Best 26" tires

[davidpaul]

I hate flats with a passion. I got a side wall flat on my front Kendra in the 1st 50 miles. I have had a lot of success with 700 armadillos on my previous DF, but I would prefer to stay with the 26" wheels on the Softrider. I was looking for a 26" gatorskin or armadillo but there seems to be very limited 26" selections.
* What kind of tire you riding?
* What width tire are you riding?
* What do you like/dislike about them?
* What's your flat to mile ratio?

 

[MrSteve]

I use Nashbar-brand 26"

I use Nashbar-brand 26" slicks.

I buy one on sale every few years and rotate the tires front-to-back, throwing out the worn one.
They're heavy tires, so they take a while to accellerate and they are both narrower and
lower-profile than the stock Kendas, so they ride harsher.
I like them 'cause they're high quality, very affordable and stand up to a lot of punishment.

Flat frequency?
Oh, I don't know... one every six months?
I just fixed my first flat this year, this morning.
So, for this year's season of riding (so far) I get one flat per year.

 

[KenM]

I also hate flats!
The

I also hate flats!
The original Kenda Kwests were fine for about 9 months. They were looking a bit worn with numerous small cuts, but then quite suddenly I started getting punctures just about every week for 5 weeks. It may be cooincidence but as I was heading out on last year's Great Vic Bike ride soon, so I swapped to a pair of Schwalbe Marathons. They have been very reliable with only one flat (I picked up a large tip from a box cutter, so I'm inclined to forgive). The run at 100psi so are firm and fast. They are not as slick, but I haven't noticed much of a difference.
-Ken

 

[davidpaul]

tire width???

I was using 1" tires on the road and 1.5" for trail. The 1.5" seem noticably slower but there I have not come across many 26"X1" options. What widths have you tried? What seems to work best for you?

 

[super slim]

tire width

I use Continental sports contact 26" * 1.3" (90 psi)for bitumen roads, and Cont Town & Country 26" * 1.9" (60 psi) for gravel roads.
The 1.9" are notably slower due to the lower pressure, but MUCH better on corregations, and the 1.3" tyres just bury themselves into ANY gravel.

Both tyres are very puncture resistant.

Super Slim