From Newsgroup: rec.bicycles.tech
Mark J cleary <
mcleary08@comcast.net> wrote:
On 9/21/2026 1:21 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:
cyclintom <cyclintom@yahoo.com> wrote:
https://vittoria.com/products/ridearmor-tubeless-ready?variant=47518847861024&variation=A&utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RideArmor+42+Is+Built+for+More+Than+Perfect+Pavement&_kx=XpoChy76YKaYmFtq8kTGWUk7PQ0UiNRN6WCfpmHszkE.U8RA9J
I wondered why Vittoria never got into the less flats market. Specialized >>> has the Armorall but it is as hard as a stone and doesn't have very good traction.
Gatorskin has far worse traction though I think itrCOs lighter than the
Armadillo and VictoriarCOs hence their popularity, as you get a bit of
protection with only a bit of extra weight, but they have a very hard
compound so once the roads wet they live up to their moniker of
rCLSkaterskinsrCY
I used the Armadillos for a while when I bought the roadie commuter, grip
was on par for a training type tyre, but eventually designed that having
extra protection if extra weight of the One plus ie roadie version of the
Marathon plus was a better option, plus mudguards as well London is moist! >>
Roger Merriman
Gatorskins are the worst tires in the world. Almost anything better and really you don't get that much more protection on flats but you get very rotation of a bad tired as you ride. Not a trade off I can handle.
I didnrCOt notice the ride quantity but then this was with 25mm and high pressures, and was compared to other similar tyres, ie didnrCOt run summer
best tyres but training/commuter tyres.
If you live somewhere dry and care about weight and want a durable tyre,
they arenrCOt a bad choice, but IrCOd not recommend them as winter tyre due to there wet weather grip, I liked 4 seasons or similar as they where as
durable but had better levels of traction. The Schwable One plus have been fine, all road tyres will at some point get overwhelmed and start to feel sketchy.
My other commuter which being MTB derived has much wider tyre and so has
lot more rubber on the road, and thus can be quite relaxed about metalwork
and so on where as the roadie might step out, itrCOs unbothered, likewise braking distances are broadly similar wet and dry for that bike.
Generally I feel Gatorskins are good for a fairly specific use case ie dry
but dirty lanes with an eye on bike weight, beyond that they make less
sense.
Roger Merriman
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