Tan wall clincher tyre recommendations!

othello

I'm building a new road bike up for my 11yr old son, and he is insisting on some tan wall tyres and I need some recommendations.

He has always ridden Conti 4000s tyres for racing, but they don't do a tan wall version. What is the best option?

Requirements are:

* Lightweight. Low rotating weight is key as he is small
* 23-25mm width
* He might be able to run tubeless, though doesn't at the moment. I have a set of Panceti SL23 rims built up which he could use, and they are tubeless compatible. If that makes a difference?
* Will usually be ridden on closed road circuits, but also on the road for family rides. He will be riding in Holland in the summer on cobbles, but I know that is a bit of a one-off!

I've seen the Veloflex Master and Vittoria Corsa SC, but wondering if its either of those or something else?

imposter2.0

Difficult to see past the Corsa SCs. I've not ridden the Veloflex, so can't comment, but the SC is a great tyre. My lad (same age) rode them last season. He's on Schwalbe Ones this season, so the SCs are now on my 653 steel....

othello

Imposter wrote:

Difficult to see past the Corsa SCs. I've not ridden the Veloflex, so can't comment, but the SC is a great tyre. My lad (same age) rode them last season. He's on Schwalbe Ones this season, so the SCs are now on my 653 steel....

Great, thanks.

Any reason for changing to the Schwalbe Ones, and are you running tubeless?

imposter2.0

othello wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Difficult to see past the Corsa SCs. I've not ridden the Veloflex, so can't comment, but the SC is a great tyre. My lad (same age) rode them last season. He's on Schwalbe Ones this season, so the SCs are now on my 653 steel....

Great, thanks.

Any reason for changing to the Schwalbe Ones, and are you running tubeless?

The Schwalbe Ones were cheap (£25ea) and I wanted the SCs for my old 653..

Joking aside, the Schwalbes are excellent tyres. We are still running tubes, if only because it is simpler (for me). Either way, he hasn't complained yet...!

mikenetic

Vittoria Corsa Graphene with the natural wall are a good tyre - switched to them from GP4000 for a change.

You'll struggle to get a tan wall that also runs tubeless. Not saying it's impossible, it's just that tubeless construction seems to favour black sidewalls.

However, prepare to swear profusely the first time you fit them to Pacenti SL23 rims, which as you no doubt know are a pretty tight fit for most tyres.

mallorcajeff

My vittorias were ace but seemed to wear out quick.

PTestTeam

Veloflex are superb tyres, however they are light and can wear out quickly. But if you want superb performance...

othello

mikenetic wrote:

However, prepare to swear profusely the first time you fit them to Pacenti SL23 rims, which as you no doubt know are a pretty tight fit for most tyres.

Tell me about it! My wife bike has a set and I tried to fit 4000s tyres to hers, which I can do without a tyre lever on my Zondas. Blimey they are a tough fit. :evil:

philbar72

vittoria G+ corsa's are very nice. not cheap but very very grippy in all weathers, roll well, and are pretty good against punctures. compared to the SC's I used to have, they are better in every area (especially longevity and puncture protection.... except they weigh about 15 grams more.

DanTe1977

Tbh I've had a bloody nightmare with those g+ tyres. Been on 2-3 months and I've had maybe 5 flats. Front and rear, all the same - tiny 1-2mm bits of grit. The 5th was the worst though, total rear blowout whilst in the front group of the tour of Cambridgeshire last sun. Stayed upright, god knows how but if I'd of gone down I would of probably taken 10 or more with me.
Whatever it was went straight through the tyre in an instant.
They're coming off. I might even write to vittoria if I can be arsed, to have a whinge.

Bobbinogs

Another big fan of the Vittoria Corsa SC tyres, albeit they have been replaced by the G+ now. Super fast and wonderful feel specially at the lower pressures that us non-lardy boys can get away with (I run 70/80 on 25s). They are 'race day' tyres though: expensive, not very durable and protection is minimal (but enough to keep me puncture free for a couple of thousand miles). They look the bees knees, but do stain badly if you get caught in a torrential downpour (which I did, complete with flashes of lightening landing a few hundred yards away).

othello

Well, SC seem to have been discontinued and the G+ seem to be £50 a tyre!

Might have to look at other options

mockenrue

The G+ are available for under £40 from a few places, Merlin and Mantel spring to mind. I used a pair on a training camp in Mallorca in March and was very impressed, stellar tyres. I'm a long time Vittoria Open Corsa CX/SC and Veloflex Corsa user.

stavgold

If you want really light tan walled clincher tyres take a look at the Compass 700C x 26 Cayuse Pass. They are only 183g but are expensive (£50) and not widely available in the uk but velovitality may have stock.

napoleond

You can't have tubeless 'natural' sidewall as the colour comes from having no rubber on the (breathable) carcass....

ravey1981

I'm running corsa SC's in a 25, very very impressed with them, so smooth and loads of grip. Only 700 miles on them het but zero signs of wear and the roads up here aren't fantastic by any means....

othello

I popped into my LBS today for something else, and had a mooch around. Found 2 Open Corsa SC's on the shelf for £32 each! Grabbed them, as they must be the only ones left in the country

Bobbinogs

Nope, I have another two on my bike :-)

othello

Bobbinogs wrote:

Nope, I have another two on my bike :-)

Chortle!

Matthewfalle

othello wrote:

I popped into my LBS today for something else, and had a mooch around. Found 2 Open Corsa SC's on the shelf for £32 each! Grabbed them, as they must be the only ones left in the country

Err - negatron. I can get as many as I need. Loads left with the distributors.

Sorry.

othello

Matthewfalle wrote:

othello wrote:

I popped into my LBS today for something else, and had a mooch around. Found 2 Open Corsa SC's on the shelf for £32 each! Grabbed them, as they must be the only ones left in the country

Err - negatron. I can get as many as I need. Loads left with the distributors.

Sorry.

Interesting, as that was what the guy in my LBS thought. He swore blind they were not discontinued as I had heard, and even flipped his computer screen around to show me as he searched the distributors system. Where it showed him they were not available at both Uk distributors...

step83

May just no longer be available in the UK, though I think I did see something a while back about them being discontinued in the near future as teams were stocking up on them earlier in the year, may have been the wider sizes though.

Panaracer Pasela
Michelin Dynamic
Challenge Strada Open

Couple more options for you. Only skin/tan walls ive ran were conti classics which are more brown than tan on the sidewalls, look very weird with pink latex tubes as well.