Tour of Flanders sportive

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Comments

  • ram038
    ram038 Posts: 187
    My fist attempt at a sportive and what a baptism. I had the front tube puncture 4 times ended up doing the last 6 miles on a flat front tire as no help available and too cold to be able to change tire anyway. Though I had finished when I reached that Archway in Ninove only to find on my way to the railway station that I had in fact not finished.Came home early on Sunday with a cracked rib and sprained \swollen wrist. I can now look back after initially thinking I will never do anything as stupid again and say it was something I am glad I did and look forward to next years Tour. I will be better prepared. I have never ridden with other riders before loved being in a peleton of 20 to 30 riders bombing along the roads. Pity I can't climb for toffee though
  • xover_runner
    xover_runner Posts: 228
    Who punctured and what tyres where you on?

    Had a lot of thought about tyres before the event and got lots of conflicting advice. In the end I didn't bother with special tyres and was on 23mm conti gatorskins and didn't puncture.
  • stjohnswell
    stjohnswell Posts: 482
    I was on conti 4season 23's. No punctures on these all winter - result!
  • ram038
    ram038 Posts: 187
    xover_runner wrote:
    Who punctured and what tyres where you on?

    Had a lot of thought about tyres before the event and got lots of conflicting advice. In the end I didn't bother with special tyres and was on 23mm conti gatorskins and didn't puncture.

    had the tyres that came with the bike nothing special.I crashed twice on corners in the wet so I will be changing them now though. i have checked the tyres and wheels for anything that could have caused the punctures and found nothing.
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    My "cobblespankers" of choice are 24mm Vittoria Open Paves - no punctures in the 2 Rondes I've done. A mate used 28mm Conti Fourseasons and I may go for these next year as the ride comfort is just that bit better.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • gavintc
    gavintc Posts: 3,009
    I tried (admittedly quite late in the day) to get hold of some 25 mm tyres. None of the LBS close to my house sold any reasonable quality ones. So, I rode it on a pair of new Conti 4000's 23 mm. It worked, perhaps a little jarring on the pave, but not unacceptable. I did not puncture. Ironically, the 3 punctures out of 5 bikes were on friend's bikes equipped with 25mm tyres. But, I think that was just bad luck rather a tyre choice issue.
  • Hugues
    Hugues Posts: 115
    I also used 24mm Vittoria Open Paves at 120 psi. No punctures (although I picked out a couple of pieces of glass at the end) and good grip on the wet pave.
  • normanp
    normanp Posts: 279
    A friend rode with 25mm on the back, 28mm on the front - no punctures or falls. He said that the bigger tyres allowed him to run them at lower pressures (eg 80psi) to get better grip and some comfort.
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    I never change set-up, 23 conti 4000's at 120psi, mainly to avoid pinch punctures. No punctures on three Flanders now (touch wood), but there were moments during Saturday when I was dreading them.....hands too cold to change the tube probably.

    I don't use extra bar tape or anything like that for the cobbles, there aren't really enough of them to make it worthwhile IMO.

    Paris-Roubaix on the other hand is different - I would change set-up for that....there's enough crazy cobble action there to drive you insane.
  • wheeler585
    wheeler585 Posts: 552
    Does anyone know if there are any pics taken from the flanders sportive?? Oh yeah michelin pro race 2 pumped up to 120 psi worked a treat,powered up them climbs...bit harsh on the cobbles like hands were numb afterwards!!!! Like to get the full effect!! :wink:
    Up hup hup hup.....fricking hate that!
  • ram038
    ram038 Posts: 187
    wheeler585 wrote:
    Does anyone know if there are any pics taken from the flanders sportive?? Oh yeah michelin pro race 2 pumped up to 120 psi worked a treat,powered up them climbs...bit harsh on the cobbles like hands were numb afterwards!!!! Like to get the full effect!! :wink:

    pics are now online on the Rv homepage you just need to enter your number from the day
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Enter your rider number here
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    Next one is on Saturday 4 April 2009, according to an email I got from the organisers. See you all there I hope.
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • notanotherusername
    notanotherusername Posts: 398
    Bronzie wrote:
    Enter your rider number here

    I did that but some other person's picture appears :(

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