and ideally suited to my needs. The tyre did indeed perform well on the unpredictable road surfaces with unsurfaced stretches of up to 12 miles at a time, and I never punctured once. After about 700 miles I started to hear a slapping noise on the tarmac and was horrified to see that the rubber tread section was starting to detatch from the rest of the tyre. Soon long strips of rubber were coming completely off and getting tangled in the gears and brakes. I had to cut them free with my knife! When I finally made it to the next town, fortunately not too far away, the tyre had absolutely no rubber left at all and the "canvas" was wearing extremely thin. My total journey was 1760 miles on a heavily loaded bike but iI was very disappointed to have been let down so badly by a tyre which promised so much.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At: Timaru New Zealand
Bike Setup: Dawes Super Galaxy touring bicycle
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Walburn
a Cross Country Rider
from Findlay, OHDate Reviewed: April 6, 2002
Strengths: One tough tire. Very durable.Weaknesses: Slightly heavier than other tires that are not nearly as durable as the Turbo Armadillo.Bottom Line: I used a pair of Specialized Turbo Armadillos for a cross-country ride (2,600 miles) in 2001. I HAD NO FLATS! Several times I pulled pieces of debris from the tire and they didn't go down. The tires are still on the bike and have accumulated about 5000 miles total. I had 1 flat due to a tube stem failure....that's it!
I'm no light-weight either, 6'5" 225 lbs. Love the tires and have a new pair for an 1800 mile ride in May. Keeping the old ones for local rides on another bike.
If you want to ride/tour with peace of mind...these are the tires for you.
Ride on. Steve Walburn
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$29.00
Purchased At: The Bicycle Shop - Findlay, Ohio
Bike Setup: Cannondale R400 equipped with Shimano Ultegra
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Reviews 1 - 12 (12 Reviews Total)
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