Incorporating our improved Armadillo flat protection this high performance front tire is designed for soft or loose conditions...and the riders who frequently find themselves in thorny situations. Front Specific and a perfect complement to the Team Master Armadillo.
i would recommend this tire for those of you looking to go for a nice long trail beat. they'll take a beat and roll over everything from bottles to cactus with little to no problems
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Kerkhoff
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs CO USA Date Reviewed: January 24, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Section 16
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Criterium
Strengths:
strong, thorn, glass and spine resistant casing/belts, good tread life and decent traction, traction still pretty good even with tire half worn out.
Weaknesses:
tread separation, knobbies peel off, especially a couple of years ago, heavy, price
Similar Products Used:
over 18 years mountain biking, many, many different tires, panaracer smoke was one of my favorites, I've probably tried 20 to 30 different tires over that time.
Bike Setup:
Specialized FSR Elite for downhill, Cannondale jekyll for cross country.
Bottom Line:
when coupled with thorn resistant tubes and 4 oz slime per tire and proper inflation are very close to being 100% flat proof, are very resistant to puncturevine (goat head thorns) and prickly pear cactus. I've run through broken bottles (going to fast to avoid) without flatting. I've been running this tire and tube/sealant combo for about three years on all my bikes and when changing tubes, (must do annually or slime becomes ineffective in cold temps) have counted 60+ goathead punctures per tire (Just counting the thorns still lodged in the tire) without ever even having the tires go low on pressure. I personally love passing people up changing flats I never have anymore. I have not had a flat tire in two years! Also tires still have good traction even when half worn out, unlike most every other tire out there. I run on front for a year or so and rotate to back, even with center knobbies barely left on the rear still got decent traction on rear due to huge cleats on outer edge.
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Submitted by
Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver,CO Date Reviewed: October 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Bergan Park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Specialized.com
Strengths:
Good puncture protection
Weaknesses:
control and grip is not all that great
Similar Products Used:
many different tires. WTB, bontrager, panaracers
Bike Setup:
Fuel 90
Bottom Line:
Okay here it is. I have used these tires since january 2003 and I will tell you this, these tires are not the best tire on the market. However, they work fine for there purpose, which is to provided puncture protection. The tire itself does not have great controll. More than once I have felt my ride get squirlly on a rapid downhill, to the point where I have had to slow down. I have also taken a few nasty diggers due to the control issue. My biggest concern with these tires is the good old firestone problem, yep, tread seperation. My rear tire has a nasty spot where I have had to glue the tread back down.
My opinion, these are good tires for riding through a Briar patch, or through goat heads, etc.
I give the value rating a 4. I have not flatted once when using the armidillo protection. Most recently my riding buddy and I hit a patch of thistle and goatheads, He picked up a front and back tire flat due to about 10 goatheads. I road through the same area and did not pick up a flat. I did get 4 goat heads in my tires but no flats!!
I give the overal rating a 3. The tire does what it is suppose to do, but it is not great for overall riding. It works best on hard pack. The Grip is not to great and as noted above the tread can and does seperate.
if you use these tires, make sure you have another pair of better tries for techincal riding and anything that is not firm hard pack.
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Submitted by
chris
a Cross Country Rider
from holt, missouri, usa Date Reviewed: July 14, 2003
Favorite Trail:
katy
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
smithville spokes
Strengths:
not too much heavier than regular tires and the thorn protection is excellent. ive had them for about three months and ride in the woods alot. Ive never had a thorn puncture
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
bontragger ground control
Bike Setup:
stock except for these tires
Bottom Line:
the tires are great if u ride in the woods or on the street. ive had no problems with thorns, glass, or nails
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Lunas, NM, USA Date Reviewed: June 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
South Boundry, Angel Fire/Taos
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$29.00
Purchased At:
2 wheel Drive
Strengths:
Fair control in sand
Weaknesses:
Does NOT offer superior protection against thorns as advertised. I have had 6 thorn punctures since purchased. Even though they are a little more hassle, I installed Spin-Skins to provide the needed protection.
Similar Products Used:
Spin-Skins, as mentioned, they are a little more hassle(keeping them aligned in the tire) and they wear out, but for me, they work!
Bike Setup:
Trek 300VRX, Stratos XC Pro.
Bottom Line:
Your better off buying a tire for it's performance and weight, then installing a system to puncture proof it. 2 chilis for protection equal to most other tires. 2 chilis for price being higher than tires of equal value.
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