Tour of Flanders Sportive - What Tyres

07Lapierre

When I tell people i'm signed up for the Flanders sportive...the first thing they ask me is "What tyres are you using?". I have continental GP 4000 S 23c's on the bike at the moment.

Well..what tyres should I be using?

Harrybelafonte

We spent a bomb on ZX Aquas going over. Total waste, as it didn't rain. Maybe get 25s, otherwise good puncture protection is only need. I was only one to get puncture.

ford2600

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pave-cg-open-clincher-road-tyre/

Maybe?

07Lapierre

ford2600 wrote: »

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pave-cg-open-clincher-road-tyre/

Maybe?

Thanks..pity there on wiggle..I have a voucher for CRC

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/vittoria-pave-cg-tubular-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod124133

Eamonnator

ford2600 wrote: »

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pave-cg-open-clincher-road-tyre/

Maybe?

Class looking tyre.

Harrybelafonte

07Lapierre wrote: »

Thanks..pity there on wiggle..I have a voucher for CRC

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/vittoria-pave-cg-tubular-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod124133

Over thinking it, the cobbles aren't like pavé. Any beater tyre will do.

07Lapierre

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Over thinking it, the cobbles aren't like pavé. Any beater tyre will do.

I'm inclined to agree with you...I might change to conti 25's just for the added comfort.

ford2600

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Over thinking it, the cobbles aren't like pavé. Any beater tyre will do.

Harry could be right, nice tyre though.

Have one in 24 I won't use again if you want me to post it just pm your address. Eady way to try them

Beasty

19mm tubs pumped up to 200psi - you'll be grand ....


:pac:

imskilguy

the cobbles in flanders aren't too bad. I used schwalbe marathon 700*25 the past two years and Ill use them again.

07Lapierre

ford2600 wrote: »

Harry could be right, nice tyre though.

Have one in 24 I won't use again if you want me to post it just pm your address. Eady way to try them

Appreciate the offer, but your OK I have 25's on another bike so I know what there like. The 23's on the bike I intend using in April need to be changed soon, so that's why I was asking about tyres.. I'll just get a new set of conti 25's.

JK.BMC

A quick scout of the tech reviews from previous editions of Flanders shows that the pros invariably ride 25mm tubs; I will be riding clincher versions, maybe conti 4 seasons if some wild weather is forecast. I'm more concerned with pushing 36x25 on the Koppenberg after near 200km... !

nak

I'll be using 28mm Specialized Roubaix Pros. Use them here anyway as don't always like sticking to sealed roads. The S-Works Turbos work very well too.

Raam

I used 25s on Flanders. Top tip: don't stand when climbing wet cobbles.

QueensGael

JK.BMC wrote: »

I'm more concerned with pushing 36x25 on the Koppenberg after near 200km... !

Expect it to be a mess, people doing the 3-second track stand and then falling over There's not much room to manoeuvre there at all!

25mm should be grand, I used Conti GP 4000 24mm for it a few years ago.

Word of warning, the food stops are a bit rubbish, and hard to find a Spar or similar in those parts - recommend bringing plenty of Mars bars or your fuel of choice!

Raam

I thought the food stops were fine when I did it. Also, frame pumps, bike computers, bottle cages, bidons... all go flying when you hit the cobbles.

Harrybelafonte

WTF, food stops were excellent when I did it about 5 years ago. Maybe things changed.

Bring allen keys, my bottle cage started to come loose.

I was kncocked off on Koppenberg and caught by someone else. Walked a bit, grabbed a fence and started again ok, it was the only way to do it tbh. Hit the climbs relatively hard and scream "mittel frei" for your life the whole way up.

For those who are doing it, others may not agree, ut I wouldn't bother going for the full distance one. There's nothing interesting going on for the first half, then you hit all the climbs with 100+ in your legs and it takes a lot of the fun out of it.

07Lapierre

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

WTF, food stops were excellent when I did it about 5 years ago. Maybe things changed.

Bring allen keys, my bottle cage started to come loose.

I was kncocked off on Koppenberg and caught by someone else. Walked a bit, grabbed a fence and started again ok, it was the only way to do it tbh. Hit the climbs relatively hard and scream "mittel frei" for your life the whole way up.

For those who are doing it, others may not agree, ut I wouldn't bother going for the full distance one. There's nothing interesting going on for the first half, then you hit all the climbs with 100+ in your legs and it takes a lot of the fun out of it.

Agree...we're signed up for the 133k route.

QueensGael

I did it in 2013, and the food stops had these waffle/wafer things with packets of honey, I found them sickly sweet. They had a few bananas too, but no hot drinks,no sanggiches, no cake - you'd have a better feed on the Tour de Burren or the Orwell Randonne! Overall though, it's a great event, well worth doing!

Wishbone Ash

2 friends did it last year on Conti GP 4000's (25's). One had several punctures (but he seems to puncture regularly anyway!).

nak

07Lapierre wrote: »

Agree...we're signed up for the 133k route.

Me too.

nak

QueensGael wrote: »

I did it in 2013, and the food stops had these waffle/wafer things with packets of honey, I found them sickly sweet. They had a few bananas too, but no hot drinks,no sanggiches, no cake - you'd have a better feed on the Tour de Burren or the Orwell Randonne! Overall though, it's a great event, well worth doing!

You need to go to an Italian sportive - you get spoiled at those. Iced coffee was a welcome treat on a 30C day.

Wishbone Ash

On a similar topic, I've signed up for LBL in April. Has anyone here done it before and would they recommend any particular tyres. (I'll probably default to Gatorskins as I seemed to be jinxed when using GP 4000's).

(Apologies A for hijacking your thread.)

QueensGael

Nameless Phil did LBL last year IIRC

andy69

nak wrote: »

Me too.

And me :-)

Foodstops in 2013 were rubbish alright. I'm bringing my own sambos :-)

07Lapierre

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

On a similar topic, I've signed up for LBL in April. Has anyone here done it before and would they recommend any particular tyres. (I'll probably default to Gatorskins as I seemed to be jinxed when using GP 4000's).

(Apologies A for hijacking your thread.)

No worries, is the LBL not a bit short for you? Its only 279K!

Wishbone Ash

07Lapierre wrote: »

No worries, is the LBL not a bit short for you? Its only 279K!

.....the distance doesn't bother me, it's the 4,500m of climbing that looks daunting! :eek: