Harlan

I seem to recall my regular kickr being able to be controlled with a PM. Is that an option with the Snap? That would eliminate the false high readings I would imagine.

island rider

What's everyone buying for tubulars these days? $100 range is ok. Need to replace a few.

Ygduf

^^ clinchers.

wens

Buy from the UK. Pay about that per pair.

beatlebee 

I like veloflex arenberg for the rear and carbon for the front.

island rider

Flat tubular keeps me upright. Flat clincher, sometimes not so much. But to each his own.

Sure. I'm just curious what's in vogue these days.

wens

I hear good things about the specialized tires, without I don't think you can pull the UK strategy with those. Otherwise, seems like vittoria is still the most popular around here.

carpediemracing 

I haven't bought tires in a few years, but perusing PBK I see the Vittoria Corsa CG in 23mm, Corsa Evo SL is 25mm.

Also I'm curious about the Michelin Pro4 tubulars. As far as I know they're made in the same factory as the Vittorias, using Michelin's rubber.

carpediemracing 

Specialized is also made, as far as I know, at the same factory as the Michelins and Vittorias. Bontragers also. The Vittoria expertise went there, and other companies started to leverage that. Rubber was a la carte, i.e. each manufacturer could spec what they wanted from what was available.

Michelin wanted tubulars but their own rubber so they bought 25%? of the factory, brought in their machines, and finally started selling tubulars using their own rubber compounds.

This is based on something that a Michelin person said.

I bought Bontragers based on this info, they seem good enough that I have a bunch of them waiting for a free spot on a wheel. I have maybe 8 each of the Vittorias and Bontragers. Although our sponsor shop sells Bontragers, the reality is that even heavily discounted they cost substantially more than the Vittorias, almost twice as much.

Doge

I have piles of Tubulars. Every brand, for me, son and teammates since late 1970s.

I buy tubulars for two reasons. Best performance and best durability. And I buy different tires for each. When we go too light (not always by choice) and they fail, few remember. So I buy for racing with the Go Big, or go Home concept.
Durability is for training and it is for a kid that rides through everything and calls me if there is a flat. That is local training. He doesn't take spares. For trips and group stuff where I'm not around - clinchers.

I'm very impressed with what Specialized is putting out - they are a sponsor, but we don't have to use them. Still very good. Flatted at Santa Barbara this year on them as we did last year on Vittoria.

Veloflex (I have the Record, Sprinter, Carbon, the new fat one) are top all-around and my traditional fave. Generally they are worn to the cord. I love the Record but 22m too narrow for current rims.
My number one - when it is dry is the FMB silk competition 25, and a variant I get made with the competition tread although looks like you can't corner on them, the tire just gives and puts the rubber on the road. They use Vittoria tread. I do not think there is a better dry weather performance tire.

We made some bad choices, and some choices we had no option and used them in rain. That cost. I can't speak to the FMB cotton as have not used them.

Best performance: FMBs
Best Durability with good performance: Continental GP4000 - all of them are durable. Gatorskins more so I've heard, but we don't use them.

revchuck 

For a training tire, the Specialized Espoir tubulars are pretty good. They stick pretty well and ride nicely, the 25mm version especially. MSRP is $40, so you can get a pair for less than what you're budgeting for one. I don't have any experience with the more expensive ones.

TMonk

That's good product testimony @Doge, thanks for posting. I plan on buying a carbon tubular rear (and a tire) w some tax return money.

Doge

You, being in San Diego (we in San Clemente) may do well with a fair weather silk.
The Veloflex are, however hard to beat.
PM me, ride up to San Clemente some time and I'll let you try a set of Puppy's.

TMonk

Thanks a lot, I may just do that.

topflightpro

I also have a large collection of tubulars: Conti GP4000s, Conti Sprinters, Vittoria Corsa Evo and Vittoria Corsa Elite. I grabbed the Sprinters and Elites because they were cheap - $35 each, and the GP4000s and Corsa Evos I get from my LBS for about $80 a piece.

Our shop gives us great prices on Continental tires. Usually I can get them for the same or less than what it costs to order them from Europe.

island rider

Thanks. I'm thinking I'll try Veloflex and Specialized. These are just for racing (with the occasional training ride so I don't forget what it's like to ride them). I've used Vittoria before, but I'd like to try something new.

tetonrider

riding a tubular without a latex tube fastest a big part of the benefit (ride quality and speed). unfortunately, conti doesn't make their tires with latex tubes available to non-world-tour teams.

Doge

If you poke around eBay you can sometimes find World Tour teams - err eBay guys - selling used Tour tires. I've purchased 8 or so used for about $20 each. They come blackened out, de-badged (Veloflex - but there are others) and sometimes they toss in a team water bottle. These tires have very little use, and typically are under glued. I'm only giving away my secrets because I won't be doing this anymore.

tetonrider

i used to have a connection for those tires so i'm fairly familiar with them. they're nice--much nicer ride than normal contis, but there are many other (new) options for good tires with latex tubes that it's not so worth going the eBay route.....IMO.

and, yes, most people would be horrified to see the typical pro glue job. unless the wheels are for a guy like Cav, they're not glued nearly as well as an amateur concerned with speed and safety tends to do. there's just too high a volume of tires they're gluing, flats come too easily, etc. And still, you don't see pro riders *rolling* tires.

it's pretty shocking to see how little glue is used.

ancker

I just picked up a used SRAM Red 22 crank in preparations for eTap.
Can I use it with my existing 10sp Red group or will it cause shifting wonkiness?

jdms mvp

i had a friend whip up a render and 3d print a mount to work with aerofly and stem. So most mount arms are 10mm wide and because of the 'wing' profile to the bar, there isn't enough clamp area next to the stem. So this was one of the cheapest and lightest solutions compared to direct aluminum mounts to stem bolts.


friend even made , what i attempted to do with zipties. (does this count as race tech? hah)

Andy STi

It will work perfectly

island rider

I think I just fried my wheel… I was pulling off the old tubulars and pulled off a layer of carbon weave. Someone please tell me that's nothing to worry about and I didn't just kill a 1K wheel...

topflightpro

It's probably nothing to worry about. I did that once too. Pulled about a two-inch long section of carbon off the rim. That was four years ago, and I'm still riding and racing those wheels. If it's only a thin layer of carbon weave, you should be fine.

topflightpro

Wanted to follow up on this. I got my SRM back last night. No charge for the battery or calibration. It was all covered under Warranty.