Yes, but even the 4000s are slow.

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If your course is flat and will not demand extended period of braking (ie heating of the carbon rim) then also put latex inner tubes in there too...
From an Aero stand point the GP4000s is still very good, Rr not so much and the latex tube will go some way to improve matters there..
Good luck in the race...

I always put on new tires before any A race since most of the time the training tires have hit stuff and have little cuts on them, especially training for an Ironman. I just take the tires from the prior A race wheels and they become my training tires. The mileage and timing tends to work out so it is not outrageously expensive and I have extra tires with good tread life when I inevitably have a tire get cut in the sidewall or a large gash.

I use the Conti GPs and have had great success in races with them.

Hope it helps.

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I miss you "Sports Night"

That's good, because so am I.

I'm probably looking at a 6:00 bike split, so nothing very fancy or fast. But I don't want to throw away speed.

Knowing I was getting the race wheels, I've been training in the 4000s. So they have a little wear.

So now the question is do I get a new pair of 4000s for the race? Is there a tire with the same durability that is just as fast that I could buy?

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Chris Harris

Is there a tire with the same durability that is just as fast that I could buy?

What do you mean by "durability"? If you mean how long the tread lasts, then no. If you mean resistance to cuts and punctures, then the Attack and Force are and have lower Crr.

Are they slow or are they just not #1. Everything I've seen indicates they are within a couple of watts of the fastest tires out there?

A lot of people would consider them to be slow, myself included. There are better choices.

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Please elaborate

S-Works Turbo Cottons

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I'd say it depends on the wear. I always put new tires on before an IM. The old racing tires become my new training tires. I use Conti 4000s.

Continental Attack / Force 22/24 Combo

Why not? It may take all of 15 minutes to make the change and if you feel they're the better tires, you can ride without any second thoughts. Only point I would suggest is making the switch at least a few days before the event to make sure there are no issues after the swap.

So here's another question - when do I start riding on the zipps? Should I keep rising on the heavier wheels for training purposes until a week or two out from the race?

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Chris Harris

I am a big fan fan of riding race wheels to get confident and comfortable with how they handle - now is as good of time as any.

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Be careful with some of the answers above. Tire selection is like investing; there is no "right" answer, only and answer that the is appropriate for a given investor, their risk tolerance, goals, etc.

Questions like this are frequently answered by elite athletes. These people have a lot of experience and knowledge, but their risk-reward level tends towards "high". They would rather take a higher risk of puncture or tire failure (large cut), to help win, set a PR, etc. But these questions are frequently asked by athletes at the other end of the risk-reward spectrum; newer athletes, where finishing is priority. (Or, because they are new, the will easily hit their performance goals because they are still rapidly developing their strength and skill.)

The 4000s was mentioned above. It is a relatively fast tire given its relatively high puncture resistance. Whether it is "fast" or "slow" as a race tire is a matter of your personal risk-reward tolerance. FYI - I train and race on 4000s tires. For me, it strikes the perfect balance.

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2015 USAT Long Course National Champion (M50-54)

You are right, everything in life and racing is risk reward, but when it comes to tires if there is a 1/1000 chance your day is done because of tire selection versus 2/1000. Even though you are twice as likely to have your day cut short, the overall risk is still relatively low. Fwiw, I would disagree that many elites #1: answer question #2 have a lot of experience and knowledge #3 chase prs

Regardless of whether you are or new or old, the most important thing is to evaluate your goals. Just because you are new doesn't mean you necessary want to be slow, and just because you are old doesn't mean you want to be fast. If the OP is extremely risk adverse and just finish I would question changing anything for a race day setup as it just introduces more risk.

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I think of it more as cost vs benefit. How worth it is to buy a set of race tires that will yield 5 mins (or whatever)? For an amateur like me, maybe not worth it, although I'll have them for next year, too. For a pro, no expense is spared. I think it has more to do with cost than risk of equipment failure.

This is my fifth IM, been doing these things for a paltry 9 years, and I'd like to finish comfortably, which means faster rather than a slow slog.

Thanks!

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Chris Harris

As far as a cost benefit scale goes, they are the very top in terms of savings along with aero helmet, tubes, and aero bars. Everything is much more expensive in terms of return especially frames and wheels.

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