I bought these tires because Panaracer decided to quit making their Small Knobs in 43mm. The Continentals say 45mm, but they look to be the same width as the SK 43s. I've only had them on the bike for two months but so far so good. They were a little pricier than the Panaracers and I gave them 4 stars just because I haven't had them long enough to know how durable they are. Grip is good, slightly more aggressive than the SKs, but still low profile enough to roll well when on pavement.
I've went through many brands of bar tape on my bikes, but after having tried this ENVE 3mm tape I won't try anything else.
This is probably the easiest tape I've wrapped. The tape stretches and contours to the bar, but if you need to redo a section it's easy.
The included finishing tape isn't your ordinary electrical or vinyl tape. It's a stretchy textured strip with adhesive. It makes the final product look and feel premium.
Finally, the overall feel and grippiness of the tape during rides is great. The 3mm thickness provides excellent damping.
Durability over time is still in the air as I had only installed it a couple months, but so far so good.
I have a previous 5-star review of these tires which I posted soon after purchasing and installing. Now at about 1600 miles, this review updates that prior review. The front tire has performed well and still has some life (estimated ~500 miles left) however the rear tire failed close to home. It started with a small hole that sealed, however within a couple of miles, the rear tire showed at least a dozen small holes throughout tread. Eventually, the rear tire would not hold air. Later that day, I removed and threw out both tires.
I put 38mm Protek tires and new tubes on my Specialized Crossroads hybrid comfort bike for riding older bumpy ashphalt trails and street bike lane riding. They do measure a little wider than the worn out 38mm Specialized Nimbus tires they replaced, but I had no clearance problems. After two years of riding, no problems so far. Check the pressure before each ride and go, top off the pressure every month or two. They ride smooth and quiet, absorb bumps and potholes well at around 55 to 60 PSI for my 265 pounds.
These are E-25 E-bike rated. When the fast wearing stock tires on my E-bike wear out later this summer I plan to replace them with these Protek tires.
I was pleasantly surprised that The Bike Farmer mentioned in one of his YouTube videos that he likes to put new Michelin Protek tires on the refurbished used bikes he sells in his bike shop, because they rarely cause any returns for his customers and they are not expensive.
