Keen eyed readers of this forum may recall I successfully resurrected some RSX brifters (thought they were RX-100, but they were RSX). Said brifters belong on a Dawes Audax Giro which I picked up for not a lot on fleaBay a couple of years ago. Now that it shifts properly I was able to take it for a proper spin this afternoon, to iron out any wee niggles. Lovely day for it and I'm pleased with the bike overall, especially given how little it cost.
(Side note: I am a fan of Dawes Audax bikes, I now own three: two Dawes Audax Giros and one Dawes Audax Supreme).
Anyway I noticed that the forks are different from my other Dawes Audax Giro, which is exactly the same colour but a smaller frame and maybe slightly earlier model. These forks have braze-ons for low riders meaning the bike could potentially be used for touring as well as audax/day rides. My other Dawes Audax Giro has forks without these braze-ons, just the ones for mudguards (the Audax Supreme has all the braze-ons on the forks). Oh it came with a Selle San Marco Rolls saddle too, which I like a lot.
To get to the point of this post: the tyres. It's fitted with Specialized Nimbus Armadillo 700 x 28 with tan sidewalls. They looked unused (before the spin), though I think that model of tyre is no longer available. They ride nicely and seem quite light.
Just wondering if anyone has views on Armadillos? Are they reliable? Is the puncture protection up to much? Any issues I need to be aware of?
Comments welcome.