Desser 850 or Goodyear 26"

[JayHenry]

I'm looking for the best "Training Wheel/Winter" tire for our STi. A fair amount of the training will be done on pavement and during the winter there aren't to many places to land off airport nearby so mostly pavement landings. Some of the locals run different tires in the winter instead of burning up the expensive Alaskas on the pavement which seems to make good sense. I am looking at either the Goodyear 26" which is truly only 23" and apparently fairly stiff or the 22" 8.50 Desser.
Does anyone have advice one way or the other? Or possibly another tire I haven't found, they will be going on Beringer sealed wheels so will be run tubeless.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[SomeDay7]

I was just with Stick and Rudder and flew the STI. I was told that a lot changes when you go with the smaller tires on the STI. So you practice with that site picture. Lift off angle, maybe speed change (smaller, lighter tire). Then when you really need it off airport. Everything is changed.

[alexM]

I can only speak to the Desser 8.50 tires I run on my Citabria. I'm at 2 years with several hundred landings on pavement (including pure torture of students in the plane) and it looks like I'll get another year out of them.
I know they're not as cool as 26" and beyond but they are cheaper by a LONG ways and also much, much lighter. I've measured my tires myself and they are 22" diameter.

[PapuaPilot]

I have had the Desser 22" tundra tires for 5 years now with 250 hours over 500 landings. They are maybe half worn on the outboard side, I haven't rotated them yet. They should last 2-3x longer. Hard to beat the price.

[Eric Page]

Are we talking about the Desser tundras that sell for ~$170 (here (https://shop.desser.com/Aircraft-Tires-and-Tubes/21-800-6-4-PLY-AERO-CLASSIC-TL-TT-LSA-TUNDRA-SMOOTH.asp) or here (https://shop.desser.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=9DB2F6D9A473469892AA578A 0A4ABCAF)), or the ones that sell for $320 (here (https://shop.desser.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=78946C1894B843E0AB3E640F CBE2908C)) to $340 (here (https://shop.desser.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=BAB6FA72A07F4FEDAE85717E 1387DCF3))?

[alexM]

The first ones are 8.00s, then you have 8.50 tube type (which I'm running) and then tubeless which must be new.

[PapuaPilot]

I have the 850 with tubes. None of the others were available when I got mine.

[jrevens]

Same thing here.