Deerfield tires

[Bittersweet]

Has anyone ridden Vittoria XN tires? Thoughts compared to a Tufo D28? This is for D2R2 type riding as I plan on attending again and as some know I also live in the area.

[Too Tall]

Bruddah, I looked long and hard at that tyre and decided not to fool around with becuase my tubular tyre mentors...who happen to be HUGE re-sellers...said the quality is not so hot. D28 is a working man's tyre for Deerfield...it will be really decent even if it (knock on wood) is wet and there is plenty of volume for following Manet down stupid fast downhills ;) My vote is take a pass. It would fold up nice as a spare?

[Bittersweet]

As I have clincher rims (blasphemy, I know) I'd be using the D28 tubular clincher. Good reports on that as well? I've never used a blended format like that.

Did you slime the inside at all?

[dauwhe]

For the less skilled among us, I figure wider is better. I've had good luck with 650B x 37mm (Trimline, sadly no longer available) for D2R2. I think jbay rode 50 or 60mm Big Apples last year!

For me, 28mm is nice width for pavement! YMMV...

Dave

[Bittersweet]

I rode the 100k (wimp ride I know) with Michelin 25c Pro Race 2 on my everyday road bike so anything pretty much will be bigger. I thought the tire was right on the edge of workable but fine. For my 2007 D2R2 project bike I'll have cantis and room to spare so I'm looking for a smooth tread (no cross knobs), 28-32c clincher tire. The XNs looked good but sounds like not so much per TT. D28 looks good but I've never used that clincher/tubular format and I have clincher wheels for this project. I need to stay in budget so this can't be crazy exotic.

Thanks in advance for the helpful suggestions.

[jthurow]

Oh, man... I'm been kicking this subject around in my head for a while.

Don't know too much about tubulars except that I saw some D28s that Dirt had. Looked very nice. Enough tread to matter when you need it but not too obtrusive when you don't.

On the clincher side... I've narrowed my choice down, in order of preference at this moment, to... Schwalbe Marathon Racer (http://www.schwalbetires.com/node/154/ok) (light, good tread), Grand Bois (http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/tireoffer.html) (light and I've heard good things but questionable tread for conditions), and Avocet Cross II (http://www.avocet.com/tirepages/cross_2_specs.html) (light and nice tread but I haven't heard good things about their "feel"). I didn't mention'em but a serious contender is the D28 in the tubular clincher form. I'm curious about the tubular clinchers and it might be a perfect opportunity to try'em.

jimi

[djg]

Oh, man... I'm been kicking this subject around in my head for a while.

Don't know too much about tubulars except that I saw some D28s that Dirt had. Looked very nice. Enough tread to matter when you need it but not too obtrusive when you don't.

I'm curious about the tubular clinchers and it might be a perfect opportunity to try'em.

jimi

I have a set of the D28 "tubular/clinchers," although I've never been to Deerfield. I have these mounted on wheels I use with my cross bike for sort of mixed all-around use (hard ground/pavement/roads/trails, etc.) I think that they do the job well. They seem to be pretty tough tires that don't weigh a ton; they'll stand up to 90 psi for pavement/smooth ground purposes; and they'll avoid (or diminish) a lot of the risk you might have of pinch flats if you drop the pressure quite a bit to deal with rougher terrain. They are versatile tires that ride just fine for what they are, and they don't cost a fortune either.

What they're not: for muddy or mixed ground courses (cross or other events, or just riding), these may come up short or way, way short. The diamond tread might cut through mud in certain contexts, but it's just too shallow to grab and give you any real traction in muddy ground (or, as it turns out, snow). Maybe I'd do better lowering the pressure even more, but they are what they are. Also, while it's probably unreasonable to expect this sort of tire to ride like a high quality road tubular, I can tell you from personal experience that you shouldn't--on the road, switching from this tire to tubular tire suitable wheels mounted with veloflex tires is like night and day. So the tire has some of the advantages of tubular tires, but it really doesn't offer the ride of a top quality road or cross tubular tire. Then again, maybe it's not supposed to be either of those things.

Also, these are tight MFs. You don't have to glue them, but you will have to wrestle them on. After that they should be good longtime, but pulling them on a set of Eurus wheels was not, for me, pretty.

On balance, I'm happy with them for what they offer, and for the price. They really don't do everything, but they do quite a bit and are, IMO, useful.

[fiamme red]

If I were doing it, I'd use cyclocross tires, such as the Michelin Jet.

[Kevan]

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=21970&subcategory_ID=5420

price is attractive and just my size in a 32

[Bittersweet]

Based on my experience last year on the 100k and talking to others, CX tread is both not needed and brings the annoyance feeling like you are flogging a knobby mtb tire on the road. I rode a Pro Race 25c and where I felt it was lacking was in a cush when you're bombing down dirt hills and hitting rocks not in traction. This is why I'm gravitating toward the file pattern on the XN or the D28.

Most of the folks riding mtb frames were on 26" slicks of some sort.

[Ginger]

Yeah...cross tires were pretty much overkill for the part of the ride that I was on...I think I was running Richy Speed Max...freak'n slog on the road and in my opinion, the nobbies really suck on fast, wet, paved descents. I'd rather have more contact...
But if you're unskilled in riding gravel hills on road tires, you may want to use them after all.

[manet]

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=21970&subcategory_ID=5420

price is attractive and just my size in a 32

manet approved

[72gmc]

Clincher: why not the Vittoria Randonneur Cross? Not light, but not expensive--you won't flat and the ride is decent enough. Even a few widths to choose from.

Wish I could try the D2R2.

[Too Tall]

+1 Speedmax....I mean if I got a lobotomy or sumthin and forgot what tubulars are ;) The TUFO clincher/tubular dealio is a huge pita in the field...recommend a conventional clincher.

[yarg]

Based on last year's experience I would say the tire choice would depend on the weather. Last year was not wet at all and a slick was fine, I even rode with one guy at the end of the day who had 23cc road tires. But man that would be near impossible if it is wet. If it is wet a cyclocross tire with some deeper tread (& fenders) would be the choice, othwise if it is like last year a 32 panaracer is what I will use. Can't wait to do it again - hope to see everyone there.

[jthurow]

The TUFO clincher/tubular dealio is a huge pita in the field...recommend a conventional clincher.

Thanks for that tidbit... One more to cross off my list.

jimi

[dirtdigger88]

Thanks for that tidbit... One more to cross off my list.

jimi

dude I keep telling you - you can use my DA/Reflex wheelset for Deerfield

go full blown (oh- bad choice maybe) tubular

Jason

[jthurow]

dude I keep telling you - you can use my DA/Reflex wheelset for Deerfield

go full blown (oh- bad choice maybe) tubular

Jason

As if I wouldn't have enough to worry about trying to get my *** up the the next big hill, then I'd have to worry about trashing your coolio wheels. I'm good enough trashing my own wheels, I don't need to practice with someone else's ...but I appreciate the offer.

jimi

[Peter P.]

I rode the 100km in 2005 and the 100+mi. in 2006, both on Panaracer Paselas (26x1.25").

The width/volume was PERFECT; we bombed the downhills with nary a flat, and grip on the dirt/gravel turns was very good. However, the tread was not. Actually, the tread WAS fine, but I wanted more traction because I'm a light guy and prefer climbing out of the saddle. With the Paselas, if I stood on the steeper gravel/dirt climbs I could skip the tire, but that was rare. They did hook up well. I'm just thinking that the file tread is so shallow that the tires will have a short useful life span if I use them on loose surfaces.

What I really wanted are the Avocet Cross IIs. I fetched a pair for my buddy to use on the 100mile course, and he had no problems. I think those are the way to go because the tread is deeper so you'll get a lot more useful like out of them.

Go with the Avocet Cross IIs and make me jealous.

[dauwhe]

I think if I was doing a bike specially for this ride, I'd use the Avocet Cross IIs, but 26 x 1.9"!

I like 'em fat like that...

Dave

[Bittersweet]

I am building a bike specially for this ride but given my locale I can use it on the same roads whenever. I was inspired last year and remembered my younger days growing up in NH and riding the dirt roads near my house a lot and loving it. The bike will be versatile and could provide a jumping off point for my first attempt at cross. At the unveiling Fat Robert might say that it's style is the aesthetic equivalent of the men's department at WalMart. I enjoy euro trash and always have. White saddle and white tape. My first new project in three years. I suffer from the opposite of ADD which we've dubbed ASD (Attention Surplus Disorder). For the next five months I can agonize over the minutae that in no way will really affect the ride. XN, D28, Speedmax, Cross II .....

[dreadpiratetim]

New Tufo Elite Ride 25 tubulars... Over 3,500km in last few months, and rode them for 2+ hours today on dirt ranch roads on the Eastern plains of Colorado. Just fine for the job, stable in loose stuff and took the edge off the bumps. Don't know about Deerfield (e.g., how rutted, loose, hard, etc.) but these tires get the job done. Roll nicely when the pavement is good, bad or whatever. Maybe they don't have the feel of Dugasts, but slime 'em up and you keep going. Just the thing for brevets and other looooong rides. Any clincher with a better feel is going to have a life expectancy of 2,000km if you're lucky, and cost 50% more.

TT - Feel free to make another plug for Conti Sprinters ;-)

[William]

35mm Club Roost Cross Terra Tires.

Cheap, tough, smooth (lower rolling resistance then real knarly treaded tires) on pavement, hard pack, and dirt. Bites well in the corners. I've been using them on the Effin Cross Bike and so far like them a lot.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=22929

http://www.clubroost.com/TractionProducts.htm



William

[Too Tall]

BigWilly, as far as a Deerfield worthy clincher goes that's nice. Do you have a weight for the 38? For go fast a 28 cross tyre is plenty in my HO. Nice treads.

Tim, Deerfield has some real gnarly / wet sections and rutted 40+ mph rocky downhills. Folks on smooth tyres have to pick lines and have trouble out of the saddle and would be sunk if it rained all day so Competitions and TUFO Elite is a tyre you "could" ride but should you? I'd do it on a dry day just for yucks.