[mars_yeldir]

This question has probably been posed before but I thought I would ask anyway. I am having real problems cutting the sidewalls of my tires. I have cut Schwalbe Ultremo ZX, Michelin ProRace3, Specialized Turbo, Mondo, and All Condition. I have had Conti GP 4000 S which I think did a bit better, but I think I cut those too. In fact, it is hard to remember all of the tires I have cut. I ride the same roads as Xela and he gets thousands of miles on tires. If I get 3 months (700 to 1000 miles) that's a long time for me.

I am 6 1 or 2 and weight about 220. I was thinking of going with a 25C tire. An article on Bike Radar said rolling resistance on a 25C is less than 23C anyway. I know of the Continental Gatorskins and some others. I am reluctant to speed 65 bucks a tire unless I am absolutely sure the thing is gonna make it. Any other suggestions? Any thoughts on how much tire weight affects things? 23C v 25C? Thanks for any input.

 

[Xela]

I was hoping maybe his tire guage was reading low and that maybe he was actually underinflating the tires. But I checked it against mine and that doesn't appear to be the case.

I'm thinking maybe the sidewalls on the tires he has chosen in the past is not stiff enough for a 220 lb rider resulting in more sidewall contact with the road. I do know that the Pro Race 3 pressure chart only shows weights up to 176 lbs and says to run 116 psi for greater than that.

What are some of the bigger roadies around here running?

 

[kneedrachen]

I've close to 220 (just over) and have been experimenting with pressures due to my weight gain from surgery. I'm running Vittoria Zaffiro Pro tires @ 120 psi without incident.

I actually just picked up a set of Michelin 3s, now I'm doubting my purchase! I intend on dropping the weight quickly so it may not be an issue.

I think that if he's routinely breaking sidewalls that it may be a mechanical issue (rim wall deficienies/deformities?) leading to failure or maybe a repeated error in tire mounting or tube size selection/disconnect in sizing?

 

[kneedrachen]

Another thought.... Are the brake pads mounted/aligned correctly?

 

[mars_yeldir]

I am running a custom built set of HED wheels that are pretty much the same as the Ardennes. The wider wheels. Brake pads seem to be fine. I really think the problem is that I just hit chunks of gravel, etc. Of course the ideal solution is to not hit that stuff but.......... A local LBS just recommended the Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech. I went to their website and they also make a similar tire, the Zaffiro Pro Tech. Both have extra sidewall protection like the Conti Gatorskins. Thanks for the input.

 

[awinter]

I'm 6' and when I first started riding, I was over 220 lbs. I was riding with the Specialized Mondo tires at 120 psi and didn't have a problem.

 

[skycomag]

no one has mentioned how many spokes for 200lb plus riders should have?
i thought it would 32/36 spokes. and what about the spokes gauge 14?
i wgt 195 an my bike,(tire forte mtero k 700x35c), has 36 spoke/14 g spokes and i'm glad it has them.
the bike paths around my area suffers froms lots of speed bump alias tree roots.
hit them at 15+mph has quite a jolt.

 

[storksb]

I am a little north of the 220 mark and have no problems running gatorskins 700 x 23 up front with 110 psi and 700 x 25 in the rear with 120 psi.

As for spoke count my rear wheel is a custom DT Swiss RR585 36 spoke count with DT Swiss 14/15/14 spokes. No problems so far with 700 miles on it.

Simon

 

[rawhite1969]

Ruffy Tuffy 28s. On a touring rear wheel with 36 spokes. Front is on a 32 spoke pretty standard wheel. Have not had sidewall issues. 215lbs and 3800 miles last year.

 

[kneedrachen]

One last thing about the Zaffiro Pro tires. The sidewall patch/label is actually a separate piece of rubber bonded to the sidewall, rather than just printed. Mine are starting to peel away. At first I thought I had sidewall cracking, but it was just the patch/label peeling away.

 

[mars_yeldir]

For anyone interested, I have found several tires that look good. The Conti Gatorskins seem to be the most popular and are nearly always well reviewed. Besides the tires mentioned here I found these.
Maxis Re-Fuse
Kenda Kaliente Iron Cloak
and Vittoria tires. Seems like the Zaffiro, Diamante and Rubino all have models ending with the Tech designation. This seems to be the Vittoria anti flat layer.
I have decided to go with the Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech 3 because a LBS carries it and I just like the tire. Came very close to going with the Conti, but some folks say it is tough to get on the wheel. If I have good luck with the Vittoria, I'll report back. Thanks again for the input everyone.

 

[rola643]

I was looking for something and ran across this so i thought I would throw it up here for what it's worth

http://www.twospoke.com/forum/f82/wheel-energy-6277/

 

[mars_yeldir]

I read that article a few days ago, but am glad you posted that. I re-read it and am going to get 25C tires.

 

[mars_yeldir]

Well I called a last minute audible and went with 25C Maxxis Re-Fuse. Wish me luck.

 

[rola643]

I'll be amazed if you can honestly tell the difference. I've been afraid to invest and try! Let us know what ya think when ya ride with them! I'm very curious what your impression will be.

 

[mars_yeldir]

Well I took my first ride. I'd call it an intermediate group of 18 or so folks. Here's my initial thoughts and you should know that the prior tires were Michelin Pro3 Race. Got a screaming deal on the for 27 bucks each and I got about 27 bucks out of them. I blew the sidewall on the front tire last Tuesday and the rear tire sidewall went the very next day. Those tires were fast and very sticky and I like the way the bike cornered with them but the sidewalls felt like tissue paper compared to these Maxxis. I did get the 25C and inflated them to 110. I may go lower in the future as I am using the wider HED wheels and you are supposedly able to run lower pressure anyway on those wheels. Ok, the tires had a great ride. Smooth and soaked up hits well. The bike seemed to be more darty with them oddly enough. I rolled down the hills very fast. The only minus was when climbing gradual hills they did feel slower. Could have been tired legs but I was thinking they felt slower. If they last a while, I will be pretty happy with them, but I plan to try the Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech as the next tire just to try it. That's about it. I'll be happy to answer any specific questions if there are any.

 

[rola643]

Very interesting mars_! I can understand the feeling of being slower on the hills. I honestly think you can tell subtle differences like that. I'm not trying to b a d'bag but I think it's kinda funny you mention trying the Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech. I had a set of Vittoria Diamante Pro tech and absolutely hated them! I always felt like I was riding on flats or low tire pressure and as much as they cost I was still glad to see them go. I always felt like I had to do 2 or 3 times work with them for some reason. I'm not sure what it was. The best overall tire, oddly enough, I have used have been the stock Bontrager R3's. I have a set of the Conti 4000s on the shelf to be installed at the beginning of May. I've heard lots of good things about them...kinda like the Vittoria Diamante Pro tech's. Hope they are much better or at least to my liking!

Vittoria Diamante Pro tech tyres thread

Weav (in that thread) commented he went tubeless and that has always interested me as well and maybe someday when I need another set of wheels I may look at that as a possibilty

 

[mars_yeldir]

You will like the 4000 S. I had one or two sets of those and they lasted a while from what I remember. Handling was good and the bike felt quick. Good to know about the Vittorias. Thanks for that info.
Would be interesting to set up a test with the "durable" tires. Maybe run through a pile of glass or rocks and see how many times it takes to get a flat. Do the same with a "race" tire. Expensive test but it would be fun. I'll re-post in a few months and we will see how these perform.

 

[mars_yeldir]

So it has been a few weeks now. I've been on plenty of familiar routes with these Maxxis Re-Fuse 25C tires. I have hit plenty of large rocks and other stuff. Zero damage to these tires. I have decided that I cannot tell a difference on speed or climbing with these tires. They do offer more bump absorbtion, and I like the cornering fine. I have to give these a thumbs up for anyone needing a tougher tire. I have put maybe 300 miles on the tires and they are doing great so far.

 

[rola643]

Hey, thanks for the update and follow through! I always like to hear the stuff first hand from a "real" world test!