Normally The Keepers reserve our Reverence articles for products we’ve used for years, or with new stuff that has had at least six months of duty. Riding the cobbles of Belgium and Northern France can put most gear (and bodies) through six months of abuse in just a few weeks, so in this case the work these tyres have been put through there and in the months since qualifies them for a deserved earlier dose of Reverence.
Selecting what gear to run for the Cobbled Classics Keepers Tour wasn’t too hard a task; there are some things which just go with cobbles bikes like double wrapped bartape, alloy steerer fork and of course box section rims laced 3 cross. Tubular or clincher was about the only tough decision I had to make. I managed to find a cheap pair of Ambrosio tub rims, but as they were 36 hole it proved impossible to find a cassette hub in time for the tour. How bad could clinchers be? After all, Freddy Guesdon won Roubaix on clinchers in 97, and the Pavé boys would have spare wheels if something went terribly awry. It wasn’t the cobbles that would claim my clinchers, but the ham-fisted rock apes generously referred to by airlines as baggage handlers.
Choosing a tyre to run was probably the easiest task. It had to be Vittoria’s Open Pavé CG‘s, based on what I’d seen gracing Pro’s bikes in just about every edition of the Spring Classics I’d witnessed. The distinctive green herringbone tread stripe is as synonymous with these races as are crazed fans, beer and frites en mayo. Unfortunately the ‘Open Tubular’ doesn’t come in the 28mm width of it’s tubular brethren, but a 24mm version only. That extra mm wasn’t a lot but it was something. The real benefit of the tyres though is the 320TPI casing, yeilding a super smooth ride on any surface. Coupled with Vittoria’s Latex inner tubes, the feel of cushioning under the bike is definitely noticeable. Over all of the 21 secteurs we rode on the way to Roubaix, then another 15 of the worst a few days later, topped with a full complement of Flandrian roads, I only once feared I might hear the dreaded hiss from my tyres. Nailing an edge of a nasty cobble hard enough to feel the rock hitting the rim, the tyre bounced off and the slippery latex tube stayed intact. On return to NZ, I inspected the tyres for damage and was surprised and delighted to find nary a nick or any signs of wear.
I’ve been riding the Pavés ever since the Tour, and don’t want to swap them out at least until the Kiwi winter is over. The ride continues to impress with their sheer suppleness (dare I say souplesse?) over rough surfaces. They aren’t the lightest or fastest rolling, but neither am I. For summer I think I’ll try the lighter Corsa Evo SC‘s, which look just as cool with their tan sidewalls and are another Pro favourite. And if you’re worried about a green stripe clashing with your bike’s paint job, I think there should be a Rule #8 ammendment that the only coloured tyre allowed on any bike, due to it’s unrivalled heritage, is the venerable and now ReVered Open Pavé CG.
Thanks to Graeme at Cycle Sport NZ for his generosity in supplying the tyres and tubes.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/brettok@velominati.com/Open Pav/”/]
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View Comments
I like them, and would echo the smoothness (I'd make a comment about not having punctured, but I don't want to damn myself to some massive blowout on my next ride). I run them at 100psi, but that's with Vredestein Fortezza tires (25mm), which I also like very much. I've wondered a bit about their porousness, however, and whether they risk going too low over the course of longer rides (inflating before each ride, I'm amazed that they're always down below 60psi after just 24 hours). I understand, though, that the softer latex tubes are less prone to puncturing than butyl. I got mine at La Bicicletta in Toronto, but have seen them at various online sites as well...
@frank
ROFL, love the pie-chart graphic! That's so true. I don't design for IE anymore. If it don't look right in AIEEEEEE, I tell 'em to use Firefox. =)
@brett
That my friend is the funniest line I have read in quite some time. Beauty. It deserves wider exposure.
I've been using a tubeless tire/cafe latex sealant of late and finally experienced a puncture. Also a little orgasmic messy scene. Sealant spraying out like a cub scout circle jerk (see, not as funny) but it sealed, and it rained, so I was was rolling on a good front wheel and all rinsed off. End of story.
@Steampunk
Most good tubbies all have latex inner tubes as well. The practice is to expect your tubes to be about a bar lower at the end of an 8 hour ride; so at Roubaix they start a little higher so that by the time they hit the pavé, the pressure is exactly where they want it - and with some of the roughest secteurs coming at the end it works out. Farrar said he started at 6 so they'd be at about 5.5 when the cobbles started to hurt and 5 for the finale.
@Xyverz
The credit on the graphic is my favorite bit of it.
I'm still running the (grey) Vredestein Fortezzas the Ridley came with. Done 1,200km's and the rear is now slick and a few nicks are appearing in the sidewall rubber. I run them at 155psi (as per the instructions) and (so far) they've worked very well considering the shocking state of our roads (sharp chipseal and badly fixed potholes).
On previous tyres I took the view that as long as it was only a sidewall nick to the rubber, the carcass wasn't deformed and the threads were untouched then the tyre was safe and good for a few more runs.
Any thoughts? And is there any point in using nail varnish to seal the cut (clear obviously)?
Also they hold 155 psi for a week's worth of riding.
Back on subject - I'm bummed out that Vittoria decided to move to the design with one green band down the center fo the tires, rather than the badass dual stripe from previous models.
Hushovd has the old version, and Boonen has the new ones. Seeing Boonen look like a startled goose really pulls out the fact that he was a complete badass this year.
@the Engine
155psi is the maximum, surely? That's pretty high - I can't think of a road tyre I'd run at more than 120psi, and I'm 100kg.
@Gianni
I too have been received a few Campa Money Shots (this could go on all day) courtesy of my Shamal 2 Ways (the name of which opens up a whole new raft of lexi options). A few have allowed me to keep riding as the tyre re-sealed itself after spraying me - but I have had three separate incidents over the space of a few months where my Hutchinson Fusions took a bad enough cut that the tyre was fucked. Could get home by inserting a five dollar note and a tube (which requires hands of steel - which I dont have) but it was enough for me to only go for the heavy duty Hutchinsons (no troubles with them) and question the whole efficacy of tubeless tyres...