Which (Veloflex ideally) tubs for 23mm wide rims?

OhPinchy

Having read so much good mentions for them on here, Weight Weenies, and elsewhere, I've decided to go for Veloflex as my first tubs. I have a pair of wheels with 23mm wide Gigantex carbon rims on the way - I was advised to go for the wide rims as I'm heavier than most cyclists at 90kg (aiming for 85kg but that'll be a push), ride on poor roads in Ireland (where glass being brushed to the side of the road after accidents and left there is a common enough problem), and my riding style involves mashing plenty of power through the pedals on the flats and particularly rolling terrain. The wheels/tires will be used mainly for racing and I'll be buying two sets to have spares ageing while the first set are in use (not ideal to use them without ageing but I'll have to take that risk).

I've seen conflicting perspectives online as to whether a larger or narrower tire has a lower rolling resistance and whether rolling resistance matters more than the aero losses a wider tire would have. I've also heard that on some rims, 23mm can cause pinch flats if the rim is deep/wide. So I'm thinking of going for the 25mm Veloflex Roubaix on the rear wheel and a Veloflex Carbon 23mm on the front wheel.

Before I make the jump and buy these tires, I wanted to see if anyone has more views on the benefits/cons of wider tires versus narrower tires and if this 25mm/23mm pairing makes sense. It also seems very few of the UK or German online stores I usually buy from stock these tires so I'd appreciate any thoughts on where to find 'em.

thegreatdivide

A race ready clincher or tubular like a Veloflex Carbon or a Vittoria Corsa will cut easier but that’s the nature of the tyre. The Corsa is the fastest of the two btw. There’s a link kicking about with test results. I’ll see if I can find it.

It’s unlikely you’ll notice any difference in ride quality between a 23mm or 25mm tyre. A 27mm like the Roubaix will help absorb some of the bumps though.

I’m sure our resident wheel/tyre expert Ugo will confirm that you don’t need to age modern tubulars. Stretch them yes, but not age.

Planet X is the place to go for your tubs. Great deals.

ugo.santalucia

Why don't you ask Derek (I am assuming here) what tub goes best?
I have the feeling 23 mm tubs on 23 mm rims won't glue very well at the edges... you might need a bigger tyre.

It does depend on the shape of the rim bed, but they seem a bit narrow to me.

Ageing is nonsense these days... you need to stretch them overnight, end of the story

thegreatdivide

FWIW Zipp advise 22/23mm for the Firecrest tubular rim and it's W I D E !

I glued my Corsa's on and they sit neatly in the rim. You just need to really make sure you get the glue all the way to the edge.

Monty Dog

Given your weight, go wide ie 25mm front 27mm rear, or even 27 front and rear. FWIW ageing isn't needed for modern tubs - it only works for vulcanised rubber. Bigger volume tyres will help prevent rim damage - I've broken 2 carbon tubular rims hitting potholes in races and yet I only weigh 60 kg - rolling resistance is less for wider tyres and aero isn't going to be a factor as I expect you're not a racing-snake?

OhPinchy

Thanks for the advice folks, much appreciated.

After seeing the thoughts here and more researching online, I think I'll actually go 25mm front and rear to start out - I can progress upwards to 27mm from there if I feel it's needed but 25mm is probably a good middle-ground to try out for now. I have a fairly broad upper body from my boxing background so yeh, I'm never going to be a racing snake so maybe low rolling resistance rather than aero benefits should be my priority.

I did ask Derek at Wheelsmith for his thoughts and he was the first one that got me thinking about a wider tire and mentioned a few names such as Vittoria and Veloflex and recommended that I look those up online, which was helpful. A 25mm tire would seem unlikely to have any issues with not reaching the side of the rims to adhere to it, so that's another reason I think I'll go 25mm.

Is the Veloflex Arenberg just the same tire as the Roubaix but with black sidewalls instead of tan? I'll go Arenberg if so as I'd prefer the black sidewalls. Thanks for the PlanetX tip - didn't realise they stocked the Veloflex range, decent prices too and handier than Germany.

Thanks for the stretching and ageing tips - I'll just stretch them overnight on a spare set of clinchers and go from there.

thegreatdivide

No probs.

Try stretching on your tubular rims though. That's what I do.