Weight Weenies

The Carbons are essentially the same compound and construction as the Arrenbergs/Roubaixs. The difference is in the size and pressure you run them at. The older Carbons were only 22mm (currently 23mm). I would be running these tires at say 110-115psi for my weight. Less rubber on the road. More pressure on the smaller patch. More/faster wear.
Arrenbergs at 25mm I run at 100psi rear/90psi front. Significantly bigger contact patch. Wear is spread over a larger area. Equates to a longer lasting tire. But essentially the same tire as the Carbon, just bigger. I don’t know how much more life I get but I don’t really care. I just like riding them.
Vittorias cut too much for my liking.
Favorite foul weather tire: Conti Competition 25mm. The compound just seems to suit water. But they are a bear to mount and I’d never use one as a take along spare because I don’t think I’d be able to mount it on the road with cold/wet or even warm/dry hands. So for the spare I have a preglued Veloflex.

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as above, the veloflex construction is the same, the wider arenberg/roubaix have just a bit more rubber, they'll take a bit longer to wear because the wear is spread over a larger area

personally i find no difference in puncture resistance, probably because almost all my punctures seem to be from sharp glass/flint on wet roads, the compound cuts easily in these conditions (as do all others i've tried over the years - vittoria g+, conti comp, conti gatorskin, dugast, etc.), on dry roads i find punctures are extremely rare

road surface, weight, types of debris etc. will also affect wear/puncture rates, what's good for one person may be so-so for another

Well this thread convinced me to take the plunge on some tubulars after riding clincher for seven years...nervous right now and hope I made the right decision.

Mavic Cosmic 60mm's inbound for a good price so it won't be the end of the world if I don't like them.

Tubulars are amazing and they're still the best feeling tire with the best traction I've tried. Lightweight setup too. Did all my racing on them, and also rode a full season of training and racing with them. No regrets, although now I'm back to traning with clinchers and saving tubulars for events/races.

Life is too short......Nearly everyday can be a special event day........it’s tubbies for me nearly all the time. I run them down until I start to spot the casing. (Victoria cxIII) with no flats year after year. Maybe not realistic for some but my roads allow for this. As a former racer I can attest to a few times where a slow leak occurred and I was able to limp back to the wheel pit, or the many pot holes not called out that would have snake bit any clincher. A half pound less rotating weight - each and every corner made less stressful to accelerate out of. I grew up on 21mm tubbies. Having transitioned to 23 and then 25.....I see no reason to go wider than 25. Wider typically means less and less pressure which for me adds an element of being more sketchy / less assured.

Today would be a good day to start - Ribble has some great sale prices going on tubs...

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tommasini wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:37 am

Life is too short......Nearly everyday can be a special event day........it’s tubbies for me nearly all the time. I run them down until I start to spot the casing. (Victoria cxIII) with no flats year after year. Maybe not realistic for some but my roads allow for this. As a former racer I can attest to a few times where a slow leak occurred and I was able to limp back to the wheel pit, or the many pot holes not called out that would have snake bit any clincher. A half pound less rotating weight - each and every corner made less stressful to accelerate out of. I grew up on 21mm tubbies. Having transitioned to 23 and then 25.....I see no reason to go wider than 25. Wider typically means less and less pressure which for me adds an element of being more sketchy / less assured.

I agree 100% with all of this. Maybe I'll go back to tubulars for all rides this year again. The ride is just that good and life is indeed too short. Buying a pair of Boras soon. Maybe I've just talked myself into getting them as tubulars.

Glad this thread convinced some folks to jump in (or jump back into) the tubular wagon. I'm super pumped for my Boras to show up next week.

Seems like Arenbergs are the forum favorite -- does it make sense to start there, or start with the Corsa G+ (for a more apples to apples comparison with my Corsa Clinchers)? Also kind of thinking the Anthracite Corsa's might look bad ass (i.e. match well) with Bora dark label and a brushed Ti bike.

But my biggest concern is durability. Nothing would bum me out / turn me off tubulars more than getting stranded roadside.

Oh, and lastly, where can I find this 160g Tufo spare I've seen mentioned. None of my usual online bike shops carry it.

IMO, at the price of the Corsas, buy the Arenbergs, just a few dollars.
It's not a coincidence why the grey Corsas are cheaper.
Beware about the anthracite layer on the Corsa G+ sidewall. I had the rear "rubber or latex like cosmetic layer" litterally melt after being in contact with Finish Line Citrus Degreaser.
I'd try Conti Sprinter 25mm ( slick one, not the Gatorskin) if I wanted to save a few dollars. Depending on your country/avilable deals, maybe the Competition 25mm would be availabe at a good price too.

Nothing would bum me out / turn me off tubulars more than getting stranded roadside.

Oh, and lastly, where can I find this 160g Tufo spare I've seen mentioned. None of my usual online bike shops carry it.

This statement is contraditory. Forget about the Tufo idea. Get a Conti Sprinter 25mm and enjoy riding on tubulars

Louis

Interesting re the melting cosmetic layer on the Corsa.

I just ordered some Arenbergs. Price isn't the issue. I just want the best.

For a spare, I just want something that reasonably light / rolls up to something similar in size to a butyl tube and is enough to get me home if the Pit Stop doesn't work. I hate having lots of crap in my pockets when I ride and can't bring myself to use a saddle bag. Those things are the bike equivalent of truck nuts if you ask me.

wintershade wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 02, 2018 8:08 pm

For a spare, I just want something that reasonably light / rolls up to something similar in size to a butyl tube and is enough to get me home if the Pit Stop doesn't work. I hate having lots of crap in my pockets when I ride and can't bring myself to use a saddle bag. Those things are the bike equivalent of truck nuts if you ask me.

pitstop is a waste of time, it'll only seal tiny punctures, anything bigger and it'll just spray out all over the place, if you want to have a good chance of sealant working use tufo extreme

which country are you in? bike24 sell the light tufo tubs https://www.bike24.com/

wintershade wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 02, 2018 6:47 pm

Glad this thread convinced some folks to jump in (or jump back into) the tubular wagon. I'm super pumped for my Boras to show up next week.

Seems like Arenbergs are the forum favorite -- does it make sense to start there, or start with the Corsa G+ (for a more apples to apples comparison with my Corsa Clinchers)? Also kind of thinking the Anthracite Corsa's might look bad ass (i.e. match well) with Bora dark label and a brushed Ti bike.

But my biggest concern is durability. Nothing would bum me out / turn me off tubulars more than getting stranded roadside.

Oh, and lastly, where can I find this 160g Tufo spare I've seen mentioned. None of my usual online bike shops carry it.

Can’t help you to find that 160 gram Tufo but thought to mention that I use 165 gram (belted) Vittoria crono CS time trial tires at 22mm wide for a very small and light spare. Available at Merlin cycles (uk) $45 less 10% and only $7 shipping to US (if that’s where the OP lives). One of these and a 55g Mini pump easily slip into lycra scuba sock that then rides rather nicely in my center jersey pocket. My added special tool is a 5mm diameter x 12 cm long carbon rod. Both ends are filed flat like a screwdriver so it can be wedged under the tire basetape then rotated along the rim (much like done with a screwdriver) to very quickly unseat the tubbie. That tool is my contribution to weight weenyism

Won't that scratch up and damage the rim?

sungod wrote: pitstop is a waste of time, it'll only seal tiny punctures, anything bigger and it'll just spray out all over the place, if you want to have a good chance of sealant working use tufo extreme

^ get proper sealant, I bring Orange along but haven't got the chance to test it heh. Its just a small bottle of sealant for me, no spare tub.

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I carry a small bottle of Orange seal to, also a 22mm Tufo jet as a spare. Actual weight 158g. Tuckes up nicely under the saddle.

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