# UltraGatorSkin vs. Armadillo vs. RiBMo



## der Mond (Jun 17, 2008)

I've always been a fan of Contis but have had my share of flats with UltraGatorSkin tires. They have Kevlar-belted sidewalls only. I was wondering if anyone had experience with Specialized Armadillos or the new Panaracer "Protex" - belted RiBMo tire. Does the Kevlar in the Armadillos cover the tire bead-to-bead? Panaracer says Protex is 4X tougher than Kevlar.


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## Rubber Lizard (May 10, 2007)

Armadillos ride horribly, but last forever and are quite puncture resistant. The Panaracer Ribmo looks to be more of an urban and commuter tire although they do make a 700x25. Since the Ribmo is very new on the market most people won't know too much about it. But most Panaracers have these traits, great rubber that seems to grip well and wear like iron, and a less supple ride than some of the fancy European tire companies so the Ribmo will probably be the same. 
You probably are thinking that kevlar tires have some sort of kevlar flat protection doohickey in them as you have mentioned kevlar in the armadillos and the conti gatorskins. Neither of these tires have kevlar anywhere but the bead of the tire which is often not kevlar. The armadillos rely on their burly casing and a proprietary fabric to make them puncture resistant. The Panaracer Ribmo uses some material besides kevlar to achieve its supposed puncture resistant numbers. There are lots of far neater and tougher organic compounds out there besides aromatic polyamid fibers like kevlar.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

Like previously noted, Armadillos don't ride well. Not even the Armadillo Elites. If you are having flat problems with Gatorskin Ultras, try a Mr Tuffy or Spinskin liner. They aren't the hard plastic liners of the 90's, they are as supple as the tire. I use Gatorskin Ultras on my commuter and run a Tuffy in the rear. I ride through a shipyard and on the shoulder of a state highway. I have only had one flat this year and it was a slow leak that went flat about an hour after I got home.


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## der Mond (Jun 17, 2008)

*Many Thanks!*

Thanks for the intelligent replies, guys, I appreciate it. Considering everything, I have decided to give the Panaracers a shake since Panaracer seems to be shooting for a somewhat new design and construction that appears to try to maximize durability while minimizing weight and rolling resistance. We have really lousy "boulder-sealed" sections of road here and I have already decided to go with a 25C tire anyway. I'm also so tired of fixing flats. Hopefully the carbon frame and fork (Trek 5200) will attenuate ride harshness. Once I get some miles on I will report back. Thanks again! :thumbsup:


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

looks like i am a day late but the tyre combination you want is the schwalbe stelvio plus (for the rear) and any other tyre you choose on the front

after about one flat per week i am now flat-free for over 6 months on this combination


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