Hey Guy’s,
What tubular tires do you use? I have used tuffo’s (glued not taped) without any problems. Thinking of switching to Schwalbe. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Rich
I had Shwalbe Stelvio’s (taped) and they did not “feel” that fast. I tore everything off and glued on Vittoria Open Corsa CX. They “feel” a lot faster.
Vittoria Corsa CX
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I was riding for more than a year Tufo Elite Jets glued with Tufo extreme tape. It took a year to realize that Tufo tires are junk. Yes, they are light, durable and allow to use Tufo sealant. I had Tufo mounted on light Reynolds DV UL wheel, but didn’t have any improvement compare to Mavic SSC SL with Conti GP 3000. The ride on Tufo was harsh and they were making a terrible sound. This TRI season I was still riging the same Elite Jets as the whole last year and I had almost the same bike splits as on last year races. Finally one of Tufo exploded when I hit a huge crack and gave me an opportunity to switch to other tires. I replaced both with new Vittoria CRONO EVO CS glued with Vittoria cement. What a difference!!! I dropped 1:43 on 12 mile bike course hitting 24.3 mph, and 1:20 on hilly 14 miles while still recovering from a cold. Very nice ride despite 180 PSI pressure. Inner latex tubes give better elasticit and puncture resistance. By the way, they and very light at only 170 g and allow pressure up to 200 PSI.
And whatever tire you run, do NOT go above about 115-120 psi. 21-23 mm tires are best, in that pressure range. Anyone who runs higher pressures than that is either 1) riding on a velodrome, 2) really, really, really fat, or 3) a fool (at least with regards to pressure).
I completely agree - Vittoria Corsa CX is what I race on as well.
Conti Comp 22mm w/Conti glue or 3M FT.
Most successful and most widely used tubular in the pro tour and pro triathlon…
(Although I still really like Tufo S3 lites)
Continental sponsors three teams in the pro tour, Vittoria sponsors six, and MANY other teams use re-labled Vittoria tubulars (when they cannot afford Dugast.) None that I have ever heard of use re-labled Conti.
This is not to say anything negative about Conti tires, merely to point out that calling them “most widely used tubular in the pro tour…” is total BS.
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I have had a few issues with vittoria corsa. I feel they lose air too quick and also have had a leaky valve stem.
Rich
Schwalbes ARE Tufos–at least their high-end, tubeless tire…so if you’re switching because of the rolling resistance issue, I’d advise another choice!!
I’ve had good luck with the tried/true Vittorias, in the KS version. The air losses are from a latex tube…presta valves really cant leak. Not an issue, but if you race 2 days in a row, you definitely have to pump them up each day.
Train on Conti Sprinters, race on Conti Comps. Used to train on Tufos, and they were bombproof, but they just didn’t feel as good as the Contis. For training, I couldn’t care less about rolling resistance, but I do care about how the tire feels.
It’s a VERY bad advice about 120 psi for “whatever” tire especially for size 21 mm. There is a pretty big difference between 21 and 23 mm tires. I don’t race on velodromes and I don’t consider myself a fat @ 165 lbs. I indeed was a fool for listening guys like you on Slowtwitch about 120 psi “advice” for tubulars. My Tufo Elite Jets exploded because they had pressure 120 psi when my bike hit a crack in pavement. It wasn’t actually a big one - just may be 2 inches. But it was enough for rims to bottom and cut tire’s sidewalls. I couldn’t make a bunny hop because I already took my feet out my shoes, but lucky me it happened near the transition area. I never had a problem with Tufo Elite Jets pumped to 160 psi, but the feeling at this pressure was like riding on rims without tires. Therefore, I decided to follow the 120 psi “advice”. My new Vittoria CRONO EVO CS (20 mm) at 180 psi give me a nice feeling comparable to 23 mm Contis GP 3000 pumped to 120 psi.
I would HIGHLY recommend Vittoria CRONO EVO CS for racing. They are not as popular as Vittoria Corsa models since they are relatively new in Vittoria family. But they roll very smooth and they are 100 g (!) lighter than Corsas. 100 g of rotating weight can make a big difference.
P.S. Think twice when you pump a “whatever” 21-23 mm tire to 115-120 psi.
I’m in the same thinking that you are.
I ride Tufo 19mm and found that 120psig is not enough and leaves the tires feeling spongy and feel that I could bottom the tire out if I hit some sharp bumps. I normally ride at 145psig and feel the tires ride really well there. Above that I didn’t notice any difference. I’m also only 145lbs.
I haven’t seen anybody produce any thing other than anecdotal evidence on tire pressures here so I take their advise with a grain of salt. I try what some say and use what works best for me.
jaretj
Hello E-R,
How are the Cronos as far as holding air. I’ve heard that some Vittorias lose air fast enough that you get a significantly lower pressure by the end of an ironman ride. Also how are they holding up wear wise how many miles front and rear?
Thanks,
Styrrell
Yes, Cronos don’t hold air well because they have latex innner tubes that leak air by its nature. But latex inner tubes reduce weight, increase puncture resistance and elasticity. Cronos keep air well enough for a day. By the way, I don’t think you will even notice a difference if air will drop from 180 to 160 psi. Cronos are great RACE tires and pumping them up before a race isn’t a problem. I’m not sure how they hold up wear since I was using them only in two sprint TRI races (see my 1st post), but the tires have no signs of wear so far. I expect Cronos wear faster than Tufo Elite Jets and they don’t accept Tufo’s sealant. But would you trade 1-2 minutes on a 14 mile race (do your math for Ironman) for a “pleasure” riding on the same set of tires for several years? Sure, someone can give up 10 extra minutes and ride quality during an Ironman race for peace in mind while riding Tufos with sealant. No one tire is perfect and there always be a trade-off. You are the one who should make a final decision. I decided to stick with Cronos for now. The only thing I know for sure - NO MORE TUFOS!
The sealant difference between Tufos and Vittoria is going away.
VITTORIA IS MAKING A SEALANT FOR THEIR TIRES available soon. I was told sometime in September, but not sure how quickly depending on the particular store.
I’ve got a spare NEW Chrono CS that I’m probably going to sell. Purchased it but decided to go with 21s (Vittoria Corsa) instead. My disk will be doing double duty (track and TT), so the Corsa will do better for that purpose.
It’s a VERY bad advice about 120 psi for “whatever” tire especially for size 21 mm. There is a pretty big difference between 21 and 23 mm tires. I don’t race on velodromes and I don’t consider myself a fat @ 165 lbs. I indeed was a fool for listening guys like you on Slowtwitch about 120 psi “advice” for tubulars. My Tufo Elite Jets exploded because they had pressure 120 psi when my bike hit a crack in pavement. It wasn’t actually a big one - just may be 2 inches. But it was enough for rims to bottom and cut tire’s sidewalls. I couldn’t make a bunny hop because I already took my feet out my shoes, but lucky me it happened near the transition area. I never had a problem with Tufo Elite Jets pumped to 160 psi, but the feeling at this pressure was like riding on rims without tires. Therefore, I decided to follow the 120 psi “advice”. My new Vittoria CRONO EVO CS (20 mm) at 180 psi give me a nice feeling comparable to 23 mm Contis GP 3000 pumped to 120 psi.
I would HIGHLY recommend Vittoria CRONO EVO CS for racing. They are not as popular as Vittoria Corsa models since they are relatively new in Vittoria family. But they roll very smooth and they are 100 g (!) lighter than Corsas. 100 g of rotating weight can make a big difference.
P.S. Think twice when you pump a “whatever” 21-23 mm tire to 115-120 psi.
Higher air pressure would have probably made no difference… although rider skill might have 
A lot of people seem to post ‘information’ regarding inflation pressure without having a basic understanding…
Regardless of tire profile or width, the area of contact with the road is calculated thus:
/tire pressure = contact area (in square inches)
I.E. a 150 pound rider on an 18 pound bike, with 170psi in tires will have 0.49 square inches of contact per tire.
Same rider with 120psi will have a contact patch of 0.7 sq. in.
Now then - hands up who STILL thinks that a lower pressure will not increase the risk of pinching the tire (tubie or clincher, you choose) on a sharp edged object (pothole, anyone)???
Bottom line: the thinner the tire, the lower the sidewall, the higher the pressure better be if you’re not really good at avoiding holes etc.
A lot of people seem to post ‘information’ regarding inflation pressure without having a basic understanding…
You fit that mold…
Wow - that was insightful! Thanks!