| |
Submitted by
Duster59
a Weekend Warrior
from midwest
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | mopac | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | blues | | Strengths: | Very fast with no roll resistance. Excellent for city and trail riding. Best tire I have ever road on pavement. Has enough volume to ride off road on crushed limestone trail and gravel. I stated, very fast, even off road. Specialized made a big mistake when they discontinued making them. | | Weaknesses: | Specialized quit selling them. | | Similar Products Used: | Continental travel contact | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Rockhopper with XTR M960 components, Rhyno Lite rims. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent tire. The best you can ride. Specialized made a big mistake when they discontinued making them. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon M
a
from Phoenix, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Streets | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Two-Wheeler Dealer | | Strengths: | Strong, little rolling resistance, and long lasting. | | Weaknesses: | Tires are hard so the grip is not the best on the road and off road or loose gravel/sand you will have problems. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Mt bike set up for commuting and touring. | | Bottom Line: | I'm been running these tires for about 3 years with over 2000 miles on them and have never had a puncture. I run over glass, through thorns, you name it and nothing has gotten through. I've put about 500 miles on 'rail-to-trails' paths through Western South Dakota (Black Hills) with no problems except sinking in on loose ground.
If you want to commute without worring about punctures, this tire is for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Williamson
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | GoldCross | | Strengths: | Puncture Proof!! Just make sure you have the right size tube in there with about 70-80psi. Very little rolling resistance, a good tyre for track and road! | | Weaknesses: | Not good on sand/gravel, you get very sideways very fast. I havent tried pushing these to the limit in the wet, but I just don't feel comfortable doing it on these, it feels like they will suddenly just reach a point and break loose in a corner. Take it easy! | | Bottom Line: | Very nice tyres. A mate of mine has been riding on concreted bike tracks and roads for 5000 km and never had a puncture (yes 5 thousand km). Since I got mine about 1000km ago I have not had a puncture. (we ride with additional loads of up to 30kg on the back of our bikes as well). Still no punctures or problems :D Fantastic! Yearly we do a big 7 day/~700km ride and so far the nimbus ex have proven invincible.
Just remember if you are going offroad that these tyres will not be all that confidence inspiring! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
al
a Weekend Warrior
from dallas, tx, us of a
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Armadillo is tough
good long-wearing, sticky compound
well-aligned mold
hi pressure
easy on and off | | Weaknesses: | very round profile (wekaness imho) tries to ride over debris instead of popping it off to the side.
only available in 1.5" for 26" rims
heavy
fairly harsh ride
| | Similar Products Used: | various combos of armored tire/sealed innertube etc | | Bike Setup: | barracuda hardtail set up for 3500 miles of commuting/yr | | Bottom Line: | i don't like punctures. in fact i hate em. they usually happen when i'm under time pressure to get to work, and they usually happen about 1 mile left to get to work, so it's either quick change the tube or run the last mile; either way it sucks!
i had been riding nashbar 1.2 inch slicks with sealed tubes for a long time, and got a flat maybe every 3-5 weeks on average. usually just a piece of glass finally worked through, the usual. but i reasearched and finally tried these Nimbus EX Armadillo, spending about 3x as much as usual.
They are HEAVY for a slick 1.5" mtb tire, and since all that extra weight is rotational, it hurts the most. that said, i run 100+ psi (up to 120) with no issues and can average 17mph on my cross-town commute including slowing for signs, traffic, etc. So not too bad. but i throw on the n-bar slicks for events, and those make the bike feel like it's flying by comparison.
The compound is very good, securely and predictably sticky and yet after maybe 1500miles, lots of tread left. The tire rides rather harsh, likely due to the tread protection.
The width and profile is just perfect to make the tire skittery over debris. The tire ends up picking up a lOT of garbage in the tread, but the Armadillo handles most of it.
2 of the 3 punctures have been due to catastrophic punctures; a key (as in a FRIGGIN HOUSE KEY) punching right into the tire, and chewing up the rim strip and inside of the rim) and a screw (as in a FRIGGIN 3" ROOFING SCREW) punching right into the tire and similarly munching the rim strip and rim. I have never ever had issues like THAT before, with any other tire setup! I blame this on the w-i-d-e profile, the garbage gets bounced around by the front tire and WHACKS! into the rear.
the final puncture was frustrating: a slow leak kept popping up every week or so, i kept examining the tire, and finally found one of the steel cords of the tire, FROM THE FACTORY, sticking into the inside of the tire and slowly working it's way through the tube, causing an infuriatingly slow leak. garrr....
but hey, that's 3 flats in 6 months, not too bad, considering the abuse i put it through. About 2 miles of my 15 mile commute are in the 2ft wide shoulder of a major road, and is compelety strewn with roadkill, shrapnell from accidents, glass, random car parts, etc etc. I've pulled some nasty-looking crap out of the tread that didn't manage to make it through to the tube. So the principle is good, but the huge profile (and in my case, steel cord in the tube) doesn't help on the execution.
Impressively enough, the tread is so tough that the hole made by the key (about 1/4 inch long) is barely visible as a small bump on the tread with 100 psi in the tube. Now that's a tough, rigid tread!
I have to only give it 3 chilis, for the above issues. If Specialized made it narrower and lighter (should come with narrower) it would be a 5-chili ride and 'd be happy to pay the $30. As it is, i just hunted down some $30 Panaracer Paselas and will give them a go.
Cheers | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TK
a Weekend Warrior
from SF Bay Area
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere away from people and cars. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Garners | | Strengths: | Quality construction
East to install, didn't even need tires irons
High pressure rating | | Weaknesses: | Weight: Heavy
Appearance: Clunky
Ride: Hard | | Similar Products Used: | Performance City ST Road | | Bike Setup: | Rockhopper Comp (1st generation, no shock) | | Bottom Line: | Took them on a ride this morning to work.
Mixture of street, sidewalks, and hardpack trials.
Mostly dry with some wet spots.
First thing I noticed was they have a sticky compound
on the top of the tire that tends to pick up stuff.
Good for traction, but bad for pointy objects.
Seem to have a good roll rate, and are fairly
predictable on dry surfaces at the point of breaking
loose. Braking is normal.
I'm a little skeptical on the puncture resistance.
If you ride on hard surfaces and want something
to make it easiesr to pedal, then check these out.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stuart Anderson
a
from Sussex (UK)
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Puncture resistant!!! Good compromise between speed, safety, and comfort. | | Weaknesses: | These tyres are difficult to get on and off the rim. Like all other slick tyres, they have limited traction on gravel, grass and mud. | | Similar Products Used: | Continental Avenue Semi-slicks | | Bike Setup: | Road-specced MTB (Marin) | | Bottom Line: | Excellent value for money. I've just completed a 1032 mile ride using these tyres and they were subject to some fairly punishing conditions including lots of glass and sharp stones. I also didn't have to add any air during the 17 days that it took me to complete the distance. Highly recommended for the commuter or tourist. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Ocoee, FL
Date Reviewed: February 13, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Potowatami (in Michigan) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Orange Cycle | | Strengths: | durability or tread (compared to knobbies)
durability against glass, rocks, road obstacles | | Weaknesses: | prone to metal slivers, but what isn't?
Only 4 chili's because my speed never increased using these | | Similar Products Used: | first set of slick | | Bike Setup: | Kona Kula Deluxe with SRAM X.0 drivetrain and Avid mechs. | | Bottom Line: | These tires haven't really increased or decreased my speed from my old knobbies. Keep in mind though that I ran the 1.9 size Fire XC Pro. Not a full 2.3 aggresive tread knobbie. Handling in wet or dry conditions is predictable. Just watch for the painted road lines or metal sewer covers in the wet (as with any tire though). The tires are showing little wear since I bought them. I burned through the tread on my mountain tires in three months (but they are intended for dirt, not the road). I haven't regretted my descision once. The only problems I've had is lots of flats. However I work at Home Depot and I think thats where most of the tiny, thin slivers of metal have come from. I've only had one flat that I can be sure was from debris from the road and that was a screw. No tire will stand up to that. I've ridden over pieces of metal, broken wood pieces, sharp looking thingies =), and I've never had a flat. I ride 22.5 miles one way to work and have about 3000 miles on these tires averaging 20 mph. Best rating I can give them is to say I would definitely purchase again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sandra
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, CO USA
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Highline Canal/Cherry Creek Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$19.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Village/Specialized Dealer | | Strengths: | I am impressed with this tire. It is so quiet and rolls easy. I have cut my commute time down to 18 minutes in 3 miles from 22 minutes from fat knobby noisy tires. I like the flak jacket protection along with self sealing tubes. I ride in an urban area with assortment of broken glass/thorns/nails etc and have never had a flat so far. | | Weaknesses: | I wish they would offer different side-wall colors. | | Similar Products Used: | Chin Shen stock tires. Had a flat first time I rode to work. | | Bike Setup: | Iron Horse Adventurer Hybrid 700x38c | | Bottom Line: | I commute to work approx. 6 miles daily and ride about 60 miles on the bike paths on the weekends and I feel that I can be self-assured that I don't have to worry about flats. I run 60lbs pressure in the tires and have Rock Shox in the front and a suspension seat post so I don't worry too much about the roughness of the tire. I feel that I have made a smart purchase in these tires. I have Armadillo's on my Specialized Expedition and have 2000 miles on those and have NEVER had a flat. I slow down on slick pavement anyway so I have no idea if Nimbus EX slip and slide as I am a conservative bike rider. I would recommend them to anyone who needs tires for their bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom F.
a Weekend Warrior
from Washington DC
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | C&O Canal | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | College Park Bikes | | Strengths: | Tough, fast, good control. Used for 360 trail miles in mixed gravel, stone dust, loose dirt and sand, utp to railroad ballast sized crushed rock. | | Weaknesses: | Squirley in claymud- not a surprise, though. Still, never dropped the bike in it... | | Bike Setup: | Rivendell Quickbeam fixie, tire size is 700x35 nominal, 700x34 installed. | | Bottom Line: | Great tire for mixed trail, just take it easy in mud. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Hagg Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Gallery - Beaverton, Oregon | | Strengths: | Low rolling resistance.
Handles road debris without a care.
| | Weaknesses: | None found. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4900 (hardtail mountain bike). | | Bottom Line: | Great option for commuting.
When I started commuting to work (8 miles each way) the stock knobby tires had to go (bumpy and slow). But I didn't want to buy new rims, so I looked and found the Nimbus EX.
As soon as I put them on, my commute time went from 40 minutes to just over 30. Not bad for merely changing tires.
In 300 miles of riding on them I have had no flats and no slips on corners. I'm very satisfied with the tires.
If you commute on a mountain bike and are tired of riding on your offroad tires, try these.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean Gordon
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester, NY
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Paved, with nice shoulders | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Park Ave Bike - Henrietta | | Strengths: | The flat resistance on these tires is great. I use them on my rain and commuting bike and they catch the road at it's worst, with all the crap on it and when it is wet. They hold up superbley. Wet weather traction is the same as any other durable tire I have ridden. I pull glass and small stones out of the tires weekly when I commute 60 miles daily 2-3 days a week. Not a single blowout, and I am 205lbs carrying a 15-20lb load of clothes and an Apple laptop in panniers. Can't ask for much more. | | Weaknesses: | They are heavier than other tires, but not any more so than tires in it's durability range. They handle grass like any other slick tire. They don't have power assist on hills :) | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Armadillos, Specialized All Condition Armadillos, MTB knobbies. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Sirrus. Came stock with the bike, and will buy the for the bike's next set of tires as well. | | Bottom Line: | These are the best tire I have for the buck. Great touring and all purpose street tire. They have held up for 1500+ miles w/o any problems.
This isn't the tire to win the TdF or 24 Hours of Whatever with, but it will get you to point b from point a efficently and without flats unless you aim for roofing nails.
The 700x28 size may be too big for some bikes, but it fits perfectly on mine. Only other piece of advice is don't purchase road fenders to go with this tire, use the hybrid size. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Collins
a Weekend Warrior
from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Strengths: | Low rolling restance, quite, look pritty cool too, oh ya the price! | | Weaknesses: | none yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson Mosquito | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Giant Yukon. | | Bottom Line: | If you do more than 50% of your rideing on pavement than stop killing yourself with those off road tires. these tires have made my bike a slick machine on the street. I don't belive there is a perfect tire for no/off road use, bye these for on road and switch to your nobs for the trail. This is the only way you can have your cake and eat it to! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Maximus Decimus Meridius
a
from Southampton, UK
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Hargroves Cycles | | Strengths: | puncture proof, low rolling resistance at high pressure, durable | | Weaknesses: | pain in the arse to get on, no grip on wet grass | | Bike Setup: | hardrock | | Bottom Line: | great road tyre, I've pulled out all sorts of crap from them (glass, thorns etc) and wondered how the hell they havn#'t punctured. Run at 60psi, sound as a bell
However, zero traction on wet grass - back wheel spinning stuff. Also there is a crack running around the circumference of the sidewall/tread interface, after approx 4000 miles on road, I'll get another set all right | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Troy
a Cross Country Rider
from Fayetteville
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | local Bike Shop (Highroller) | | Strengths: | Great ride compared to nobbies that came original on the bike. Have not had a flat since i have owned them. | | Weaknesses: | Extremely slick on wet surfaces. | | Similar Products Used: | None so far. | | Bike Setup: | Can. F400 HT | | Bottom Line: | Do not be fooled by some of these reviews that say these are grippy on both wet and dry pavement. These cats must have a different version from mine. First day I rode with these on my bike, I fell and fell hard. If you buy these tires and it rains, I would recomend walking. But, I have even slid out with nobbies in the rain. Come to think about it, I may just be a bad rider. Do not get me wrong though, I love this tire. If you are like me and are a daily comuter, this tire would work great for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alan User
a Cross Country Rider
from London
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | City street riding | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$22.00 | | Purchased At: | Evans Bicycles in London, England | | Strengths: | Did not get very many flats at first. Low rolling resistance. | | Weaknesses: | Loads of flats after the tire wore--the Kevlar doesn't protect you. It's not the Kevlar that prevents the flats, it's the rubber | | Similar Products Used: | Michelin Transworld City | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh large frame city bicycle | | Bottom Line: | Kevlar is a scam, in my opinion. I didn't get very any punctures if any at all when I first got the tire. But as it wore, I got loads of flats. Sometimes two in one week (all I use the bike for is to commute to work each morning in central London, 5 miles each way). I got rid of it because I was disgusted with the flats. All it takes is a tiny piece of rock or glass and it just goes straight through the Kevlar. My bike shop told me that the best-rated tires for puncture resistance don't use Kevlar, but use strong thick rubber. Kevlar, apparently, is great for stopping bullets, but is impotent against a small piece of rock/glass that slowly rocks back and forth and penetrates the Kevlar like butter. Kevlar is great for a wide impact (bullet), but defenceless against a sharp attack, particularly one that slowly works its way through the Kevlar fabric. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carl
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Specialized | | Strengths: | Skinny, Sticky, Quick, Durable, Flat resistant | | Weaknesses: | Can be a pain to get on the rims, looks funny on a full suspension bike. Oh well. | | Similar Products Used: | they're my first slicks | | Bike Setup: | 26X1.5s on a Trek Y | | Bottom Line: | My wife and I used these for a 1600 mile tour of New Zealand, and neither of us had a flat the entire time. They roll and grip well too. They're exactly what I wanted. Mine probably have 2000 miles on them now and as far as I'm concerenced they're still in great shape. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony
a
from Earth
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Strengths: | Great resistance to flats. | | Weaknesses: | Takes forever to put them on.
Kinda heavy. | | Bike Setup: | Tommasini Sintesi. Yeti ARC | | Bottom Line: | Used these on tours in Canada and Spain. Never had a flat (knock on wood). BUT, they are heavy. And if do have a flat, good luck trying to re-install them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Willy Lim
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Wiggle UK | | Strengths: | Puncture proof, grippy even in the wet and strong enough for a little off roading aswell. | | Weaknesses: | Unable to get hold of kevlar bead version. | | Similar Products Used: | None, first pair of slicks. | | Bike Setup: | XC MTB with slicks. | | Bottom Line: | Great touring tyre. Rolls well on all types of road chip but you can notice the resistance on the really coarse tarmac. Covered 1200 miles and looks like theres enough tread to do 3000 more. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd
a Weekend Warrior
from New York City
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Hudson River Bike Path | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Gotham Bikes | | Strengths: | Great tread pattern, low rolling resistance. | | Weaknesses: | none observed so far | | Bike Setup: | '94 Claud Butler Exon MTB
'00 Co-Motion MTB Tandem | | Bottom Line: | After years of riding knobby tires on asphalt, I finally got off my lazy a** and bought these street-friendly tires.
I bought the Nimbus EX for the half-bike first, to dip my toes in the water. Loved the ride and experienced no disasters, so I just picked up the Armadillo flavor ($30 instead of $20) for our Co-Motion tandem to replace the Specialized Mountain Baldy tires it came with (not bad on the straight, but squirrely on sharp turns on asphalt). I'm willing to pay the premium for extra security on the tandem, since a blowout would be quite a bit more disastrous! Goin' for a ride around Staten Island this weekend to feel the difference. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brave_sir_throbbin
a Weekend Warrior
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Strengths: | Amazingly grippy, FAST!!, able to withstand anything found on the roads (except landmines for all the eastern block folk) | | Weaknesses: | a bit fiddly ot get on and off the rim especially with narrow rims, a bit on the weighty side | | Bottom Line: | An awesome street tyre for those who spend more time in the human jungle than in the woods. These last pretty well too and are excellent value for your hard earned cash!! go and buy some NOW! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Various | | Strengths: | Note this is for the Nimbus Armadillo.
Puncture proof (even tried sticking a drawing pin through one and couldn't), fast rolling, very grippy and don't wear.
Excellent for commuting or touring, although I wouldn't suggest them for training because of the weight (actually, that might be a good reason to train on them!) | | Weaknesses: | A bit heavy for 26x1.5 slicks (about 600g!), the first one I bought split along the sidewall after 600 miles touring through France - returned it and it was found to be defective (one of a small batch I was told). Was replaced free of charge + a free tube. | | Similar Products Used: | Tioga city slickers, variety of off-road tyres | | Bike Setup: | a bike | | Bottom Line: | Great tyres, not bad for the money and I expect them to last as long as (if not longer) than my old city slickers which did 4 years and 4000 miles. Sidewall problem was due to a missing flakjacket - according to SBC Uk the tyre was one which escaped a dealer recall (fair enough). In response to complaints about grip over shiny bumps in the wet - don't ride over shiny bumps in the wet! You'll fall off whatever tyres you are using - it's a bit like saying the tyres aren't grippy because you keep falling off when cranked over on ice! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eugene
a Cross Country Rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Fast, puncture-proof(well, tried riding over thorns, broken glass, etc), very durable! | | Weaknesses: | Extremely difficult to remove and fit or vice versa.. | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson Pythons, Airlights, Panaracers, Vredestein, IRCs... | | Bottom Line: | These tires are fast and simply don't wear out even after locking the wheel to a halt on tarmac!.... and it's been rolling since '95(Mine is the much older model with the dark brown sidewalls). Furthermore, they sure are tough.... don't look at them as slicks... they have the rubber compound 3 times thicker than most off-road tires made these days!.... have not had a puncture when using these and now they have gone over to my tandem coz these tires could be trusted.... and guess what? With all the added weight, the tires still hold...with all the grooves still freshly embedded on the surface without any wear....
Get these and u won't need another set of tires for a preeeeeeeeeeety long time! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Ones w/no mtbs on 'em(sorry! I only walk trails...) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Hut at South Beach(yay!!!) | | Strengths: | Fast, relatively flat free | | Weaknesses: | Difficult to put on, slippery on wet plastic bumps(ouch!!) | | Similar Products Used: | cheap(er)non-kevlar no-name variety | | Bike Setup: | Diamond Back Ascent,(I guess it's called? -has worn off & I got it used)upgrade x-ray shifters, bg sport saddle, slightly ripped up,(thanks little plastic bumps!)Shimano 515 pedals, Niterider digi-headtrip & taillite, Also Kona Hahanna w/similar acoutrements(sp?) | | Bottom Line: | What can I say?(that hasn't been said)
Not much.
Have to have 50 words, tho', so I'll say DON'T TRY TO RIDE OVER THOSE WEE PLASTIC BUMPY THINGS AFTER A RAIN WHILE TRYING TO PASS A STOPPED BUS EVEN IF YOU ARE LATE FOR YOUR FERRY TO YOUR DENTIST APP'T!!!!
I truly regret doing that...
Victor at the Bike Hut used to call me 'Mr. Flat' I had 'em so often...not any more.
Even those guys were sweating trying to get this tire onto the DB. I just couldn't do it.(w/out tools & I'm pretty strong)
I keep 'em pumped up to top recommended 85 psi or so 'cause I like the speed, however they have a pretty rough ride on the mean streets of sf at that pressure.
I've seen these tires(the knobby variety--why???)on rental bikes--they are good for what ails you...
They have punctured & ripped up a bit over time but for the price...can't be beat.
only reason I gave less than top marks is conservative rating style.
Btw: 'weekend warrior' was the closest, however I ride for exercise & groceries as close to daily as I can. (with the occasional 30m? trip over the bridge to Marin to visit my brother)
I'm not quite back to opimal shape yet (195lbs)& can be spaced out when I ride; if someone were more careful & lighter they'd have no flats at all.Also got some pinch flats from using a stupid old tire liner I got on ebay.(tho' I believe it, too saved me from some punctures
-I work in convention centers & there are tacks & such around during setup & teardown) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a
from Boston
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | 100 miles of soliture | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | International Bike, Brighton, MA | | Strengths: | Specialized Nimbus Armadillo 26x1.5, front and rear.
fast on pavement, had travelled 600m so far on these, enjoying them over fat winter rubber | | Weaknesses: | slippery on even small amount of sand - watch out when braking!
Fill slow uphill, but can actually accelerate uphill if you push it.
Also - less shock absorbtion and a bit heavy for their size.
Oh, yeah - allow yourself enough time and patience to put them on first time!!! | | Bike Setup: | your basic Diamondback outlook chipo | | Bottom Line: | great for city with less potholes than Boston/Camrbridge and better roads overall | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jordan
a Weekend Warrior
from New York, NY, US
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$19.00 | | Strengths: | Fast, quiet, and smooth ride on flat pavement. | | Weaknesses: | Harsher ride on bumps than nobbies (to be expected). | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Mongoose Sycamore, all stock | | Bottom Line: | The stock tires on my Sycamore were so nobby they buzzed on pavement. I moved to the city and decided to get slicks, choosing these because a lot of messengers use them.
Of course, they absorb surface bumps worse than nobbies, but it's well worth it. Both acceleration and top-speed are much better now...feels like a new bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Thurrott
a Cross Country Rider
from Malden, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Middlesex Fells | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$17.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Loft | | Strengths: | Wears like iron
Fast rolling
Highly puncture resistant | | Weaknesses: | None to speak of. | | Similar Products Used: | First set o slicks | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Fisher Aquila w/ Bontrager rims | | Bottom Line: | These are the slicks everyone should ride. Only one flat in 2600 miles of potholes, glass, nails, and other road accoutrements. These tires still look like they have another 2600 miles in them!
They were even competent on hardpack dirt trails and climbing rocks.
And they were cheap, too! | | Value Rating: |
|
$ 19.99
