carleton

Muckman consider Conti GP4000. Sticky and easy to find. But the only go to 120PSI I think.

MarkWW

Veloflex makes a record clincher that has the classic file tread.
Veloflex Record clincher

mukman

Finally ended up finding the information on the velodrome site. It's in Dutch *and* badly organized, haha.

Ended up ordering some veloflex tires. Man, they don't make it easy to get setup. Oy

carleton

So I'm going with Tubular Clincher tires on my clincher training wheels to see how they work. I just bought some Tufo C Elites. They are basically a tubular tire (as we know them) with a bead attached to the casing. The tube is already inside like a standard tubular. It's not an "Open Tubular" where they take a tubular casing and cut it open and you insert a tube like a normal clincher.

The pressure rating is 115-220 psi, like a normal tubular.



I've tried Open Tubulars in the past and I really liked the feel. So, we'll see how this goes.

slindell

The Tufo clinchers are not really like open tubulars. They are a regular tubular with an alternate mounting mechanism to allow mounting on a clincher rim. They are a challenge to get over the rim when mounting but seem to stay on ok from the people I have seen use them. For training they are fairly durable. For racing you can get better rolling resistance at 120psi with other tires.

carleton

Thanks for the feedback!

Maybe I can get on the track this weekend and see how they feel.

carleton

Oh my god these are hard to mount.

I had to stand on it with my foot and stretch it out all around THREE times like this before it would go on.



I had to mount it like this (cannot use tools):



It took me like 20 minutes last night to mount one. My hands were sore. I didn't do the other. I'll do that one today

nspace

Looking for a tubular tire recommendation.

I bought a set of brand new Veloflex Records after a lot of rave reviews about their stuff. I've had pretty good luck with their clinchers, but not so much with these.

They have only been ridden indoors in Milton on a relatively new surface and the rear in particular is loosing air fast. I thought it was the valve core but eliminated that as a cause. Rubbed some soapy water and there are bubbles all over the sidewalls along one big 6-8" section of the tire opposite the valve stem. There is no punctures or damage to the tire so I'm inclined to think this is a defective latex tube inside (as discovered lots of others on the web with this problem). Veloflex has been unresponsive.

I put in a small amount of Stans (10ml) which seems to have worked for a couple of rides but today it started dropping pressure again. Today I put in a new valve core and a bit more Stans. It is holding air now in the stand, but we will see what happens when I ride tomorrow.

In the mean time I'd to source at least a new tire or set depending on cost. Extra points for gumwalls. Something more durable and less maintenance would be nice.

I was considering Challenge Pista, or Vittoria Pista CS. Any other options?

carleton

I'm not suggesting that yours is not defective, but latex tubes in general lose air quickly. Butyl tube will hold air for days (if not weeks). But, I've found with latex I'll sometimes have to pump tires twice in the same session.

nspace

I hear you. But a 140 psi to 80 drop in less than an hour? That doesn't sound right to me. My latex tubes on the road at least stay firm for the duration of a much longer ride.

wens

Training tires, training and racing tires, or just racing tires? If either of the first two I'd probably just throw on vittoria Evo cx or whatever they're calling them nowadays. I raced all last year on continental sonderklasse and they seem to be fairly durable, so I'd consider those as an option as well.

nspace

I'm ok with training tires or something more durable than these Veloflex. I don't want to have to fuss with anything or think about them.

carleton

Yeah, that doesn't sound right.

For what it's worth, every Continental tubular that I've ever used holds air for a week. I could pump it to 150psi and 3 days later it might be at 140.

Baby Puke

I'm very sorry to hear this. When I was using them I was blown away by how nice they were. I hope this is just an isolated case of poor QC.

nspace

I loved my Veloflex clinchers (Corsa and Master). Never had an issue with them. I've read more than a couple accounts of similar experiences recently. One from a die-hard Veloflex guy, who now seems to be looking to other brands. I hope they do at least eventually reply to my email. It's been a week now.

700wheel

I just acquired a set of Veloflex Record clinchers - the tread is a very fine file pattern and does not look like the file pattern shown on the Veloflex website. I'm wondering how long the tires will last.

Baby Puke

Who has used Conti Sprinter Gatorskins? Like/dislike? Still searching for the best affordable training tubular. Thanks
.

taras0000

Never had a problem with Sprinters, but also never rode the gatorskin version. FWIW, the regular versions were used on outdoor tracks and the street for motorpacing workouts.

queerpunk

Everybody I know who has used gatorskin tubulars has found them to be a much crappier ride even than modern Sprinters... and not particularly flat resistant, to boot.

I've had good luck with Stehers. They're very durable, and nice enough to still want to ride them. Since I race outdoors, I use those.

edit: just saw your upthread frustration with Stehers, though. Huh.

Baby Puke

Yeah, I mounted some Gatorskin sprinters up last week, and just rode them on rollers last night. They seemed either super slippery or super bouncy, can't really tell which, but the result was nearly crashing when doing rev outs, and a top speed of only ~175 rpm when usually I can hit 200. Anybody else experienced this? Not sure that this means they'll ride poorly on an actual track, it was just weird.

rensho3

Since I race both indoors and outdoors, I have used Stehers for years. However, since I bought a pair of wheels with Vittorias, I am changing over to them for my race wheels since they ride sooooo much nicer; plus I can ride a 45 degree bank about 2 mph slower with the Vittorias than the Stehers (this is not that surprising given the relative stiffness of the sidewalls and apparent (to my fingernail) hardness of the tread). I am just hoping that Rock Hill does not chew up the Vittorias too fast.

queerpunk

which model vittorias?

taras0000

I did have a pair of Gatorskin GP4000s and they didn't ride as nice as the regular version. Could feel that they were stiffer and less supple. I went to Vittorias on the suggestion that they were suppler. They certainly were, but I also had bad luck with their delicate nature. 3 tires, probably about 4 flats on each tire, and they all gave out with sidewall cuts. I also found them slick in the wet. Just didn't like them all around, but that's only an opinion of 1. I've heard many others rave, so YMMV. I eventually discovered Panaracer clinchers with their ZSG compound and was blown away with the grip and mileage I got out of them.

queerpunk

how do you like the Tempos after using 'em for a while?

VanceMac

Tempos were utterly indistinguishable from the Sonderklasse in every way (performance, durability, etc). That said, I have a pair of Sonderklasse ready to replace them only because I found some for a good price.