I’d like to get some expert input on what the Best All Around Tires and Size is for Zipp 404 Firecrest Tubular Wheels.
I have tried …
Continental 4000 Grand Pix 22mm - Felt fast, but just ok comfort, feel and durability
Continental Gaterskin 25mm - Felt slower, good comfort, feels a bit dead, but good durability
Zipp Tangente SL Speed 27mm - Felt fast, best comfort and feel, so far not so durable
Looking forward to your input
Conti comp 25s or Specialized S-works turbo 24. Haven’t tried them but the new Vittoria Corsa with Graphene looks promising.
I’d like to get some expert input on what the Best All Around Tires and Size is for Zipp 404 Firecrest Tubular Wheels.
I have tried …
Continental 4000 Grand Pix 22mm - Felt fast, but just ok comfort, feel and durability
Continental Gaterskin 25mm - Felt slower, good comfort, feels a bit dead, but good durability
Zipp Tangente SL Speed 27mm - Felt fast, best comfort and feel, so far not so durable
Looking forward to your input
I don’t race tubies anymore, but if I did I would have a hunch that the Conti Podium TT would be the fastest tire out there. Now if you could guarantee you could buy one with a latex tube inside, I would really choose this tire.
I’d like to get some expert input on what the Best All Around Tires and Size is for Zipp 404 Firecrest Tubular Wheels.
I have tried …
Continental 4000 Grand Pix 22mm - Felt fast, but just ok comfort, feel and durability
Continental Gaterskin 25mm - Felt slower, good comfort, feels a bit dead, but good durability
Zipp Tangente SL Speed 27mm - Felt fast, best comfort and feel, so far not so durable
Looking forward to your input
My reco is that you need a tyre with a latex tube 22-23 width.
The Conti 4000 has a butyl tube.
Gatorskin is designed for puncture protection and a butyl tube and is a slow tyre.
The Zipp is 27mm which is too wide.
My choice of tyre would be Vittoria Corsa CX or Record tyres (both have latex tubes). Vittoria’s are good value for money, I haven’t used Record as they are usually more expensive. I have been using Vittoria Corsa CX for a few years and found them to be quite durable.
700 X 23 and they are on sale for $50. https://www.racycles.com/equipment/components/tires/vittoria-corsa-evo-c-xii-tubular-tire-5617
Just a quick heads-up on those Vittorias form the link…they have the red removable valve stem, not a removable valve core. The whole stem unthreads at the base tape and you then can either 1) buy a longer valve stem from Vittoria, or 2) use an threaded extender, but reversed. Problem is that if you use sealant, it can be a bitch to add more once you have mounted your tires.
I got 4 of thsoe tires on Black Friday for $29.99…a steal, no dout, but the hassle of those valve stems kinda buffers the thrill of the deal.
Just a quick heads-up on those Vittorias form the link…they have the red removable valve stem, not a removable valve core. The whole stem unthreads at the base tape and you then can either 1) buy a longer valve stem from Vittoria, or 2) use an threaded extender, but reversed. Problem is that if you use sealant, it can be a bitch to add more once you have mounted your tires.
I got 4 of thosee tires on Black Friday for $29.99…a steal, no doubt, but the hassle of those valve stems kinda buffers the thrill of the deal.
I got the same deal on Black Friday but have yet to put sealant in them. How often are you putting sealant in them once you do it originally? Also how much sealant do you put in each tire? Thanks!
I add in a bit of sealant after 3-4 months…and I don’t use much sealant at all. Less than 1/4 bottle of a typical Stan’s style bottle.
The extender I used for my front wheel was just below the rim, so I could use a micro-funnel from the LBS to get the sealant in w/ no issues…but I also then have almost the whole red valve stem above my rim. Probably not the most aero option (but also likely not a huge drag, either. .
Getting ready to glue up a rear tire and will be using a shorter extender…currently looking on Amazon for some micro funnel for me to keep at the house. Will probably just run to Micahels and grab some. As long as the microfunnl can reach the extender inside the rim, I can make it work.
I am currently running ZIpp Tangente Speed SL (latex tubular) in 24mm on the 404 firecrest up front and 27mm on the firecrest 808 on rear. I added 1/2 bottle of Bontrager TLR sealant in each, and have had no issues with durability so far. In fact a couple weeks ago I picked up a braiding nail in the rear that went into the tire about an inch and then was rubbing on my frame. I pulled it out and rode home and the tire is still holding air to this day.
Prior to the Zipp’s, I had the Vittoria Corsa Evo’s in a 23mm IIRC. Durability of those was not good and they eventually would not hold any air overnight even with sealant. I except about 20 psi bleed from latex that can be topped off race morning but these were flat. Also, as another poster mentioned, the valve stems need to be replaced with appropriate length ones for your wheel.
What’s a braiding nail?
What’s a braiding nail?
a thin nail used for wood trim. at least that’s what I have heard them called. edit: I guess it is called a finishing nail.
FMBs
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I don’t race tubies anymore, but if I did I would have a hunch that the Conti Podium TT would be the fastest tire out there. Now if you could guarantee you could buy one with a latex tube inside, I would really choose this tire.
I don’t race tubulars either, but based on these data, it would appear that the Podium TT is indeed a fast-rolling clincher tire. However, do you know if there are any data comparing it to the Supersonic?
Just a quick heads-up on those Vittorias form the link…they have the red removable valve stem, not a removable valve core. The whole stem unthreads at the base tape and you then can either 1) buy a longer valve stem from Vittoria, or 2) use an threaded extender, but reversed. Problem is that if you use sealant, it can be a bitch to add more once you have mounted your tires.
I got 4 of thosee tires on Black Friday for $29.99…a steal, no doubt, but the hassle of those valve stems kinda buffers the thrill of the deal.
I got the same deal on Black Friday but have yet to put sealant in them. How often are you putting sealant in them once you do it originally? Also how much sealant do you put in each tire? Thanks!
One tip on those valves is to get the Maxis MVS valves (http://shop.maxxis.com/...ycle_tubes_mvs-stems). You essentially get red of the red Vittoria valves, swap in the MVS, and then use a regular threaded valve extender on top of the MVS.
As for sealant filling frequency, one of my Corsa CX (2nd gen with the red valves) tires was installed on a front wheel back in the spring of 2013 and had survived at least 2 punctures over three seasons of road racing. I basically put in sealant once per season, and I think i may have put a good 2000 miles on that tire. It was surprisingly tough given how the Corsa CX i put on the back basically gave up the ghost after one season. The tire met a premature demise when i hit something (not exactly sure what) and went flat immediately; there was still a lot of tread left on it at the time.
PS. Stay away from Conti tubulars unless you can get the team edition (with latex tube). Even then, no conti comp as its casing is quite a bit less pliant compared to Vittoria
ETA: by the time i took that tire off of the rim, there was so much gunked up sealant in there that you can see the gunky spots. Do buy a few extra long paper clips for the occasion that you need to open up airway through the valve. Also, store your wheel with the valve at the zero o’clock position
x2 on ChrisT’s post. The Zipp SLSpeeds are great race tires. I ran the 24mm. I also used the Bontrager TLR sealant.
Just received an email from conti yesterday (cause I was arguing with a friend about their inner tubes a day before)…anyhow, they do not put latex tubes in any of their tubular tires. (But I don’t know if they do some charges for pro riders.)
As a all around day by day I like the conti competition (22/25)
Like the specialized turbo allround (24) but asking bout durability they don’t last very long,I use em for racing only.
Veloflex might be an option, but I only road the carbon in the front in 23
One tip on those valves is to get the Maxis MVS valves (http://shop.maxxis.com/...ycle_tubes_mvs-stems). You essentially get red of the red Vittoria valves, swap in the MVS, and then use a regular threaded valve extender on top of the MVS.
Holy hell…that is quite a premium for the 100mm extender (which I’m guessing I would need for a 808 wheel)…jumps from $16 for the 80mm to $34 for the 100mm. Ouch…
Thanks for all of the input so far guys, keep in mind I don’t race, this is all around every day use for me.
Right now I’m using the Zipp SL Speed 27mm Tubular on my Zipp 404 front and back, for ease of only have to keep 1 tire on hand and as Tom A says … "low Crr can “make up for a lot of aerodynamic sins”… And I’m enjoying the ride of the 27mm size.
Here is Toms A report, the Zipp SL Speed 27 Tubular placed very well …
http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/...peed-course-and.html
https://docs.google.com/.../edit#gid=1224624714
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One tip on those valves is to get the Maxis MVS valves (http://shop.maxxis.com/...ycle_tubes_mvs-stems). You essentially get red of the red Vittoria valves, swap in the MVS, and then use a regular threaded valve extender on top of the MVS.
Holy hell…that is quite a premium for the 100mm extender (which I’m guessing I would need for a 808 wheel)…jumps from $16 for the 80mm to $34 for the 100mm. Ouch…
you get the 60mm MVS and then a regular threaded 40mm extender on top
Vitoria evo cx III are the all around best tubes out there, easy to mount, good rr, and overall can handle some rough roads. My second choice would be veloflex pro road.
For road racing I use 25mm front and rear.