Looking for recommendations for a winter tire. About 80% road, 20% light trail (like gap trail). Not looking for anything studded, just something that has good puncture resistance and rolls decently fast. 700c
Hi Plow13,
Here are a couple of old threads about year-round and winter tires that you may find helpful:
http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/best-road-tire-for-pgh
http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/no-studded-tires-how-about-zip-ties
I dig my 700x28c panaracer t-serv for a lighter tire, or the panaracer ribmo for a more puncture resistant (but heavier) tire. I tend to run t-serv's on my geared bike, ribmo's on my fixed gear.
Most of my flats are from being lazy and getting pinch flats from having too low of a pressure.
^ yup. for puncture resistance its hard to beat the ribmo. and for a heavier slick they still roll well and maintain their grip in the wet.
i'd personally never buy a winter only tire for Pittsburgh. the weather just isn't that bad. I'd maybe get two or three days of use out of it a year. much more sensible to get a good fall/spring tire (i.e. something that deals with wet and junk-filled, potholed streets well)
I love my RIBMOs. When I don't ride around town on them, I usually get a flat. They are a bit tough to put on rims.. Or at least all of the rims I own.
I'm a big fan of my Nokia studded tires for when it gets really snowy/icy. I think I used them a single time last year. I usually throw them on my crosscheck or monocog if the weather report looks bad. They are totally impractical for any other urban riding.
