Thomas Benson wrote:
>My '54 Holdsworth Monsoon came with Michelin World Tour. After two
>punctures in as many weeks I bought a Pasela Panaracer for the rear.
>I run one of these on my 700c tourer and it has yet to punture.
>World Tour are much cheaper tho, and in my experience excellent
>value.
I agree with your conclusion, but not your reasoning. Punctures are never the fault of the tire, unless it is a tire that has worn so thin that a tiny sliver of glass can fit through it.
There are tires with extra puncture-resistance features, such as Kevlar belts or unusually thick treads. These things may or may not offer a bit of extra protection, but between tires of similar construction and weight, there generally is little difference in puncture reisitance.
Things that I look for in a tire are roundness, regularity, ease of seating, and as little tread as possible. The issue of tread durability is also important. I prefer thin sidewalls for lower rolling resistance, but if you run a wide tire on a narrow rim, you may need beefier sidewalls.
My experience with Michelin tires hasn't been encouraging. For a while I was quite enamored of the Hi-Lite Tour, but despite its nice riding qualities, it turned out to have a relatively short lifespan, and a loose bead that made it unreliable at even moderate pressures.
In my experience, the big 3 Japanese makers, Matshushita/National/Panasonic, IRC/Silver Star and Mitsuboshi/Tioga consistently make the very best tires. I'd give Panasonic a very slight edge over the other two. The only non-Japanese manufacturer I'd rate close in quality would be Continental.
My experience with Vittoria and Vredestein is limited. Low-end Vittorias I've seen have been rapid wearing.
Anybody got a bale of NOS Dunlop HPRRs to sell cheap?
Sheldon "That's My Opinion" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
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