Damn you all...now I have to buy new tires or stress over this. One other thing I have wondered about with Tufo's. What happens to that sealant you can shoot in there after a few months? Does it solidify and cause your wheel to go out of true due to uneven distribution?

Tom,

Agreed. Over the years I have used both Continental Competition GP's or TUFO's top of the line model and I have found the TUFO's to be great tires. Not sure what all the fuss is about.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

dan

I flatted three times at IMAZ this year.

not sure if it was cactus thorns but it was a pain in the ass

Wha? Who is bitching about Tufo? They make EXCELLENT brake pads.



And there are TONS of these 'observations' in addition to the various semi-controlled tests people have carried out. In every single case I can recall the Tufos faired worse than other tires (funny that eh?). I started asking questions about these tires (Tufo S3 Lites) at the beginning of '04 when speed didn't jibe with power over MONTHS worth of training and racing when compared directly to a non-aero wheel that had a cheapo tire on it. My results got better almost overnight when I went away from using the Tufos. Also, they weren't bulletproof at all in my experience (racing at 190lbs)...

Unless people are riding with power they really shouldn't comment (ahem...tom) because there is no basis for comparison.

ot

"Unless people are riding with power they really shouldn't comment (ahem...tom) because there is no basis for comparison."

OK. So, I think that I used TUFO's one year at IMC when I went 5:00 flat on the bike and 9:10 overall. If the TUFO's are that bad can I take, I don't know, say 5 minutes off my bike time and then call it a 9:05?

Just wondering.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

No, because part of the race results is your preparation for the race. Face it, you screwed up.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Sure...it might be more like 10 minutes though...

ot

Thanks, Ken.

That's reassuring. Indeed, I realy screwed up:) I could have gone 10 minutes faster( according to OT), broken 9:00, and that would have put me way higher up in the money on that day, too

Do I have legal recourse with TUFO? Perhaps, not I did get the tires free from them via a sponsorship deal with their Canadian distributor at the time.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

This thread (and some others about tufos & tubulars) have been tremendously educational for me. Thanks guys!



-jens

Didn't Stadler use Schwalbe's in the Hawaii in '04 when he destroyed the field on the bike????

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=624698

has the data showing significantly higher RR for Tufos.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=401031

has Ashburn's test results.

So, what we have:
1. German engineers' test result showing high RR for Tufos
2. a good careful amateur (no disparagment meant) on-road test showing the same thing
3. a sound theoretical justification of the test results, by Rappstar in this thread.

We have theory and reproducible test results. As fredly says, go seek re-election to the Dover school board if this doesn't work for you..
I'll be very happy to race against anyone on Tufos, though. Hehe.

OT - fredly, why sponsored by a sleeping-bag company ? (feathered friends) Exactly what are you doing in those sleeping bags ;-)

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"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview

OK.. now I'm really confused.

Read these reviews.. almost all good.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/...D_49576_5681crx.aspx

In Ashburn's study he was running his Tufo's at the same pressure as his other tires. The recommended pressure for Tufo's is higher.

http://www.tufonorthamerica.com/...ed3&threadid=102

I'm guessing all tires have a recommended operating pressure.

Someone saying they should be run at higher pressures is not the same as someone doing a test showing that higher pressures are faster.

There are plenty of physical reasons why higher pressure shouldn't be faster. Any reasons why higher pressure should?

Data, data, data is far more convincing that Tom D. "saying" they are good.

Personally, I've done my own tests. I'm not relying on anyone elses "opinion" to make my decision.

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Justin in Austin, get it? :)

Cool races:
- Redman
- Desoto American Triple T

[quote]Tom,

Agreed. Over the years I have used both Continental Competition GP's or TUFO's top of the line model and I have found the TUFO's to be great tires. Not sure what all the fuss is about.

Fleck


[/quote]

So...what you're saying is that you can't tell the difference between a poor rolling tire and one a little worse....got it. Thanks.

As Jens says...it's a VERY educational thread :-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

I agree they totally suck no ifs ands or buts - it's enough to be measureable and noticeable and the first time I rode them I concluded their fans must have neve ridden a good tubular before (I would use clinchers if Tufo was the only other option). But I still have a few around because they make great spares because they probably aren't going to flat, and after having to stop and change a flat I am so pissed I no longer care that they ride like crap.

I think it would be interesting to get a dB meter and measure the energy of that damned ripping noise. Since it's a very inefficient loudspeaker that noise alone could be using up 5 watts.

I can only speak for myself and my experience. I must confess my usage where I took this stuff seriously goes back more than 10 years. Back then we did not have access to sites like this( they didn't exist) or reasearch data or other information. And quit frankly, we did not seem to be that worked up about it. If someone stepped forward and offered me free tires, I said "Great, and thank you vey much!" How something worked compared to something else was how it performed on the race course. I went 5:00 flat at IMC on Conti GP's and I went 5:00 Flat at IMC on TUFO Jets( or whatever they were called). So what am I to conclude? In my book, in those days that meant that the tires were the same or had the least to do with how I was able to go 5:00. I must confess that I read with interest now, way after the fact for me, that the TUFO's are that much slower. However, my suspicion, like a lot of things here, is that while A may be substantially slower than B, it's actually the least of your concerns if you really want to go fast!

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I guess Levi Leipheimer just barely gets by on his Schwalbes (Tufos). Man, he really could have kicked Lance's butt at the Tour if he had Lance's tires or hair.

Looking pretty crappy to me...

I'm not arguing that the tires look bad..

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"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview

Wow...

More inanity.

Maybe he's riding Schwalbe badged Tufos, and he made a dumb decision.

Maybe he's riding Schwalbe badged Vittoria/Veloflex/whatever else.

Who the hell knows? What the hell does any of that prove?

He sure as hell isn't riding a Specialized in that picture - that alone should tell you the value of a label...



(Feathered friends sponsored me way back in the climbing days...)





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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

I tried them this year on my new Zipp 404 tubulars and my times on my 16-mile training course were considerably slower than any other combination I used.
I know, I know, this is unscientific and my seat may have been too high. All I know is that, after only about 60 miles of training, I decided to write-off my $130 investment and get some Conti Comps.

I ride most of that course (out to the beeline from downtown Tempe and up) almost every weekend. I get a lot of flat tires, and some of them have been thorns, although I get mostly pinch flats from all the rocks on the shoulder (which wasn't a problem for IMAZ since they swep (swept? sweeped?) the road pretty well. I've flatted my Tufo's on the course during training...the slime or whatever didn't plug it. I don't think the course is super bad for flats, but might be a little tougher than the average...there were a few rough road sections and the thorns are pretty hard to get rid of.

Andrew, sorry to hear about your flats. I saw someone on the side of the beeline holding up two flat tubulars asking for help, hope it wasn't you. I didn't stop and give up my only spare to the guy, and neither did anyone else that I noticed, but then I ride 650's so it probably wouldn't have matched anyway.

Lately when I ride (on clinchers) I bring two spare tubes, a patch kit, a air pump, a CO2 kit, and a spare tire. Last week I used the spare tire or I would have been thumbing it home. I rarely see anyone else carrying a spare clincher, but it has saved my butt at least 3 times now. Okay, I've rambled off topic far enough.

Sure its a specialized, can't you read ;-), its just not one you or can buy (unless you custom paint a Walser). In spite of what every mfg says virtually every team leader is on a one off.



Styrrell

Rolling resistance explanation according to softride

http://www.softride.com/...lling_resistance.asp