I'm tired of crappy tires...or, a thing or two about tires.
I'll admit (as if it matters), that I used to think that skinny, racing-type tires were pretty much the way to go if you wanted something reasonably fast for road riding. The thing is, I still couldn't really pretend that they were terribly comfortable on rougher roads, and one day, when riding down the North side of the Geysers, I decided I wanted something a bit more cushy, because I was tired of bouncing all over the place, so I let some air out of my 700x23c tires. I think that was what really started my search for a good, larger road tire: something that would have the light-weight, and supple casing of a good racing tire, but the size of something made for the real world.
First, I converted that bike (the one built for skinny tires, and so with low clearances), to 650b, which allowed me to run 34mm tires. In that case, they were Rivendell Nifty Swiftys, which turned out to be really slow, and fairly rough-riding for their size, in part because they are the more thorn-resistant of Rivendell's tires. I later found out that Bicycle Quarterly this had been born out in their testing of Rivendell's 650b tires. The lack of choices in tires (though there were many more than I explored, and I intend to go back and try them), combined with the somewhat strange combination of parts on the the converted bike made for a less-than-ideal bike for speedy riding, so I decided that I needed to make a new bike that was more purpose-built for larger tires as well as fenders, lights, and the other bits that I had decided should be on a nice bike. That new bike is the one that has shown up in a few pictures on this very blog.
Thus far, I've used Rivendell Jack Brown green label tires, which, happily, seem to roll quite fast, and are pretty comfortable too. The problem with the Jack Brown is that it doesn't grip that well, which I've had the pleasure of discovering on a dark road in the rain as both my tires broke free in a turn on one of my morning rides, as well as on a dry day on some slightly older, rough, but polished blacktop. These experiences have led me to search for other larger 700c tires, and that search has turned up a few tires I'd like to try, but none that really stand out as being the real deal. The problem with most of these tires is that they are designed more around a commuter/touring kind of riding, and so tend to be heavier, have lower thread count, and be less supple, but there are a few that have caught my eye.
Maybe the most interesting, if only because of the good reputation of the many tires that bear the name, is Vittoria's Randonneur Hyper. It's about the same weight as Panaracer Tourguard folding bead model, at a claimed 390 grams for the 700x35c version, but it's got 120 tpi casing and is supposed to be fairly supple. I guess the downside might be the blackwall, which won't complement the look of some bikes that are going for a more classic style. Another tire I'd like to try is the aforementioned Panaracer Pasela Tourguard folding, in a 700x35c size. In Bicycle Quarterly's tires tests, the Pasela's scored quite high, but they tested the non-tourguard version which has a steel bead. If that version were available with a kevlar bead, that would probably be a really nice tire, but I'd like to find something a bit lighter if possible–hence the Tourguad version. Of course, it's entirelly possible that the tourguard version would roll so much slower that the weight difference would be of little consequence. Another tire that I'm planning on trying soon is the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme in the 700x37c size, which they say actually measures 35mm. I've briefly tried the 32mm versions of these tires, and in spite of their tread, which extends clear from one bead to the other, and the large horizontal siping, they seemed remarkably fast and comfortable, but then again, according to that same Bicycle Quarterly article, tire speed wasn't always easy to tell without actual testing because apparent speed didn't equal actual speed. Oh well, eh?
So yeah, I'm tired of crappy tires for spirited riding, but maybe there's hope for something better soon since there seem to be more and more companies getting it into their heads that comfort can help speed, if only it's done correctly....
First, I converted that bike (the one built for skinny tires, and so with low clearances), to 650b, which allowed me to run 34mm tires. In that case, they were Rivendell Nifty Swiftys, which turned out to be really slow, and fairly rough-riding for their size, in part because they are the more thorn-resistant of Rivendell's tires. I later found out that Bicycle Quarterly this had been born out in their testing of Rivendell's 650b tires. The lack of choices in tires (though there were many more than I explored, and I intend to go back and try them), combined with the somewhat strange combination of parts on the the converted bike made for a less-than-ideal bike for speedy riding, so I decided that I needed to make a new bike that was more purpose-built for larger tires as well as fenders, lights, and the other bits that I had decided should be on a nice bike. That new bike is the one that has shown up in a few pictures on this very blog.
Thus far, I've used Rivendell Jack Brown green label tires, which, happily, seem to roll quite fast, and are pretty comfortable too. The problem with the Jack Brown is that it doesn't grip that well, which I've had the pleasure of discovering on a dark road in the rain as both my tires broke free in a turn on one of my morning rides, as well as on a dry day on some slightly older, rough, but polished blacktop. These experiences have led me to search for other larger 700c tires, and that search has turned up a few tires I'd like to try, but none that really stand out as being the real deal. The problem with most of these tires is that they are designed more around a commuter/touring kind of riding, and so tend to be heavier, have lower thread count, and be less supple, but there are a few that have caught my eye.
Maybe the most interesting, if only because of the good reputation of the many tires that bear the name, is Vittoria's Randonneur Hyper. It's about the same weight as Panaracer Tourguard folding bead model, at a claimed 390 grams for the 700x35c version, but it's got 120 tpi casing and is supposed to be fairly supple. I guess the downside might be the blackwall, which won't complement the look of some bikes that are going for a more classic style. Another tire I'd like to try is the aforementioned Panaracer Pasela Tourguard folding, in a 700x35c size. In Bicycle Quarterly's tires tests, the Pasela's scored quite high, but they tested the non-tourguard version which has a steel bead. If that version were available with a kevlar bead, that would probably be a really nice tire, but I'd like to find something a bit lighter if possible–hence the Tourguad version. Of course, it's entirelly possible that the tourguard version would roll so much slower that the weight difference would be of little consequence. Another tire that I'm planning on trying soon is the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme in the 700x37c size, which they say actually measures 35mm. I've briefly tried the 32mm versions of these tires, and in spite of their tread, which extends clear from one bead to the other, and the large horizontal siping, they seemed remarkably fast and comfortable, but then again, according to that same Bicycle Quarterly article, tire speed wasn't always easy to tell without actual testing because apparent speed didn't equal actual speed. Oh well, eh?
So yeah, I'm tired of crappy tires for spirited riding, but maybe there's hope for something better soon since there seem to be more and more companies getting it into their heads that comfort can help speed, if only it's done correctly....
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