fmw

Last night I laid to rest a veteran set of Vittoria Rubino road tires that had gone 2500 miles on my Bianchi Veloce without - get this - without a single flat tire. I replaced them because the cord was showing through. The rubber was gone in the center of both tires. And not a single flat - ever. I almost bronzed them. Instead I just pitched them and replaced them with another pair. Great set of tires.

martin_j001

I've always had good luck with those tires too. Inexpensive and yet very high quality and durability.

BoogieMan

Either you two are very lucky, or I've just got really bad luck.

My bike came with Rubino's. In the first couple of weeks that I owned it, I had one of them sliced open by some road debris, and the other one go flat on me twice.

Grasschopper

I have the Rubion Pro Slicks on my Salsa and they have about 1600 miles of flat free service. The rear is getting pretty flat and I just ordered Vredestien Fortezzas for it. Hmm this thread is making me think maybe I should have just gotten another set of Rubinos.

martin_j001

There's two different Rubino's in the Vittoria line (at least there used to be). One was the Rubino TT or Rubino Tech, the other is the Rubino Pro. The Rubino Pro is known to be a good tire, the other was not so good (60TPI vs 120TPI of the Rubino Pro). You may have had the not so good ones, or you are right--you may just have bad luck!!!

CastIron

I've got the x25c Rubino Pros and simply adore them.

Guest

I'm about to RIP my Michelin Pro lights for my front wheel. They are super light, but stoopid fragile. I just got my second flat in two weeks. Time to retire that bad boy and replace it with the Vittoria Rubino tire that's been sitting in my drawer for over a year now. When I get that Michelin off my tire, I will rip it off, screaming eff you, and brandish the tire carcass to the heavens like a caveman freshly returned from the hunt with meat for the little'uns! I've had it up to here with these Michelin tires.

Koffee

2manybikes

Will you post pictures of the ceremony?

gcasillo

Put the CO2 pump down, and slowly back away. Nice and easy...

(Drops two cut tubes in the trash can while nobody is looking and signs the UPS tablet for a few Conti Sprinter tubulars that just arrived. )

Guest

Too late. Said ceremony commenced and the new tire is on! The michelon pro lights will be recycled to somethingelse (maybe homemade tire patches?).

The Vittoria looks awesome! It brings out the red on my bike!

Koffee

garysol1 

I just DOA'd a pair of 200mile Vittoria Diamante Pro Lite. I hit a small stone today and it took a chunk of tire and tube with it. They were very lite....I guess a bit to lite. I spooned on a pair of Michelin Carbon's. Got my fingers crossed.

Guest

Godspeed. Maybe the carbons will have more karma than my michelin pro lites. They are awesome tires... just tend to tear easily, that's all. *sigh*

Koffee

Chucklehead

i thought the thread title said "RIP Rubio's." a chill went up my spine as i began to wonder where i could possibly find a comparable fish taco.

Guest

Whew! I guess you're safe for now then. But you better check over there just in case you're mistaken...

Koffee

Chucklehead

yep - still there! the mere thought of it made my mouth water, so i had to run out and grab a couple =)


never been a fan of vittoria tires, btw. i do like their shoes, though.

gmason

It has gotta' be QC at the factories or where you ride your bikes.

My wife and I got our first road bikes in December, 2000. They came with Vittoria Rubinos (the 60 tpi type), and I bought two extra sets for each bike at the time. One flat between us in about 8000 Km, and that was a snakebite when my wife hit a stone while cornering downhill - probably with slight underinflation as well. They wore, in retrospect, fairly quickly, and were changed out when thread started to show.

As they ran out, I switched to Michelin Pro Race - partly because of reviews in here , and partly because they were getting cheaper as the Pro Race 2s were arriving. Nary a problem there either in about 4000 Km.

My new Casati came with Vittoria Rubino Pros on it, and after 2500 Km, the only problem was a little copper tack that blew the tube. The tire is still on and going great. [N.B. I was amazed to find a no-name - to me anyway - Japanese tube inside!]

I really think that most decent brands, for most people, are probably just fine. Road conditions obviously make a huge difference, as does care when riding (and maintaining). QC issues, however, can't be predicted, and you know when it fails. But again, better brands probably lower the frequency of those issues.

biker7

As a coincidence, I too ride a Veloce which I love BTW (just bought a new Campy double crank for conversion from a triple) and also have great respect for Vitorria Rubino Tires. I have the Rubino Techs with about 1800 miles on them that came on my bike and no sign of cord yet though the rear tire is pretty flat now. What more could you ask from a touring tire? They are simply great tires. I only had 1 flat very early on...a pinch flat and likely my fault as I didn't check my tires that particular day...do check them almost every ride and keep them at 115 psi front and back. I guess I am surprised you wore out both tires at the same time as my rear tire has almost twice the wear my front Rubino has...typical rule being 2-3X's more wear in the rear than front for most road bikes. I will adhere to Sheldon Brown's recommendation for rotation in a few miles or so...will likely get in excess of 2K miles from my rear Rubino as well judging by the amount of wear so far.
As to comments above about different Rubino's having different construction...this is true...here are the spec's for the Rubino Tech which vary from the Rubino Pro:

Vittoria Rubino Tech Tire:

- 60 TPI casing and Kevlar® 3D Compound, the Rubino Tech is a perfect training and racing tire.
- The addition of Kevlar® improves wear, enhances grip and reduces rolling resistance
- These value-priced performance tires incorporate 60 TPI nylon casing cord offering a good mix of
durability, performance and affordability
- Mithril cut-resistant polymer weave used in the sidewalls improves strength without affecting ride
comfort and bump absorption
- Weight: 220 grams
- Dimensions 700 x 23
- Recommended pressure 130 psi

Regarding TPI..more isn't necessarily better if your priority is wear or negating precipitous failure due to puncture based on road assault. Here is what Sheldon Brown has to say about TPI:
Some tires use thick thread, some use thin thread for the fabric. With thin thread, there are more threads per inch ("TPI") and this number is often considered an important indication of tire performance.
The higher the TPI number, the thinner and more flexible the tire fabric is. Thin-wall (high TPI) tires tend to be lighter and have lower rolling resistance, but they're more easily damaged by road hazards.


In summary...a 60 TPI tire with the right construction can still sustain 120 psi without issue and offer great wearability and be reasonably priced. I have purchased another Rubino Tech to replace my rear tire and will put the new tire up front and rotate the front tire to the rear per SB.

Would change tire brands if I had a need but agree Vittoria Rubino's are hard to beat.
George

fmw

George, the rear tire wore faster than the front. I just ignored the bare cord on the rear figuring one day I'd get a flat and then trash the pair. It never happened. When I had cord showing on the front tire I decided it was time. This will be third set of tires for the Veloce. The first pair only had 2 flats and went about 1500 miles.

One of the main reasons I stick with Vittoria tires is that I like to keep my Veloce as Italian as I can. I even use Italian bar tape. I have a hub that has a dent in it and is getting noisy so I'm replacing the wheels as well. I ordered a pair of Campagnolo Vento wheels for it. Even if they aren't made in Italy, at least they will have an Italian name. Today, I'm going to look for a new cassette. Next week I should have her rebuilt, running like new and ready for many more miles.

BTW, I'm surprised you are switching to a double. The triple Veloce drive train has been a smooth and reliable set up for me. Weight shouldn't be a big issue since the Veloce isn't particularly light. I can't even push the 52/13 gear ratio on flat ground. Maybe you're younger and stronger than I am. I really like the triple. My new project bike has a compact double and it works fine for me because I put a 12/25 cassette on it. My next project will be to build a bike around the Chorus triple gruppo. Not for a while, though. Take care.

biker7

Hi Fred,
Good stuff. We share the same taste in bikes. The Veloce is a wonderful value. I am actually surprised just how good the bike is...dead rock perfect....been tickled with it. We are also of similar mind when it comes to keeping the bike as Italian as possible...at least Italian design anyway Like yourself, I am caught somewhere in the abyss of keeping a bike such as a Bianchi all original versus performing some subtle mods. You will love the Vento's. The only knock on them is they are heavy...but they derive much of their strength in their weight. Mine have been perfect...stay true and hubs roll forever and once you spool them up...they are fast. My bike for all intents is original with the exception of a Brooks B.17 seat and an ITM stem...Deda stem came on the bike...but ITM stems were on earlier Veloce's for example. As to the triple...never warmed up to it. It has virtue for many riders to be sure...just not the ticket for me. I am a minimalist when it comes to design and function and simply prefer a double both aesthetically and functionally. A triple is all about range of gearing with a full 30 speeds with a 10s rear Campy cassette and honestly...a 20 speed double is all I need. The rest is choosing the right gearing for one's terrain. In my case, I do only modest climbing...and my 13-26 rear cassette will easily handle this. As to being younger than you...likely not...I am an old guy in pretty good shape who can run with most of the young guys except for the pure racers. In the spirit of originality...I found a new Veloce 10sp double crank on e-bay in 172.5mm to replace the 175mm triple on my bike...so am pleased about that as I never embraced the 175mm crank length either so my purpose in changing cranks is two fold. If I move and do more climbing, my choice would like be a compact versus triple.
Thanks for the clarification on your tire wear. I am of the school that at the first sign of cord...the rear tire will come off and front will be rotated rearward with a fresh tire on the front.
Continued safe enjoyment of your Veloce Fred and thanks for your post.
George

spunky

Those wheels are HEAVY. I have a set that came with my new Orbea that I'm looking at replacing. They're very strong though and durable. Just on the heavy side, which is ok for training I suppose. You might want to look at some other sets too if that's important to you.

fmw

They are 2000 grams or about 1/2 lb. heavier than light wheels and about the same weight as the stock Mavic wheels that came with the bike. The Veloce isn't a light bike. It runs well over 20 lbs. 1/2 lb. weight savings won't matter much. I have a 16lb. bike as well and it even has fairly heavy wheels. I'm not sure weight is a very good reason to buy wheels since there isn't really that much weight to save. As an example a multitool kit in the seat bag or a bottle of water in the cage weigh quite a bit more than the difference between light and heavy wheels. I think handling, stiffness and other qualities really matter more. I realize the weight all adds up. The Veloce isn't in a hurry to get anywhere. I use it to excercise and commune with nature.

Fred

biker7

Exactly..horses for courses. The Veloce is not an out and out racing bike. Weight weenie preoccupation is good in racing circles...but I pass pedestrian riders on tricked out carbon bikes in full kit all the time on my Veloce. The Eurus wheels that a few have on the board are very nice wheels. Believe in the Campy family...if I were to replace my Ventos...the Scirocco's are the ticket bang for buck...right in between Vento and Eurus price points. There is always diminishing return the farther you move up the food chain.
For a recreational rider, 1/2 a pound weight penalty is a welcome exchange for light wheels that won't stay in true. For a racer...the Ventos won't cut it but great for recreational fitness riding or training.
George
P.S. A further note on wheel weight that is often overlooked. Most know the difference between static and dynamic component weight...due to angular momentum. The biggest difference in wheel weight of the Vento's is with respect to the Veloce hubs which are comparatively heavy. The rims themselves and the spokes of course are close in weight among different wheel models. Because of moment of inertia... hub weight contributes very little to angular momentum increase because of relative moment arm or distance from rotation.
Here is a link that puts Campag wheel weight in perspective:
https://www.bikyle.com/CampyWheels.asp

gabiker

I got 4,800 miles out of the first set of Rubino Pro Slicks 4,000 miles of that was flat free. I got 3,000 miles out of the second set and all of it was flat free, but the last pair of tires I bought were the Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX, mainly because they were on sale. I had a flat within the first 300 miles, but none since and they handle extremely well.

ebikeva

I just switched my triple back for the original double that came with my bike, (Bianchi Daytona Reparto Corso Al) and everything works much more smoothly. I just need to get the short cage rear derailler back on and then it will really be crisp. My legs are so much better for having the double, no option to bailout in the steep stuff. More work, but stronger. The original 11-23 it still collecting dust though, I don't want to completely kill myself.

Oh right, tires. I wore the original Vittorias to the threads, they were great. Now the only non-European part on the bike are the new Bontrager race lite tires that seem to be wearing way fast. (That is what you get in the Trek land of my LBS)

spunky

I agree with you biker7. I was just pointing out the fact that they are fairly heavy. On my other road bike I have a set of open pros that are about 1lb lighter than the Ventos. They don't hold a tune as long as the Vento's, but they do accelerate a bit faster. I actually like the Ventos and think that they're a very durable wheel. Overall, I prefer a heavier ride for training purposes.