Suggestions for 28mm tubular gravel grinder tires?

[FastforaSlowGuy]

My wife wants to take her road bike off the road and onto "roads." That's fine, but her clearance only allows up to 28mm, and her rims are tubular. Taking those 30+ mm CX tires out of the equation, it looks like most of the gravel-oriented tires are clincher/tubeless. Before I go with a Pave or similar tire, anyone have suggestions?

[christian]

27mm Pave.

[joosttx]

Challenge PR's

[teleguy57]

Been thinking about this too. Sunday I rode the Cheesehead Roubaix (https://www.facebook.com/events/657188131005632/) with 10 miles of gravel out of 63 miles total, and while I was planning to use 25mm Vittoria Paves, at the last minute I chickened out and swapped to 28mm Ultremo ZX clinchers. Wasn't necessarily the width that made me change, but the ride was unsupported and I got a little uncertain about changing a flat tubular, or potentially multiple flats, in the wet.

I usually carry one pre-glued spare and a bottle of Stan's with valve core tool rubber banded to it, so I suppose I could carry a second spare for rides like this and have both belt and suspenders.

If I had on some fatter tubies on I that may have tipped me to stay with my Nucleons for the tarmac, but the Ultremos rolled well. Wider was good on this stuff -- this as the most challenging section as it got steeper as we went.

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1422552_773809005977491_1601712572878695404_n.jpg

[merckx]

FMB Sprint 28's. It is what I used at D2R2 2013. They are fabulous.

[teleguy57]

Challenge PR's

Others may have different experiences, but mine (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=136810&highlight=challenge) has a big NO written all over Challenge tubulars. (FWIW, the remaining Challenge Strada 25 failed in the same way.)

[FastforaSlowGuy]

FMB Sprint 28's. It is what I used at D2R2 2013. They are fabulous.

Do you know what they actually measured at? Those would be an interesting option as they have a bit more tread.

[Lionel]

FMB Paris roubaix

[happycampyer]

My experience is that the Vittoria Pavés are pretty true to size. I have a pair of FMB Paris-Roubaix and they are like Ball Park Franks—they plump when you cook 'em. They're probably closer to 29mm currently. I noticed that Schwalbe has Ones in 26mm and 28mm, but I have no experience with those.

[merckx]

Do you know what they actually measured at? Those would be an interesting option as they have a bit more tread.

A hair under 30mm.

[zennmotion]

Tufo Diamond 28s- they suck for cyclocross and ride pretty stiff compared to quality pave tubs but they're tough and inexpensive and at reasonable pressure they ride OK on gravel, certainly no worse than Panaracer or Rivendell clincher 28s that a lot of people (including me) use for gravel. They measure a true 28mm's, should have OK clearance if her brake pads are close to bottomed out in the slots. I've used the Tufos for "special" gravel race-like events. If you're considering expensive high end tubs for recreational gravel riding, you might as well just invest in rebuilding the wheels with some 23mm clincher rims. Even with a spare, I've certainly had double punctures on rough roads with sharp gravel, tubs aren't worth it for just joy riding gravel IMO.

[JonB]

My experience with 27mm tubular Paves on a gravel road ride was a side-blowout. Do they have any extra rubber/cut resistance on the sidewall? I don't specifically recall but I don't think so.

[Gummee]

Tufo Diamond 28s- they suck for cyclocross and ride pretty stiff compared to quality pave tubs but they're tough and inexpensive and at reasonable pressure they ride OK on gravel, certainly no worse than Panaracer or Rivendell clincher 28s that a lot of people (including me) use for gravel. They measure a true 28mm's, should have OK clearance if her brake pads are close to bottomed out in the slots. I've used the Tufos for "special" gravel race-like events. If you're considering expensive high end tubs for recreational gravel riding, you might as well just invest in rebuilding the wheels with some 23mm clincher rims. Even with a spare, I've certainly had double punctures on rough roads with sharp gravel, tubs aren't worth it for just joy riding gravel IMO.

I'll second the 'Tufos are tough' comment. Mine are Dry 32s that I ride gravel on. As the name implies, they're great when its dry. Wet? Not so much. (too small side knobs for wet)

M

[happycampyer]

My experience with 27mm tubular Paves on a gravel road ride was a side-blowout. Do they have any extra rubber/cut resistance on the sidewall? I don't specifically recall but I don't think so.I would have to agree that none of the tubulars that we are discussing are any where as flat-resistant as Rol-y Poll-y's or Gatorskins, etc. I think tire choice is going to be dependent on the condition of the road surface—if the gravel is very loose and sharp, like zeninmotion I would gravitate towards clinchers. For D2R2, I have always ridden clinchers so that I'm not limited to one spare (and the thought of carrying two (heavier 27mm) spare tubulars is a bit much for me).

[hida yanra]

I'd go with Tufo's (never die) or Paves.
I like Challenges, but they seem to be uneven in the overall experiences folks have.

[DAG]

I believe Ssalmon did the Almonzo 100 on Paris-Roubaixs.