That got me to thinking about tires and all the flats we had in AZ. Susan of PAC Tours recommended we ride 25's. Many did. Art rode GatorSkins, 25's, but had 3 flats. Maybe just bad luck. The other night I remembered a very good piece that DK of Portland wrote about tires from an informal survey he had conducted this past February. With his permission, I put a few excerpts below. The complete VeloCITY article The Way We Role, can be accessed on Portland Velo's site:
DK writes, "If there is a conclusion to be drawn from this sample, it is that the Continental GP 4000, and the Conti GP 4 Seasons, have multiple strong supporters in several categories. Michelin Pro3s and Vitoria Rubino Pro’s are close behind. Honorable mention to Vittoria Pave Evo because, while not getting as many votes, those that use them REALLY like them."
A seasoned rider wrote, “During spring, summer, and fall, on training rides, I use supple, grippy, lightish clincher tires with a round cross-sectional profile and a puncture-resistant breaker. I like to use Vittoria EVO Pave CG clincher tires on bikes with limited clearances. Vittoria Pave CG clincher tires come in only one size, 700c x 24mm. Like other nice clincher tires, their casing is fairly supple, compound is sticky, volume is sufficient, and tire life is OK. Pave CGs are much more robust (particularly in the side wall), have a thicker tread, and last much longer than the race-oriented Vittoria EVO CX clincher tires. Pave CGs are much more supple, faster, and a little lighter than a good winter tire like a Continental Grand Prix 4-Seasons.
During the winter and early spring, I like to ride lightly-inflated 25mm or, where there is sufficient fender and frame clearance, 28mm Continental Grand Prix 4-Seasons clincher tires. These tires have a very grippy tread compound (even in the wet), reinforced side walls, puncture-resistant belts, and a Kevlar bead. They work well in the conditions that the Willamette Valley and adjacent foothills experience in the winter. However, their ride is much less supple than a good, summer tire. I try to ride the widest tires that will fit on my winter bike; wider tires can be inflated to lower pressures than narrower ones without risking pinch flats. Lowering inflation pressure greatly increases comfort and tire grip in the wet. Lightweight, narrow racing tires are not very suitable or reliable on the wet, gritty roads that characterize Willamette Valley roads for eight months of the year.
For racing, a very supple, hand-made, light, tubular tire has many advantages. It should be considered if a rider can afford a second wheel set, and tolerate the inherent inconveniences of a tubular (e.g., repairing, gluing, and replacement). Tubulars are particularly suitable for cyclocross competition, because they can be ridden at very low pressures to increase grip without the risk of pinch-flatting. They are also appropriate for road racing and time trialing. A tubular wheel set with tires is always much lighter, and can be spun-up faster than an equivalent clincher wheel set. Carbon tubular rims are lighter and much more durable than equivalent carbon clincher rims.”
For now, I'll keep riding my 23's, the Continental Gran Prix 4 Seasons that have been on since January and made it through the roads of AZ without problems. Every night down there I used an old dental tool to pick out little pieces of glass. Whenever I went through glass or other debris, I'd do a quick sweep of the tires. These tires have little slits from all the glass and are slightly worn, but I'm not going to replace them yet. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I do need a new dental tool though.
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