Soma B Line vs Express vs Pari Moto 650b tires

[jsk]

Hey there,

Is anyone riding the new Soma 650b tires? I've been on a pair of Pari
Moto's here in NYC for only 3 months and have had 4 flats already (and
they're coming more frequently now) .... all glass. Probably clocked
750 miles on them so far with some wear in the rear tread. Love the
38's but can't deal with so many punctures ... not with winter coming,
anyway.

My quandary with the Soma's being this: Should I go with the true 38
of the B-Line (guessing/hoping that they're as comfy as the Pari
Moto's but more durable) or just get the Xpress with the "Hyper-Tex"
35's

[LBleriot]

I've been running the B-Lines on my Bleriot for the past several
weeks. I like them alot. They do not feel a supple and smooth
rolling as the P-Ms, but I think they provide a better ride on
pavement than CdVs with a bit more tread life than P-Ms. IMHO they
provide great bang for the buck. I understand that Gran Bois is
coming out with a replacement for the Trimline this winter.

[Bruce]

I've got 771 mi on my P-Ms and no flats, or appreciable tread wear yet. I still like them a lot.

I've also been running some GB Cypres, and 2100 flat free miles on them and plenty of tread wear left.

GB Oursons with 1,300 miles run much better than CdVs, despite sharing the same tread pattern. At 60 psi, they are an excellent all purpose roadway tire, and at 50 PSI handle crappy surfaces well.

The mileage leader so far though is the Conti Ultra Gator skin. 3,200 miles, no flats, but starting to get some squared off looking tread wear.


These are all on different bikes, of course.

I'd love to try the Soma tires, but gosh, there is a lifetime supply of rubber in the garage already! Including some Speedblends that I intend to try someday.

---

From: LBleriot <gary....@att.net>
To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tue, November 2, 2010 10:03:39 AM
Subject: [RBW] Re: Soma B Line vs Express vs Pari Moto 650b tires

[Lee]

I've only been using the B-lines for the past few weeks, so I can't
speak to their durability. And, I've only had one flat in the last xx
years (double-digits!) on any tire, so I'm not sure about their
relative flat resistance. But, I have ridden them on the same bike
over the same routes as with CdlVs, Nifty Swiftys, and Hetres. I think
the B-line fits in a nice space between the CdlVs and Niftys. They are
almost as easy to accelerate as the Niftys, while providing similar
cush and handling as the CdlVs. These features are important to me, as
I'm using them on the Quickbeam commuter. So, lots of stops and
starts, crappy surfaces, and the need to be nimble in my urban area.

I found the Hetres to be slow in the starts, and the width (I'm
guessing) made for slow handling. I only liked the Niftys pumped
pretty high (~60-65 psi, and I've tried a lot of different ranges).
But, this gave a harsh ride--although I did like how easy it was to
climb with them when doing longer distance rides. The CdlVs provided a
softer ride with quick enough handling for me. But, they were
noticeably harder to accelerate and climbing was a little bit more of
a slog. Sorry, I don't have any experience with the Hyper-Tex version
of the SOMAs.

One note: I don't think the B-lines will measure out to a true 38 mm.
The CdlVs I've had for the past 2.5 years measured 35.5 mm. I think
the B-lines will be similar.

Next on my imaginary budget-less list: the new GB 584x36 tires, the
Cypres, and the PMs.

And now for the pics!:
http://tinyurl.com/2ajarmb
http://tinyurl.com/2d23ryl
http://tinyurl.com/24tlw2v
http://tinyurl.com/26ogncm

Best,
Lee

[rcnute]

The B lines are great. I have the non-Hypertex. They aren't as comfy
as Pari-Motos but you'll hardly notice. Save your Pari-Motos for
summer.

Ryan

On Nov 1, 7:38 pm, jsk <jeff...@lightsideps.com> wrote:

[Bill M.]

No experience with the Somas, but I've had at least 6 flats in maybe
300 miles on the P-M's. Mostly goatheads, but at least one was a tiny
glass shard. Not an auspicious start.

Bill

[Tex69]

I've ridden 3 650b tires so far and I'd rank them in this order
according to my needs:

Soma's
GB Cypres
CldV's

Now, the Cypres were the most supple tires I've ever ridden, 'like
butta'". That said, the rear tire showed significant wear after just
1000m (I'm not small, mind you), and I had a couple flats crop up with
very minor road grime. I never liked the CldV's, but I also never got
flats, so that's positive.

I bought the Soma's and immediately did a solo century and loved them.
They supple and comfy enough and tough enough. I think they're a nice
balance for all kinds of riding. And with the price, I'd suggest
giving them a try.

[jsk]

Thanks everyone,

The input is really helpful ... Lee and Bruce, I don't know where you
guys ride and never get flats but I can certainly say I'm jealous! I'm
going to slog along on the PM's a bit longer and see if maybe I'm just
having a run of bad luck. If I bail soon, it will be for the 38/B-
Lines ... if I can make it longer, I'd like to try the upcoming 36/GB
Lierre's. I'd really like a set of Hetre's but don't think I can
squeeze them under my 50mm Honjo's.

all best/jsk