SquidPuppet

I can only speak from my own experience here. My recent Compass purchase was the 559 x 54mm Rat Trap Pas Extra Light. On my rims they measure exactly 54mms. They replaced Ritchey tires that were 100% bald slicks and measured exactly 54mms. A fairly even head to head competition. They Ritchey tires sucked up big bumps just fine and had phenomenal cornering grip. They didn't transmit any weird vibrations either. Not a bad tire all. I liked them very much. The Compass tires suck up the big bumps just fine too. No big difference between them and the Ritchey tires. Where the Compass tires shine is their insulating characteristic from all things small, rough and annoying and, rolling resistance and speed. Transitioning from perfect pavement to crappy chip seal goes unnoticed. Cracks, stones, debris, man hole covers, etc... if I hadn't seen them I probably wouldn't have known I ran over them.

Speed! Here are the results of my highly sophisticated rolling resistance test.

54mm slick vs 54mm treaded tire. Same bike, same weather-ish, no wind, one full water bottle, me in same clothes. Yeah, I know, it's a Super-Lab.

I've done this route a bazillion times on my usual single speed ride down to the lake. When I leave my house the road is flat for 1/4 mile, then it's downhill for 1/3 mile, then flat, then a brief uphill run. When I hit the flat section I'm going about 30 mph. I know exactly where the bike has slowed enough (specific mailbox) that I can begin pedaling (without spinning out) to build up momentum for the approaching uphill section. with the Ritchey tires at 40psi rear and 35psi front, (can't go lower, they become lethargic) that point is approximately 100 feet before the uphill section begins. With the Compass tires inflated to 35psi rear and 30psi front, it was futile to begin pedaling at my usual marker. In fact, the bike continued to roll the extra approximately 100 feet and even went a short way up the hill before I could meaningfully contribute by pedaling. I didn't need to build up some momentum for the hill because my bike carried enough speed to take me part way up it.

Is that due to the supple casing and sidewalls, or the lighter weight, or both? I dunno. But it's real.

The compass tires feel more stable at high speed and MUCH more nimble at low speeds. They actually feel "skinny" when going very slow, like through parking lots and crowded parks and beaches.

The Ritcheys had superior cornering grip, which I miss. I really wish Compass would offer a slick version of all their tires.

Where is my check Jan? I've been pounding this keyboard for months, years, and still no check dammit.