A "noticeable gain". Any gain is noticeable if you measure very carefully, but almost no bike equipment changes are obviously noticeable just from riding around.
However, if you currently race on gatorskins, or armadillos or other super durable flat resistant tires, then yes, swapping on some good race tires and latex tubes IS noticeable. This is not some mundane detail. It will likely be noticeably faster AND more comfortable.
What makes a tire faster? Two things, the main one being rolling resistance. Your tire material has to squish, every inch of it squishing over and over continuously as new tire rolls down to the surface of the road. The tube has to do the same thing. The more supple and pliable the material is, the less energy it takes to squish.
Fortunately there are some good sets of data on tire rolling resistance we can all refer to for this. Google the "AFM CRR Chart" and you should be able to dig up a copy.
The other factor is aerodynamics. Some tires just happened to be shaped in a way that is aero when they are new. This matters a lot more on the front wheel than the rear. Continental's tires, the Bontrager R4, are known to be aero. The Vittoria tires are known to not be as aero.
Some great tire options:
Continental GP4000S - aero shape, decent rolling resistance, good durability
Continental Attack - narrower than the 4000, great rolling resistance, reasonable durability
Continental SuperSonic - comes in 20mm super narrow size, NO puncture belt. VERY fast but should only be used when risk of a flat is low.
Bontrager R4 Aero - aero shape, slightly narrow, good crr, decent durability
There are others but those are some good options
jakobsandberg wrote:
I've heard people discuss these and was wondering if someone could explain to me what makes tires or tubes "fast" and where I can buy these.
Also, is there a noticeable gain in using fast tires and tubes over 40km or 90km?
Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter