Originally Posted by
TimothyH
Light, supple tires are a joy to ride. They spin up fast, climb like a squirrel and love to be ridden hard.
But they will spoil you and make it difficult to go back. Durability is an issue too, especially in the bigger northern cities where the roads aren't good.
I get only 1200 miles out of a Vittoria Rubino G+ Speed mounted on the rear. Longer on the front. It can get expensive but I found them for $27 each and bought a bunch.
It is an emotional commitment and you have to be willing to not get pissed off if they get destroyed. It's part of the cost of doing business when rolling on high end tires.
Wow - they sure are getting quick to clamp down on any fun around here nowadays, aren't they?
Anyway this whole dilemma is kinda your fault
I've been contentedly riding my Veloflex Masters for years after being converted from an older Vittoria Corsa model - maybe it was Open CX or SC? It was one that when they updated it, they stopped making it with tan walls.
Since I've been riding on the Veloflexes(flexii?) so long that I was feeling the need to change, just 'cos - when I heard about the G+ Corsas when they came out I planned on getting some when I needed to restock on tires. Strangely my, once pretty vulnerable, Veloflex Masters suddenly stopped flatting right around that time. Fast forward a couple years, and now that I finally need some tires - Vittoria is making too damn many varieties of G+ tires now for me to decide.
I read, and reread, your recent analysis of them in the "Great Deal" thread. But when I went shopping I ran into models and descriptions you hadn't mentioned like Competition, Control, 4C, etc. and it just got to be too much.
So upon further consideration, taking into account that I am content with the way they perform and love the way they ride, that lately mine have become seemingly flat-proof, that they are lighter than comparable Vittorias, and with a little shopping are generally cheaper too - I decided to stick with Veloflex. I was shopping for some 28s when I bumped into the racy tires I mentioned. They are nominally 23s, but all the reviewers I found, who universally praise the supple ride and easy rolling as long as you accept their short lifespan and zero puncture resistance, also say they run small, and if I told you the claimed weight you would freak.
I want them - but...maybe not enough. And I still haven't bought any "normal" tires yet...