flat continentals. vectran the hero?

[giverdada]

so, i am working my way into the tubular realm, and enjoying almost every bit of it. got my first flat a couple weeks ago, posted about it and the use of pit stop and all of that, and then proceeded to ride a clincher spare wheel for a beautiful trip to virginia.

anyway, the tire didn't get totally fixed with the pit stop, and still has a slow leak. continental sprinter gatorskin. rear. piece of glass or something in the centre of the tread, i pulled it out, but apparently it's too much for my novice install of pit stop. pulled the tire.

currently running a well-glued and rounder cheapo tubular from yellow jersey. thing runs like a champ, holds air for days, and has me back on that sweet tubular wheel which is grand.

i have a bit of experience with continental tires, as i happen to love them, and have since i was in high school, struggling to get those brown sidewalls onto my mountain bike rims. i looked up a bunch of their models, trying to figure out the difference between what i thought would be a relatively indestructible model, the sprinter gatorskin, and a model i've been unable to flat since installing it, the GP4000. (i've flatted a poly X breaker, but that was more a pinch flat as opposed to a puncture, and mostly my fault for not paying attention.)

i'm thinking the answer is Vectran.

gatorskin certainly doesn't seem to get it done, and the only other thing that the GP4000 has that the sprinter doesn't is Vectran.

what do you think? vectran is the secret to long-term puncture protection?

[rnhood]

On the clincher side of things, which is the better side for a number of reasons in my opinion, the Conti with vectran (4000 in 25's for me) ride and perform great, and are very durable from a flat standpoint. They are not the longest milage tire, but the ride and puncture resistance make up for it. My ProRace and evo Corsa CX tires just sit in the closet....along with my tubular wheels.

Having said that, I don't think vectran is the holy grail when it comes to flat resistance. The roads and debris still play a role, as does tire construction, size and pressure, although to a lesser extent.

[giverdada]

in terms of flat resistance, i think the holy grail is closer to maxxis re-fuse (as long as the rest of the tread doesn't de-lam) or bontrager hardcase. i've never flatted a hard case in any situation, and i've only pinch-flatted a re-fuse when under inflated and hitting a square, sharp-edged rock.

tubulars are fun and curmudgeony and i got a killer deal on some handbuilts that i mainly bought for the hubs, but have been using, on a steep learning curve, since november.

as for mileage, the most miles i've ever consistently put on a set of tires was a clincher set of GP4000 - more than 3 or 4 seasons' worth, all on the same roads i usually ride, plus some gravel and century tours and now a commuter bike. tough things, and lovely in 28 width.

i just wish hard cases lasted longer without being so affected by UV and/or salt, and maybe that they came in tubular...

[forrestw]

The conti competition tubular also has a vectran breaker and I've had good luck with them. I still prefer a tire that can be repaired so I won't go with the gp4000.

IMX Schwalbe uses better flat protection (also vectran) than Conti offers.

[gpl916]

I have a set of the GP4000 four season clinchers in 28mm. They have been my main commuter set for about two years and ridden on gravel. I have never had a flat yet with them. I hope I didn't just jinx myself!