5/23/14 11:02 AM

though not particularly economical but just love how they ride -- life is too short to ride on crap rubber. right now on 23s but will be shifting over to 25s when my stockpile runs out.

i tried michelin PR3s...but they were kinda dead, only happy with them for lots of straight-line riding. besides feeling dead the rubber compound cracked really fast -- well before they were close to being worn out.

i've got a set of 28 schwalbe ultremos...they seem pretty nice, but really havent ridden them in anger or for long rides yet to really know them.

5/23/14 11:19 AM

I am a devotee of cheap tires. Currently running 28mm Panaracer Pasela non-TG. They're surprisingly cheap and--for what I'm doing, mainly commuting and LSD)--surprisingly nice. Much more comfortable than the TG version.

5/23/14 1:08 PM

Walter, are we on the same wavelength or what? ;)


Moved from today's similar thread:

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I have been black chili GP4KSs mostly, and still run the All Seasons for longer slower rides, have yet to flat one yet. [until next ride now that I said it]

I got some Hutchenson [sp?] Atom Comps on sale for 20.00 a pop that are the best riding tires I recall rolling on. But at 170 grams each, I figure the chance of shit getting into the tube is fairly high.

I have one Vit CX, I think Erik loves these, no? It is on the Bridgestone soon to roll.

I am too cheap of the Challange tires, although the curiosity is great. Still want to try some rolly pollys [sp?], still made??

So my go fast goto is the GP4KSs 23/25 or the 23 Atoms. But been leaning GP4KS tires.

5/23/14 1:13 PM

I have the Vittoria's in 25C. Love, love, love.

David

5/23/14 1:24 PM

"havent ridden them in anger or for long rides yet to really know them."

That is where I am with the Atom Comps. But at 170 grams, I can't see how that could possibly be as flat resistant and the GP*.*s.

Maybe I will pop them on some wheels with stans and the R'Air tubes, I had bought 4 tubes.

Flatted one with a brand new GP4KS 23C first ride. A wedge of flint got in there. I was running 105 lbs on the 80mm HED [narrow rim] wheels. Seems the high pressure gets me every time, the tubular and this one too. Both rear flats, I figure the front ran through the same shit. What does that say?


Walter, you have some wider rims for the 25 evo plan? I never asked what replaced the HED Belgiums I got from you, or do not recall??

And how many miles you guys seeing from a rear Vit and at what pressures and your weights?

5/24/14 9:46 AM

the ones i kept are 24/28 drilling, my go-fast wheels which i ride with the vit cx rubber. this wheelset is maybe 25g heavier than my open pro 28/32 training wheelset.

mileage i'm not sure. i have several sets of wheels sprinkled amongst a few bikes that i rotate regularly so i have a hard time keeping track of accumulated mileage on any particular wheelset.

i would say that i rarely wear out the tread on my tires. typically it's cuts to the carcass that spell the end on these detritus-covered roads in SE MI, especially since a good % of my springtime miles are in the wet.

F/R pressures on my 23s i generally run 7/8 bar, even on the HEDs -- though i'm starting to experiment with 6/7 bar this season.

5/27/14 8:15 PM

I've been doing late-day rides up into the hills by myself these last few days, and really have enjoyed the ride quality of these Panaracer "Panasonic 90" gumwalls mounted on the wide Schwinn steel rims and inflated to just 60psi.

No unwanted side-swishing at this low pressure. The "27x1-1/4" tires are 28mm wide on rims that appear only slightly narrower.
EDIT: (rims are 28mm wide, tires measure fully 31mm wide on these rims at 60psi)

I would describe the ride quality over old chip-sealed asphalt as sublime, but the sensation of acceleration was somehow absent. I did hit a grade of 20% for some 100 feet, but the 39-30t low was more than enough for that. Stability on the return ride was remarkable, I could look back over my shoulder leisurely in complete confidence that the bike would continue tracking it's trajectory.



Last edited by dddd on 5/27/14 8:33 PM; edited 1 time in total

5/27/14 8:28 PM

I stuck the Record 8 spd Carbon/TT ERGOs on the Victory today. Seemed like that was a better place than the drawer.

It has a 7 speed chain, I need to get another chain, suggestion?

5/27/14 8:42 PM

When Campagnolo introduced their 9s gruppos, they shortly after discontinued their 8s chain, instead recommending the new 9s chain for their 8s gruppos.

I concur, that in most instances, the next-narrower (next newer) width chain improves shifting on both indexed and friction-shifted systems!

On the above 1976-1977 Varsity, I use Campag C9 chain on the original steel 5-speed-width chainrings and on the 6-speed Suntour freewheel that I upgraded to.
The shifting is far better than I would have been able to achieve back in the day without the benefit of this narrower chain. I actually frequently upshift the rear derailer intentionally using my knee, during climbs while standing out of the saddle.
Again, the narrower chain affords a more-forgiving shift action, because while it is narrower on the outside, it is relatively wide on the inside, with sideplates shaped to encourage aggressive engagement of the teeth under considerable, but sub-maximal power.


Further, the narrower chain requires less "trim" adjustments to stay clear of the front derailer cage. Note C9 chain and Suntour 6-speed below, top-rear edge of cage has been trimmed with a Dremel stone to just clear the 30t large cog:

5/27/14 9:07 PM

I have a new KMC x10 laying about. Too narrow ?

Or should I put that on the 9 speed bike and take the 9 speed chain for the Campy 8s?

5/27/14 10:24 PM

Assuming that 9s chain hasn't been cut too short...

Sounds like the safest approach.

Whether a 10s chain is too narrow might only be a concern with the chainrings, but I have modded some older rings to be compatible with narrower chains by slightly bending each of the small ring's teeth toward the big ring, using an adjustable wrench (takes maybe 3-4 minutes once ring has been removed).

I keep a pile of shop-discarded "good used" chains and power links handy for just such experiments, so I recently found that a 9s chain allowed new-found compatibility between a 7s Campag Synchro (Xenon/Athena) indexing system and a Shimano-SIS-spaced Sunrace 7s freewheel, which ultimately provided both a shifting-quality upgrade and a gearing upgrade (from 21t to 25t in back). This compatibility was not even possible with the period-correct Sachs index 7s chain.