Tufo's getting blasted, what is your take?

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marko
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by marko

I hang out at www.slowtwitch.com for new news on aero issues. I'm strictly road this year but other interesting debates come up and I thought this one might interest this forum as many here ride Tufo tires.

Their debate is now centered on the recent German mag which showed Tufos to be the slowest tires out there. They are trying to do some powermeter test to see if it is true, as Tri guys like Tufo's too. Perhaps Schwalbe and Conti is paying to have the Czech competion dismantled :roll:

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homegrown
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by homegrown

I check out their forum too, and honestly I'm not putting much weight on their self devised tests. But, it is interesting, as I just bought some Tufos, to see if something conclusive comes of this.

John979
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by John979

homegrown wrote:I check out their forum too, and honestly I'm not putting much weight on their self devised tests. But, it is interesting, as I just bought some Tufos, to see if something conclusive comes of this.
Same here, they should be doing a coast-down test, not a slow uphill test.
John979

homegrown
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by homegrown

Wouldn't a coast down test be greatly effected by slight variations in aerodynamic position on the bike? As well as freewheel body, etc. Personally I think the only way to get an accurate test would devise some type of method (or machine) that keeps humans out of it. For example, it would keep wattage constant and remove aero factors. Also, what psi does one run for the test? The highest max? So many variables its almost not worth arguing about.

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jersievers
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by jersievers

Their glue-tap got "blasted" by the Kansas Thermodynamic Research Department testing lab too.

http://www.engr.ku.edu/~ktl/bicycle/Part7.pdf

On the tire thing, I they don't have as supple a casing and might be mostly do to the kevlar layer the add under the tread. Their tube is strong but not as fast as the latex they put in the faster "V" tires in the German article....
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... ce&start=0

I have the Tufo S3 lite and the Vittoria Evo CX mounted right now. I will tell you putting them at the same pressure and "putting a thumb" to them the Vits are way softer/supple. They Vits are more lively on the road and corner better. Faster??? Hard to calculate.

mises
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by mises

There have been other tests that showed the same thing. John Cobb's tests showed Dugast were the best, Conti competition tubs second and then it was all high end clinchers. Can't remember the numbers but Tufo were truly bad. Veloflex was not tested as I recall.

My own experience is that Tufos are the worst riding tubulars I have used for feel and rolling resistance (before I ever saw test results). I would go to clinchers before I would ride Tufos again. They are durable and very round but nothing else positive about them.

You really don't need to do a test to tell the rolling resistance would be bad - the casings were so stiff on the Elite road ones I had the tire would stay fairly circular leaned up against the wall. :shock:

marko
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by marko

I also will not get Tufos again as they are too slick for criterium racing. I remember the Cobb test, and he made a comment that it was due to the lip that exists between the casing and tread. I think newer Tufo's do not have a large lip, mine does. Cobbs tests were aerodynamic in nature. Our race schedule is all road races and then all Crits, so I will keep them mounted until crit season.

John979
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by John979

homegrown wrote:Wouldn't a coast down test be greatly effected by slight variations in aerodynamic position on the bike? As well as freewheel body, etc. Personally I think the only way to get an accurate test would devise some type of method (or machine) that keeps humans out of it. For example, it would keep wattage constant and remove aero factors. Also, what psi does one run for the test? The highest max? So many variables its almost not worth arguing about.
One would need to be as constant as possible; yes, machine is better but in the one machine test we had, the Tufos did not fair well; however, there were questions over pressure that may be valid.

Another problem with the "Slow Twitch Test" is that its done at low speeds where rolling resistance is naturally low...
John979

weiwentg
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Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 8:16 pm

by weiwentg

I found the Tufos to be pretty slow tires when I used them. I had a set of Zipp 303s with the sub 215g Tufo tires (can't remember the name). they never felt that quick. in fact, when I went to a set of wheels with Ritchey DS 27mm rims and Michelin Pro Races, I felt just as fast.

PNuT
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Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:33 pm

by PNuT

sub 215 tyres feel slow :lol:

i wouldnt even put them damp old squids on my TT bike......

im gutted they dont make the 145 grm ones anymore

whats this talk about 215 gram tubs doing on weight weenies anyway?

stumpytrunks
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by stumpytrunks

Have used conti podiums on a borrowed zipp 404 set, vittoria pista evos on my x-tremes and borrowed a corima 4spoke/disk from the institute of sport which had the tufos on them. All ridden on the track. As the wheels were different it is hard to tell but as they are all of roughly the same aero/stiffness quality I think its fair to say that the vittorias are magic, contis felt dull and tufos were like riding on grass, an absolute waste of money and a shame to put on a nice pair of wheels.

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Coolhand
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by Coolhand

Tufo's have a horrible track record at our local shop. Most of the people on our club that used them have swapped to something else. Lots of Conti Comp and Sprint use. The Vittorias get some love too.

:D
This forum would be a better place if you had to know what you were talking about prior to posting. And if you took yourself less seriously.

mike
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by mike

little off topic, but don't use any of that tufo sealant to prevent punctures unless you've already punctured.

because if you let the air out of your tubulars, the sealant gets stuck in the air nozzle and you won't be able to pump your tires unless you remove the tire from the wheel, take out the valve, and clean out all the sealant.

it is a very time consuming process and not worth it.

PNuT
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by PNuT

mike wrote:little off topic, but don't use any of that tufo sealant to prevent punctures unless you've already punctured.

because if you let the air out of your tubulars, the sealant gets stuck in the air nozzle and you won't be able to pump your tires unless you remove the tire from the wheel, take out the valve, and clean out all the sealant.

it is a very time consuming process and not worth it.


erm.... you are putting too much in

only open them with the valve @ the top

i dont actually let my tubs down between races :shock: :lol:

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marko
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by marko

Aint ya supposed to top it off with the sealant? YOW!

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