MDcatV

what kind do you use and why?

I need for Am Classic 58 carbon tubular wheels.

Will be using for crits, RRs, and probably TTs that are part of stage races too.

johnybutts

I've got GP4000s glued, no complaints on the tires... just the wheels.

Nate552

I've always used Vittoria Corsa. Why? Mostly habit. They feel good, roll well with a pretty low resistance and I trust them. I just recently glued one of the new 320 tpi ones onto a race wheel. So far so good.

WCroadie

I use conti sprinters, no complaints.

ZeCanon

I'm a recent Challenge convert. Their Criteriums are super nice. I have a pair glued up to my PSIMET carbons and have been very happy with the combination. Tacky in the corners, nice and supple, and no flats so far (though the rear only has a few races on it, replaced a flatted Conti).

carpediemracing 

I use Vittoria Evo CX, 21mm. Fast, smooth, round. I like these best for their consistency and predictability. Run them at about 120-130 psi.

I also have Conti Sprinters - lumpy, not as straight. Relegated to secondary wheels or as spares or, eventually, for some training tubulars (for whatever reason). Run these at 160-170 psi since they feel flat at 120 or so.

I'm going to be trying Bontrager's tubulars ($89 and $79 on their site). Made in same place as Vittorias, figure they'll be reasonably good. Bought them, have not even stretched them. Sitting in a pile in my basement.

cdr

jfmckenna

I am racing on Veloflex Criteriums in 23 this year and I love them. 105psi in the front and 115 in the back and I weigh 200LBS but I like the feel of a squishy tire in the corners and they take bumps like shock absorbers. My team is getting a deal on Challenge's so I'll probably try them out. I'd like to get a decent tubular in 25 for an even more squishy road hugging feel. I find the Continental sprinter to be on the very low end of quality for a racing tire. They work ok and last long but they don't give you the feel that you get from better tires but then they are half the price too.

hammy56

+1.
I have these glued on my carbone pro's...ive even started using then on fast training rides.

Pt_Lumberjack

I've used 3 different tubies. Listed from worst to best...

Conti Competitions: Rubbish as a race tire. Hard compound was bouncing all over the place. Taking sharp corners, the rear would often give me that triple bounce. Great durability, though, and almost suffice as a training tire. They feel a lot like a clincher.

Conti GP4000S: Much better than the Competitions. If you mount your own tires, they seat really well and easily. Roll pretty smooth and definitely feel better than the clincher version. Fairly durable for a race tire.

Vittoria Corsa Evo CX 320tpi: Smoothest, best handling tire I've ever ridden by a HUGE margin. Feels like you're riding on a cloud, and they corner like they're on rails. Also the least durable tire I've ever ridden. I'm lucky to get a season out of them. But hey, if you're only using them for racing, I see little reason to go with anything else. If you race a lot of crits, I'd hesitate to ride the 21's as I had pedal clearance issues.

MDcatV

would you please explain this to me? i'm interpreting that you were able to corner at such an angle that you couldnt pedal through a corner, is that correct?

Allegheny Jet

I use Conti Sprinter's on my William's 58 Carbon tubulars for racing, and have no complaints.

Pt_Lumberjack

Not exactly. Most any tire will allow you to take corners tight enough that you can't pedal through it. With the 21mm Corsa's, the bike sat just slightly lower and decreased pedal clearance just enough that I had to wait a little bit longer before resuming pedaling. It took a while to get used to is all.
In crits, people are always forced to stop pedaling and keep the inside pedal up through a turn. The sooner you can resume pedaling coming out of the turn, the better.

Brian Ratliff

Those are some fairly strong opinions from a guy who's just started his Cat 4 career.

Pt_Lumberjack

Yes, ~30 races is fairly young for a racing career. However, I don't see how racing more will change my opinion of tires which I'll never be racing on again in the first place. My opinions of these tires are based purely on experience limited to those very tires (and about a dozen clinchers, for w/e that's worth), and I don't hide that fact.

Brian Ratliff

It just says that you've raced each tire an average of 10 times in cat 5 and 4 races. In those 30 races, undoubtedly your skills and fitness have increased, so you aren't really making the comparisons on an even field. For instance, now that you have some experience, you probably aren't as sketched out in corners as you used to, so you might have a bit different opinion about the Continentals (it's not uncommon to mistake lack of skill for some perceived deficiency in equipment). In the coming year, you might lose a road race where you felt absolutely on killing form by flatting out your Vittorias and suddenly have a bad taste about them.

Obviously you have some opinions because you've ridden them, but I have to take the strength of your convictions with a grain of salt.

hammy56

Theres a lot of salt on bf.

ZeCanon

Jancouver

Where do you get GP 4000s tubulars? Custom order?

I got 4000s clinchers on my training wheels but couldnt find the same tubular tire so I "settled" for the Conti Sprinter

J.

El Diablo Rojo

This.

johnybutts

GP 4000's

happy?

mollusk

I was going to go with Vittoria Corsa, but the master wrench for my team said to go with Tufo Elite. I suspect that this choice isn't going to win or lose me anything.

ZeCanon

Tufos = worst tubulars ever.

Jancouver

You just ruined my day because for a very brief moment I believed they released the 4000s tubular tire

J

marsh283

gp4000's. good enough.

oh and some fatty 27c vittoria evo pave's because i think theyre sweet.

mollusk

Back in the day I rode some $5 tubulars for training. I'm hoping that these are better than that.