Got my $10 Vittoria Mezcals from TPC yesterday. Not sure when I’ll get motivated to replace the Gravelking SK that are already on the bike but I hope the are nicer than the ultra discount Vittoria e-Barzo I bought once. Worst tire I’ve ever had, I could hardly ride the bike it was so squirrelly
so sick dude
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Just retired a set of tires I’ve had on for about a year with Silca bike soup. Best I can tell, the carbon fiber did nothing to seal up any punctures. Most of it was bound it up dried sealant. The sealant itself needs to be refreshed pretty often and it does build up quite a bit. The front had 50g of dried sealant in it. The rear had more, though I didn’t bother to measure it, It appeared to be nearly twice the volume of the front.
It might be slightly better at sealing than Orange Seal, but I can’t say for certain and the inconvenience of not being able to inject it through the valve stem makes it not worthwhile, I think. Gonna switch back to Orange Seal Endurance and see how the wet season goes.
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Finally rebuilt my rear wheel that was cracked from badly casing a pothole earlier in the year. Slapped on the set of GP5k TR AS in the 35mm sizeway and gave 'em a go this morning.
First impressions are that this is my goldilocks tire. I had the 32mm GP5k TR S on there. This one subjectively rolls as fast, granted I was running it at a higher pressure than I normally would. It also didn’t seem to produce discernible aero drag at 20mph. It was flat with very little wind and I was able to cruise 18-20mph at 170-180W which is pretty much the same as the 32mm version.
Just by appearances on my 32mm wide rims, I 'spect the 32mm tire was more aero, but likely only noticeable at higher speeds. I’m not going to be doing any crits on this bike, so… Judging the 35mm tire by appearances, it’s taller and makes the whole tire and wheel package look more badass.
Dry grip is amazing. Wet grip, I have no idea, but I’m hopeful as this tire tested higher than any other in BRR wet grip tests. Handling is improved as well, but that’s a function of the tire height. My 2.1" 650b monsters are taller and change the mechanical trail such that the bike wants to right itself in a turn. The 32mm tire is shorter and tends to want to dive, something I actually like. The 35mm is pretty neutral and by my qualitative assessment probably precisely how this bike was intended to handle.
Finally, the best part is the comfort was substantially improved, which was odd as I was running them at the same pressure as the 32mm. I’m guessing it gets better. By feel the casing wasn’t as supple as the old tire, but on the bike felt great.
Time will tell how well the puncture protection works. If I get through the wet season without all the drama of last season, I’ll consider these a win.
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What is the 700c 30-35 mm tire that is going to roll fast and feel good and isnt a runny ass?
GP5K
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@halbritt had a decent sounding preliminary report of the 5K allseason in 35 too
Gp5k Is probably the answer but 33mm Strada Biancas feel real nice
Strada Bianca is lovely, but was too delicate for my wet winter endeavors on glass strewn streets. Currently have a couple hundred miles on GP5k TR AS in 35mm and they are glorious. Faster than the Strada Bianca, seem to be as supple, though the tire feels a bit stiffer, and the puncture protection is supposedly better than the TR S, which was pretty good in my experience.
Last set of tires was 32mm GP5k TR S, which I had little issue with in terms of punctures. One bacon, I think and no other drama.
28-30mm tire with good wet grip and not a total turd?
Whatever the mid level conti is? Vittoria Rubino Pro.
Schwalbe one?
Spesh Turbo or Roubaix
BRR ranks tires by wet grip. Gp5k TR AS is best but not mid range at all.
Hmmm thanks. Gonna see if I can hold out until Conti is back in expert voice. Or Schwalbe or Specialized will be cheap somewhere soon.
I mean if you look at this chart none are truly bad.
Wet grip is not something I’ve ever personally worried about, I just take it easier when it’s wet
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What brand of presta tubes have removable cores? The Conti and Kenda tubes I have are fixed.
I need to put some milk in the wheels for the kid biek that doesn’t have rims for 2bless.
Terrevail
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Michelin
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