Specialized Armadillo tires

Roadie said:

Hello,

I mounted a pair of Armadillo "puncture-proof" skinny tires on my MTB
and
sadly I saw cracks on the sidewalls after few months of moderate use. I
do
not think they aged as well as regular fat tires. What are your
experiences
of these tires?

Thanks.

Alan

My experience has been that, although the sidewalls get ugly, they are
still solid tires. The puncture proof material wraps all around the
tire, not just on the tread.

I have a lot of bikes and, since I'm such a cheapskate, I hang used
tires, including Armadillos, in my garage until I need them. Summer
temps in my garage are 100 F+. The Armadillos are really ugly after
that, but still useful.

That's the best comment I have without actually seeing your tires.

Tom

"Roadie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I mounted a pair of Armadillo "puncture-proof" skinny tires on my MTB
and
sadly I saw cracks on the sidewalls after few months of moderate use. I
do
not think they aged as well as regular fat tires. What are your
experiences
of these tires?

Thanks.

Alan

Did your cracks look similar to this one
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/earlwb/my%20other%20bikes/72cd1e2a.jpg
on my Armadillos? The crack extends like that all the way around on both
sides.
I had it happen on four tires. I went ahead and used them until I felt they
maybe were getting too dangerous.
I had 3000 miles or so on the rear tire before I swapped them out for a new
pair of the same type.
Bit since I wasn't looking for the tires to get large cracks I didn't pay
any attention until I started to check to see if the rear tire was getting
too worn down or not.
Thatwas when i noticed the spectacular cracks in both the front and rear
tires. So apparently even with the cracks the tires went for at least 3000
miles with me.
Within a a few miles the same cracks started appearing on the new tires.
Unfortunately, the new rear tire developed a huge bubble on it at one place
where the casing apparently started going bad. So I had to pedal over to the
LBS and replace it with a Bontrager Race Lite. So I'll probably be going
Bontrager for a while now. When the front tire cracks start getting too big
and wide I'll probably replace it with a Bontrager too.
I think the extra stiff kevlar ply and the thicker rubber on the top of the
tire tends to make it separate from the sides like that, so it is one of
those do I or don't I kind of a thing, I guess.

Earl Bollinger said:

"Roadie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I mounted a pair of Armadillo "puncture-proof" skinny tires on my MTB
and
sadly I saw cracks on the sidewalls after few months of moderate use. I
do
not think they aged as well as regular fat tires. What are your
experiences
of these tires?

Thanks.

Alan

Did your cracks look similar to this one
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/earlwb/my%20other%20bikes/72cd1e2a.jpg
on my Armadillos? The crack extends like that all the way around on both
sides.
I had it happen on four tires. I went ahead and used them until I felt they
maybe were getting too dangerous.
I had 3000 miles or so on the rear tire before I swapped them out for a new
pair of the same type.
Bit since I wasn't looking for the tires to get large cracks I didn't pay
any attention until I started to check to see if the rear tire was getting
too worn down or not.
Thatwas when i noticed the spectacular cracks in both the front and rear
tires. So apparently even with the cracks the tires went for at least 3000
miles with me.
Within a a few miles the same cracks started appearing on the new tires.
Unfortunately, the new rear tire developed a huge bubble on it at one place
where the casing apparently started going bad. So I had to pedal over to the
LBS and replace it with a Bontrager Race Lite. So I'll probably be going
Bontrager for a while now. When the front tire cracks start getting too big
and wide I'll probably replace it with a Bontrager too.
I think the extra stiff kevlar ply and the thicker rubber on the top of the
tire tends to make it separate from the sides like that, so it is one of
those do I or don't I kind of a thing, I guess.

I get cracks like that on some car tires after only a few thousand miles
and I keep about 40 PSI in my tires for mileage. It happens with most
brands, not just cheap ones, but not with Michelin. I have a few bike
tires that look kind of like that but none are new and I chalk it up to
sunlight and UV. Why you get this on newer brand name tires is a mystery
unless maybe you don't have them inflated to the max and it is flex wear?
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/earlwb/my%20other%20bikes/72cd1e2a.jpg
on my Armadillos? The crack extends like that all the way around on both
sides.
I had it happen on four tires. I went ahead and used them until I felt they
maybe were getting too dangerous.
I had 3000 miles or so on the rear tire before I swapped them out for a new
pair of the same type.

Quoted message said:

Within a a few miles the same cracks started appearing on the new tires.
Unfortunately, the new rear tire developed a huge bubble on it at one place
where the casing apparently started going bad...
I think the extra stiff kevlar ply and the thicker rubber on the top of the
tire tends to make it separate from the sides like that, so it is one of
those do I or don't I kind of a thing, I guess.

I have 26X1.9's on both of our Expeditions. I just went down and
looked at them. I do not put the miles on that a pavement rider does,
but the trails pound and flex them a lot more. My tires are at least
two years old, and exhibit no cracking at all. I estimate pre-Catseye
and counted total miles at around a modest 600..I have a regular loop
I di so it's not hard to estimate.
It could be size-specific. Kevlar does not bond to rubber as well as
other materials like nylon or the polyesters, and perhaps the smaller
bend radius has something to do with it?
Whatever, I suspect the manufacturer will end up eating the product
one way or another if this is common.

Specialized said:

Quoted message said:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/earlwb/my%20other%20bikes/72cd1e2a.jpg
on my Armadillos? The crack extends like that all the way around on both
sides.
I had it happen on four tires. I went ahead and used them until I felt they
maybe were getting too dangerous.
I had 3000 miles or so on the rear tire before I swapped them out for a new
pair of the same type.

Quoted message said:

Within a a few miles the same cracks started appearing on the new tires.
Unfortunately, the new rear tire developed a huge bubble on it at one place
where the casing apparently started going bad...
I think the extra stiff kevlar ply and the thicker rubber on the top of the
tire tends to make it separate from the sides like that, so it is one of
those do I or don't I kind of a thing, I guess.

I have 26X1.9's on both of our Expeditions. I just went down and
looked at them. I do not put the miles on that a pavement rider does,
but the trails pound and flex them a lot more. My tires are at least
two years old, and exhibit no cracking at all. I estimate pre-Catseye
and counted total miles at around a modest 600..I have a regular loop
I di so it's not hard to estimate.
It could be size-specific. Kevlar does not bond to rubber as well as
other materials like nylon or the polyesters, and perhaps the smaller
bend radius has something to do with it?
Whatever, I suspect the manufacturer will end up eating the product
one way or another if this is common.

My overly simplistic solution would be to see where they are made. I
have found anything made in or near China to be inferior quality. If, on
the other hand you can find some actually made in Europe, or amazingly,
the USA, you would probably have some good tires, expensive, but good.
Bill Baka

For several years I have SA's (the old model and the newer model) on my
two road bikes and their equivalent, the Nimbus on my mtn bike.

No cracks.

"Roadie" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1150484271.279477.226680
@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I mounted a pair of Armadillo "puncture-proof" skinny tires on my MTB
and
sadly I saw cracks on the sidewalls after few months of moderate use. I
do
not think they aged as well as regular fat tires. What are your
experiences
of these tires?

Thanks.

Alan

Have mine on for about 8 months, and the only flat came from the wheel-side
of the tube.

No crack, no mars, no men left...

wvantwiller said:

"Roadie" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1150484271.279477.226680
@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I mounted a pair of Armadillo "puncture-proof" skinny tires on my MTB
and
sadly I saw cracks on the sidewalls after few months of moderate use. I
do
not think they aged as well as regular fat tires. What are your
experiences
of these tires?

Thanks.

Alan

Have mine on for about 8 months, and the only flat came from the wheel-side
of the tube.

No crack, no mars, no men left...

I have used these in the past and have found that I did not like them,
first it was incredibly difficult to mount the tires.
I also had them crack, where bonded and even had one blow out on me.
I like the idea of puncture resistant, but not with two seperate pieces.