I've been running a similar test on my Tufos. They have stayed hard for 2.5 weeks now, and I am satisfied that there is no leakage. I did re-construct the valves with new valve cores and teflon tape before conducting the test.

I can't comment on the Vittoria tubulars.
I hear a lot of good things about Conti's as well.

Good luck!

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Adam Duncan
New York, NY

Nope - they just seep...extenders seem to make them seep faster.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

If the Vittoria tires have latex tubes then that's why they are leaking. In layman's terms, they are more "porous" than butyl rubber. The alleged benefit of latex tubes is that they provide for a more supple ride. So... I wouldn't say they are "inferior" just different.

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http://irondad06.blogspot.com/

http://irondad.blogspot.com/

I had one of the Victoria tubular flat on me at IM Lake Placid. You are absolutely correct about getting this concern out of your gray matter for the race. You have enough to think about. My flat distracted me from eating and hydrating in addition to the time lost.

I have Conti Competition tires on my race wheels now. The one on the disc stays inflated for months at a time. The one on my 404 has a Zipp extender on it. It loses air over a couple of weeks and then seems to lose it completely. I think the final deflation happens all at once, but I haven't actually seen this. I have teflon tape on the extender. I am thinking that next year I will try some kind of valve extender rather than a barrel extender I have now. The longest valve extender I have seen is 4 cm. I do not think that would be quite long enough for my 404. If someone knows, please let me hear about it.

I also have a Tufo S3 light inflated on a rim as a spare. It holds air for months as well.

Get reliable tires. Don't mess around.

2 issues here... long term and short term.

my experience is that most tubeless (glue on) tires leak over time. Sitting in the garage almost any tire will lose air.

I went through a batch of vittorias in 99 and 2000 that leaked badly at the base of the valve stem. They were just plain defective. The company replaced them over time free of charge but that doesn't help when you run into T1 at Lake Placid and have 2 flats, and 112 miles to ride.

I have since moved to Continentals and have yet to have a single problem. I deflate them when I am not using my race wheels and hang them up.

my 2 cents...

I've been having the same problem with Vittoria sewups. I mounted them msyelf which is not something I have a lot of expereince with so I wondered, could it be i stressed them in the process. Like you they stay inflated to about 150 for about 12 hours then flat. Like you I got a deal on them as they were on blowout (no pun intended) from Excel Sports Boulder.

In the past I have had excellent results with the Continental Competition GP. These sell for about 100 bucks apiece. I in fact have had one mounted on a hed wheel since 1994 if you can believe it. It is still in perfect shape and has not had to be remounted ( I keep it in my utility room, not garage). I have already raced on it one time this season.

My advice would be to go with the most expensive Conti you can afford; the Sprinter or Podium may be just as good as the Comp in terms of puncture resistance. Look at the Continental website as well as they profile their models well.

Consider having your tires mounted and glued by an experienced mechanic as well. If you struggled with them like I did, you may have damaged an already fragile tire. When i get the jack for some new GPs thats what i'll do.

good luck

I rode Vittoria CX Tubulars last season and really liked them. They definitely had the slow leak issue, but doesn't everyone check their tire pressure before they race anyway? I raced IM Wisconsin on them and just pumped them up full that morning and had no problems.

I switched to 650c wheels and tried some different tubies this year. I have a Conti Sprinter rear and a Tufo S3 lite front. The set-up definitely doesn't ride as smooth as the Vittorias. Also neither the tufo or the conti is perfectly round (they have slight bumps). Vittorias didn't have that problem. The Tufo, even properly stretched was a bitch to mount. The conti mounted really nice.

If it is only the latex leaking, give em a chance.

sweet

Tufo makes really nice tyres. I had the Vittoria experience last season. Here is what I did with mine:

1) check and make sure the valve core is nice and tight.

2) when using an extender, get one that relocates the valve to the end of theextender (i.e. replaces the valve with a longer stem valve.

3) Latex tubes just are leaky. Just pump them up really well before the race.