Help me pick a (road) tubular

[Hepmike]

Looking for the best balance of weight, ride, cost, etc. - durability is not so much a factor, as I'll have it on my (dedicated) racing bike.

It needs to be 700c, it's for road- and preferably something that won't burst a vein trying to get on (the last conti's I put on almost did me and the rim in fitting them on- even after I stretched them).

Thanks in advance-

[nooneline]

What kind of races do you plan on doing, and what wheels do you plan on using?

[Hepmike]

Crits/Circuits and I'll be running them on some olderish Bontrager XXX lite carbons (46 deep I think?)

[uber]

Veloflex carbon and FMB cost about the same. FMB's are easiest to
put on, and feel very supple on the road. They only come gumwall.
Veloflex feel almost as nice and last a bit longer.

[zetroc]

Vittoria Corsa Evo SC

[FastforaSlowGuy]

+1 for Veloflex Carbons. I've found them just as nice as Vittoria SC, but a bit more durable.

[FlashUNC]

I've liked my Michelin Pro4's quite a bit. Ride nicely and have latex tubes. Definite race-day kinda tire.

[christian]

Vittoria Corsa Evo SC work great, can be found cheap, and have met my tire needs in every way.

[Bantamben]

I've used veloflex contis and vittoria and I prefer the vittoria as they are cheaper then veloflex and much easier to get on then a conti. Contis are durable but a real pain to install and take off because it doesn't stretch.
I just started using vittoria corsa elites I bought 3 - 25mm from ribble for 38$ each and there only like 20 grams more than corsa cx and ride and look exactly the same. The have a butyl instead of a latex tube as well. I think there great and basically half the price.

[El Chaba]

Veloflex Criterium or Carbon (depending on your sidewall preference)....The King of tubulars...

[nooneline]

I love Continental Competitions in 25mm for criterium racing. So grippy it feels like I'm cheating every time I can corner harder, faster, and more confidently than my competition.

[christian]

I am very tempted by the Vittoria Corsa Elite. It sort of seems like a much cheaper Continental Competition without the mounting hassle.

[shovelhd]

The Evos are done. All that's left is old stock. Good riddance. That replaceable stem was horrible. It's just the Corsa series now. The Corsa Elite is basically the Corsa CX with a butyl tube. Old Potato rides them. I race on the Corsa CX. No Evo. 25mm stem.

[Look585]

Corsa Elites are great. It would be hard to quantify the wattage benefit of butyl vs. latex tube; however, the price difference (vs. the Corsa CX) is meaningful.

[aoe]

Veloflex carbon and FMB cost about the same. FMB's are easiest to
put on, and feel very supple on the road. They only come gumwall.
Veloflex feel almost as nice and last a bit longer.

FMB offers a black sidewall tub now.

[ultraman6970]

Racing bike??? Just go typical 22 - 23 mm... Continental, FMB or Schwalbe... I wont recomend 3x50 bucks this time, the dude wants to race in this things.

[Kirk Pacenti]

I don't ride tubulars, but if I did they would be FMB's.

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/newsroom/old_wire/img/upload/2013/08/01/The-Most-Interesting-Man-in-the-World/lead_large.jpg

[redir]

Veloflex Criterium or Carbon (depending on your sidewall preference)....The King of tubulars...

Agreed but also +1 on the FMB.

[oldpotatoe]

Looking for the best balance of weight, ride, cost, etc. - durability is not so much a factor, as I'll have it on my (dedicated) racing bike.

It needs to be 700c, it's for road- and preferably something that won't burst a vein trying to get on (the last conti's I put on almost did me and the rim in fitting them on- even after I stretched them).

Thanks in advance-

Vittoria Corsa or Corsa Elite..

Veloflex are nice but you are at the point of diminishing returns considering how expensive they are, IMHO.

FMB and Dugast..too many tread separations for me..and they cost a butt-load.

[merckx]

This is counter to most of what you read about FMB, but my experience has been spotty re: quality. Some have not been very true if not lumpy, and I've had a few mystery flats with them. I prefer some Vittoria (Paves and SC's) Veloflex, and I also enjoy Conti Comps in 25c.

[fogrider]

It needs to be 700c, it's for road- and preferably something that won't burst a vein trying to get on (the last conti's I put on almost did me and the rim in fitting them on- even after I stretched them).

Thanks in advance-

my hand strength is not what it use to be...I use an old leather toe strap and strap down one side of the tire and then work on the other side. Just make sure you pull on the tire from the stem.

[ultraman6970]

Tubulars and punctures is a thing of being lucky, as pretty much every thing else too... some here hates the 3x50 bucks ones but pretty much I retire them when I get punctures because I can see the tubes pop out for example. w/o luck you can even puncture tubulars made of steel.


This is counter to most of what you read about FMB, but my experience has been spotty re: quality. Some have not been very true if not lumpy, and I've had a few mystery flats with them. I prefer some Vittoria (Paves and SC's) Veloflex, and I also enjoy Conti Comps in 25c.

[merckx]

Tubulars and punctures is a thing of being lucky, as pretty much every thing else too... some here hates the 3x50 bucks ones but pretty much I retire them when I get punctures because I can see the tubes pop out for example. w/o luck you can even puncture tubulars made of steel.

I've been riding tubs since 1976. I know what to expect from them. Mystery flats is not one of them.

[wgp]

Second FlashUNC's recommendation; I really like the Michelin Pro 4s. When ProBikekit has a sale, they can be had for as little as $60. Veloflex are always nice, but as many have said, they rarely come cheaply (i.e. on sale) vs. the other brands. My two sets of tubular wheels are shod with these two choices.

[StephenCL]

Think i can add a little to this topic....

Ranking the following four categories:

1) suppleness -- cornering confidence
2) durability -- least prone to flats, lasts longest
3) cost -- self explanatory
4) mounting/ ease of care

My scale is 1-3, with 3 being the best score.

Ill cover the following thee tires, no conti here as I think it scores too low in too many categories to really be considered (the team issue contis are a different story, but they are hard to come by).

Vittoria cx
Veloflex carbon
FMB Service Corse

First up, the vittoria...

1) it fairs the worst of the three in the first category..its alright for daily use, but it is not as supple of either of the others, and it shows when you are going deep into the corners... Score 1

2) the vittoria scores well here.. I get the most miles, out of the vittorias. A rear cx can go about 1500 miles for training, or about 8-10 races. They withstand superficial cuts the best, and are pretty rugged tires.. I train most of the time on pave cg's for this reason. Score 3.

3) cost...again, it is the best tire here for cost....you can find them for around 50.00 if you look hard enough. I even bought them once for about 40.00 a piece. Tough to go wrong with them for this kind of money. Score 3

4) ease of use is NOT the vittoria strong suit. For years we filed base tapes, they are not friendly to tufo tape, and they often require care when mounting to get perfectly straight. They require the longest stretching, and of the three, they are the hardest to put onto the rim with wet glue. Score 1

Total for vittoria 8

Veloflex Carbon

1) the carbon is a really supple tire, and considering it has the extra protection layer, its pretty cool.. I have 100% confidence in this tire and even at 120psi, it still corners great without chatter. Score 3.

2) while the tread only lasts 1000 miles at best, the tire is pretty good with punctures and is a durable tires... Score 2.

3) its not as much as the fmb, but roughly twice what you pay for the vittoria. Occassionaly you can score them for around 80. Which is a lot of coin, but could be worse... Score 2

4) this is where the veloflex really shines. The base tape is always straight, they really don't even need to be pre stretched (i do it anyway). They roll on really nice when gluing, they do great with tufo tape...and the base tape is just the right amount of absorbent. I think if everyones first tubular was a veloflex carbon, a lot more people would ride tubulars. Score 3.

Overall 10

FMB Service Corse

1) its the most supple of the bunch. You could sleep on a pile of these. They corner great, and you feel like they glue you to the road. Score 3.

2) the tread is pretty thick and you get more miles than the carbon, still not as many as the vittoria, but like Bill, I have had weird issues in the past with flats. Score 2.

3) these are the most expensive of the bunch, and can be hard to find during the season... Score 1.

4) they are very workable, however the base tape drinks cement like water, often requiring three layers before i feel good about it. Also, i have had a few off center where the tread is not centered perfectly, or where the base tape is a little crooked where it overlaps..you have to remember these are super handmade with the little nuances that make them special....i love my FMB's, but they are for Sunday mornings if you get my drift.. Score 2

Overall 8

Hope this is helpful, i have thousands and thousands, and thousands of miles on these three tires, i don't own a set of clinchers...26 years on tubulars....

[shovelhd]

I get a heck of a lot more than 10 races out of a set of Vittoria Corsas, more like a whole season (35-45 races).

[ultraman6970]

Since 1982 here :)

I've been riding tubs since 1976. I know what to expect from them. Mystery flats is not one of them.

[StephenCL]

I get a heck of a lot more than 10 races out of a set of Vittoria Corsas, more like a whole season (35-45 races).

I mean until the center tread is worn down, or the shoulder tread is affected...

Not until the tire wears through.... :).

[Hepmike]

K dumb question coming: when describing a tubular (or other tire?) what is the meaning of "supple"?

[merckx]

K dumb question coming: when describing a tubular (or other tire?) what is the meaning of "supple"?

Not Armadillo like.

[StephenCL]

Good question...

In my opinion, suppleness has to do with the tires ability to quickly and consistently change shape during cornering despite surface irregularities. Most of the time, you can also feel a difference when holding them in your hand...this is important as the more supple a tire is, theoretically the more contact area will stay on the road when cornering forces act against it, even at higher tire pressures...

Again, this is my opinion.

[ceolwulf]

Also the more supple it is, the less energy it takes to deform it, the faster it is. Not the only factor of course but a fairly major one.

[oldpotatoe]

Good question...

In my opinion, suppleness has to do with the tires ability to quickly and consistently change shape during cornering despite surface irregularities. Most of the time, you can also feel a difference when holding them in your hand...this is important as the more supple a tire is, theoretically the more contact area will stay on the road when cornering forces act against it, even at higher tire pressures...

Again, this is my opinion.

Great opinion and why tubulars are more 'supple' than clinchers or tubeless.

The bicycle version of a radial car tire.

[jghall]

Never ventured into the FMB world, so no comment here on them.

Carbon's are probably my favorite tire. Though as mentioned, they can be pricey.

Vitt's Corsa and Elite are very nice tires. Giving up just a tad in ride to the above. Maybe even a better every day tire though. Unless your pockets are deep.

Also think Kendra makes a nice tire. One which flies a bit under the radar. Had good luck with both the S. Domestique and Volare. Even the Domestique for that matter.

[djg]

Always had good luck with the Vittoria Corsa Evo -- a good consistent tire, good grip, pretty supple, and a tolerable price. I haven't tried the ISO version.