Well, I bought a pair of Michelin Pro2 race tires for a 1998/99 Allez road bike I bought from a friend. I was replacing a pair of Vittoria Zaffiros, which I have heard are one of the best suprises out there...
The pro 2 tires look like this:
The Zaffiros were great, but the problem was that they had no tread in the middle. They actually had worn to where they are flat in the middle. From what people have told me the Zaffiros resist punctures and are excellent. Well, at any rate since it was time I bought the Michelins. For one day I was in heaven. The tires had great grip and almost no rolling resistance. Then tragedy struck. I had read on the performance bike site that a heavy rider had some difficulty with the rear tire.
Well, I am heavy, well over 80 kilos. The first issue was that the tires can't be pumped up higher than 116 psi. That was OK, I don't care about a couple PSI. The Zaffiros, while much harder, are more durable and can be filled to 120 PSI. The tragedy was that I happened to roll across a piece of glass about 3/4 inch wide. The front tire, of course, was fine, the rear tire however was slashed to about 3/4 inch across the center of the tread, and the glass went into the inner tube and destroyed it. So now I have a Pro2 tire with what looks like a tiny slash in it, but is really, when pumped up, a wide gash where the tube shows through. I tried to ride it anyway, and of course I lost a innertube.
What I was upset about was that I spent $100 on two tires and one was gone. Fortunately a friend of mine told me about Mr. Tuffy. I got the Mr. Tuffies and a new Vittoria Rubino Pro rear tire. The Rubino is a great tire, it has a much larger PSI capacity at 130, and is supposedly grippier around corners. Well, I'll tell you they are not grippier than the Michelin. In fact the Rubino is downright scary in the rain. The best part is that it is scary in a predictible fashion. 
I know when it will break loose. With the Mr Tuffies I felt like I couldn't get a flat. I think I'll stick with the Rubinos, even though they are a little wild in the rain. It doesn't rain too much where I live, and in the dry they seem excellent. I got the black on black, but I think I'll try to find the blue ones next time. They will better match my bike.
All in all, I'd recommend the Pro2 Race tires if you are around, or less than 150 lbs, and you are in a race. I definately wouldn't recommend them for commuting or if you weigh more than about 160 lbs. The rear tire just won't hold up.
technorati tags:bike, tires, road, commute, race
Blogged with Flock
No comments:
Post a Comment