Calling All Tufo Tubular Riders

[CalfeeFly]

I am having a set of tubular wheels built. I plan to use the Tufo Tubular with sealant.

Anyone who has ridden them...what is your opinion on different models...or what have you been told by folks who ride them?

S 33 Special
S 3 Lite
Road Elite

Thank you very much.

[LegendRider]

I've only ridden the Road Elite so I can't compare among the models. However, I've found them to be more durable than Sprinters or CXs. Plus, they feel very sticky in corners. There was a thread recently that indicated Tufos had higher rolling resistance than other tubulars which I can believe. Nevertheless, I'm very happy with them and will be buying more in the future.

[bostondrunk]

I had the S3 lite. They were great while they lasted. Both punctured in under 300 km. Both had sealant in them. Neither was repairable to the point of re-using, even with a lot more sealant.
Back to Contis. Sprinters are great. Competitions too, but $$$.

[theprep]

I have 2 sets of the Road Elites. I have not tried the others.

These are high quality tires, very round and mount up very straight. The Road Elites are probably the most durable tire of the 3 mentioned. I have about 1000 miles on one set and they look brand new, no cuts, no flats. IMO a great tire for training. Sad to say, I agree with previous postings that claim they don't roll fast. Otherwise it would be the perfect racing and training tire. They are wider than most other tubulars at a true 23 mm.

If you do puncture, you have the sealant to get you home. If that fails, I read that people are plugging these tires with a piece of foam (from a cut up ear plug), sort of like plugging a car tire. In any event, you will most likely wear these out before you have to remove them.

I'll sell my second set for 50% off ($80) if you are interested. I want the $ to try some Corsa CX's or Veloflex Carbons. They have under 100 miles on them.

[Too Tall]

The TUFO sealant is used on the road to get you home. It will not reliably pump beyond 90lbs. Currently I am trying Rock n' Rolls "tube spooge" product using a trashed TUFO to see if it is a better product eg. can reliably hold a higher pressure than TUFO sealant. PM me for results in a week or so. Road Elite is an excellent and durable tire but so are the Clement Stradas and at about $50 for 3 I'm pretty happy.

[PBWrench]

I rode on TUFO Jet Elites (160 gram) a good bit this last season. Pretty durable. One flat on rear at about 1200 miles. Great, soft tires.

[dirtdigger88]

If the sealant is designed to just get you home- what do you do then? How do you repair the tires- or are they trashed

Jason

[zap]

I've been riding S3 <215 for the last 2 seasons on one bike. Nice tires with easy mounting via tufo tape. Will be switching to their extreme tape next time to see if crud buildup on sidewalls is reduced.

My rear tires only last +/- 1,000 miles, so longevity there is lacking. Front still fine after 3,000+ miles.

Zero flats.

But I'm looking at others as I'm not quite convinced they are the best. I'll need to give Dugast a try.

After riding conti tubulars and clinchers for 18 years, they are on my xhit list. Current tires are lacking in grip for some reason.

No experience with any sealant. Yet.... :D

[bostondrunk]

If the sealant is designed to just get you home- what do you do then? How do you repair the tires- or are they trashed

Jason


Trashed, as far as I'm concerned. No way to physically repair the tire. I guess you could experiment with some of the slime some of these guys put into them to try and pluf the hole.....I tossed them and went back to contis.

[MartyE]

I've been riding the road elites for a while now can't tell you the
milage as my computer died in June and I haven't bothered replacing it.
I'm impressed, if I may be so blasphemous as to say I think they compare
to the old pre oriental clement Paris-Roubaix in terms of ride.
Not a racing tire but a true 23mm as stated above.
I'm not a racer type or racer wannabe so the rolling resistance isn't an
issue with me. I believe the Giro Twix has better rolling resistance.
Rode sprinters before the tufos and flatted with less than 500miles on
2 tires, no cuts just slow leak.

Marty

[zap]

dirtdigger

i agree w/bd, trash em. I've heard that tufo's are impossible to repair.

But hey, I trash any tire/tube thats been cut.

only cuts that should be patched, are on your body. :D

Well, i guess we need to make an exception for Sandy's ottrott.

[dirtdigger88]

Ok, so I guess that small pin holes just fill up and you are good to go

jason