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What a tire!

Old 05-08-20, 09:14 PM
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67tony 
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What a tire!

Although not a tire often mentioned, these Specialized Pro Turbo tires have lasted and lasted! I've owned the bike for 6 years, patiently waiting for them to wear out or blow out. No flats...ever. I finally decided it was time, based on some pretty serious cracking, as pictured.

Not many tires offer a thin red stripe, but I eventually snagged some Continental Ultra Sport tires that look pretty good, so I thought I'd give them a try. I haven't ridden them yet, it'll be interesting to see how they fare. I'm hoping to get the same durability as my old Specialized workhorses!





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Old 05-08-20, 09:19 PM
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Here's the Continentals, mounted, and the bike they'll be going on.
I really liked the red stripe location on the old Specialized tires, but I'm sure I'll get used to the new ones.


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Old 05-09-20, 01:23 AM
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I have a set of Conti Ultra Sport II with blue stripes in 700x23, and plain black in 700x25. Great riding tires for the money, reasonably low rolling resistance even at lower pressures, good ride feel on every surface I've tried. Very durable -- I even use 'em on my Cycelop trainer, no excessive or premature wear. So I don't need to switch tires or wheels between indoor trainer sessions and outdoor rides.

At the moment I have a set of Conti Grand Prix Classic skinwalls on the Ironman. Good tires, great looking, but they don't ride any better than the Ultra Sport II.
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Old 05-09-20, 10:22 AM
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Yes...took a short ride on the Ultra Sport 25's this morning, and they feel great.
For a guy that's not too finicky, and rides less than most of you, these seem like a really good value.
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Old 05-09-20, 10:37 AM
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Ah, the infamous Specialized delamination. Happens to the best of 'em!

I had six or seven old Specialized Nimbus tires from various time periods delaminate on me. Seems that's always how they fail, but after a generous service life. Sometimes I'd even find broken glass inside between the detached tread and the protective belt. Amazingly, no flats!
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Old 05-09-20, 03:52 PM
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Originally Posted by scarlson
Ah, the infamous Specialized delamination. Happens to the best of 'em!

I hope not not I just bought 4 turbo cotton “hell of the north” tires. Tan wall and they wear ok. A friend put 3000-4000 km on them last year and he is a heavy guy. He did have a few flats but nothing major.
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Old 05-10-20, 06:27 AM
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Another fan of Ultrasport II. They don't rude as nice as the gp4k, but they ride nice enough, at a mere fraction of the cost
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