# Tyres for TT's



## Sharky (23 Feb 2014)

What's the favourite clincher tyre at the moment?

I've been using race pro 2's (20mm) for the last 4 or 5 seasons, but there are a few cuts appearing, so might have to replace them this year.

20mm tyres seem to becoming hard to get - are 23mm tyres faster? Some reviews seem to imply that they are?

I only do about 350 racing miles a year - our club 10's each week and the occasional open event.

Thanks
Keith


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## Pro Tour Punditry (23 Feb 2014)

I've just bought a pair of 19mm tyres from Planet X (10 quid each) to see how I get on with them at the club 10s this year. Even if they are not up to much it doesn't matter, cos neither am I. Haha

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYVTOCCXTT/vittoria-open-corsa-cx-tt-folding-tyre


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## oldroadman (23 Feb 2014)

Smooth tread 23c, pump rock hard. Suffer horribly. Welcome to bike racing.


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## Rob3rt (23 Feb 2014)

Depends on your rims and the roads you race on most often if you want to get serious about it, but in reality it probably won't make much difference, get some latex inner tubes though.

I use 22mm tubs because they match the width of my wheels.


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## HLaB (23 Feb 2014)

@Sharky Conti GP4000s's seem to be a popular choice, it what I use anyway.


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## jdtate101 (24 Feb 2014)

Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX in 23c. Can pump them up to high psi yet they maintain a smooth ride, fast too.


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## Mr Haematocrit (25 Feb 2014)

S-Works 24c Turbo's are my tyre of choice at the moment, incredibly fast and getting rave reviews.


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## Sharky (27 Feb 2014)

I've just bought a new back wheel. A Mavic cosmic elite and it comes with a tyre already fitted. A Mavic yksion comp 23c. If looks are anything to go by, both the wheel and tyre look fast even next to the settee. The tyre is smooth and looks like my old Mich Race Pro 2's..

It's been a rebuild project on my Focus, the one with a square back wheel and I've added aero bars and 145mm cranks and going to alternate it with my fixed wheel bike to try and prove to my self which is the faster gears or fixed.

Just have to wait until April and the start of our evening 10's.

Thanks for the replies above.

Keith


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## gds58 (27 Feb 2014)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> S-Works 24c Turbo's are my tyre of choice at the moment, incredibly fast and getting rave reviews.



Ditto to this! Outstanding tyres, lovely round profile for good cornering and superfast. Exactly these tyres were used by Tony Martin to win the World Time Trial title last year (yes, Clinchers!!) They also do a 26mm version which research has shown is even faster on the newer breed of slightly wider rims. £50 each but worth every penny. I use the 26mm versions and love them.
Graham


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## Pro Tour Punditry (27 Feb 2014)

Sharky said:


> I've just bought a new back wheel. A Mavic cosmic elite and it comes with a tyre already fitted. A Mavic yksion comp 23c.



I have these fitted just now, and they are very good - I only bought the above-linked tyres as they were cheap! The yksion tyres have done me well and I doubt I'll change to the linked tyres other than to see how they ride and then change back


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## jowwy (3 Mar 2014)

GP4000s for me too - first TT on them in 7days time


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## oldroadman (14 Mar 2014)

Sharky said:


> I've just bought a new back wheel. A Mavic cosmic elite and it comes with a tyre already fitted. A Mavic yksion comp 23c. If looks are anything to go by, both the wheel and tyre look fast even next to the settee. The tyre is smooth and looks like my old Mich Race Pro 2's..
> 
> It's been a rebuild project on my Focus, the one with a square back wheel and I've added aero bars and *145mm cranks* and going to alternate it with my fixed wheel bike to try and prove to my self which is the faster gears or fixed.
> 
> ...


 
Are you sure about that???


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## derrick (14 Mar 2014)

Have been running the Mavic tyres for a couple of months, just gone back to ultremo's, i am happy again.


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## Sharky (14 Mar 2014)

oldroadman said:


> Are you sure about that???



Yep 145mm cranks. Rode with 150mm all last year and they are really comfortable. 
Cheers keith


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## gds58 (15 Mar 2014)

Sharky said:


> Yep 145mm cranks. Rode with 150mm all last year and they are really comfortable.
> Cheers keith


I can't help thinking that if 150's were really comfortable then why have you changed to even shorter cranks? Do you have these specially made as I don't think I've ever seen good quality cranks this short (sometimes short cranks are found on kids bikes) and surely you are drastically reducing the amount of leverage by coming down by 20 - 30mm. Can I ask (I am genuinely interested from a professional point of view) do you use short cranks to suit your own body geometry, i.e. are you quite short in the leg and this is the only length that will properly suit your leg length? Hope you don't mind me asking. Graham


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## Brightski (15 Mar 2014)

I use veloflex masters for racing, I used to used VF records a bit faster but you can push your finger through them they are that thin..


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## oldroadman (15 Mar 2014)

gds58 said:


> I can't help thinking that if 150's were really comfortable then why have you changed to even shorter cranks? Do you have these specially made as I don't think I've ever seen good quality cranks this short (sometimes short cranks are found on kids bikes) and surely you are drastically reducing the amount of leverage by coming down by 20 - 30mm. Can I ask (I am genuinely interested from a professional point of view) do you use short cranks to suit your own body geometry, i.e. are you quite short in the leg and this is the only length that will properly suit your leg length? Hope you don't mind me asking. Graham


Google 145mm cranks and there's a lot of entries, although I can't see the advantage as climbing is likely to be affected simply because of the leverage required. Maybe it works for flat roads, certainly track riders usually go for 165 (banking clearance, and nothing longer is permitted on steep tracks). I have been on 165 or 167.5 over the years, and now for casual riding (which is all this clapped out old racer can do ), 165 is the norm. Simply what I'm used to and comfy with, shrt enough to spin easily and long enough to help the old legs on the climbs when taken (very) steadily!


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## frank9755 (8 Apr 2014)

I use 165 too. But one of the guys at my club was using 145 cranks last season and raving about them. He is on the short side, maybe about 5'4". I think he'd adapted them himself (with a drill).

On the OPs topic, I use Conti Grand Prix Supersonics. When I was looking to get some better tyres three or four seasons ago I googled 'fastest clincher' and that was what came up! 23mm. People used to use narrower but the modern view, based on tests is that, while narrower tyres have less wind resistance, wider tyres roll better, so you don't see so many people using 19s and 20s now (unless it is for tight frame clearances.


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