Tubular Tyres - Which One

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Squashednuts
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by Squashednuts

I'm going to buy some tubular wheels for my disc brake bike.

I'm sure this topic has been covered to death but I couldn't find the information I wanted when I searched WeightWeenies.

Which tubular tyres are the best compromise between low rolling resistance and puncture protection?

I'm riding Michelin Pro 4 service course on my clinchers.
I'm a big fan
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Wookski
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by Wookski

Squashednuts wrote:
Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:20 pm
I'm going to buy some tubular wheels for my disc brake bike.

I'm sure this topic has been covered to death but I couldn't find the information I wanted when I searched WeightWeenies.

Which tubular tyres are the best compromise between low rolling resistance and puncture protection?

I'm riding Michelin Pro 4 service course on my clinchers.
I'm a big fan
I have always used veloflex: Carbon/Criterium and Arenberg/ Roubaix. They are fantastic tyres but take a little care as they start to cut after 1,500k’s on Sydney’s shitty roads.

I have some bora ultras used for training that run the new Vittoria Corsa Controls. They are heavy @ 300g (25mm) but grip, ride quality and durability has been fantastic. I don’t think they have been reviewed by BRR yet and will be slower than regular corsa due to increased sidewall protection. I highly recommend for comfort/ grip/ durability.

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

continental competiton 25mm the end.

Wookski
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by Wookski

bm0p700f wrote:
Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:07 am
continental competiton 25mm the end.
Fantastic tyres but feel like shit- are they still near impossible to mount?

sungod
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by sungod

depends on your road conditions, barring extremes i wouldn't worry about crr unless you are competing it tt/similar

if you often ride wet roads and they are liable to have bits of sharp glass/flint/whatever then i'd prioritise for that

if you're riding dry roads then veloflex (choose to match rim width) or vittoria corsa g+, in dry conditions i find the veloflex compound has more grip, in the wet the g+ are grippier, but the g+ also cut more easily in the wet

conti comps have a really grippy compound (definitely need stretching before mounting!), but the ride is poor and i found they cut really easily in the wet, my veloflex last longer! but if you have dry roads they're going to be more durable

fwiw i put some conti gatorskin tubs on my winter wheels, ride is the same as the comps, maybe not quite as grippy, but in the wet they seem far less liable to cutting

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by kgibbo1868

Veloflex give a nice balance, great ride, traction, and durability. They are way easier to mount the continentals.
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Calnago
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by Calnago

Wookski wrote:
bm0p700f wrote:
Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:07 am
continental competiton 25mm the end.
Fantastic tyres but feel like shit- are they still near impossible to mount?
Conti Comps are really my favorite wet/foul weather tire. I don’t even find them miserable to ride. I quite like the dotted tread and think the rubber compound is superior to any other tire I’ve tried in wet weather. But they’re only on my rain bike. Other bikes have Veloflex Arrenberg/Roubaix, or even the 27mm Vlanderens. I don’t notice a significant difference in durability.
And yes, they are still a bear to mount. Stretch them for a year if you can :), and start doing finger and thumb exercises two months before mounting. Ha. While I love the Contis for wet weather, I would never take one as a spare for fear I wouldn’t be able to mount it in the wild. I take a Veloflex for my spare. Easy to mount. Great tire.
On balance I’d go with Veloflex.
And Vittoria cut when you look at them sideways.
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bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

I must have the knack as i find a conti comp fairly easy to mount (I push the slack round the rim I suppose I might create slack). I dont even bother stretching them any more just glue and mount. Other tyres like dugasts are easier though. I have mounted comps tyre and gatorskin tubes in the wild quickly. getting the the flatted tyre off though that the hard part (the glue bond with a 23mm wide rim is abit too strong), corsa's are easier to mount but they are coming off alot sooner generally when you show them a bit of rain and they pre puncture all by themseleves (thats an exageration but you get the point)

the ride on the comps is not bad not pave like (this is my favourite tubular for grip but not durability). veloflex tyres as nice as they are are just too pricey well actually there not compared to the comps now - trade price is mush closer than it was.

The cheapest tubular tyre for me is the IRC formula pro team. I have yet to try them though. hopefully spring is round the corner and I will.

sovereign
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by sovereign

Veloflex Arenberg rear ridden till threads showing. Conti Comp flatted the first week in the rear. Orange Seal sealed it. What happened to the price of the Contis? Did they institute some sort of price control? Nothing from the UK sites under $100 for the paste several months and they used to show up frequently for $60 or less shipped to the US.

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

its called brexit and prices have shot up here. so much for taking back control. tubular tyres are not big sellers so these go up in price as no one wants to sell them for nothing like the clinchers. the cheapest i can see them is £57 from wiggle.

I has a meeting with one customer about IRC tyres and we were talking about tyres in general. there comment about conti was the brand is dead. that means there is no money (or not enough) in it for retailers. this is a fair sized online retailer too. Distributors are in the same position. one I know who has said the same thing - no margin. if brand is not making money for those that sell you can see why the price of the tubs is high.

Its a shame because the compettion is really good tyre.

what flats sometimes is just luck or bad luck. you cant read much into it. if you ran over what you did to puncutre the conti tub your veloflex would have gone too.

Rex
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by Rex

I've got Veloflex Arenbergs on my race Enve's which I'm about to sell, but hesitant to get them on my new set of tubs that will be my daily wheels.

As I also love Michelins, I was going to go the Pro4 Service Comp's as they seem to be a get compromise in rolling resistance and puncture protection, while still having a latex inner tube.

Wookski
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by Wookski

bm0p700f wrote:
Sun Mar 04, 2018 11:51 pm
its called brexit and prices have shot up here. so much for taking back control.
I must have missed something- is the British Gov imposing an import tax on Tubulars?

Wookski
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by Wookski

bm0p700f wrote:
Sun Mar 04, 2018 7:03 pm
I must have the knack as i find a conti comp fairly easy to mount (I push the slack round the rim I suppose I might create slack). I dont even bother stretching them any more just glue and mount. Other tyres like dugasts are easier though.
You must have superhuman strength! I find dugasts impossibly tight unless they have been stretched for a couple of days

mrlobber
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by mrlobber

Anyone ever ran Specialized Hell of the North tubs? (basically Turbo Cottons with added tread for more sidewall protection). Size is also 28mm, should be nice competition to Veloflex Vlandeerens?
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sungod
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by sungod

Wookski wrote:
Tue Mar 06, 2018 10:25 am
I must have missed something- is the British Gov imposing an import tax on Tubulars?
the pound took a dive after the 2016 brexit vote, this also triggered inflation going from near zero to c. 3% in about 12 months (and way outstripping earnings growth), stuff costs more
gbp-eur.png
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