Which tubulars for training

ivanoile

Some mid-range,30-40£(maybe even low-range price) tyres for training.25mm would be preferable size.

Fishboyz

Conti Gator skins

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-spr ... ular-tyre/

smoggysteve

Vittoria Corsa have always done me well.

iron-clover

I'd probably go for the Gatorskins.
I haven't had a huge amount of time on tubs yet but I spent a long weekend on Conti sprinters (admittedly on the smooth roads of Normandy) where each ride had a quarter mile of gravel track at the start and end, and they held up great.

I now have Vittoria Corsas which I've used for 2x 30mile rides on more standard UK rides, and the rear was cut up after the first one, with one cut exposing the tube for about 5mmx2mm. Luckily it was fixed using superglue but if the ride had been much longer then it would have certainly punctured. They also seem to come up narrower than the Contis despite being 22C which made handling more 'interesting' despite running much lower pressures.
Might just be a bunch of bad luck, but at the moment I won't be buying any Corsas again...

ivanoile

How much miles you did on Sprinters?

I only see that Vittoria tyres are very soft.

thegreatdivide

Corsa's are fine. I got a full season last year on a new pair (March to Oct) with sportives and an Alpine holiday thrown in with zero issues. The front is still useable so it's been retired to the spare pile. Running Carbons now.

cycleclinic

Conti sprinter gatorskins are in the price bracket. I am running conti competitions at pressent and they are give good grip and seem quite wear resistant. Punctures have not been a problem so far. Vittoria Pave's are my other choice. In summer I would run vittoria Corsa but I am going to try Dugast strada'. For the money you have to spend though OP conti gator skin tubs 25mm are a very good option.

matt-h

are you running liquid latex in the winter?

Matt

cycleclinic

You could use liquid latex in tubs especially conti tubs with there buytl tubes. I don't bother with it though as I carry a can of pit stop as a last resort and two spare tubes. If a tub get punctured when I get back I can decide whether to seal it with latex (i.e the tub is old and getting worn) or repair and reuse/stuff in the saddlebag as a spare.

I am riding tubs now all the time. As for corsa cutting up, well that happens it is a racing tyre after all. I would not use them at this time of year becuase of that. In summer with less crap on the road they fair much better and the open corsa's are the only light weight racing tyre I have ever got to wear out. I will be on corsa tubs and open corsa's in the summer.

ivanoile

Thank you for your feedback.Gatorskins are first choice,but I have recieved an offer for a pair of Veloflex Arenberg 25mm for about 80£,what would suit me,but I don't have any knowledge about Veloflex.Are they more racing tyres or?

cycleclinic

yep racing tyres. Never run that particular tyre myself but if you are considering high TPI count tyres then I think little beats the Vittoria Pave. It quite tough, easier to get hold of and has amazing grip on wet surfaces. Veloflex tyre durability has always worried me if used in the wet. I tried a set of veloxflex corsa and I ride them 4 times. Twice it was wet (summer) and did not get even 1 mile from my house. Gave up after that.

ivanoile

Oh,thank you again.

Any known good offers for Gatorskins?

thegreatdivide

thecycleclinic wrote:

yep racing tyres. Never run that particular tyre myself but if you are considering high TPI count tyres then I think little beats the Vittoria Pave. It quite tough, easier to get hold of and has amazing grip on wet surfaces. Veloflex tyre durability has always worried me if used in the wet. I tried a set of veloxflex corsa and I ride them 4 times. Twice it was wet (summer) and did not get even 1 mile from my house. Gave up after that.

Sorry but that is a total exaggeration. If you can’t ride for 1 mile in the wet on a pair of Veloflex Corsa's then you're doing something wrong. It’s a quality clincher and the Carbon tub is the dogs. I’ve ridden both in nasty weather with zero issues.

IMO there is no point in running Gatorskin tubs when the point of tubs is a quality ride (and lighter wheels). I tried some GP4000 tubs and they were cack so god knows what a Gatorskin will be like. If you’re worried about punctures ride clinchers.

cycleclinic

What would I be doing wrong exactly. I leave my house for a time trial, there a summer shower rainign down and I puncture a mile from my house on two seperate occasions on nearly new tyres, that what led me to hang the up the veloflex's. How do I avoid that exactly, oh use another tyre which is what I do. Oh where I live flint is the issue on the roads. When it rains it get washed of the fields. Ever tried riding on road covered in small little knives, well some down to west suffolk when in the winter and try riding veloflex corsa's and you will see. In other parts of the country without flint you no doubt can get away with it. Everyone in the local clubs never use veloflex's or similar. When it's wet everyone is on tri comp fortezza's , 4 seasons, gatorskins and many ride them all year round. It the knives you see they are everywhere.

Why are people so jusgemental and say just becuase I have had no problems other's must have none too and if they do they are doing something wrong.

What was cack about a the GP4000 tubs? They are quite good. good grip and durable, I prefer the vittoria corsa for racing/summer use but the GP4000 is not a bad option. I am using the competition tubs at present on the bike I mostly ride at present and while the rolling resistance does seem to be higher than the vittoria corsa tubs for example but they are not wearing like corsa's do and neither are they cutting up. 1000 miles on them and climbing. Oh and the point of running sprinter gator skin tubs is that they are not expensive and actually do the job quite well - durable resonably comfortable and resonable grip. Certainly not the last word in tubular performance but it is not the time of year for tyres like that. I use gator skin tubs on one of my bikes, I don't think from your comment you do. When I rebuild the wet weather bike wheels (the front brake track is getting dangerously thin) gator skin tubs will make an apperance why, wet weather means a higher chance of punctures and therefore a cheaper more robust tubular tyre is certainly needed.