Hello there

I am considering buying a completly unused pair of Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLR in second hand. They come without the tires that Mavic originally fits them with.

So, i was wondering, what would (if i decide to buy) be the best clincher tyre to choose for serious racing? As i see it, the key points is:

* Low rolling resistance
* Good grip (at least on the front)
* Low weight
* Rather puncture resistant (often, theres a is a lot of small gravel on the roads here in Denmark)

I also have the possiblity of choosing a pair of Mavic CC Ultimate, ridden for 500 km. for an extra price of ca. 300 dollars.

So, any thoughts?

Continental Grand Prix 4000s.

(Leave this thread up long enough and you'll eventually get every single race tire made suggested to you)

As hinted at by 2011 you are going to get a whole heap of different answers on this one! Personally I have had bad luck with GP4000's so wouldn't recommend them, same with Michelin Pro Race 4's.

Schwalbe Ultremo ZX HD's were good when I had them but I now stick with Vittoria Open Pave CG if the roads are poor or Open Corsa CX when they are a bit better.

For serious racing there is no debate, get the CC Ultimates. Just make sure you put them on a truing stand and inspect the rims before you buy. The performance gap is HUGE between these two choices. For tires, Veloflex or FMB is what you need. Get them now and let them age until at least Spring. Then go be a badass.

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Yes, definitely worth the extra $300 for the Ultimates.

I generally race on Vittoria Evo CXs, for what it's worth. They're not the most punture resistant though, so you might want to avoid them.

Currently racing Gatorskins on my tubs. They're very good under the danish circumstances.

I think you're right, that i'll have to inspect the CC Ultimates if i choose them.

Btw. the Ultimates are from 2009 and the SLRs are from 2012 - I'm definetly most hooked on the Ultimates, but tubs are expensive when you puncture...

I have had very good luck with the GP 4000s here in Denmark

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"Stay cool and try to survive" A. Klier to the other members of the Garmin classics squad the night before P-R.

I like Ultremo DDs in 25mm in bad weather, Ultremo ZX in the summer.

GP4000S or better yet, Force/Attack.

After having bad experiences with Vittoria, I got a bike that came with Vittoria CX, and they have now flatted 8 times in under 1000km... No good. They are a nice ride, though. I have a bit better luck with Veloflex, but I would still only use them in the three summer months, where the roads are most clean. The Ultremos are ok, but I like the Conti's better and they are also more robust.

And for the record, the Danish conditions are terrible with a hell of a lot of flint. All the foreign Pro-teams that race here, are usually flabbergasted by the amount of punctures they get here, especially in rain.... I have not completed a rainy race in 3 years, because of punctures, so expensive and thin tires is not the best idea.

After a bit of flint knapping with my GP4000's the bad luck has come to an end I hope. I really like the grip in the wet and the dry. They seem resoably puncture resitant to. The bad luck I had on the would have done in any tyre. Flint knapping is bad thing to do with tyres.

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www.thecycleclinic.co.uk

tubulars: veloflex carbons (23mm)
clincher: vittoria cx (the 2013 line of vittoria will be out first week of november, fyi)

as for the conversation above, the ccus would be light years better than the slrs!

...and if you go for the Ultimates, may i recommend the new, soon-to-be-released Continental Comp Attack/Comp Force tubular set. basically Competitions, optimised for front and rear use, 22mm/24mm

since you're asking about clinchers....don't forget latex tubes, i like the vittoria's

I am wondering what really the difference between Comps and Attack/Force tubs is, except for the slightly different thread (and the wider rear, obviously, but there's also a 25mm Comp).

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Bikes: Raceur, Beateur

I'm running CC SLE's, while your at at dont forget to bin the rim tape and use Veloplugs to save yourself 40 grams at the rim

I run 23F/25R Conti GP4000S with Conti Supersonics to save myself another 100g over normal tubes. The GP's offer good wet and dry grip, predictability, low RR and seem bombproof, even with accasional trips down the gravel on towpaths and wet flint covered South Downs roads. Supersonics give you the feel of latex (they are sooo flexible), without the weight and are dead easy to patch as normal rubber. I actually think they puncture less than thicker tubes as the rubber deforms over objects. I even run supersonics in my mountain bike and have been impressed by the lack of punctures (Thats me doomed, next ride then)

I hated the vittorias, crap in the wet and sliced to bits in minutes, did feel OK for the 1 hour of dry ride before the heavens opened and they destroyed themselves. Conditions the Conto's just shrug off

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Cervelo S3 2011. Blinged 6.718 Kg