Hi, all. I would appreciate helpful thoughts on tire and tube choice for newly purchased Hed Jet wheels. If it matters, the wheels are the 9 FR front and Disc FR rear–self-purchased birthday presents.
For tires, I am thinking Conti GP 4000S, 23mm (there apparently is not a slimmer version of this tire). My thinking here is that I am willing to have “good” instead of “great” rolling resistance in order to get a little more flat protection. Second choice is the Attack/Force combo.
I have no opinion yet on tubes, except I think I want latex tubes of some unspecified brand. I have no experience with latex tubes on clinchers. My clincher training wheels are armed with cheap Michelin brand butyl tubes.
It is not really relevant to the inquiry, but I am making a change from tubular to clincher race wheels. The change is in part a reaction to a recent bad experience changing a flat tubular in a race while not fully recovered from a broken hand. I simply could not grip the flat tire firmly enough to rip that SOB off of the wheel. (Parenthetical note one: Yes, I know, a razor blade in my flat kit would have solved this problem). (Parenthetical note two: Vittoria Pit Stop did not seal the puncture).
Yes, I did avail myself of the search function. Didn’t see much (if anything) on preferred brands of latex tubes, but perhpas I just missed it. There was a lot of helpful info on tire choices.
The GP4000S is a great choice, and some recent testing data doesn’t show it to be too far behind the really fast rolling tires for rolling resistance. Add good aerodynamics and good puncture resistance and it’s a real winner. Most of my races are on really smooth, clean roads so I’m transitioning from the S-Works Mondo Open Tubular to Vittoria Evo Tri’s. I have the exact same wheels you do, and I think 22 or 23mm fits up really well.
As far as tubes, I’m using Vittoria latex tubes. They have a removeable core, which means you can put in a valve extender that screws into the tube core. I don’t think there’s a lot of selection for latex tubes, but if there’s a comparison out there of the different choices, I’m not aware of it.
FWIW, I am running the same wheel setup. Attack/Force combo and Conti Butyl tubes, go ahead jackmott yell at me for that one. I talked to the guys at HED and that is what they recommended. I can tell you that the setup works for me and it has been fast. Good luck and enjoy the fast wheels, I have been really impressed with how great the 9 handles in the wind!
FWIW, I am running the same wheel setup. Attack/Force combo and Conti Butyl tubes, go ahead jackmott yell at me for that one. I talked to the guys at HED and that is what they recommended. I can tell you that the setup works for me and it has been fast. Good luck and enjoy the fast wheels, I have been really impressed with how great the 9 handles in the wind!
Crazy! Latex tubes are some of the best bang for the buck investments. I also find that about 50% of the time they will re-seal after a minor puncture, which can mean the difference of making it the last few miles to the finish and a DNF.
I think the response should have been “thanks for being slower for all of us” But honestly, I have pinched a few latex tubes, yes I know my fault, and they are hard to come by. I have had great success with the Attack/Force & Butly setup and will be sticking with that. Actually, I will switch to Gatorskins and tire liners for Austin 70.3 just to avoid a flat there on the crazy thorn roads with crap surface.
I have the Jet 9/Disc. I opt for durable tires/tubes over the minimal aero gains.
I use Sunlite Bicycle Tubes 48mm w/removable valve core, Michelin Pro4 Service Course, and Continental Valve Extenders 60mm. This sets you up for an easy flat kit. I’ll carry a spare tube with valve core still attached, a 60mm extender with valve core (taken off of a separate tube) attached, the small black valve tool, and an inflator/co2 cart.
I race on HED Jets and use GP4000s and bontrager latex tubes. The data from Flo on the aerodynamic properties, combined with their decent Crr make them a no brainer. The lower Crr tires all seem to have crappy aerodynamics that more than negate the rolling advantage and they have less puncture protection.
I race on HED Jets and use GP4000s and bontrager latex tubes. The data from Flo on the aerodynamic properties, combined with their decent Crr make them a no brainer. The lower Crr tires all seem to have crappy aerodynamics that more than negate the rolling advantage and they have less puncture protection.
I run the same setup on my Jet C2s with Bontrager valve extenders. Works great.
FWIW, I am running the same wheel setup. Attack/Force combo and Conti Butyl tubes, go ahead jackmott yell at me for that one. I talked to the guys at HED and that is what they recommended. I can tell you that the setup works for me and it has been fast. Good luck and enjoy the fast wheels, I have been really impressed with how great the 9 handles in the wind!
The 4000s is a good tire with good RR, good durability, and has proven to be great at high yaws on the EVEN wider 303. Unless we see some data otherwise, the narrower Attack @ 22mm is a better aero fit, especially at lower yaws, and based on I believe rruffs own rolling data has been shown to be a pretty darn good roller as well.
I run an Attack up front, and a GP4000S in the back. Latex tubes. Never had an issue. I keep a spare GP4000S, which I could put either in the front or in the back if I have have a cut.
I’m not winning any races, but it’s been very reliable and feels fast enough to me! If you want to save a couple bucks, look at some of the UK websites for deals. Chainreactioncycles, ribble, etc
Once again, thanks for all the helpful input. I am going with the Conti GP4000S tires for the remainder of this race season. I plan to try the Attack/Force tire combo, too, but not until next season. And, if the latex tubes prove too fragile (that is, if my installation skill is not up to avoiding pinch flats), then I’ll go with butyl tubes.
P.S. A thank you to whomever posted the link to the sale price for the tires in another thread. Very timely for purposes of negotiating the price point for tire purchases from the LBS.
I just spoke with HED as well…same exact recommendation with the Attack/Force. I’m in need of new tires and will give this combo a try for racing where I know debris on the road, or poor road conditions, will not be an issue. I absolutely love the HED Jet 6 / Jet 9 combo! It has served us both well in the past! My fastest bike splits are with this combo.
But honestly, I have pinched a few latex tubes, yes I know my fault, and they are hard to come by. I have had great success with the Attack/Force & Butly setup and will be sticking with that. Actually, I will switch to Gatorskins and tire liners for Austin 70.3 just to avoid a flat there on the crazy thorn roads with crap surface.