My goal is Ironman Florida 2010. I want a clincher with:
Low rolling resistance
Availability
Flat resistance
Ease of changing when having a flat
Wear, cornering, wet-grip, weight (within reason) … is not so important for that race. My recent experience:
Vittoria open corsa evo KS - I used those in most of my IM races so far with zero problems - but if something faster is available - also used them with no problems in Florida already - but if I flat, changing is hard
Schwalbe Ultremo R - used those for IM Austria - biggest advantage is, that they are easy to mount and unmount in case of a flat - they somhow feel soft
Not a lot for a few years and many races I know … Whats the status, recent tests, whats fast … ?
I chose the vittoria based on an old test of tour magazine, but wonder, if something changed since then, Vittoria has changed the TPI … are there any tests available?
Wheels (Hed disc + xentis), Clincher, Tubes … all interesting aspects but I decided on those
That’s a topic I have been meaning to bring up…since my re-entry to the sport finds me…a hemmmm…183 lbs. from my svelte racing weight of 150 back in the day.
My Ksyriums came with Bontrager’s…have no idea if I’m on the best for my weight.
How much do you weigh? How wide is the brake track area on the Hed disc and the Xentis? Are you expecting much cross-wind on the IMFL course?
Between 160 and 170
HED is very wide (C2 design), Xentis a bit smaller ; I tend to use 23s front and rear
It changes every year and I need to decide for ONE setup (travel from europe) 2008 there was little wind …
OK…good. The reason I asked about weight is that if you were closer to 200, then you might not want to go with a narrower tire if that’s what it took to match the rim widths.
Here are my suggestions:
Front - Bontrager Race X-lite Aero TT, 19C width w/latex tube…that’s assuming the rim width on the Xentis is more like 19-20mm. You’ll want to test fit the Aero TT on that rim since it appears that how well the “wings” match up with the rim is dependent on the wall thickness of the brake track. If it doesn’t match up well, then I’d go with the same tire on the front that I’m going to suggest for the rear . These tires actually roll faster than the Open Corsa CXs you’re currently running AND they measurably lower your aero drag as well, especially so if there is any type of crosswinds. My experience has been that they are a very robust tire as well, especially for front tire use. The downside is that in the case of the need for a tube change, the wings might take a bit of working with your thumbs to pop back in place, but I’ve found that this gets easier the longer the tire is on the wheel and inflated.
Rear - Bontrager Race X-Lite Pro 23C or Specialized Mondo S-Works Open Tubular 23C. Both of these tires are nearly identical to the Vittoria Open Corsa KS models…with the important exception that in the 23C size, the tread mold used is slightly narrower than that used on CX/KS. This apparently contributes to those 2 tires having a measurably lower Crr than the Vittorias.
Of course, latex tubes in both. Just make sure your rim tape is adequate and pristine (I suggest veloplugs covered with a layer of thin nylon rim tape as a sort of “belt and suspenders” precaution) and that you take extra care not to “pinch” the tube under the bead of the tires as you install them.
X2 what Tom said. That is my race-day setup this year. They’ve got ~300 racing miles and another 200 training miles on them…NO issues despite a few grimy roads.
Seriously, all it does is raise even more questions…for example, how do you get a low rolling resistance tire with just a 67TPI casing AND some sort of “carcass protection” (i.e. the “snakeskin” feature)?
I’m sorry…but just SAYING it’s low rolling resistance doesn’t make it so…
Not the least, but there’s always a sacrifice between attributes.
You’ll have to confirm this with AFM, but I don’t believe that’s the model you’re referring to above (i.e. NOT the Ultremo DD…in fact, I don’t even think it’s the Ultremo R).
Even so, if you take those values as being for the Ultremo DD, compared to a BUNCH of other tires on that list you’re giving up a heck of a lot of “speed” for little, if any benefit.
Front - Bontrager Race X-lite Aero TT, 19C width w/latex tube…that’s assuming the rim width on the Xentis is more like 19-20mm. You’ll want to test fit the Aero TT on that rim since it appears that how well the “wings” match up with the rim is dependent on the wall thickness of the brake track. If it doesn’t match up well, then I’d go with the same tire on the front that I’m going to suggest for the rear . These tires actually roll faster than the Open Corsa CXs you’re currently running AND they measurably lower your aero drag as well, especially so if there is any type of crosswinds. My experience has been that they are a very robust tire as well, especially for front tire use. The downside is that in the case of the need for a tube change, the wings might take a bit of working with your thumbs to pop back in place, but I’ve found that this gets easier the longer the tire is on the wheel and inflated.
Rear - Bontrager Race X-Lite Pro 23C or Specialized Mondo S-Works Open Tubular 23C. Both of these tires are nearly identical to the Vittoria Open Corsa KS models…with the important exception that in the 23C size, the tread mold used is slightly narrower than that used on CX/KS. This apparently contributes to those 2 tires having a measurably lower Crr than the Vittorias.
Of course, latex tubes in both. Just make sure your rim tape is adequate and pristine (I suggest veloplugs covered with a layer of thin nylon rim tape as a sort of “belt and suspenders” precaution) and that you take extra care not to “pinch” the tube under the bead of the tires as you install them.
Just my 2 centavos…
Just curious, Tom – why not run the Bontrager Race X-lite Aero TT front and back?
Front - Bontrager Race X-lite Aero TT, 19C width w/latex tube…that’s assuming the rim width on the Xentis is more like 19-20mm. You’ll want to test fit the Aero TT on that rim since it appears that how well the “wings” match up with the rim is dependent on the wall thickness of the brake track. If it doesn’t match up well, then I’d go with the same tire on the front that I’m going to suggest for the rear . These tires actually roll faster than the Open Corsa CXs you’re currently running AND they measurably lower your aero drag as well, especially so if there is any type of crosswinds. My experience has been that they are a very robust tire as well, especially for front tire use. The downside is that in the case of the need for a tube change, the wings might take a bit of working with your thumbs to pop back in place, but I’ve found that this gets easier the longer the tire is on the wheel and inflated.
Rear - Bontrager Race X-Lite Pro 23C or Specialized Mondo S-Works Open Tubular 23C. Both of these tires are nearly identical to the Vittoria Open Corsa KS models…with the important exception that in the 23C size, the tread mold used is slightly narrower than that used on CX/KS. This apparently contributes to those 2 tires having a measurably lower Crr than the Vittorias.
Of course, latex tubes in both. Just make sure your rim tape is adequate and pristine (I suggest veloplugs covered with a layer of thin nylon rim tape as a sort of “belt and suspenders” precaution) and that you take extra care not to “pinch” the tube under the bead of the tires as you install them.
Just my 2 centavos…
Just curious, Tom – why not run the Bontrager Race X-lite Aero TT front and back?
If he didn’t have a C2 Hed on the back, that’s what I most likely would have suggested.
However, the Aero TT, in either 19C OR 23C, doesn’t apparently mate up too well (as shown in some pics recently) to the brake tracks on those wheels. It looks like the brake track wall thickness is a bit large. Since the C2 rim is already 23mm wide and you can’t take advantage of the wings, then you might as well go for some of the 23C tires that are actually even lower Crr than the Aero TT, with no hit on “robustness” comparitively speaking.
Not the least, but there’s always a sacrifice between attributes.
You’ll have to confirm this with AFM, but I don’t believe that’s the model you’re referring to above (i.e. NOT the Ultremo DD…in fact, I don’t even think it’s the Ultremo R).
Even so, if you take those values as being for the Ultremo DD, compared to a BUNCH of other tires on that list you’re giving up a heck of a lot of “speed” for little, if any benefit.
Tested that tire on 11/20/06 - it was on a wheel belonging to Kathryn Curi - Schwalbe was the Webcor tire sponsor. I don’t recall or didn’t notice a model number although it had been used.
“Rear - Bontrager Race X-Lite Pro 23C or Specialized Mondo S-Works Open Tubular 23C. Both of these tires are nearly identical to the Vittoria Open Corsa KS models…with the important exception that in the 23C size, the tread mold used is slightly narrower than that used on CX/KS. This apparently contributes to those 2 tires having a measurably lower Crr than the Vittorias.”
Curious as to how the “slightly” narrower tread mold might look when “spread” on a C2 rim with the wider and shorter contact patch of the wider rim. Might one possibly be giving up some flat protection to the CX/KS when on the C2 rim??? I guess it depends on how “slightly” narrower the tread mold is in comparison. What are your thoughts here? Thanks
