biketocamp

Hi everyone. In the market for a new tire. A couple of days ago I was riding during a work commute. My route is about 29 miles and 5 miles in my Vittoria Corsa G+ tire exploded on me. I had put 3000miles on the tire. However, it had ample thread life left which you can see in the video. I didn't run over anything either, it just exploded. My PSI was at 110 which wasn't bad in my opinion.

I wanted to ask for opinions on a couple of tire's I've been looking at. The GP5000s or the Specialized Turbos. I've ridden the GP4000sII before and had the sidewall of that tire fail. As for the S-Works Turbo's, I like those tires a lot. However, I find that the rubbers go pretty quick. I'm looking for a fast rolling resistant, and puncture proof tire that is good an lightweight. May pull the trigger on the Turbos. Check out the video below.

MattTheHat 

After the initial sound, the air escaping sounded like a jet turbine powering down.

I have put about 3500 trouble free miles on a pair of Specialized Roubaix Pros (running tubeless). They look to have plenty of life left in them. They've suffered dozens of punctures that have all sealed themselves immediately. They ride well and have fairly low rolling resistance.

I've had sidewall failures within a few hundred miles on both GP4000SII and GP5000TL. My current GP5000TLs have about 700 trouble-free miles on them. They roll very nicely...very low rolling resistance.


-Matt

woodcraft

Nice video.

Supple ride= thin sidewalls= easier to damage.

Looks like previous damage that worsened over time.

TimothyH

That was a pretty big hit coming off the sidewalk and the tire failed just subsequent. I wouldn't expect a tire like the Corsa G+ or similar to survive long under such conditions. I'm guessing the sidewall was pinched.

Anyway, to the question, the Vittoria Rubino G+ might be an option. I run the Speed version which roll incredibly well but the sidewalls are probably as delicate as the Corsa G+. The standard Rubino G+ might be worth a try.


-Tim-

Pilot321

Great info, and great vid. Your commute is 29 miles one way? I assume being NYC to L.I. it is flat, or relatively so. How long does it typically take? I've never had a tire blow out its sidewall yet. Fingers crossed!

ksryder

I have the s-works turbos and they're a great ride but they don't have very good puncture protection. I got about 200 miles before my first cut. The LBS warrantied it but I'm understandably cautious with them now. I also have friends who found them to be similarly fragile.

rumrunn6

nice job w/ the field repair! what inflator is that? looks like you don't press a button, but turn a dial instead?

79pmooney

3000 miles for a near race tire that has served you very well? I'd have no complaints. It deserves a good burial. I've been riding those tires the past 2 years. I haven't tracked mileage carefully. Around 8000+ miles on 4 or 5 wheels and 3 bikes. Probably 6 or 7 tires. Haven't retired any yet but a couple are nearing their end. No sidewalls (yet). Love those tires. Love that their supreme ability to grip, to climb out of cracks. to climb back onto the pavement from the shoulder. (I had an oncoming Camaro pull out to pass on a two lane road. Pulled over onto a slightly wider section of pavement for the start of a gravel farm road - perfectly located! Camaro went by where I just was at 60. Looked up and "oh s***!" Gravel and a ditch. Cut hard in the gravel to get back on the road because I had no other choice. Tires climbed back on no sweat. Thank you!)

Maybe I should start carrying the Park boots. I've been going old-school, multiple dollar bills. They'd work just fine for your blowout. When I get home, that tire comes off and gets into the boot repair pile. Periodically I get out the sailcloth (real dacron sailcloth from a sailmaker for, say, racing dinghy jibs), contractor's grade contact cement and scissors and go to work booting. (Then again, I think I'll just keep using the bills. They work and with 5 bikes and 5 tool bags, bills are easier. Just one wallet to keep stocked and no worries of boots that are too old. More space in the small tool bags.

Thanks for posting and your video.

Ben

trailangel

Stuff happens. Be happy it wasn't the front on a 35mph downhill.

biketocamp

Proper burial indeed. Dollar bills are good but require me to withdrawal from Capital One Bank . I used a Metro Card once and it worked wonders. The Vittoria tires are really good tires. This was my second pair. My first was given to me by a friend of mine and I fell in love with them. Maybe I'll just get another pair. Thanks for checking out the video.

biketocamp

Thanks for the kind words and checking it out. It's a 29 mile commute one way but I don't do it every day. It is pretty flat most of the way and takes me about 1 hour 45 minutes without a flat or tire blow out .

GreenAnvil

Looks like a shiny object: https://www.amazon.com/Portland-Desi...SIN=B003M2PNGY

I have one and it works great.

berner

I have Specialized tires, nominally 28mm on both front and rear on Velocity A23 rims. The front, a Turbo Pro measures an actual 28mm and was recently installed. The back tire is a Turbo an measures 29.5mm and has over 4500 miles with wear dimples still evident.. I should add that I'm 155 lbs. and and pump up 60 PSI or slightly over. I like these tires a lot as they roll well and as a card carrying old guy need all the help I can get. Other tires will have somewhat lower rolling resistance but will not be as trouble free.

63rickert

The curb jump at start of vid is not so bad, but the way it is performed makes me think this is a completely normal part of your urban ride. Urban ride where stuff happens and you roll with it. The starburst rupture is from impact.

Can't see if that is a 23 or a 25 Vittoria. Also don't know rider weight or clearances on that frame. The Vittorias pump up wider than the label. The 25 is 26 wide on old narrow rims and 27 wide on current wider rims. 110psi is not required on a 27mm tire for any normal size rider. High pressure increases wear and tear from impact. If that is a label 23mm tire those are more like 25mm when inflated. 110psi is in range of what personal preference would allow but still not required.

Looks to me like your tires are doing real well in difficult circumstances. Get biggest tire plausible for frame and keep pressure down. If you get the new Vitt with the G 2.0 tread compound you are going to like the extra grip. Not just advertising, the grip is great.

biketocamp

It was a 25mm tire. I just picked up a set of Vittoria Rubino Pro G2.0. Psyched to get them on the ground. Haven't fully given them a ride yet. They are very grippy I find. Little slower than my Corsa's but all good.

Hondo Gravel

Great video. I have Vittoria Dry gravel tires on my gravel bike 700x40. So far so good.

79pmooney

Funny having this thread up now. Went for a ride in the hills this morning. Flatted on a pile of glass on the highway going out. Pull the rear tire. My attention has been on my other bikes recently and my good bike has just been there to ride. Don't check it out otherwise. Well, guess what? That rear tire is my original Corsa G+. Been a rear for a while. Undocumented thousands of miles on it. No tread left. About 1/2 a dozen skids to the casing. Not hard skids. To the casing because the tread is literally paper thin.

Aborted my plan to go to the paved climb 2 miles down and elected to take the gravel climb in a 1/2 mile just to get away from the glass (and be around far more bikes if I ran into trouble). Tire did fine. Rode most of my planned ride, going easy downhill.

That tire is shot! Probably the most beat up tire I've ever ridden that still rolls just fine. I feel like tossing it in with a load of work clothes, then framing it. lIke yours, this one has served my very, very well.

Ben

CliffordK

I'm not sure I'd call that "exploding".

I didn't hear a BANG

You did take a fair amount of sidewall damage, but when I had a blowout a couple of years ago, I lost about 2" of bead. It took a lot more than a Park Boot to get myself back on the road.

I'd agree with @TimothyH, probably a pinch flat, hitting a rock wrong, or similar.

If you go with heavy commuter tires, you can reduce that risk somewhat. But, any high performance road tires will carry some risk of sidewall damage.

I have similar torn threads in my Schwalbe One Pro Tubeless that went out during my first long ride when I hit a rock.

I do like my Gator Hardshells, but that is what I got my blowout using too, and no known damage other than blowing the bead apart.

TimothyH

To be clear, my concern wasn't with the Corsa itself but with riding a Corsa off lips and drop offs as pictured in the beginning of the video.

Having spent the first 42 years of my life in Queens and on Long Island, I realize there aren't too many options to avoid such things. You do what you have to do in NYC and it can be an amazing place to ride.


-Tim-

biketocamp

Right on... you're absolutely right. The roads can have some craters in areas that you must be aware of to avoid. Being here so long makes you become a better rider in a way to avoid those obstacles. Now when I visit places that have amazing roads I feel a little spoiled . Many nice scenic areas to ride outside the city too like River Road and parts of Long Island.

biketocamp

Thanks for checking it out. Nice! I've tried many tires and Vittoria's tend to be my favorite despite this happening to them. I ended up getting a pair of the Rubino Pro G2.0's. Looking forward to putting in miles on them.

biketocamp

Nice! Which Specialized tires do you ride, the Turbo? If so, they are great tires. I used to race with them but found them to go pretty quick.

drewguy

Look forward to the report back. I have the Rubino Pro G+ on right now. Front is coming up on 3000 miles. Hope I didn't just jinx myself.

biketocamp

So far so good. Been riding the new set of Rubino Pro Graphene 2.0's for a bit now since my incident. They're great on the puncture-resistant side but are much slower than my previous tire. I flatted once in the rear. But I've also been riding on NYC roads and outside the city. With this tire, I carry 1 tube on shorter rides and 2 on longer rides as apposed to 2 extras on my previous race tires. I like them, but will get faster tires for next season. As for fall/ winter tires these are