# Which tires? TPI?



## hillbillybiker (Feb 24, 2006)

I'm an experienced mt biker, but brand new to road biking. I've been told to scrap the bontrager tires that came on my bike because they flat too easily. (this was after I just flatted which later I discovered was due to a defective tube, not the tire.)

There's a lot of road debris where I live, glass, little rocks, potholes, irregular pavement, thorns, sand. I want something that will help prevent flats (punctures) and be durable over time but still provide a decent ride. I do not care too much about price and am open to all considerations. One guy told me go with vittoria rubino pro. I looked at vittoria website and see that they are 120 tpi and they also offer 220 and 290 tpi. 

What's the advantage/disadvantage of higher tpi? What tires do you suggest? The bontrager's I have are 60tpi, 60tpi I don't like to run on my mt bike so I can see where they might suck, but above 120tpi, what is the advantage? What are these high tpi tires used for that a 120tpi tire cannot do as well? What, if any, advantage is there to having a lower tpi count?

I normally ride in dry conditions.

Thanks for any help.


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## gutpile (Feb 26, 2005)

*Tpi*

I think you'll find the higher the count, the better the tire and ride. Me myself, like Vredesteins Fortezza line of tires. Handmade, high PSI cabability.


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## Mr_Snips2 (Jun 26, 2006)

For the best Puncture resistance available. Go with the Specialized Allcondition-Pro...i've got over 1200miles on them not one flat. I ride on pot holed roads i've ridden over shaddered glass bottles over lots of nasty stuff, and there fast enough to race on too. They are $45 for the dual compound and $38 for the normal one. I like them for everyday use and racing.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Tires with higher thread counts tend to be more supple, more responsive, capable of sustaining higher air pressures, and cost more. For all but the most mundane uses, I'd recommend them.


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## Doggity (Mar 10, 2006)

You want pretty much BOMB proof tires, flat resistance wise, go with Specialized Armadillos. They are heavier, thicker, and stiffer than normal 23's, so they're not the best racing tire. But you WONT get flats (unless you underinflate, and get a pinch flat). Here in 3rd world New Mexico, I won't ride anything else.


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## Pelon2 (Dec 25, 2005)

*I second the Armadillos*

I'm new to the dark side also and when I got my road bike it had some light weight tires on it  can't think of the brand at the moment but was told by a couple of the local roadies that they were great for raceing but did not hold up in training on our local roads and they also suggested the Armadillios .And since putting them on no flats at all five hundred miles flat free


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## Dave_Stohler (Jan 22, 2004)

hillbillybiker said:


> .........
> 
> What's the advantage/disadvantage of higher tpi? What tires do you suggest? The bontrager's I have are 60tpi, 60tpi I don't like to run on my mt bike so I can see where they might suck, but above 120tpi, what is the advantage? What are these high tpi tires used for that a 120tpi tire cannot do as well? What, if any, advantage is there to having a lower tpi count?
> 
> ...


First off, TPI stands for "threads per inch" of the fabric cord, but you seem to be confusing that with PSI, which means "pounds per square inch pressure".

Now, if you are asking about TPI, the higher the thread count, the denser the weave, and the less likely (theoretically) of getting a puncture. Unfortunately, some manufacturers seem to believe that taking 2 layers of 60 TPI fabric qualifies as 120 TPI. I know that Vittoria is famous for this. You need to ask not only what the TPI is, but also how many layers there are.

PSI, on the other hand, should be a function of the tire width and the amount of weight you put on each tire. Road bike tires range anywhere from 100 psi max to 220 psi max on racing tubulars. Just because a tire is rated for xx psi max pressure doesn't mean that you must always ride with them at xx psi pressure. Most road bikes work quite well with 15-20 psi less in the front tire than in the rear. Riding with both tires at maximum pressure will only give you a hard ride and destroy traction on bumpy turns.


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2006)

*Tires are not created equal*

But, in truth, if the problem was with your tube, I would recommend running the tires you have until the wear out. If you ride much, it probably won't take long. I am using Michelin Pro Race right now, and like them (My bike came with Hutchinson Top Speed, said to be awful, and I had a flat due to riding over a rock the second time I rode the bike, and again a couple of hundred miles later (Pothole) but then had 500 miles without a problem. I admit, the Michelins (And the Specialized Armidillo's are a great design) are better. I am leaning towards buying what is on sale.

Good luck.

Sinclair


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## beeristasty (Jan 1, 1970)

Currently having good luck with Panaracer T-Serve Messengers on my commuter and just bought some Stradius Elite Tour Guards for riding the speed machine.

About 2 months ago I flatted riding on an average dual compound tire (was toasted) and replaced it with a Rubino Pro. Looked the Rubino over about 2 weeks later and noticed some cuts in the rubber. Decided to drop more money on some tires that are a little more resilient to debris and so far the Stradius Elite's seem to be holding up nicely.


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## Mark McM (Jun 18, 2005)

Dave_Stohler said:


> Now, if you are asking about TPI, the higher the thread count, the denser the weave, and the less likely (theoretically) of getting a puncture.


Not quite. In fact, in many cases you are _more_ likely to puncture a tire with a high thread count.

Higher TPI doesn't usually mean that the threads are closer together - it usually means the threads are thinner. Which in turn makes the casing thinner. A thinner casing is lighter and more compliant (usually resulting in better ride characteristics), but a thinner casing generally cuts and punctures more easily as well.

All else being equal, a tire with a lower TPI will be thicker, heavier, not as compliant - and more cut and puncture resistant.


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## Josh M (Nov 5, 2005)

My bike came with Vittoria Zaffiro wire bead (only 26 TPI) and after 1000km there was noticeable wear on the rear tire. However, no flats. I switched to Vittoria Rubino Pro tires (120 TPI). They are lighter, and they roll noticeably smoother. 500km so far with no flats. 

probikekit.com has some excellent deals on tires and is currently offering free shipping to Canada, USA and some other countries.


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## jlfbogey (Aug 18, 2004)

I have narrowed my field down to two tires for my roadies---Vredestein Fortezza's (basic black, not the colored SE or TriComp) which can take higher than normal pressures (anywhere from a max of 145-175 for some), and Vittoria Rubino Pro's, also in basic black or black with grey (lower max pressures but similar constructionand overal weight), both in the folding kevlar bead variety. Each weighs in the range of 235-250 grams and has heavy tread with long wear, high TPI (threads per inch in the fabric belting) yielding a smoother and more reliable ride, and a relatively bulletproof reputation. I have literally thousands of miles on these two types of tires on a variety of bikes and have never flatted any of them. I am a heavy rider at 275 pounds and I ride the Fortezza's at around 140psi and the Rubino's at around 120psi with good comfort and no pinch flats.

Hope this helps.


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## seany916 (Feb 8, 2006)

My Vittoria Zaffiros are almost gone at 800 or so miles. Rubino Pros on the way. Recommended by many local riders. The V F are also recommended.


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