So having taken the 25mm Durano Plus tyres off with impressive but regrettable alacrity after their first ride, I've put some miles on their replacements, namely 26.5mm Continental Gator Hardshells.
What a relief! Almost as comfortable as the 26.5mm Gatorskins the Durano Pluses had replaced - the Hardshells are noticeably tougher and thicker-walled and thicker-treaded than the Gatorskins, so not surprising they ride slightly stiffer, but nowhere near as bad as the Durano Pluses. I suspect this is largely because the actual air volume in the 25mm Durano Plus is much reduced owing to the very thick puncture resistant strip.
Also, the Hardshells grip well and roll well. The good news is that the 26.5mm version (labelled '28') has recently been released with folding bead, and it weighs only 320g compared with 410-440g for the Durano Plus. Folding versions of the wider Gatorskins (labelled '28' and '32') have also just been released, each saving a fair bit of weight over their wired counterparts. Only Ribble seems to stock the wider folders at present (well, 28s at least - the 32s are "out of stock"): no one else even lists them.
So my early conclusion (subject to long-term assessment of Hardshell puncture resistance) is that the Durano Plus is not really the most appropriate tyre for all-day riding on Britain's dreadfully rough roads now that 26.5mm folding Hardshells exist. The Hardshell seems to offer the best compromise of comfort, grip, weight and robustness, while the Durano Plus is more suited to riding shorter distances where puncture resistance is the overriding priority (e.g. commuting on glass-strewn roads/paths) and where comfort is low on the agenda.
