"Best" 35mm tires for D2R2 this year

[merckx]

Originally Posted by moose8

What about hurricane Irene? If you were slow like me it rained if I'm remembering correctly, but my memory is sometimes incorrect.

The rain came late, at least I remained dry; however when the teeth of Irene sunk into New England, boy that is another story.

[witcombusa]

Originally Posted by merckx

Good observation about the drought. We are currently in a severe drought in western mass with no reprieve on the horizon. It has never rained on the day of D2R2. All of this means that this will be the first year of rain! Two or three days before this year's event, once the forecast of rain is confirmed, we will have to revisit our tire choices, again......

Oh it RAINED that year for sure, but it was later in the day. I had already had a swim, refreshing pint or two and food. The very front of the storm tricked in as I was packing up to leave after my 100k ride.

I was back on the moto to ride the 180k about a month later. It was a horrific scene up there. Bridges missing, erosion on the steep dirt roads, MISSING sections of road. Truly amazing . Then Sandy took up the collection to help repair the crib dam lunch 'park' and later rode in with the check for that neighborhood. It was great we got to help out those folks...

[ColonelJLloyd]

Originally Posted by saab2000

shorten the brake cable housings. They're too long!

Housing should be long enough to allow for the full adjustment (extension) of the stem. Gorgeous bike, gomango.

[gomango]

Originally Posted by ColonelJLloyd

Housing should be long enough to allow for the full adjustment (extension) of the stem. Gorgeous bike, gomango.

Thank you.

I'm sold on these wide Soma tires.

Very close to the Compass tires at a slightly improved price.

Panaracer really has this figured out. Imho

[christian]

Originally Posted by christian

I have a choice between Compass Stampede Pass (32mm) and Panaracer Pasela (35mm). I will be running the Stampede Passes, I think.

After some very steep, rough, loose-gravel descents this weekend, I am revising this. The Stampede Pass lack sufficient tread to deal with loose sand and gravel. I'll be riding Panaracer Paselas.

[weisan]

That's interesting Christian pal, that's what I used (35mm Pasela) back in 2013 at D2R2, I wouldn't think that the Pasela has that much more "bite" on the road than say a Compass...maybe it does, my memory is failing me. Contemplating whether to just stick with Pasela...at $26 a piece, it's cheap, compared to you-know-what. Also, thinking about gravel king...

[christian]

Pasela 35mm:


Stampede Pass 32mm:

[R3awak3n]

imho you will get better traction because volume is a bit high but that thread difference should not give you a night and day experience if any extra traction at all.... you will still be slippin all over the place with the pasela.

[Hilltopperny]

Can't really go wrong with a gravel king or paselas. I've used the 28 and 32 version of the paselas and the 28 gravel kings with good results, but really never did any rides on them with larger size gravel.

[weisan]

[witcombusa]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

imho you will get better traction because volume is a bit high but that thread difference should not give you a night and day experience if any extra traction at all.... you will still be slippin all over the place with the pasela.

I have not found that to be the case at all. I run the 700 x 35 Pasela @ 55-60psi

[christian]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

imho you will get better traction because volume is a bit high but that thread difference should not give you a night and day experience if any extra traction at all.... you will still be slippin all over the place with the pasela.

I have ridden D2R2 four times, three times with Pasela 35mm and once with Vittoria XG tubulars. I specifically rode D2R2-like descents and ascents this weekend to assess the Stampede Pass tires. I can confirm there is a difference in loose sand and gravel, and a noticeable one at that.

[pinkshogun]

37mm Paselas have a slightly raised tread...my go to tire for D2R2 and local dirt/gravel

[weisan]

You guys have persuaded me to go dug out my old friend "Mr. 35mm Pasela" from the tires landfill in my garage : D

If I remember correctly, I took these off literally right after my trip to D2R2 in 2013. So, they been waiting to see the light of day



I mounted them on the Velocity A23 wheelset that I had built several months ago and by then it was already almost dark, I was still able to roll them a couple of times up and down my street. I was re-acquainted with the bombproof-like feeling of the pasela, and the sure-footed traction on the pavement. I am going to take it out on the local trail the next few days just to get familiarize again with its manners.

[weisan]

forgot to mention I also have a pair of Compass Stampede Pass 32mm mounted on my Merlin cross bike that I use for touring. Compared with the Pasela, it feels faster and lighter. The pasela feels like they are more "sticky" on the pavement and has more rotational mass. Not to say one is better than the other, just different. So perhaps different tools for different jobs.