Tyres for Flanders

zippypablo

Sorry for another tyre question.
I'm doing the Tour of Flanders sportive next year and have started thinking about tyres.

I'm planning on using 24 or 25s and have looked at either;

Michelin Krylion
Conti GP4000s or
Vittoria Pave.

Any thoughts on these or any others to consider?

Cheers

londoncommuter

I used Vittoria Pave's last year. Can't say the extra 1mm of tyre made me glide painlessly over the brutal cobbles but at least I looked the part on the start line.

greasedscotsman

Last time I rode it, I used 23mm Michelin Pro Race 2. Think the pressure is more important than using big fat tyres. The cobbles aren't that bad anyway, nothing like ones at Roubaix!

ugo.santalucia

As said the cobbles are not terrible like Paris Roubaix, but if you are not accustomed, you'll still find them tough.

24 mm too narrow, 25 is the very minimum.... better even 27 mm at 90 PSI... remember hands light on the bars (resist the temptation to grip tight) and lots of power in the legs to keep the speed up. If you manage to stay over 20 mph you'll fly and fall in love with the cobbles, if you drop less than 15 mph, you'll hate them.
As for the climbs, make sure you have a small gear for Paterberg and Koppenberg (and the Muur if it's still part of the course), something like 34 x 27. Longer climbs, like the Oude Kwaremont require lungs and power, to keep the speed up

bobgfish

Rode it last year on 25mm Conti GP4 Seasons. Riding it again this year. The climbs are not tough and easy enough provided no one gets in your way. I was fortunate last year to have a few pushers help me when i would have had to walk because of monkeys in front of me. The cobbles are fairly harsh and will shake anything off your bike. The first cobbled drive way that was 20 metres wide had 20-30 waterbottles scattered on the road just past it. I managed most climbs in a 39x25 so its not that bad. They are short and sharp and you need strength. A bail out gear will help if you are not a strong climber. My GPS read 1800 metres of climbing over the 260 KM course.

Also doing Paris-Roubaix the next day for the first time this year. Hoping the same tyres are up to it. Don't think anything wider will fit on the bike!!!. Still thinking about extra bar tape and will wear gloves (I don't normally).

Rodrego Hernandez

24mm conti all season or Vittoria Corsa CG like the pros use. Quality inner tubes are the key (not specialized or nutrak, try michelin or vittoria or continental)

Monty Dog

The biggest tyres you can fit at a pretty low pressure - Michelin Krylions in 25mm, Vittoria Paves or Challenge Pariji-Roubaix (if you can find them). Pinch punctures / sidewall damage is the main problem, not sharps - there are some big gaps between the stones in places that can trap/damage a skinny tyre.

zippypablo

Thanks for the input everyone.
I'm not too bad on climbs but that's more about being under 11 stone than any power.
Leaning towards either the Michelin or Conti options.
Cheers,
Paul

mrushton

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/10/ ... ore_195985

bobgfish

Anyone know the max tyres that will fit a Specialized Roubaix frame? Got 25mm GP4's on it but reading this and others may want to try the 28mm ones. Do they fit?

Cllr Hodgen

This will be my 4 year on the bounce, shame about the course change, but that's a different subject of debate!

Used in the past:

vittoria zaffiro - £10 specials - zero punctures - ribble scandium

Michelin pro race 3's - zero punctures - but a spoke snap! - Isaac Ultrasonic

Last year was on the SL3 roubaix with speccy roubaix tyres - zero punctures.

Luck of the draw - it's a hell of a day out, i've seen it all in the past, including one year a fella missing the T junction and going right off into the opposite side of the roads hedge, missing a timber telegraph pole by a flea's knacker... he was taken off in a meat box...

Also there's a horrible bit of pave that leads down some sweeping bends to a timber level crossing, that then has another 90° bend on the other side, ... this resembled the opening scenes from Saving Private Ryan, but instead of grenades there were bidon's all over, chucking water everywhere and then people running into them, or swerving to avoid them... and then there were the 10 folk deep hills to get up - ANYWAY - you get the idea!....

SO ON THAT ONE - HAVE A LOVELY TIME, and maybe see you there!!

greasedscotsman

Cllr Hodgen wrote:

Also there's a horrible bit of pave that leads down some sweeping bends to a timber level crossing, that then has another 90° bend on the other side, ... this resembled the opening scenes from Saving Private Ryan, but instead of grenades there were bidon's all over, chucking water everywhere and then people running into them, or swerving to avoid them... and then there were the 10 folk deep hills to get up - ANYWAY - you get the idea!....

There's a top tip everyone can agree on, fit some proper cages to your bike if your doing either Flanders or Roubaix!

Cllr Hodgen

Yep, I use specialized plastic rib cages with elite hygiene bottles - in the words of goldmember... "toyight as a toyiger!!!"

Never lost one yet!

Also keep an eye out for folk doing the ride on their shopping bikes, baskets and tassells fixed up front for extra weight training!!!

Al_09

My friend and I rode the Flanders sportive a couple of years back, both on scandium frames, handbuilt wheels and then 23mm Pro-Race 2/GP 4000s with no gloves, no complaints from either of us.... The cobbles were a little buzzy but not horrendous!

There's a chance we may have put too much pressure in our tyres though, 105-115psi!?