Which tub for PX wheels and good in the Wet

nomadicbry

Hi,

I just bought a set of RX 50mm Team Guru carbon tubs... was too good a deal to pass up (the additional 10% off at the weekend was an extra bonus)

Anyway, looking for recommendations on tubs
the short list is
Vittoria Evo Corsa CX
Conti continental
Conti Sprinter
Ive heard some people mention veloflex but know nothing about them

These will mostly be used for crit racing...Ive bought them for my 15 year old son as a reward for his good performances and progress in the sport...

As we are in Scotland (lots of wet weather racing) and cornering is such a big part of crit racing they need to be good in the wet and grippy.

I know Vittorias are great for the smoothness of their ride and least rolling resistance but I'm hearing they are terrible in the wet
Contis are apparently much better in the wet, super grippy and give better protection against punctures.

Any thoughts or recommendations. The most important aspect has to be good rolling and good in the wet

Cheers
B

nomadicbry

No one's rode tubs in the wet and have no experience of how different tubs handle in the wet? Surely not, BR is usually the best forum for advice on such matters around

sungod

the evo sc were apparently dire in the wet, but i read the corsa evo cx is fine, also veloflex carbon (or roubaix/arenburg for a 25mm)

the conti sprinter is a much cheaper tub, more for training, haven't heard of the conti 'continental', i think you mean 'competition'", haven't tried, but reputedly rides more like a clincher and may be a bugger to fit

the vittoria cx and veloflex ones are natural rubber, the conti ones are vulcanised, natural rubber ones may benefit from being stored a few months after manufacture to harden a bit (so check date on tyre), vulcanised rubber is ready to go, but maybe less supple as a result of the process

rolling resistance...

carbon < corsa evo cx < competition

fwiw i just bought some carbons, be fitting them in a few weeks :-)

you'll need valve extenders, for the evo cx, it's the *red* vittoria extenders, for veloflex the *silver* vittoria extenders are good

there's a huge tub thread here...

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... =3&t=72309

...and many others on the same site, the search function is a bit iffy, if you get an error message just push refresh every few seconds and eventually you'll get the results

huuregeil

I have both Conti Competitions and Corsa CXs on different pairs of wheels. The contis are great if a little harder to mount (make sure you pre-stretch them well and they're fine, whereas the Corsas mount without stretching), I'd highly recommend them for what you're after. They feel super confident in the wet and they're a little more durable than the Corsas too (you can't win a race if you can't finish!). Bear in mind, that a lot of the grip benefit you get with tubs comes from being able to significantly drop the pressure when you need to, so I wouldn't be too hung up about the rubber, these are all decent race tyres. Actually, you may also want to look at Ultremo HTs, which have been highly recommended to me as an excellent compromise (suppleness of the vittoria, grip/durability of the conti) and can be found at very good prices - will be trying next! If you're particularly after the Vittorias, the Corsa SC has the upgraded rubber (not the CX, which is the old model).

nomadicbry

Thanks guys great advice…much appreciated

rpd_steve

Will 2nd the Swhalbie Ultremo HT recommendation. I use them and they are very durable but fast and supple too.

nomadicbry

I had Schwalbe ultrimo clincher tyres last year which were great but sadly they fell apart within a few months i mean literally came apart and ripped, A few friends also experienced exactly the same issue, one after they're first use on a long Sunday run. After that I won't be buying Schwalbes again which is a shame as they handled really well for the short time they lasted.

I'm actually kind of swaying towards the Veloflex Carbons which seems to get great reviews on weight weenies forum.
I can't find Conti Comps in the width required so… look alike its the veloflex will make final decision today though. Thanks for all the great help

danowat

nomadicbry wrote:

I know Vittorias but I'm hearing they are terrible in the wet
Contis are apparently much better in the wet, super grippy and give better protection against punctures.

The reverse is true IME, Conti's are bulletproof, but feel like hosepipes compared to the Corsa