Should i change my Vittoria Zaffirro tyres?

[noadapter]

Hi guys

Thought i would get some useful info from the more knowledgeable cyclist out there on a buying a pair of New racing tyres for my bike.

At the moment i have Vittoria Zaffirro fitted which to me seem like a good grippy fast tyre but then not having any experience with any other tyre what do i know.

My question is will i notice any difference if i change these tyres to something more lighter/faster rolling like Mitch pro 3 or conti 2000 etc

Thanks

 

[ianrauk]

Zaffirro tyres are very good. There will be negligible noticeable difference imo.

 

[montage]

I notice the difference from my gatorskins to my mich pro 3s, not sure what it does for speed though tbh

 

[515mm]

IME conti GP4000s are very very good indeed. A pal of mine who knows the value of good grip and is able to describe in esquisite detail what it feels like when one is about to lose grip, recommends the Schwalbe Ultremos he uses.

This same pal did rib me over the ''unnecessarily ostentatious'' lean angle I achieved whilst railing the hairpin on Bwlch2 of last year's Dragon Ride. The same pal is not as keen on the Zafiros which came on his Wilier Izoard. This may or may not qualify me(or him) to comment on the relative merits of differing tyre brands grip.

In the words of Mark Cavendish........

"Tyre companies spend huge sums of money on research into the cornering ability of their tyres. If you turn in properly, it will stick."

 

[raindog]

I doubt you'd notice much, if any, difference changing from Zaffirros. But if you do decide to chuck 'em out can you chuck 'em this way? I got more than 4000ks of trouble free riding out of a pair a few years ago and wouldn't say no to some more.

 

[the_mikey]

I can speak from experience of switching from Kenda Kriterium race tyres to Conti Gatorskins, the gatorskins were heavier and required more effort, but that said, they seem well matched to Britains severely potholed and lumpy roads. The Kenda Kriteriums on the other hand were puncture magnets!


I'm going to try some Mitchelin Krylions soon..

 

[amaferanga]

Zaffiros are rubbish. Wire bead so heavy. If you just ride at a leisurely pace all the time then they're fine, but if you ever push hard round corners then you will notice the extra grip you get from tyres like the Pro 3 Race. The Pro 3 Race are 140g lighter as well - may not seem like much, but the worst place to have any extra weight is on the rim.

 

[zophiel]

Hi guys

Thought i would get some useful info from the more knowledgeable cyclist out there on a buying a pair of New racing tyres for my bike.

At the moment i have Vittoria Zaffirro fitted which to me seem like a good grippy fast tyre but then not having any experience with any other tyre what do i know.

My question is will i notice any difference if i change these tyres to something more lighter/faster rolling like Mitch pro 3 or conti 2000 etc

Thanks

so more to the question is, do you need new tyres?? If not then use them until they die then replace them with something lighter. Why change something just for the sake of it its a waste.

 

[brockers]

You will notice a difference, but possibly not as much as you'd think. Much of it is psychological (a bit like wine-labels), and in my experience most of the feel is down to pressure. So make sure you're comparing like with like. (btw I'm getting the feeling from reading forums that people are now actually over-inflating their tyres.) The ProRace 3's were developed for excellent cornering and grip, but they do cut easily, so really a race only tyre.

Why not have two sets? Have your cheaper longer lasting tyres for long slow rides in the crappy weather, and keep a set of, I dunno, Gp4000s (nice) or Vittoria CXs (mmmm..) for when the roads are dry and you feel like you're going to go like a greyhound ? Only takes ten mins to change a pair of tyres.

 

[Rebel Ian]

If you decide to change your Vittoria Zaffiros, see my thread entitled "my tyres won't come off"!

 

[stephec]

Zaffiros are rubbish. Wire bead so heavy. If you just ride at a leisurely pace all the time then they're fine, but if you ever push hard round corners then you will notice the extra grip you get from tyres like the Pro 3 Race. The Pro 3 Race are 140g lighter as well - may not seem like much, but the worst place to have any extra weight is on the rim.

Agreed.

I used them for a while, but then changed to a pair of Fortezza Tricomps, the difference is very noticable if you want extra speed and cornering ability.

As people have said, for pottering along you might not notice much difference, but once you change you might be encouraged not to just potter, and press on a bit more.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Zaffiros are rubbish. Wire bead so heavy. If you just ride at a leisurely pace all the time then they're fine, but if you ever push hard round corners then you will notice the extra grip you get from tyres like the Pro 3 Race. The Pro 3 Race are 140g lighter as well - may not seem like much, but the worst place to have any extra weight is on the rim.

Zaffiro PRO are folding, and only 40gms heavier. Feel more robust - use them on the 'winter' bike - and not as responsive as Pro 3 Race on the summer bike, which are much softer and cut up very easily. However, love the feel and sound of the P3Rs going fast on a smooth road.

 

[amaferanga]

Zaffiro PRO are folding, and only 40gms heavier. Feel more robust - use them on the 'winter' bike - and not as responsive as Pro 3 Race on the summer bike, which are much softer and cut up very easily. However, love the feel and sound of the P3Rs going fast on a smooth road.

OP didn't say Zaffiro PRO though.

 

[fossyant]

Depends upon your riding. Tyres do feel different - the light tyres do respond better to road surfaces, and do indeed whoosh along with latex tubes, but it you are doing every day riding, you need to look at some sort of compromise.

Pro Race/GP4000/Ultremos are great - but costly. Fantastic for fast training/ racing etc. TBH don't puncture much. Bit expensive for commuting on though.

You are now into the world of slightly heavier tyres, or seriously heavier tyres - with that you have added puncture protection, but much stiffer tyres... heavier, the stiffer and less quick.

You need to pick something that suits you. Those tyres that grip in all conditions, don't tend to last as long. If you don't need a commute tyre to grip on fast corners, then fine, but some folk do need grippy tyres.

I have 2 bikes that run Pro Race 2 (the older version) that ride great - the latex tubes on one make a great addition, slightly less weight, but the whoosh noise is outstanding.

My commuter has run Conti 4 Seasons (flaming expensive) and Michelin Lithion2's (much cheaper) - I actually prefer the Lithions as they are much much supple, and corner just as well (4 seasons are the bees knees for all weather road tyres). The cheap Lithion 2's are almost as good as the Pro Race, slight weight penalty (20g) but more resistance to flats. (Same weight as a 4 Season though).

Tyre choice is very personal to your riding type, and if you don't mind the slight risk of extra punctures for lighter tyres - TBH run the tyres at correct PSI, you'll only puncture when the tyre is worn.

Light tyres do really make a difference to the bike's ride, faster and less harsh - strange, but true, down side is less resilient.

 

[chris-s]

My bianchi came with zaffirro tyres last year, did 1500 miles on them with no qualms. A couple of weeks ago I replaced them with some schawlbe ultremo's and the difference was noticeable. A work colleague did the same with the same results.

Chris